Six Feet Under

chapter two

[ 09/09/2015, Greene Mansion, 0900 ]

Madison spat her toothpaste into the sink and rinsed out her mouth, blinking slightly to clear the sleep out of her eyes before settling her gaze on the rows of prescription pill bottles lining the counter.

She retrieved a pill from the bottle labeled 'Antipsychotic' and another from the one labeled 'Mood stabilizers', and dropped both into the toilet bowl before flushing. She watched the pills swirl down the toilet blankly and turned to head into the shower, stretching her arms above her head and yawning.

She emerged a precise ten minutes later, dressed in a comfortable knit sweater and leggings, and paused for a moment in front of her bedside drawer where she knew a gun rested.

Soon. She promised herself. Soon she'll pay for what she did to my family, my reputation.

She exited her room and closed the door, combing her blond bangs back with her fingers as she walked down the stairs and veered into the dining pavilion.

"Bonjour, maman." She smiled, easy and bright. "It's a good day outside, isn't it?"

"Oui, Madison." Cecile agreed from her seat at the head of the long table, where she was buttering her toast. "Are you going out today?"

"Maybe, we'll see." Madison bent down to kiss Cecile on the cheek. "Nice dress, maman."

"Merci, Madison. I'm meeting up with the others for Wednesday Wine at the Jensens."

Madison took a long sip from her orange juice and smiled as the maid put down a plate of perfectly golden eggs and crisp bacon in front of her. "Thanks, Ava."

Ava went back to standing at the edge of the pavilion.

"Is Adelaide coming down to breakfast?"

"No," Cecile dabbed at her mouth delicately. "I don't think she'll be up before 11."

"Hm," she hummed faux thoughtfully. "Maman, what do you think about giving Ava more time off?"

"You mean a vacation?"

"Yes," Madison began to butter her toast. "If she leaves after breakfast, she'll be at Detroit by tonight. She can come back on Sunday evening. That's fair, is it not?"

"Of course," Cecile beamed. "what a sweet girl you are, my Madison. I'll ask her to do the laundry and the cleaning first and she can take the last bus out this evening, no?"

Madison turned around and winked at Ava, who was smiling slightly.

"Would you like to have lunch at the house, ma'am?"

"Yes, that would be nice." Cecile put down her fork and knife. "Madison, chéri, how about you?"

"No, thank you." She said politely after swallowing a forkful of eggs. "If you need to be at the Jensens early then you can leave, maman. I can eat alone."

Cecile shifted the napkin off her lap and stood up, her pastel blue skirt flaring slightly behind her.

"It's cold outside, chéri. Don't forget your coat like last time, oui?"

"Oui, maman." Madison replied obediently.

She listened to Cecile's fading footsteps and the muffled thump of the front door closing, and took another sip of her juice.

"Ava, I know you'll be busy with the laundry, so leave Adelaide's plate on the table with saran wrap or something. She can heat it up herself when she deigns to grace us with her presence."