A Birth day

Ruby looked at Angus when he spoke and nodded to him " I guess it will be difficult" she said taking slow sips of the cappuccino she'd asked for now deciding that if she was to get her backbone back , as Edward and Robert had said she was to get out of her comfort zone and do things she hadn't and at the moment she was liking the espresso which she found complimented her desert. " the cappuccino compliments the desert wonderfully" she said taking a bite of it then a sip of her coffee.

Jessie watched as Carlos cleared the table then he saw Ruby stand and walk with Angus over to the camp after he had picked up Caprice. Jessie moved to the outdoor seats and sat comfortably letting the supper digest.

Ruby stood watching as Angus gave Caprice to Dennis and she smiled when he said he saw her with her blond hair but Angus eyes ." she got our good bits" she said smiling but was not suprised when Dennis said he had seen abilities, to her it made sense Anice got it from one of her perents. She didn't say or do anything when others went to hold Caprice feeling she was safe among them. When Angus took her back and walked towards the plot Ruby stayed at the camp with the girls helping the women with repairs finding it therapeutic.

"I'm glad you like it," Edward said to her.

When Angus felt he had taken care of all he could, he told Marcus he could have the rest of the evening for himself, but Marcus didn't have anything in particular he wanted the evening for. They got out a deck of cards and decided just to play some gin.

The boys came back from the camp since the girls were involved with something with the women, and they settled in at the chess table in the main living room for a match. Their games were going very quickly, actually, because, frankly, they weren't very good at it.

"You boys need to polish your games a bit," Robert told them. "It could really benefit your training if you played better."

"Huh?" Sam frowned. "It's just a game."

"It's far more than a game,' Robert told them. "It can be an invaluable teacher about strategy, and strategy can keep you alive."

"I still don't see the connection," Victor said.

"Michael, come lend a hand, would you?"

"Certainly. What am I doing?" Michael said, coming in.

"We're going to teach these boys how to play a decent game of chess," Robert said.

"Ah. My favorite game. Come on, Victor, let's beat the trousers right off of them," Michael said pulling up a chair beside Victor, as Robert pulled up a chair beside Sam.

Simone, meanwhile, had taken Caprice from Robert, had given her a bath, and her medicine, and a little snack and had put her to bed for the night before finding some crocheting and deciding to sit outside in the outdoor living space with Kate, who was working on a macrame sculpture, for a bit to enjoy the evening as the stars started to come out.

Jessie looked at where the men all sat and chuckled as the boys lost several games. Sitting up he walked over to the table " deal me in i want a peice of this action." he said and chuckled sitting next to Angus as he waited for his cards to be delt to see his hand. " so we betting or just for fun?" he asked chukaling knowing the boys would not have any funds, " how about tooth picks" he said and accioed some to give out to every one.

Ruby finished and headed back to the main house leaving the girls with their father but she did say for them not to stay too much longer as they ahd a big day the next day. Walking over she saw the men sat around a table and chukled " oh teaching the boys gin?" she asked siting on the outside couch.

"Sure,' Marcus said, shuffling and dealing a new hand of gin to deal Jessie in too. "We're not betting. It's just some harmless gin rummy."

When Ruby came in and asked if they were teaching the boys gin, Marcus smiled.

"No, I think they're busy learning to improve their chess strategies with Robert and Michael," Marcus replied.

"That's because their chess game is nigh onto pitiful," Robert said.

"That's fine, Victor and I are still going to win," Michael said. "Winner gets the next turn with the boggart."

"What boggart?" Sam asked.

"That means I win," Robert said, "because I have the boggart."

"What boggart?" Victor asked.

"Michael has a pet boggart," Angus told the boys.

"You can't have a pet boggart," Sam frowned.

"Tell that to the boggart," Robert laughed.

"Wait. Angus, is there really a real boggart?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Angus laughed. "There really is."

"Cool! I wanna see it," Sam said.

"Then you better focus and play like you want to win," Robert told him.

Ruby heard Michael and chuckled "Ah I see" she said and chuckled again as they dealt out the cards. Jessie laughed at the mention of the boggart " I think Jack helped you once didn't he?" he asked, " he mentioned putting it in a shower." Jessie smirked as he recalled the story of Jack helping to put the boggart in a shower stall in the main house. Ruby chuckled at the image.

