So much has happened today already, and morning tea is just beginning, Maudeline thought to herself as Victor pulled up some seats for himself, Victoria, and Liddie. Lydia was "helping" by piling some throw pillows on the end of Maudeline's bed for some reason. She looked over at Nightshade, who was sitting in a chair near the fireplace, hoping to get some reason for Liddie's "help", and only got a slightly exaggerated shrug and amused look in responce, as if to say "Your guess is as good as mine."
"I do hope Hildegarde made extra scones today." Victoria said, hand resting on her stomach, "The little one seems to really want some right now, and I'm honnestly a little peckish myself."
"After downing two plates durring breakfast." Victor jokingly added.
"You could technically say the baby ate those two plates."
"Da-ha! Nasha chair!" Lydia suddenly shouted, pointing at the empty spot where Maudeline would have sit if she wasn't stuck in bed. "Nasha need chair!"
"Well... you see, Liddie..." Victor started, soon becoming unsure about how to state the rest of the sentence. From his perspective, Nightshade was still just an imaginary friend of Liddie's, and he likely didn't want to upset Lydia, especialy when she occasionally had bad tantrums whenever she got any, so this was understandable. "... Nasha might not like Earl Grey tea."
"No worry! Nasha like tea! All she drink!"
"Grandma might not have a spare chair ready, though. She wasn't really expecting anyone other than us. You have to be the only one that was."
"Ga-ma no need! Ga-ma in bed! Nasha get chair!"
"But... uhhhh..." Victor stammered. Maudeline couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fact that her son-in-law was outsmarted by his own daughter, who was still a toddler, so soon into this comical conversation.
"What if grand-nana Hildegarde wants to join us for tea today?" Victoria continued for Victor, clearly realizing that Victor was stumped for what his next answer should be soon after Maudeline did. "If Hildegarde wants to join us for tea, and the last spare seat is taken by Nightshade, then where will Hildegarde sit?"
It was just a few minutes after that when Lydia made what the family liked to call her serious face, which she commonly made in situations where she wanted grown-ups to respect her. It was in such situations when she puffed out her cheeks, squinted, and slightly looked down at the floor as if she was thinking about something important. In the end she looked more silly than serious, something that was silently agreed to not tell her until she was in her teenage years, when Lydia's parents would embarrass her with tales of these moments to their hearts' content. And of course, this moment ended like most of the other serious face moments: with Lydia sitting down on the floor with a look described as a combination of defeat and confusion.
"In stuck pickle." was all the toddler said, looking up to her parents and grandmother as if seeking an answer for the problem she technically caused. No one really knew why she said that phrase, but their best guess was that she was trying to say something along the lines of "This is a pickle."
"If I may, Water Liddie..." Nightshade stated with a casual tone in her voice, suggesting this wasn't the first instance she had to deal with, "I believe I have a solution."
Lydia immediatly ran over to Nightshade, grabbed the fur on one of her legs, and looked up at her with curious eyes, clearly desperate for a solution to this comical dilemma.
"Why don't I just sit here? I mean, I've technically got a seat already."
"Don't worry, I won't miss tea, Water Liddie!" Nightshade explained, her ability to hold back laughter clearly diminished, "I'll still be in the room, and I can still get a tea cup. I just won't sit at the table this time. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"
Maudeline couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, trying as hard as she could to suppress full on laughter. Her attempt only became harder when she looked at Victor and Victoria, who appeared to be understanding the situation less as it progressed, the only thing they did being exchanging a confused look. That was until what Victor did next.
"Now Liddie," Victor started, getting up to pick up Lydia, "why don't you come here and we can work this out?"
"But I've already got a seat, Water Liddie. Why should I get a new one when this one is good enough?" Nightshade asked, unable to contain a bit of chuckling while speaking.
"Nasha miss tea!" Lydia suddenly shouted, putting her arms up for unneeded emphasis about how serious she thought the situation was. "That rude!"
"Don't worry, I won't miss tea, Water Liddie!" Nightshade explained, her ability to hold back laughter clearly diminished, "I'll still be in the room, and I can still get a tea cup. I just won't sit at the table this time. There's nothing wrong with that, right?"
Maudeline couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, trying as hard as she could to suppress full on laughter. Her attempt only became harder when she looked at Victor and Victoria, who appeared to be understanding the situation less as it progressed, the only thing they did being exchanging a confused look. That was until what Victor did next.
"Now Liddie," Victor started, getting up to pick up Lydia, "why don't you come here and we can work this out?"
"Have idea!" Lydia suddenly shouted enthusiastically.
"What idea is that, Liddie."
"Chase! Chase!" Lydia squealed, quickly running in circles around the room.
