Mystery Life

7

Lydia and Dave talk and joke around during their lunch. Lydia is laughing by the time they return back to the estate, the place that feels like home to her now. She's going to miss living here.

Dave catches her sad expression, "Hey, why the long face? I thought you were having fun?"

"I was, it was wonderful, thank you Dave." Lydia hesitates, but decides to tell him. "It's just that the estate has come to feel like a home for me. It will be hard to leave it when you get married."

Dave freezes, all laughter and fun from earlier forgotten by her words. "What do you mean? This is your home for as long as you wish it. Why would that change if I get married?"

Lydia gives him a rather wistful look, "You won't find a woman willing to have me in the house. I won't come between you and whoever you marry. I am a nobody, no name, no memory, nothing, you've been beyond generous to me and I can't repay that by keeping you from finding someone for you to love and marry."

Dave shakes his head, "That's not how it's going to work, Lydia. I won't marry anyone that isn't generous of heart enough to accept you as part of the family. What's even more important, neither will my men. I told you before, my men are more loyal to you than they are to me at this point, should I marry someone that won't accept you, they won't accept her and she would be in danger. She'd be in danger not just from my enemies, but my men as well. I won't do that to any female."

"What if you find your fiancee and she doesn't like me?" Lydia asks in the silence.

"Ah, well then I won't have a choice, but it will put her life in danger. However, if she is still alive I don't think she'd begrudge you being here. The girl I remember has a very loving personality."

This makes Lydia cry, "Perhaps before she was taken. You've tortured people, Dave, but you have no idea what years of torture can do to a person. How it can destroy-for you both I hope that she was able to escape that and she was able to find safety."

"No matter what happens in the next year, Lydia, you will always have a home here. I want you to know that." Dave says ending that discussion.

Lydia tries to give him a smile, "Or at least until you and your men get tired of having to protect someone so useless as me."

"You're not useless and my men fight over the chance to guard you everyday. I don't see that changing any time soon." Dave pulls her into his arms and holds her as she cries, letting out her deepest fears. She doesn't want to leave the estate and although she knows that Dave doesn't feel the same, she doesn't want to leave him either.

"Come, I got you a birthday present. Something to wear to the party tonight." Dave says softly holding Lydia back a little.

"You're spoiling me, Dave. You don't need to." Lydia says sniffing back her tears.

"Yes, I do. The men all got you gifts as well. Today is your day, since we don't know your birthday. It's similar to a gotcha day for those that adopted a child." Dave says and guides Lydia inside. 

"Come on, your gift is on your bed," Dave says more than a little excited. He hopes that she will like the dress he got her.

Dave stands back and watches Lydia. She's talking and laughing with his men and some of their wives. Some of their older children are there as well. All around it seems that Lydia is having a good time.

It's about time for the cake and then the gifts. Dave moves away from the wall. He pulls Lydia away from the others.

"Is something wrong, Dave?" Lydia asks him confusion evident on her face.