Lord Theodore's Favorite Ritual
Chapter 140: Impending Doom Coming.

Chapter 140: Impending Doom Coming.

Afternoon.

Earlier in the marketplace.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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"Where is Helena?" Lydia asked with a frown.

She had just been looking at a sale forgetting her surroundings, she finally turned after the purchase of a porcelain cup and there was no longer Helena when she turned to check.

With a frown Tom replied. "She went that way, we could wait for her" he suggested.

"Or go ahead, she knows her way around" Hound grumbled.

"No she does not, she is new in into Critic Arley too" Lydia countered sternly.

"Apologies lady Theodore" he said with a slight bow.

Lydia looked around. "Perhaps she took a wrong turn? Let us look for her" she wondered out loud.

"Lady Theodore we cannot afford to split" Hound alerted.

He has been trusted with her safety and he wouldn’t let anything jeopardize that.

"Then we should wait" she replied with a sigh.

However, Helena had been in a tight spot when she finally remembered she had two papers she wanted to deliver but with Lydia’s and the men’s presence she couldn’t, so as they all got lost in something she had slipped out of the group to run up to her publisher.

It was a risky move but she couldn’t think of how to leave the mansion again after today or alone.

She had almost forgotten to make the woman forget the acquaintance, she had ran back to do it and when she got back to the group.

She couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on her face when she realised they waited.

She was also happy Conan wasn’t amongst the group because unlike Hound who was mostly lost in his head and nonchallant about many things, Conan however would’ve noticed something suspicious.

Lydia stood up with a rush. "Where were you?"

"I am sorry, I had to get something for Conan" she replied. His birthday was tomorrow and she couldn’t forget that, despite being in hiding.

Lydia teased her with her brows but Helena merely rolled her eyes before pulling Lydia’s arms.

"Accept my sincerest apologies boys I got a little held up" she said to them.

None of them replied and she didn’t mind as they continued their walk.

************

Now.

In the carriage.

************

"What are you thinking about, Lena?"

Helena’s face was pressed to the carriage as she looked out the window with an emotionaless face.

With a smile Helena met her friends prying gaze. "I cannot believe I have all the tools I need for my business to start, I just need a shop now" she stated, her eyes brimming with excitement about the future.

She had a way of income before but she was filled with a new a form of joy now that she has a job that would be open and welcomed by the people, and actual business name for herself.

"You can set up in the mansion" Lydia offered easily.

"No Lydia, I could not" Helena replied with widened eyes, she hadn’t thought of that before.

With a raised brow Lydia countered. "What then shall you do?"

Helena sat better before she started. "I could rent a shop where I would make -" but Lydia cut her off.

"Helena, you do not even own a house why would you prioritise a shop?" her question to Helena.

She pouted. "Because it’ll bring money?"

Lydia then nodded immediately. "So do it in the mansion" she insisted.

"Thank you" Helena said with an audible gulp of her choking emotions.

"Ahh yes, we are going home" Lydia sighed.

They reached in a breeze, both lost in thoughts, varying but alike. They’d both been struggling with life, life is full of struggles but it was as though a purpose was lacked before but now there was so much brightness sighted ahead and they couldn’t help but hold onto eachother to reach faster.

"Welcome home lady Theodore" The maids welcome the lady of the house with bows, their eyes sayihow much they’d love to have been on that little trip while the boys looked exhausted and would rather be anywhere else.

"Thank you Joyous, the bags" she pointed out before rushing inside.

"My husband lord!" she wailed.

No response.

"Theodore!" she was now taking a turn for his office when a rushed feet caught up with her.

"Apologies lady Theodore but he is not in the mansion" Dorothy reported before quickly picking up Red that had followed her.

She handed it to Lydia without thinking, Lydia took it with a smile. "Okay, I shall be in the library, help Helena get ready for dinner" she instructed.

"Of course lady Theodore" Dorothy agreed.

"I shall be upstairs" Helena alerted before rushing upstairs.

Meanwhile.

"Let me help you" Gabriel offered to Joyous when he reached the carriage.

His brother had rushed away without responding to his question about how the shopping trip had gone.

"No use to flex your muscles, I very much can carry them" she retorted meanly without meeting his gaze.

"You must have been ogling my muscles to know I can flex them" he grinned.