"Not again." Victor uttered under his breath before following her, "Lydia, I thought we talked about this!"
"Yes! Chase!"
"Lydia Emily Van Dort, I am not joking! You stop running this insta- Oh!"
That was all that Victor got out before he faceplanted and Lydia promptly turned around, giggling as she ran to her dad and, clearly choosing to indirectly add to the confusion, sat down on his back.
"Yay, plan work!" the mischevious toddler triumphantly shouted, as if gaving won some great prize.
"What plan, exactly?" Victoria asked, somehow managing to speak through her uncontrolled laughter.
"Da-ha chair now! Now there extra! Nasha get chair!"
Victoria couldn't help but uncontrollably laugh at this remark. Maudeline's facade of seriousness finaly faultered as she followed suit. Even Victor, who at the moment was effectively more of a piece of furniture than a father in Lydia's eyes, couldn't help but chuckle. It was, of course, at this time when a certain someone entered the room with a tray of tea with perfect timing, Maudeline's heart quickening its pace slightly as she entered.
"Lady Everglot, Mr. and Mrs. Van Dort, the tea and scones are... are you okay, Mr. Van Dort? What is going on?" Hildegarde asked as she entered the room to a scene where several things were out of the ordinary.
"Da-ha chair now. Nasha have seat." Lydia cheerfully stated, clearly not caring about giving context.
"Just for your information, I'm perfectly fine Hildegarde." Victor added, "At least as fine as a parent turned into a chair can be."
"Okay then... should I just... drop off the the tea and leave or-"
"No! Ga-na stay! Have tea!" Lydia exclaimed.
"Alright then." Hildegarde said, still very clearly confused.
"No forget Nasha! Nasha love tea!"
"Don't worry, Lydia, I won't. I just want to let everyone else get their tea first." Hildegarde said as she poured Maudeline's tea.
And then she leaned in close. And Maudeline's heart practically beat a thousand times a minute.
"What in the world is going on, Lady Everglot?" Hildegarde whispered.
"It- It's a... v-very long story." Maudeline studdered, the all too familiar warmth in her cheeks coming on cue. The only thing that was really different this time was Lydia's giggling.
"What's so funny, Liddie?" Victoria asked, curious about the giggling.
"Have you not been paying attention?" Victor retorted, still pinned to the ground by his own daughter.
"I know something." Lydia responded, lengthening her pronunciations.
"What exactly do you know?" Victor questioned, a little worried based on his tone.
"Ga-ma secret!"
Maudeline shot up at this, nearly doing a spit take of her tea. She... she couldn't know! Maudeline thought to herself. How could she know? Even if she somehow did, how could she understand?
"What secret would that be, Lydia?" Maudeline asked, trying to look and sound as calm as possible.
"Ga-ma love Ga-na!"
No, Maudeline thought in a panic, no no no no no no no! This is it! The end of all I've built! My title, my relations, my reputation, all-
"They best friends!"
"What did you just say?" Maudine hurriedly asked.
"You Ga-na friend!" Lydia repeated, unaware of what Maudeline was thinking, much to Maudeline's relief.
"Oh dear," Maudeline playfully stated, trying to get her heart to slow down a bit, "you got me, Liddie! Where did you learn that?"
"Nasha!" Lydia exclaimed with.
enthusiasmMaudeline responded, giving Nightshade, who was suddenly looking very nervous and guilty, an annoyed glare.
"It was an accident!" Nightshade shouted defensively. "I told her not to tell!"
"Oh no!" Lydia softly exclaimed, getting up and running to Nightshade. "Forgot that. Sorry!"
"Don't worry, Water Liddie." Nightshade commented, "You're only one-and-a-half years old, so this will happen. Besides, ot looks like you didn't do much harm this time compaired to the other potential outcomes."
"Oh okie!" Lydia responded, hugging Nightshade's leg.
"And what is this hug for this time?"
"Fluff." was Lydia's immediate responce. "You fluffy."
"Nightshade must be really fluffy if it was enough for you to finally get off me." Victor, now standing and fixing his tie, jokingly reasoned.
All Lydia did in responce was look over at Victor without letting go of Nightshade and blow a raspberry. The entire room promptly burst into laughter.
Author's note: I'm going to be honest, I wasn't really sure what to do for this chapter shortly after opening the document. At this point, I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with what to do for the rest of the chapters and was only able to write this because my brain came down with something I like to call "fluff fever". Even then, I got hit with a few short bouts of writer's block for this chapter, so it was still far from easy. Bottom line, feel free to review and PM suggestions if you can (you will be credited for any ideas used, just keep it K-T and clear of swears). I would really appreciate it.