Exclaim my name, Theodore.

Lord Theodore's mansion

Conan walked closer to Lydia, smiled at her husband before picking up her gloved left hand with a mock frown, he felt they were already acquainted, not bothering to acknowledge that she was scared as a bunny the last time she was in this mansion, he started.

"Do I also need to introduce myself? We have a history together my la…"

"Lady Theodore" Theodore interrupted his speech with two words

"What?" Conan asked for clarification, his head tilted towards Theodore

"You call her Lady Theodore" Theodore repeated, sliding his arms around Lydia's waist, his chin on her now exposed shoulders.

"Just I?" he asked his eyes wide, filled with fake hurt

"No, all of you and anybody who asks" Theodore explicated tenaciously, Conan nodded in agreement

"Lady Theodore, I'm Conan Lightwood and your husband's…"

Husband, her mind smiled at that word

Conan was still talking "…without me, he will be next to nothing, but I don't brag" his attempt at a humble brag failed as she chuckled a bit

She turned to the last one and he looked familiar all too well, his chestnut brown hair paired with red eyes and freckles he could get rid of but wears

"My name is Blanc…" he didn't smile, at least she knows now Theodore didn't threaten all of them to smile at her so she'd feel comfortable because Hound was bad at it.

"Weren't you working for Statham Estate?" she unconsciously cut him off with the burning question, he had been their coachman the day she and her sisters went to the fair.

"About that, I sent him to the estate to watch over you" Theodore drew her attention back to him, his hair completely let down now, she couldn't discern the length from in front of him

"But I don't go out at all" she reasoned

"Yet you did" he reminded, she held his gaze in a heated stare off before she turned to Blanc to complete the introduction

"Blanc?" she called

"Ahh yes Blanc McIntosh I do a bit of anything in the mansion, I could cook or kill cockroaches for you" he offered with a straight, leaving her to contemplate if it was sarcasm or a joke.

"Move away" a new voice joined them as the owner shoved Blanc away even though there was enough space in the hall.

"Oh" she had not seen him earlier, he was a very short man, that must be why she hadn't noticed him before, she frowned.

"M'lady, I'm the ghost of the mansion, the eyes and I'm invisible" his voice gruff and eerily, she was curious.

Theodore frowned, he didn't think, he would come out.

"That's all for introduction, you can make yourselves scarce about now" Theodore dismissed them before Lydia could interrogate the short creature, he could feel her curiosity spiking up but they were next time, he thought.

"Yes, lord Theodore" they agreed in unison

"Lady Theodore" they bowed to her calling out in unison, their manly voice echoing in the halls of the mansion

That is a fine title but for some reason, she feels she could furnish it and it would be better.

Theodore spins her to face him, his hands on her hip he gazed at her till she held her breath

"Let's go upstairs, you must be tired and need rest," he said still looking at her

"I'm not tired" she found herself whispering

"It's late We can't really acquaint you with the mansion today and you need sleep" he reasoned with her.

"I don't need sleep" she shrieked, he stared at her for a while and then nodded in understanding, she must be uncomfortable.

"Let's go somewhere then" he took her right palm, interlacing their fingers together

"Where? Theodore" she insisted tugging his hand

"You don't have to close your eyes" and she snorted at that.

"McDonalds!" Lydia exclaimed the minute they stepped out towards a garden at the side of the mansion, she was awed. They had been strolling in silence.

"McDonalds?" he asked, his eyebrows heading for his platinum hair

She stared at him, long and hard, trying to decipher if he really didn't know and she found herself smiling as she asked

"How old are you?" giggling at what she presumed was his naivety.

"Old enough to know I don't want to hear another man's name stretching your lips" he scowled watching her search his eyes

"What? Another man's name?" she was stupefied as she found this amusing much to Theodore's miscomprehension

"McDonalds is an exclamation" she explained with a shake of her head

"Then exclaim Theodore, my name" he declared and her stomach expanded, too much air into the lungs

"Gooseberry…" he called as she simply stared at him

"Okay okay, I will not even exclaim at all anymore" she humored

"If it pleases you" his reply was swift and serious

She resisted a scoff if it pleased her. The exclamation pleased her! But he just banned it from ever being said by her.

She turned her attention back to the view and her heart thrashed in anticipation, within her chest, in front of her is big white beastly animal lying with its face back to her and her husband even as he sat she was sure he would reach her stomach if its standing and without doubt weighs more than two hundred pounds, it happens to not mind that they're standing behind it, probably enchanted by the big beautiful garden in front of it. Lord Theodore's garden is filled with varieties of flowers, the garden is so much more alive than the one Lydia knew back at home, the plants actually grew here and they looked nurtured and glorious, the whole area carries a floral, musky scent urging her to close her eyes but she keeps on looking ahead with a small unconscious smile.

Theodore watched her enjoy the beauty and fresh wind of his garden, she'd been a bit stiff and nervous when he'd suggested going to sleep which was why the garden and it seems to give the reaction he hoped, his coat resting on her shoulders flowed to the ground but she'd barely noticed.

"What's its name?" Lydia asked without taking her eyes off the creature, breaking Theodore's train of thought

"Red"

She was laughing now "That's how far your creativity stretches?"

"It's a fact not out of creativity" he stated, his voice soft.

"How is red a fitting name for an animal that is all white" She was genuinely curious as to what the motivation was to name the creature RED

"It's not an animal and it's fitting because Red can make anybody see red" he explained with a shrug and a frown

"Okay that's it…, Theo, Red it is" It's not like she could change its name

"Not because it's creative but because it's fitting" she added with a giggle before placing her palm over her mouth

"You're enjoying yourself" he noted, seeing her so carefree and playful made his heart dance until…

"Red!" she suddenly called out and the creature turned so fast he was suddenly right in front of her, extracting a scream from her lungs "Ahhh…!"

Red growled louder as Lydia fell backwards into her husband's waiting arm, she tripped on his coat in an attempt to step back, she was shivering and he hated it he turned his death glare toward Red who growled one last time before sitting back down, now facing them with glowering eyes

"Let's get you inside," he said as he guided her back into the mansion

"It doesn't like me" she commented feeling sad, she thought she was an animal person but the first one she came in contact with was harsh. Not an animal person after all or maybe she startled him.

"It's just confused" Theodore comforted as he pressed her to his side, she didn't ask what he could possibly be confused about because she was sure he simply didn't like her presence, their walk slow and steady on her pace

"Do you want food?" he dropped his head to look at her face from the side and she met his gaze before shaking her head

"No, where's the room" she declined as she suddenly felt exhausted and wanted to get the wifely duties over with

Without another word, he led them into a vast room with a rich double wooden door, he threw them open and stepped inside first, but as though he remembered something he abruptly looked like he needed to be somewhere else and without showing her around the room, he took off his coat from her shoulders, holding her shoulders between his palm he looks at her for a moment too long before letting her shoulder, he turns and said over his shoulder

"I'll be back, take your time" smiles.

Lydia is left standing, her hands on her abdomen thinking about how she'd made a mistake not asking him to help her with the zip and her fingers won't reach, she walks to the big royalty-sized bed and slumps her butt on it, her back needing the rest.

Take your time he'd said, she thought back

To get prepared for the inevitable.