Tainted | Kuroshitsuji ✔️

Chapter 42: Against All Odds

Winter was approaching fast, but London still looked as busy as ever. Horse-drawn carriages were trudging up and down the wide cobblestone street, clatters from the trotting horses could be heard almost everywhere. 

Men and women wrapped in thin scarves were rushing about on the pavements and across the busy street, running their errands as quickly as they could in the dropping temperature. Flushed, pale faces and trembling hands were norms at this time of the year, even though the chilly, white snow has yet to fall.

She was no exception.

Wrapped in the dull red scarf around her neck, Estella hugged the brown paper bag in her arms closer to herself as she plodded through the bustling crowd before her, shivering when a breeze blew past. 

She uttered an apology when she accidentally stepped on a foot and pushed her way out of the crowd, sighing aloud in relief when she was freed from it. Her ice blue eyes began to glance around as she briefly adjusted the hood that covered her head.

"This should be all Abigail needs." She gazed down at the bag of purchases held to her chest thoughtfully.

A satisfied smirk curled her lips as she strode her way across the street, clutching the bag tighter to her chest as she approached the tailor shop atop a small flight of stairs. Manoeuvring around a group of chattering women, she climbed the steps and pushed down the door handle once she had reached the top, letting herself into the warm interior of the tailor shop.

Pushing the hood on her head back, she pulled the door close with a soft sigh.

"Estella, you're back!"

A smiling young woman in a simple blue dress ran toward her with a boy behind, strolling after her with a completely bored look.

"Hey, Abigail." She greeted the woman with a grin. "I managed to get all of them. Here, take them." She extended the bag toward her.

"Thanks," Abigail Carlisle pushed a loose strand of her brown hair that had fell into her face behind her ear and took the bag gratefully. "It must be really hard on you to go out for these cloths for me in this kind of temperature. Some customers were complaining to me about it just now." She let out a sigh. "Have I mentioned how much I hate winters? If only autumn could slow down..."

"Many times, Abigail, many times." The grin on Estella's face grew wider. "You know–"

A persistent tug at the hem of her black loose vest interrupted her and made her turn to find a boy who had tagged along with Abigail scowling up at her. "Hey reddy, did you get me what I told you to get?" Evan Carlisle's baby blue eyes stared expectantly from underneath the sprawl of his messy hair – brown just like his older sister's.

Irritation shot through her at the nickname the ten year old boy had come up with the first time he saw her red hair and decided that he didn't feel like using her real name at all.

This time, it was her turn to scowl. "No I didn't, pisspot." Estella narrowed her eyes at him, annoyed. "And what's with that stupid name again?" She leaned toward him with a glare, folding her arms intimidatingly.

Lips pursing with disapproval, Abigail's soft green eyes grew hard as the woman turned to her little brother with an admonishing frown. 

"Show some respect, Evan! You can't go around giving people nicknames as you wish, especially older ones!" 

Abigail ignored the boy's defiant look and turned to Estella with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that again. Come on, lunch's ready and it'd grow cold if we continue standing here."