Marriage is Murder

Cassidy smiled and nodded " of course" she said still smiling as she made sure Abby was tucked in before she moved back to her chair placing the kitty on the foor by her feet and sat back in her chair as she watched Khaat and Kate in the other room. She didn't listen as it was non of her busness. Down stairs Jim appeared and looked to Steven then Robert.

" okay what happened?" he asked softly then looked to Robert " did as you requested they will be here ASAP" He told him handing him two letters adressed to Robert then moved to get a drink of coffee while he waited.

"Steven didn't tell you?" Robert asked. "I presumed he had filled you in. The bottom line is that we're short staffed. We need more help than we have here, and I can best do that by providing some child care help to make sure the kids are well taken care of."

He sighed and poured himself a warm up in his tea mug. "Seems like I spend most of my life putting out fires in some respect or another," he said tiredly. "This is not what I expected or wanted to be doing at this stage in my life. Still, I don't know that I saw it being without grandkids either. I think I expected to be spending my time on the farm and visiting with my grandkids when I chose to."

"You're an idiot," Michael said to Robert. "You have too much knowledge and talent to shut yourself off on that damned farm. And you know it."

"Well, like it or not, here we are. It is what it is," Robert said. He opened the letters, read them briefly and put them in his pocket. "Sounds like they should be sufficient--at least for now."

Jim smiled and nodded " yes he did, but I wanted to hear it right from you." he said " I'm guessing shes sleeping and is fine." he said smiling as he watched  as Robert placed the two letters into his pocket. Jim heard Robert and rolled his eyes and stood silently agreeing with Michael and very word he spoke to him. " I think we'd all agree on that Robert. " he said and Steven nodded from where he sat.

Cassidy sat and watched Abby she could hear talking from down stairs but not what was being said as what was hapening across in Khaats room she had chosen to filter it all out as it was none of her business. She accioed a book and sat reading quietly.

(Khaat has already come into abbey's room and spoken to Cassidy. did that a couple posts back.)

Khaat sat with Abbey for a bit and laid her hand on Abbey's head. She felt very little. A twinge of her father's energies but little more. She realized that part of her magic was there but not enough to make her feel like she had any ability to help her daughter.

Marcus leaned against the doorway of the bedroom and simply let her spend some time with Abbey.

"Khaat," he said. "From your experience, how long should she sleep?"

"Probably all day," Khaat said. "Or most of it. She will need some pain potion or pain relief spells throughout the day today, and maybe for the next couple of days but it should ease off. Ice will help the pain."

"We've got pain potion," Marcus said. "Perhaps I should set out a bit for her, in case Cassidy neds it fairly quickly."

"Its just a few drops," Khaat said.

"I'll get it," Marcus said. He got a tiny potions vial and brought it and the bottle of potion and followed Khaat's very precise instructions about a potions dose. Marcus put a little cork in the vial and handed it to Cassidy.

"Just give it to her if she needs it," Khaat told her. "You'll know. And if she's comfortable, she should get some food and some fluids. But the fluids are more important. Just do what you can today. Whatever she'll eat."

Cassidy nodded watching Kate and Khaat as they spoke between each other then as Marcus entere she stood up moving over to him and taking the small bottle nodded but turned to Khaat to hear her instructions again nodding "Of course" she said placing the small bottle by the bed. "Any problems I'll come and get you imidiatly" she added"and I'll make sure she has drinks and food, when she needs it." Cassidy glance at the sleeping form of Abby.

Steven sat back in his chair as he saw two people port in then he stood up knowing to port to where they were Robert would have had to have sent for them. He nodded and looked at Michael " extra help I belive" he said.

"Thank you," Khaat said to Cassidy.

"Khaat," Marcus said. "If she's going to sleep, you need to let Abbey rest for now. And you need to take care of yourself. If I remember three year olds correctly, they can be a tad whiny when they hurt."

"They can indeed," Kate smiled. "Cassidy and I are not afraid of the whining, but she will want her mother a bit later. Perhaps Marcus is right."

Michael watched the youngsters port in. He walked over to them. "Identification, please," he said, surprised Steven hadn't asked for it. The youngsters drew out id's and showed them to Michael, along with their letter sent to them by Robert. "How did you two port in here, exactly?"

"Mr Cummings? He gave us portkeys?" Hugh offered, showing Michael they each had an American dollar that they had used as portkeys.

"Alright, then," Michael said. "I'm Michael. I am temporarily running the house, it seems. Steven, I trust you'll get them oriented and help them identify which ones are the children?" Hugh and Iris looked at each other. Their mother had warned them that Michael could be a bit unusual. Clearly she was underestimating it.

Steven was going to ask for ID but Michael got there first " would have but you were quicker" he said and chuckled as he listened to Michael and nodded he understood " of course, we have one down right now shes injured and layed up in bed" he explained and motioned to the stairs " I'll show you the way to the nursary" he said and moved to the stairs " Im steven e way Cassidy my wife is upstairs already along with Khaat, the mother of the children you will be watching and Kate Lupin there grand mother" he said walking up the stairs and opened the door that was the nursary. He stepped back and let them pass watching for a moment as he then moved to Cassidy and smiled. " its okay there extra help" he told her and she relaxed and smiled at them both.

" Hi Im Cassidy" she said and smiled at them both. " Abby is sleeping in the other room she fell down the stairs and injured her shoulder, myself, Kate and Khaat will be taking care of her" she added and looekd at Kate, hoping everything was in order.

Hugh and Iris simply followed obediently and quietly, nodding respectfully, and introducing themselves when asked or when spoken to.

When Steven introduced them finally to the other kids, Hugh and Iris stepped in as naturally as if they'd been with the kids all their lives. It didn't take two minutes for them to have the kids delighted with fresh new games.

Khaat could hear the laughter all the way down the hallway. "It seems like Hugh and Iris ar going to be a good match for them. Good. I'm glad," she said.

"Indeed," Kate said. "Now, why don't you drag Marcus across the street to the salon for an hour and make him watch you get a manicure?"

Khaat scowled. "He'll be bored silly," Khaat said.

"Not if you let him go buy that chessboard he wants when you're done," Kate said.

"I wouldn't be bored anyway," Marcus laughed, smiling warmly. He liked Khaat. He was finding her easy to work for and a very pleasant change. She was fast becoming a friend, and that in itself was a nice change.

Cassidy smiled hering the sound of laugher from the nursary " yes they seem to have things in hand" she said smiling as Kate sugested the manacure "Oow that sounds a wonderful Idea. " she siad then chuckled at Marcus as he said he wouldn't be board. " You have not been to a manacure parlour before have you Marcus." she said smiling Steven rubbed his chin and chuckled as well.

"They sit there and talk about their day and us, while the other woman does their nails." he said " I never understood why they do that to them selves but I have to admit they do lok better for it. " he moved to Cassidy's side as she nodded that he had made the right choice in his words.

"Now what makes you think its my first time doing that?" Marcus laughed. "I do have a wife--of sorts. Well, its more of a technicality, but there it is."

"Wait," she frowned, "Aren't you married to Stelladora? Eli's nanny?"

"Uh...no," he said, "Was. Not now. She calls me when she needs something, but that's about it. My other wife...is useless, really. No offense to present company."

"None taken," Kate said. "Personality clash?"

"You might say that. Got me thousands of pounds and even more galleons in debt because she couldn't stop spending. Had to place the kids elsewhere because, as a mother, she's an utter git. Now I only know where she is if someone sends me a collection's notice for something she hasn't paid. But enough of my melodrama. Khaat, if you want to walk across to the salon, we'll go."