Theodore, Ada's twin brother, shouted as he knocked on the door of Ada's bedroom, "Sister, make haste, you are going to be presented to the Queen in 20 minutes."
Theo is a very likable, mannerly man, who always tried to please his father and he always valued his father's approval. As the third son born, he didn't have the pressure of a title like his oldest brother did, nor did he have the confidence of his second oldest brother and he never felt at home in the world of fancy suits and ballroom dancing. The idea of learning about medicine and helping the less fortunate appealed to him, as it felt like an escape from the pressures of a gentleman's life.
"I wanted to say goodbye to James before I left," Ada replied as she exited the nursery, which was next to her bedroom.
When her brother turned around to look at her, he was frozen in place. The way she was dressed was unprecedented for her, and she looked wonderful. She usually preferred to be true to herself and didn't worry about ballgowns and dressing up to impress suitors. Her primary concern was making sure that her brothers were well cared for, especially since her mother's death, and their father's abandonment of them. She would rather trade dancing for horseback riding in the meadows and the promenade for reading books and furthering her education. She was not against getting married or finding a husband who she loved; she was just against the idea that men saw women as objects that are there for their pleasure only and to bear children. She did not want to be like her mother and marry a man solely to provide for their family; she wanted to find a husband who would love her for who she was and that she would love with all of their faults.
As he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, he told her, "Mama would have been so proud of you," and the two walked together towards the stairs, where they could hear their sibling Harry's voice echoing.
The whole family was congregated in the drawing room, waiting for Theo and Ada to enter, except the youngest brother, James. Both the decoration and the size of the drawing room were exquisite. It was decorated in light pink with a pale brown color scheme. As well as having plenty of space for the whole family, they also had room for people to congregate. In the corner of the room was a beautiful pianoforte where they could practice playing and dancing. In the drawing room, Harrison pleaded with their father, who was reading a paper on the sofa, "Papa, please let me attend the presentation; I promise not to make any noise, and I'll stay beside William the whole time".
Harrison is the devil incarnate and the double of his second oldest brother, William. One time he placed a fish in Ada's bed, and another time he placed frogs in William's room, just to name a few of his absurd pranks. He, unlike William, isn't stupid enough to get caught, so his siblings have no proof that it was him who did it. His intelligence is remarkable, and he excels in all of his subjects and studies, which is more than William. When their mother died, he didn't really understand the extent of his grief, and hid it by playing pranks and ignoring the feelings. He also did this when his father had left them for two years
"Harrison, I am more concerned about William being the person who will be making the racket," said Henry's dad, his eyes darting up from the paper as he smirked and glanced towards William who was holding a faux shocked expression.
Henry is a naive man who was married off at the age of 18 to his father's best friend's daughter Sarah, so their family could avoid the scandal of Sarah's love affair with her father's valet's son, James. They didn't love each other, but as they grew, they developed a mutual understanding of each other. The problem was that Sarah couldn't live a false life as Henry's lover in order to avoid scandal. With her children, she hoped that the love for them might distract her from her feelings of love for James. However, she was simply putting off her love for him. As soon as her last child, James, was born, she fell into a deep depression and never came out of her room again. James went to take Ada into their mother's room one day, but all she found was their mother's corpse and a vial lying on the bed. It was concluded that she had taken poison, which had resulted in her death. They told the story that she died from complications during childbirth in an effort to prevent scandal. Their father left shortly after their mother's death, most likely going to live in France, because he couldn't bear to look at their faces knowing that it was his fault for her death, because if he hadn't married her, he wouldn't have trapped her in this loveless marriage. He returned two years later, however the house was completely different. Oliver was the man of the house, and Ada looked after her younger siblings. They obviously didn't welcome him with open arms, but he wanted to be there this season, to see his only daughter off, and to also be there for his sons and try and get forgiveness. He however, hasn't stepped out in society since his wife's death and probably won't for the foreseeable future either.
