Chapter 1: Their first meeting in his mansion
1899
Late Afternoon
Theodore Mansion
Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire
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Ocean-blue eyes, pink heart-shaped smooth lips, a reddening nose, and a dimpled chin delicately framed in straight raven-black hair.
Lydia stood in front of a big dark mansion on the outskirts of the city, Critic Arley. She was consumed by the delight of finally being out of the Statham estate, so much so that it was masking her fear of the unknown.
Last week, a letter had been delivered to their estate, the Statham estate, stating that there was a banquet in this eerie mansion she stood in front of, and every lady in the Empire would be lucky to attend. She had been surprised when Father had come to give her a dress personally. In his words, it was so that she could go to the banquet with her sisters.
She had been shocked, nonetheless happy, as that was the first time the family had let her go to such a prominent place for any reason. This morning, when it was time to go, her sisters had insisted she go ahead of them, stating that they would come to the banquet later on. She had merely agreed because they had never taken a liking to her. So perhaps they just did not want to be in the same carriage space as her, she thought.
She had been unduly merry about going out to think too much of their refusal to go with her. But as she stood in front of this dark, eerie mansion now, she began to rethink her impulsive agreement to come here alone. She felt a chill run down her spine, and her palms became wet as she stared at the stone-brick building that seemed to have a life of its own, and that life was intent on swallowing her.
Had her family played a prank on her? She shook her head to get the crazy thought out of it. Father would not do that to me, she mused. Perhaps she was too early, and that explained why there were no carriages packed outside. She could wait it out here to not look too eager or desperate. Despite being home most of her life, she knew that much as a noble—patience and a smile.