The morning is a brilliant but cold sunny day which is so very rare for this time of the year. Sophie is inspired to stroll through the annual Christmas Market on the grounds. The Christmas Market has been a long-standing tradition along with tours of the house. Sophie wonders what it was like when the estate was truly a private space. Sophie swings by to fetch Parker and Hardison. She knows that Parker will simply adore the market. Parker will appreciate the Christmas fantasy that manifests on the commons. Sophie stops into Eliot's room to see that he has absconded somewhere already.
In her rush to settle in, Sophie has not taken the moments to treasure the beauty that is this house when it is decorated for the holidays. The upcoming ball has only turned up the volume on the grandeur of the season. The staff has begun to decorate to the theme of the ball which is Winter Wonderland. The decorations whet Sophie's appetite for the ball as they line the grand hall with Birch trees strung with white lights. She takes in all of the public rooms which are done up in the trimmings of the season. The house has offered public tours for as long as she can remember. Her grandparents opened up the house for tours and weddings in order to support the upkeep of the house and grounds. The house is just so vast that the impact of the public was never felt plus from age 11 each of them was cast-off to cut their teeth at boarding school. After age 11, they all slowly became strangers with the homestead. It started with breaks, then tours, then so many other things as their lives took hold. By the time they were all in university, the only returns home were for the more traditional holidays. Perhaps that is the reason Christmas has a hold on her heart. Christmas was the grandest of the holidays and usually, everyone had found their way home to celebrate. Parker appears decked in red and green in the spirit of the season as they prepare to head out.
Eliot was up with the sun. He decided to take a stroll around the grounds in the early morning light. As he strolls back from the grand cascade, he runs into Teddy in the gardens. With an exchange that is a bit less awkward than the previous night, Eliot mentions that he is headed to the stables. A sly smile crosses Teddy's face. She knows Eliot is looking to be nose to nose with one of the horses. "The horses are not actually in the stables but I think you might really like what the stables became. The horses are down on the farmland." Teddy gestures with her head. "Come on." Eliot is wondering what surprise that Teddy has planned.
As they crest the small hill the stables come into view. "Stables, that is a stable?" Eliot is actually astonished at the grandeur of the rather large building. "Yeah, I coaxed my father into turning it into a restaurant, distillery, and wedding venue." Eliot has a rather contemplative look on his face which draws more information out of Teddy. "Eliot estates of this size cost a king's ransom to run. You have to make the estate self sustain and farming doesn't bring it what it used to." Eliot follows Teddy into the courtyard and then onto the converted carriage house. The restaurant is truly upscale in a rustic way that would have mass appeal. To Eliot's surprise, Teddy is greeted as Lady Theodora but with a reverence that is not related to the aristocracy. She is greeted like the owner would be greeted as they stroll straight through the rooms deeper into the recesses of the Carriage House.
The bones were retained to be what it has always been but there is an elegance that still comes through in spades. Eliot is falling in love with the space with each step forward. Teddy leads Eliot into the kitchen where prep is underway for the restaurant. Eliot has now found heaven. The chef embraces Teddy with kisses to her cheeks as she introduces Eliot. The chef immediately offers to make up some bits and bites paired with some of the newest libations. With a smile Teddy accepts as she tells Chef Liam that she will be upstairs in the stables. Teddy escorts Eliot to the private room that occupies what would have been a loft.
Eliot takes in the view with a smile as he settles into the chair across from Teddy. "This is spectacular, Anna, really spectacular." Eliot catches himself as he called Teddy by the name he has always known. "I'm sorry, I mean, Lady Theodora." Eliot's stumbling words illicit a reprieve from Teddy. "Eliot, just call me Teddy." Eliot is rescued by the appearance of food and drink. Chef Liam provides a summation of the offerings as he takes his leave of the pair. "Just ring if you need anything more, Lady Theodora." With a small wave, Chef Liam is off. The chef and waiters have provided an ample spread with paired drinks which entices Eliot. "Wow, this is quite a spread." Teddy raises a glass with a toast. "To old friends." Eliot taps his glass against Teddy's to complete the toast.
"This is pretty incredible actually it very much reminds me of that farm outside of Paris. So what is with all of the Lady Theodora stuff downstairs." Teddy smiles. "Part of the charm, the allure of the aristocracy... and perhaps the allure of another time, I guess." Teddy mentally acknowledges that it was part of the plan. People want the association to the bygone eras and with an estate, people want the association to royalty. It helps the sell. If Teddy learned anything from her mother and from her profession, it is how to put on a show. Her father needed another revenue stream, Teddy provided one.
Hardison and Parker are truly enjoying the tour of the Christmas Market, Parker has basically eaten her way through half the market already. The air is scented with the very enticing traces of Cinnamon, apples, and rum. The market is definitely ramping up Sophie's Christmas spirit. Parker and Hardison are not even reacting to the near-constant Lady Alexandra references. During their tour, Sophie even ran into her sisters among the patrons of the stands. Hardison finds the interactions between Sophie and her sisters simply fascinating. With the hours spent, Sophie realizes the passage of time and that they best head back up to the house. She still has so much to discuss with her father. Her thoughts wander towards Eliot and Teddy. The scandalous side of Sophie wonders if Eliot and Teddy are spending some time in each other's company. She has to get to the bottom of that story. Eliot is about as far off the spectrum from Teddy's type as a man could be.
As they wander towards the house, Sophie, Parker, and Hardison run into Eliot and Teddy walking back from the vicinity of the stables. Parker immediately sweeps Eliot up to chatter on about the Christmas market and to show off and share her treasures. Sophie takes the opportunity to have another conversation with Teddy as she slows her pace to allow for a bit of distance between them and her dear ones.
"So what is on your mind, Alex?" Teddy acknowledges the change in cadence. Sophie knows that Teddy knows her well enough to know every tell. "Do you know why dad called us all together? It is not like you or I have been at the ball in years." Teddy is surprised that Sophie has not realized why they were summoned. "I am assuming with your time in the states that you have not been following Parliament?" Sophie turns towards Teddy, with everything with Nate, she has not been following the politics of the kingdom. Teddy actually stops to deliver this particular news. "Alex, you know you are now the heir and I am again the spare. It all changed last year." Sophie is stunned, she knew about the change for the line of succession for the crown, she did not know that they went through with the overall succession change. Teddy can tell from the shock and awe expression on Sophie's face that this is news. Dad called us here because some rather unsavory barrister from the States is causing a bit of a fuss challenging you as the proper heir.