Angus smiled, glad she was happy. They sat together in the quiet, and then they were interrupted by a knock at the door, followed by someone entering. It was Nigel.
"Just wanted to check and see how you were doing," Nigel said. He came over and checked on the surgical dressings. "Some seeping, which is perfectly normal given the wound it is. It isn't bleeding. It's just serous fluid, and that's actually a good sign. How's the pain?"
"Manageable," Angus said, his stomach growling loudly.
"Excellent. If it increases at all, let me know. I'll probably have to change the dressings before bedtime, but that's fine. So, how's your appetite? Do you feel like you want to try some food for supper tonight?"
"Yes, I think I would," Angus said. "I'd like to go downstairs and join the rest of them."
"That's pretty ambitious for someone who just had major surgery a short while ago. I certainly won't rule it out for tomorrow, but, just for tonight, I think you should be a bit more conservative. I'd much rather see you have a restful supper up here and see what your stomach will and won't allow tonight. If you do well and get a good night's sleep, you might feel up to being out of bed for some time tomorrow." He looked at Ruby. "Do try to keep him at a low roar for tonight, would you? I'll go see if they'll send up a tray. That way I can make sure that you're not getting anything too excessive for your stomach to handle." He left again.
"You know, I can't even remember the last time I was on the disabled list," Angus told her. "It's been ages."
Nigel went downstairs, saw the offerings for supper and believed Angus should be able to handle it, and he asked Kate to fix a tray for Angus and Ruby and to send it up. She readily put it together for them and sent it upstairs.
Outside, Brian and Jack had arrived back at the house, and Brian laughed when Jack changed his mind and decided to eat before going to the barn.
"I'm with you," Brian said. "I don't know what they're fixing but it smells great. I think we should wait until after dinner and then talk to Robert, just the three of us. Let's not alarm everyone unless we have to." He followed Jack inside to see Kate carrying a massive platter of sandwiches to the dining room, and Michael was floating an enormous tureen of soup. He followed them to see that everything else was ready, and Abbey was already in her chair with a little bowl of soup and a half of a sandwich.
"What's for dinner, Abs?" Brian asked.
"Soooop," Abbey said.
"Is it good?" Brian asked. She nodded.
"Yummy," she said.
"I'm glad you like it," Michael smiled.
"It's all gone'd," she said.
"Would you like some more?" Kate asked. Abbey nodded. Kate picked up Abbey's little bowl and put another part of a ladle full in the bowl and gave it back to her.
"Jack, Abbey's eating your share of the soup," Brian called. "She's already having seconds."
"Seconds?" Robert asked, coming in. "She never has seconds."
"She's having seconds tonight," Kate said.
"Well done, Abbey," Edward laughed, coming into the dining room. "I think that's one vote for Michael's cooking tonight."
"Well, so you know, Edward," Nigel said, "Angus is hungry, so I'm sending up a supper tray for him and Ruby. He's really doing well, all things considered."
"That's my boy," Edward smiled. "Told you he was resilient."