I think this sketch really captures Tia. Tia's little feet are such a contrast to her husband's gigantic monster lynx paws that I adore with an unhealthy passion. Tia and Duke married when Duke was 29 and Tia was 16. The love each other absolutely. Their coutship was a bit racy. Tia was attending fine arts college in Toronto to spite her anglophone hating parents and was invited by a friend to a lecture at UTo he thought she might like. Duke was teaching part time there while still a civilian forensic identification specialist and forensic anthropologist. He became a detective later on, including going through the five year understudy which he resented considering his experince at the lab, so he could work in the emerging field of DNA. In TO to work with DNA you must be a detective. Not sure if that rule still exsist but it did when Different Drum was created. Tia took one look and Duke and wanted him. It was love and crazy mad lust at first sight. After the lecture Tia asked Duke to go for tea- instead she charmed him into going to her apartment where they speant the afternoon madly screwing. It was winter and Tia was than pure white and she had long hair. Duke thought she was the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen. She looked young but since she was at the lecture he assumed she was universitry age- she was actually 14! And a virgin which poor Duke feels guilty about since their first time he was rough and he would have been gentle had he known. After a nap and than dinner and more sex Duke left and Tia gave him her contact info but Duke didn't give her his. He was actually engaged at the time and living with another woman. Duke and Lily didn't really love each other but they were comfortable in their life. Lily was much more fond of Duke than Duke was of Lily. So poor Tia was stood up for two years until by chance she and Duke met again at an art show where she was selling glassware and jeweley. Lily had to leave to get to work and Duke stayed to 'help Tia load up her truck' after the show. They picked up where they left off that first snowy afternoon and were together from then on. Tia's very wealthy parents buying her a house(not knowing it was to share with an anglophone, although Duke would be quyick to correct that he is Scottish) worth a few million on the Bridle Path complete with a studio for her work. They were living together within a month of reuniting and married two months later- in Quebec although not with any of Tia's family present- she had been basically disowned for marring an anglophone. They had to marry in Quebec because of Tia's age, at 16 she could not marry without parental consent except in Quebec. So they married there.
Nine years later they are still together and hopelessly devoted.

Tia is selfish, self-centred, manipulative, spoiled, has a rampant libido and does not like to work. But that's fine for Duke- he worships her, spoils her, is just about as horny as she is and with Tia's huge bank account thanks to her parents before the schism in the family it's fine she doesn't really work. She designs jewelry and blows glass but that's more a hobby than a steady job.

The only real riff in their marriage is Duke's dedication to work. He often works 60 hour weeks, going for triple and quadruple shifts and ignoring food and sleep. Duke is extremely driven and gets into a sort of forensic trance when working which allows him to work teh hours he does- although it has caused him hypertension and heart problems as well as making Tia lonely. The arrival of Det.(FIS)Kenny Daye at the lab was supposed to ease Duke's work load but Duke does not quite trust Kenny with his work- although Kenny is experienced and well respected in the filed. Kenny thinks Duke mistreats Tia and has a thing for her.