Zech had been gone for a few hours and the funeral had been well over when he'd gone over things in his room and decided to speak to his mother. He'd made sure she was alone and he didn't have a bottle in hand, though he wanted one. He'd started drinking early enough though that he'd be feeling it for a while.

With his little book in hand, he wandered the place. Poking his head in room to room and leaving quickly when seeing it empty, and quicker when it had the wrong family member. He didn't want to call out for her, because it was considered rude and his father would be wondering why he was looking for her. He almost considered giving up and taking a nap when he finally came upon her.

"Ah.. mother.."he said slowly. He wondered how to word things and how much to reveal. But would she ruin everything for him? He considered it, but wasn't certain. She definitely wasn't his father though. He held up his hands and forced upon his face a smile. "Mother.. dearest.. I've come to see the woman from whom I sprung. " he came up to her for a hug though he was certain it would be rejected. "May I have some of your time?"

Anne was alone in the parlour, grieving. She didn't know where her boar of a husband was, but she didn't care. She had seen his fake grief and it appalled her. It was evident to her that he had never loved Magnus and that he was part of the reason why her precious boy had gone down the wrong path. And there was more she blamed him for. Half of her grieving time was filled with rage towards her husband. The rest was spent on Pearl. Pearl, the cuckoo ready to tip Anne's true children out of the nest. She had already practically killed her precious Magnus. What was to be done about Pearl?

Anne looked up when she heard Darius. She brought her handkerchief up to her eyes and dabbed them. "Darius, my dear son." She patted the spot next to her, not showing her surprise at seeing him outside of his room. She was genuinely not surprised at the greeting. Darius had always seemed like a particularly feeble-minded child. The sort Spartans would leave out in the woods rather than waste a mother's milk on. He was odd, but useful, she realized for the first time. Darius of all people was the heir now.

She took his face in both her hands and kissed his forehead lovingly. "Forgive me if I am too overcome, my dear. I will try to listen to you." But instead she talked: "A great responsibility rests on your shoulders now, darling. You must be an example to your brothers and sisters and lead them. One day" soon, hopefully, " you will be head of this family." As if. Feebleminded Darius would need every bit of guidance. And Anne was ready to guide and mold and rule.

Darius smiled as he sat beside his mother. She'd never treated him so sweetly as she did now, the lawyer had to have been correct. He was the heir now. The man leaned to her for the small show of affection and then sat back and took her hands in his. "Oh mother, I am sorry that you must suffer losing Magnus, I know it is hard. I.." The idea of setting an example for his siblings that he didn't like bothered him. He would only show them what it was like to be rich and live with ease and no worries. Let them scrounge along the streets like rats for not being kinder to him. His smile grew a little and he looked to her, nodding slightly. "Oh yes mother.. Ah.. I spoke to a lawyer recently. About making sure father can't change the will to favor someone unworthy.."

Anne looked at him long and hard, though the expression was hard to read. Perhaps there was more sense in Darius than he usually showed. "Did you speak to Robert?"

Darius was uncertain what to think by her tone. He stared at her for a long quiet moment before tilting his head to the side. The confusion was evident on his face. "Why would I talk to Robert? I think he's afraid of me.."

Anne brought her handkerchief up to her eyes again. "Oh Darius. I believe your father is losing his mind. You know he makes Robert work at the railway station, further dragging our family name through the mud. But it's worse. He intends to cut all of you out of the will and leave the entire fortune and business to some rat from a yard who's seduced Pearl."

Darius played the part of concern as he leaned towards his mother and rest a hand on her shoulder. "It will be alright. Clearly we just need to.. I don't know.. maybe pretend he is merely hysterical from losing Magnus? He isn't himself. Especially if he thinks to give money to some snake oil salesman. That is who she's with right?" That was the last one he'd recalled, but he had been out of her life and everyone else's lately.

"Snake -?" She had known nothing about that, but it didn't surprise her that Pearl had been whoring around the Whitby slums before. What else could be expected of a whore's daughter? "No, some railway porter who assaulted her at the station." She sniffed and dabbed her eyes. "I knew your father never loved you, but I didn't think he'd be this cruel. Magnus's death must have been that last push into insanity."

Darius merely nodded but the confusion was evident on his face. This all sounded strange, he thought she liked another and that she would go to someone who'd assaulted her? Perhaps his sister was losing her mind as well after all of this stress. He delicately patted his mother's arm and smiled up at her. "It's alright mother. We will speak to someone, I am sure they can overthrow any changes he makes now. As he is clearly being weighed down by the misery and life shattering change of losing his first born son that he'd put so much of his personal plans and ideals upon. Right?"

Anne had seen the card and she wondered if it was Darius who had seen the lawyer. Despite being overcome with grief and repeatedly fainting, she had had the presence of mind to notice who had been there at the funeral and who had left.

She kept a score.

Now she wondered again if it had been Darius. Perhaps there really was some intelligence in that dreamy head of his. Something to be reckoned with.

"You really think they would be able to do that?" she asked helplessly. "Oh my heart breaks for you children. But I believe your father is a danger to us now."