"well if you don't want it you'd better win too," she said to Jessie "Your game is weak too." Jessie looked stunned at her "Oh don't give me that look, I use to let you win, im surprised you didn't catch on" she admitted and laughed seeing him surprised at her admission. Jessie shook his head and looked down at his cards, he had several of the same suits so just kept his cards.

"He did," Michael laughed. "We did put it in his shower. He screamed like a little girl."

"I did not," Robert scowled.

"No, but it makes a great story that he got one over on you," Kate teased Robert.

Angus had what he thought was a good hand, but in the end, he lost the first two hands they played.

"Ru, come take my place in the game," Angus said. "I need to be up extra early.'

"I'll go help him clean up,' Marcus said. "Kate? Simone? Either of you want to take my place?" They both decided to play a couple hands, so they got up and went to the table, while Marcus helped Angus upstairs and to the shower.

"Any reason you're getting up even earlier?" Marcus asked as he helped Angus dress in a pair of pajama bottoms.

"I really thought I wanted to try to fix breakfast, by myself, before Rosaria wakes up so she can see that, yes, i really can cook."

"I see. I'll get up and help you dress, then," Marcus said. "I'll set out your suit trousers and your white shirt so you can dress at least part way."

"I didn't want to wake Ruby, though," Angus said.

"We won't. Chances are she'll be awake because you are, but if she isn't, we'll go over to the nursery and you can change there. Caprice is a pretty sound sleeper at that hour, so you probably can change there without waking her," Marcus said.

Ruby chuckled and nodded as she stood up and took his place for two rounds then she stopped feeling tired herself. Jessie placed down his cards and yawned as he felt tired " okay Im off to sleep, see you guys in the morning" he said and headed up to the room he shared with Marcus. Ruby chukled and packed up the deck of cards " we can beat him again tomorrow." she said to Kate and Simone. With the table cleared ashe headed up to the room and smiled seeing Marcu helping Angus. She heard Marcus and chuckled to herself.

" oh I'll be awake don't worry about disterbing me." she said " besides your breakfasts are worth waking early for." she said as she took her PJ's and changed in the adjoining bathroom. Walking out she placed her clothes on a chair beside the bed and pulled back the covers so Angus could slid in before she lay on the bed.

"I appreciate the vote of confidence but if I'm going to prove I can cook I have to do better than eggs and toast," Angus said.

"What time would she be getting up?" Marcus asked.

"For a day like tomorrow is going to be? Probably 5:30 or so. So I should be up and downstairs by, probably, four or four-thirty."

"You really are allergic to sleep, aren't you?" Marcus teased.

"We can nap after tomorrow's lunch," Angus replied.

"I might. Alright. You're set," Marcus said, finishing with Angus, and going to check the balcony doors. When he finished he excused himself and went to bed. Angus got into bed, feeling quite tired. He turned out the light, yawning.

"Goodnight, Ru," he said quietly, feeling like sleep was hammering at his brain.

He was up early, and so was Marcus. Marcus helped him dress in his black dress trousers and a white dress shirt, and he rolled up the sleeves for Angus and then helped him shave. Angus went downstairs, brewed coffee and tea and started with making a big plate of individual potato rosti. While Marcus helped with small tasks like setting out a stack of plates and fetching things from the pantry or the fridge, Angus made some beautiful sweet crepes filled with a most unusual peach foster instead garnished with candied and toasted pecans, and, for a truly unique twist, he made a fresh morning salad that featured fresh fruit,  vegetables, and crisp greens with a fresh homemade vinaigrette. He made the coffee trays then, and sent them upstairs and he also sent one to Carlo and Rosaria.

It brought both Carlo and Rosaria in minutes while Angus was finishing plating his elegant breakfast plates . He had them sitting on the counter, lined up in perfect rows, ready for sending to the outdoor dining table. Rosaria stared in amazement, seeing Angus alone in the kitchen, and seeing Angus just finishing by putting garnishes on the each of the plates with some mint leaves, a thin orange slice, and a few little berries. The plates looked magazine photo perfect. She just looked at him, wide eyed. It was Carlo who asked him if he had cooked.

