Blanche was sole heiress now—so I had to act this part for as long as the family knew I had the fortune the moment a wedding band was on my finger.

When I stepped outside the room Dylan and Vaughn told me they had important things to discuss and therefore were gone with their own ploys. I was left wandering around as Blanche.

Scarlett and Claribel were catching up alone in the parlor room so I went to the room Ruby was. She was there, playing cat's cradle with Calvin. They both looked up when I knocked.

"Hello," I said. "May I join?"

The two didn't seem mad or jealous although I was named sole heiress and Calvin was even excluded purposely. They nodded eagerly and made way for me to sit in the middle.

"That was scary, wasn't it?" Calvin asked, as Ruby nudged me to play cat's cradle.

"I don't like Aunt Scarlett," Ruby muttered. "And mum."

"Yes, but to tell the truth, I've cooled down. I bet they are saying bad things about Auguste, and of course I agree with everything they say, but I'm happy for you, Blanche." Calvin grinned.

"How can you be?" I whispered. "I don't understand. He specifically made Dylan and you—" I paused, "well, unable to retain any rights to receive his money."

"Well, what if that man was lying and you are his daughter, or he's not that sure?" Calvin tilted his head down to look at me. "If we looked at it this way, we can avoid something bad. Anyways, you are a wonderful sister to Ruby, sibling or not."

"Am I?" I looked at Ruby. "Would you like to be my sister, even if we aren't blood-related?"

"Yes. I feel calm with you." Ruby smiled, eyes still on the cradle. "You don't think I'm dumb or wrong in the head."

"Why? Has something said that?" I couldn't hide the shock in my voice.

"Of course." Ruby looked up at me in the similar fashion Calvin did. "That man."

I watched Ruby do intricate patterns with with nimble, quick fingers, and then she stretched out a bridge horizontally. She was shy, but wrong in the head? I see now, Auguste didn't care for her at all because of this.

She hummed a song as I tried to pinch strings together and not let the bridge collapse.

"One white dove, one red sparrow, and one black crow, but the crow was gone. Catch him, catch him, said the dove from above. Catch him, catch him, said the sparrow with her arrow. Catch him, catch him, they said, but the crow had died of sorrow," Ruby sang softly.

"Is that a nursery rhyme?"

"My nanny sang it when I was small." Ruby's face changed. "I sing things sometimes. I don't notice."

"That's a nice habit. I suppose it's better than me, I fumble my hands and chew my lips when I'm nervous," I said.

And the three of us sat there, Ruby singing softly, as though she were putting a spell on the red strings against our white skin.

"Catch him, catch him, they said, but the crow had died of sorrow..."

***

Dinner was a quiet procession. Until Austen drank his wine and became quite upset.

"He always looked down on me!" he began to murmur loudly, when he was shouting. "I don't care about the money or house, but Olivia would be livid!"

"Calm yourself, Uncle," Dylan said.

"Oh, poor Angel, too, she had a boy she wanted to marry but we had no money. I shall have to work, again, as always. How would I pay for her and Connie's ballet classes and university?"

"Exactly, it's a grave issue for all of us," Scarlett said, "besides Blanche."

"—my pockets would be drained, I can't even invest in the stocks I promised to—"

"I shall remind you, I can't receive anything until I'm married. As a woman who has never met these families, I'm very troubled too," I said, maybe a bit too snide.

Austen started bawling and Scarlett snatched away his glass of wine, and glared at me.

"Now, now," Calvin jumped in. "At least we can bond over his death. Let's have a toast to his funeral!"

"That's a disgraceful joke, Calvin," Dylan said. Calvin lowered his raised arms sadly.

"Let's decide on how we shall room tonight," Vaughn said instead, always fast to move on to a different subject.

"Well, Calvin and Claribel can return to their former rooms. As for the guest rooms Blanche has the White room, so Scarlett can take the red room." Then a frown was on Dylan's forehead. "I suppose you would like to stay with your mother, Ruby?"

"You forgot her," Calvin laughed out loud. Ruby smiled a little too; she always had on her shy holding laughter back smile, I noticed.

"I'd like to stay with Blanche," Ruby said.

"What?" Scarlett said, looking offended.

"Why?" Claribel added, face unreadable.

"So I'll have the Black room," Austen said in relief.

"Is it five with Blanche?" Calvin asked.

They all turned to me next, and Vaughn subtly mouth something. I ignored him.

"Yes. It's a big bed, I'm sure it can fit both of us."

Dinner resumed, and Austen kept complaining to everyone's chagrin.

"...doesn't anyone here know how hard it is to be a working man? How they are expected to provide for the family? I've known for some time Olivia has been seeing another man, or men, for I all know. But I just can't bring it up! Dammit!"

Our plates were cleared away by Julie and Gwendoline as Scarlett sighed. She seemed devoid of any emotion and wrapped her black robe around her dress—she had changed for dinner, and said, with a flourish, "I shall be retiring for the night, then. Goodnight, Vaughn, Claribel, and Austen."

As though they were invisible, no longer part of the family, Dylan, Calvin, and Ruby only sat there as the rest bid her a good night.

Then I realized the awful woman didn't include me either. I was going to be the matriarch, too. She would regret this. We waited as Julie told us the other two were readying the rooms one by one.

"Are you new?" I asked Julie.

Julie seemed younger than me, with a ruddy face and straight cut black bangs. She nodded.