She met his gaze, shook her head before grabbing bags.

She then mumbled. "I can carry them" but for reasons known only to nature the next step she took after hauling everything stripped her.

She couldn’t catch herself as she was soon going down with her hands full and her will unwilling to let go of them

"I got you" Gabriel whispered after a moment. He had quickly supported her with his arms saving her from the impending fall.

She met his brown eyes and the shiver that ran down her spine straighten her.

What was that emotion I just saw? She mused.

Slowly she let go of the luggage. He released her and that helped her draw a breath.

"Take the heavier ones" she breathed out.

"Yes milady" he responded.

She glared at him picked a bag and left without glancing at him.

Gabriel had a naughty smile on his face that stayed even after entering the mansion.

*

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*

Theodore Mansion

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

*****************

Since neither Theodore nor Conan were at home when the ladies arrived, they were escorted upstairs to get ready for dinner and then it was dinner time.

Because the lady of the house, Lydia, returned from the bustling market with a bounty of cheese, the mansion got busy putting everything up.

With her prim posture and impeccable attire, she exuded an air of authority and grace. Flanked by her two remaining maids, Joyous and Dorothy, Lydia swept into the dining room where the rest of the household awaited.

"Dorothy, Joyous," Lydia addressed her maids, her voice carrying a firm yet gentle tone that commanded attention. "Today, we have procured a delightful selection of cheeses from the market. It is my wish that we share this bounty with all the occupants of our humble abode."

The maids nodded in understanding, their eyes alight with anticipation at the prospect of distributing the savory treats.

And so with practiced efficiency, Lydia instructed her maids to prepare a sumptuous spread.

Joyous busied herself slicing freshly baked bread, its warm aroma filling the room, while Dorothy arranged an assortment of crackers and fruits with meticulous care.

Meanwhile, Lydia personally selected a variety of cheeses from the market haul a creamy brie, a sharp cheddar, and a tangy blue cheese, each one carefully wrapped in wax paper.

As the preparations neared completion, Lydia summoned the rest of the household to join them in the dining room.

Theodore would’ve entered with an air of aristocratic charm but he wasn’t home still.

"Lady Theodore"

"Hound, welcome, you shall take some to Shade" she ordered.

"Welcome all of you" Lydia greeted them with a warm smile, gesturing toward the feast laid out before them. "Today, we celebrate the simple pleasures of life with a humble offering of cheese. Please, indulge yourselves."

The aroma of the cheeses filled the room, mingling with the laughter and chatter of the assembled guests.

Lydia watched with satisfaction as her household came together to enjoy the shared bounty, each bite fostering a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.

Everything looked alive and good but suddenly Lydia felt her heart sunk and she couldn’t stay there anymore, she left the dining hall with a smile that dropped before she took the stairs.

*

* *

*

Gates.

Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.

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In the stillness of this evening after Hound had provided Shade with his dinner, he became a figure cloaked in shadows lingered within the stone walls of a dark mansions fence.

Shade was existing as a little more than a whisper in the darkness, this mysterious being was more akin to a specter than a living creature.

With eyes that gleamed like polished obsidian, he watched over the gates of the mansion, his presence a silent sentinel against intruders.

As he stood vigil, his senses keenly attuned to any disturbance in the air, he sensed the approach of two individuals.

They moved with an aura of darkness that sent shivers down his ethereal spine, their very presence radiating an ominous energy that seemed to twist and coil around them like a malevolent serpent.

"My word"

His eyes widened with alarm as he beheld the dark energy that surrounded the approaching figures, a foreboding sign of danger that sent a chill through his incorporeal form.

Yet before he could react, they vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but an empty space where they had stood mere moments before.

Confusion clouded Shade’s mind as he struggled to comprehend what had just transpired.

They hadn’t even touched the gates, yet they had disappeared as if swallowed by the very shadows themselves.

The realization sent a wave of cold shock through him, the implications of their sudden disappearance weighing heavily upon his shoulders.

Something ominous was coming, of that he was certain.

With a sense of urgency, he knew he needed to relay this information to his master, for the safety of the mansion and all who dwelled within its shadowed halls depended on it.

With a flicker of movement, he melted back into the walls, his form merging seamlessly with the darkness as he hurried to deliver his grave warning.

But Lord Theodore wasn’t home.