The next morning, the sun was just beginning to light the hallways of the mansion and Theo was standing outside the luxurious dining room. The door was slightly ajar, and he could hear the low voices of his parents. He took a deep breath and joined his parents for breakfast.
The former duke and his wife were already seated at the table. Theo went and sat with them when they stopped talking abruptly. He looked at them but his father averted his gaze from him.
"Mother, father, I have something to tell you," Theo started talking first.
"If you're going to say the same thing again, I'm leaving," his father replied and got up from his chair.
"No, I--" Theo tried to say.
"Raphael, please, no more tension," said Lady Elvira, taking her husband's hand.
"No, just let me finish—" Theo tried to speak again but was interrupted by his father.
"You're blaming me again. He's the stubborn one here, not me. You've spoiled him and—"
"I'm getting married!" Theo finally shouted.
Silence filled the room. His parents exchanged glances before turning their eyes to their son. Lord Raphael remained still, his gaze fixed on his son as if trying to figure out if he had heard him correctly.
"You're getting married? You?" said Lord Raphael finally, his voice full of disbelief.
"Yes, father. I have found the woman I want to marry." Theo said, keeping his gaze steady.
Lady Elvira covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widened in surprise and realization of what she had just heard. Then, she stood up abruptly, her eyes shining with excitement.
"Theodore! At last! I knew you'd find someone who would make you happy someday!" she told him and continued by grasping his hands, "Who is she? From what family? Is she noble? When are we going to meet her? Is she by any chance the daughter of Duke Anderson? Or the daughter of Count Donnery? Or-"
"Elvira, let our son answer," her husband interrupted her.
Theo, completely dazed by the barrage of questions his mother was asking him, tried to free his hands so he could speak.
"Her name is Lynn. And... she doesn't come from an aristocratic family," he said, freeing his hands and watching his parents closely for their reaction.
His parents paused and stood looking at him for a moment. They looked at each other and smiled.
"Oh, that doesn't matter! If she makes you happy, then she is welcome in our family!"
Not the reaction he had expected. Theo stared at his mother as she smiled at him with excitement. His father, though more subdued, also seemed relieved, perhaps even pleased that his son had finally made such an important decision for his life.
"Didn't you hear me? She's a commoner," Theo insisted, stunned by the way the conversation had turned.
"Oh, we heard you, dear," Lady Elvira said with a wave of her hand. "But as we said, all that matters to us is that she makes you happy. When do we get to meet her?"
"I was thinking of bringing her to dinner tonight," Theo answered quickly.
Lady Elvira looked at Theo with wondering eyes, and then at her husband.
"So soon? Why?"
Without hesitation, Theo began explaining what had happened the previous day.
"The truth is that the situation was… unexpected," he started talking, trying to find the right words. "Last night, as I was returning in the carriage, I found her in a difficult situation. She was being chased by her landlord who claimed she owed him rent. She was frightened and... she had nowhere else to go. So I brought her here."
That's it! No doubt my mother will not accept this shame and will look upon this marriage in a bad light, he thought and smiled faintly.
His parents' eyes were filled with wonder and surprise.
"Here? Where exactly?" his father asked.
"Oh my godness! Don't tell me you brought an unmarried woman to sleep in your room?" said his mother in shock.
Theo raised an eyebrow, feeling a small sense of triumph. Finally, a reaction that made sense.
"Mother, you misunderstand," he said, "I had her stay in the servants' quarters."
Theo paused and looked at his mother. Her expression immediately changed from shock to… offense?
"How could you do such a thing?" she said, sounding appalled.
"What?" asked Theo.
"I agree with your mother," Lord Raphael groaned disapprovingly, "She may not be noble, but since you chose her as your wife, you should have shown her the proper respect."
"What?" asked Theo again, not understanding what was going on.
He stared at them as if he didn't recognize them. He had been so sure they would be ashamed that their future daughter-in-law had to sleep in the servants' quarters. Instead, they were upset for an entirely different reason.
"She should have been given a guest room at the very least! Besides, she is to become our daughter-in-law," Lady Elvira scolded.
"Exactly," Lord Raphael agreed.
Theo let out a long sigh as his parents continued scolding him for not taking better care of his beloved fiancée.
At the same time the servants' rooms were in chaos with the arrival of Lynn. Evans had made sure to put her in the same room as Grace, a trusted maid who certainly wouldn't ask too many questions. But Lynn had piqued the curiosity of the others and soon almost all the maids of the mansion were gathered in the room.
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