Crowns & Chaos

four

Theodore's balding head appeared in the house less than an hour later. I was just getting out of the shower when the front door opened. I pulled on a warm green sweater and some jeans before meeting them downstairs. 

"Hello, Evangeline."

I smiled at him.

"Hey, Theodore."

All four of us reconvened in the study. 

"So, you've decided?"

"We have. We're going to go through with it. Claiming the Earldom."

Theodore looked practically ecstatic.

"Well, that's simply wonderful! In that case, there's much to do. I'll have to make some calls for citizenship for Stacy and Evangeline, and of course, we're going to have to talk to Marcus about everything, he's probably going to be relieved, the old man, and oh! Of course, we must talk about a press release, they're going to have a field day-"

"Theodore!"

He froze mid-ramble.

"Terribly sorry ma'am. There's just so much to organize. If you're willing to accept my help of course."

"We'd like to keep you as an advisor Theodore."

He smiled in relief. 

"Oh, excellent! My grandfather was a viscount of a very small area in Kent, so I should still be able to help quite a lot."

"Thank you, Theodore."

"Of course Madam."

"Please keep calling me Stacy, otherwise I feel old."

He nodded again.

"Sooo... What do you need us to do?"

He tapped his pen against the desk. 

"For the next few weeks, you'll have to lay low while I worry about the legal affairs."

"Are you a lawyer?"

"I did go to law school, yes. I have an old friend in the immigration office so citizenship shouldn't be a big deal... You have a family doctor I suppose?"

My dad nodded.

"Right, I'll have to get your files from them so we can conduct a proper DNA test, it'll make everything much easier. Once all of that is figured out, we'll organize a press release so that all of this comes out the way we want it to, so we can control the narrative. Then you'll have to meet the other viscounts and earls and such."

"I still have to graduate," I reminded him.

"Yes of course. All of this will be happening while you finish your degree and the press will be alerted after. Oh, this is going to be wonderful for the reputation of the family, the lost heirs finally returning. And Evangeline will attract many suitors I'm sure."

"Sorry, suitors?"

"Other young noblemen, businessmen, actors and such. You're going to become a very eligible young woman." After he said that, he got a strange glint in his eye, an idea forming.

"There's not going to be a whole lot of pressure for Evangeline to marry someone for status or anything, right?"

"No, of course not, however, it is usual for young men and women to marry someone of a similar ranking."

"Cool. Good thing I've been single my entire life." I joked, trying to remove some of the tension from my mother's face.

"Alright. So I'm going to handle almost everything and then we'll have to meet back here after Evangeline graduates to talk about next steps."