"The butler recently brought me over but he left for quite some time. I hope everything's fine on his side. Irene is the most experienced but Gwendoline started a few months before me."

When the two other maids came down Irene stepped up.

"The room has been readied. We've bought their luggage to the according rooms. Miss Ruby, I heard you are staying with Miss Blanche, is that correct?"

"Yes," Ruby whispered.

"I can attend to you both at night and in the morning."

"No, I'm fine," Ruby said quickly, eyes darting away.

"I see. Then I'll wait and tend to Miss Blanche at eleven."

"Thank you," Calvin and I chorused. The three maids bowed in their black dress and aprons.

Calvin, Ruby, and I went upstairs together, talking about how hard for them to manage so many things, especially for Scarlett who Gwendoline was taking care of. 

"She'd be so picky, about her hair, outfit, anything!" Calvin joked.

"Maybe Irene can take over, she's too skilled to complain about."

We reached the top of the stairs and as I was bidding goodnight to Calvin I heard someone call me.

"Wait, Blanche!"

I turned to see Dylan, with his typical solemn face, a few steps behind us. "I'd like to have a word with you."

I recoiled. Ruby held my hand and asked, "Are you fine?" I nodded.

"Yes, that'll be fine. You can wait for me, Ruby. I don't have many things so make yourself at home. Sleep on any side, and good night if I don't return soon." I leaned down for a hug, but she stretched and kissed my cheek.

"Goodnight, Blanche. And thank you for many things." Her smile put me at peace.

As the siblings went up the stairs I turned and returned to Dylan, alone in the dining room.

"Is Vaughn not here?"

"He's investigating something—he said he found out something important." Dylan tousled his hair and then sat on one of the chairs. "I'm sorry, Rose."

I looked at him. "What?"

"Wait, is it inappropriate of me to call you Rose? If so I'm deeply sorry, Rosemarie, I mean."

"No, no," I cut in, "Please call me Rose. I haven't heard it in a long time."

He laughed a little, leaning back on his chair as he stopped being so stiff.

"Today was just the worst. As expected of that man, he gave neither us nor you the fortune without any suffering. You'll have to be tied into place as Blanche from today on. Maybe five years, even." He looked at his hands. "If you want to walk out of this—this cursed fortune, tonight is your only chance. After this, the de Winters, including Olivia and her daughters, will be on a witch-hunt for you."

"You're right," I said as I walked to him. "The fortune I thought I could've have came with pretty much an arranged marriage. I asked Vaughn if he'd join my farce, but he rejected. Now I have the money just a hair's length away from me. But you need me, don't you?"

I put my hand on his cheek, but he didn't push it away. I wonder why it was I wanted him to need me, to help him. Maybe I had a God Complex. Maybe I was just lonely from always being alone.

"Do you need me, Dylan?"

"Of course I do." His fingers reached for my hand. "But you're not mine to order."

I felt my lips curling up. How adorable of him. He was falling deeper and deeper into my web.

"I'll be Blanche for you, Dylan. And I'll help you until we find the true Blanche—because I'm not marrying someone until they know who I am."

I leaned down to see his face from below. How beautiful; his eyes were dark and the eyebrows that he frowned with were right above his eyes. His lips were shapely and in a lovable pout. 

"So use me, Dylan."

"At what price?" he asked without a second.

My hands had drew back, but I wanted to hold him more. "Maybe you can make the heirs want to marry me. I love it when men fight over me, even if I don't necessarily like them. I find it humorous."

"You're cruel. You remind me of my mother." He looked away. "What a nasty comment to make, huh?"

"Either way, I won't be leaving tonight."

"Watch out for your safety," Dylan said, standing up. "Lock your doors, only I have the master key. Otherwise, you can trust Ruby. But as for Calvin—I don't know. Be alert."

"Thank you for the warnings." I stood up two and now facing each other, Dylan gave a deep look in my eyes before pointing at the back of his neck.

I understood. "Shall we go to the study?"

"No, I have an ink pen with me at all times." I turned around and he lifted my hair before I hear the cap of a pen opening, and his finger gracing my neck with the softest of touches.

Now I was Blanche again.

"Goodnight Dylan."

"Goodnight—Rose."

I left the room and went back to my room. The White room, they called it. Prepared specially for Blanche and her double.

Inside there was only a lamp on. Ruby was asleep in a white nightgown. It was thicker than mine and long sleeved. She huddled there, and made occasional soft hums.

I blew out the lantern as I changed. With Irene nowhere in sight, I reached back and unbuttoned the dress myself. Then there was the girdle, and lastly, the stockings. I folded them all and put it in a dresser drawer. I never knew where Blanche's outfits were places, nor where Rose's original clothing went. I missed my boots, as awful as they were.

Just as I slipped into my white camisole gown, I heard a knock. I ignored it, then the door opened.

His face appeared, and I smiled.

"Oh, a tryst? I never took you to be such a man—Vaughn."

His cold smile mirrored mine.

"Well, me neither, until I found out your lie."

"Which?" I walked to the crack of dim light where his face was. "I have plenty."

He grabbed hold of my exposed shoulder and pulled me out of the room, and I didn't struggle. With the coldest eyes I've seen from him yet he pulled my hair, slowly, until my head reached his face.

"Let go, or I'll scream," I whispered.

"Even if your lie will be exposed?"

"Which?"

"That you're not Rosemarie." He pulled my hair tighter. "I don't know who you are but Rosemarie Blackwood died six years ago."