Angus nodded, and he finally told them he had graduated culinary school with a master chef certification. It took her a moment to absorb it, so he had her sit down at the breakfast bar in the kitchen, and he set a breakfast plate in front of her and one in front of Carlo. Carlo tucked into his plate first, and when he raved about how good the peach crepe was, Rosaria tasted hers too. Then she got up and went over to Angus and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, proud of him and the breakfast he'd turned out, literally singlehandedly. She was asking him questions about why he had decided to go to culinary school and what he did for a living now, and who he cooked for, when Robert and Kate arrived in the kitchen.

"He works for me," Robert told Rosaria in fluent Italian. "He has run my estates and their kitchens for the last several years, and he is also part of a very tight, elite team of fighters that work for me to do private investigations. On any given day he may cook 3 meals a day for as many as 30-50 people. And, his recipes form the bulk of the menu at my daughter's restaurant in London."

At that moment, Evan came in and smelled the food.

"Oh, God, that smells incredible," Evan said.

"You want me to fix you a plate?" Angus asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. Where's my baby?"

"She's probably still upstairs in the nursery. She might still be asleep...." Angus smiled, knowing how good Evan was with kids.

"I know the way," Evan said, fairly bouncing upstairs to go get Caprice to take care of her for the day.

Ruby had woken to the smell of food and smiled as she saw the tray. Once eaten she picked it up and walked down to the kitchen after checking on Caprice as Evan passed her by " morning Evan" she said and chuckled as she entered the kitchen where she sww Rosaria, Carlo and Robert stood with Angus. Placing the now empty tray and plates in the sink she turned to Angus " that was wonderful, thank you" she said and kissed his cheek as she saw Evan walk down with Caprice in his arms followed by Jessie who walked in as if he'd just finished a run.

" as good as that smells I need to wash up first" he said smiling as he moved up the stairs to the room to take shower.

"Glad you liked it," Angus said to her.

"Morning, Ruby," Evan said, bouncing up the stairs. He got a baby bag assembled for Caprice and then he looked through the baby clothes to pick an outfit, and he found a little pair of pink canvas bib overalls that had little red cherries printed on them, and he paired it with a red short sleeved tee, and a pair of little pink espadrilles. He tucked in a few other outfits, knowing very well that the chances were excellent that this would not be the only outfit she would wear today. And then, just when he thought he was packed, he ran across a little baby bucket hat that was printed with cherries, so he plopped it on her head and took her downstairs.

"We're out," Evan called. "Gonna take her out for some speed dating." He teased, taking her and leaving with her."

"Make sure he has a job, at least, Evan," Angus called back. Carlo and Rosaria stepped in, their breakfast finished, to serve the breakfast plates outside at the dining table, with juice and coffee for everyone else.

"Come on," Marcus told Angus, "Let's get a plate for ourselves before it's all gone." Angus followed Marcus to the outdoor living area and to the table where the others were gathering to eat breakfast

"Oh, you cooked, didn't you, Lad?" Michael asked, sitting down and seeing the breakfast plates.

"He did indeed," Marcus said.

"I have missed your touch in the kitchen, I must admit," Michael said.

"Well, I hope it measures up," Angus said, as Michael took a bite of his crepe.

"Divine," Michael said. "Perfect." The girls came out and sat down.

"Burritos? Anise asked.

"No, no," Michael said. "These are much more delicate and refined. These are French crepes."

"Um...ok," Anise replied, not really comprehending the difference. She took a bite. "Peach. Nice. I like 'em. What are they made of?"

"Sort of like a pancake batter," Angus said. "Four eggs, milk, butter, basically."

"But they're paper thin," Ginger said.

"That is because your dad has the technique for it," Michael said. "That is spot on how its supposed to be."

"I could like these. Are they always peach?"

"No, not always," Angus said. "You can put just about anything in a crepe." He studied the girls for a moment. They both looked tense today. That was to be expected. He wasn't going to bring it up while they were eating, though. He wanted them to have a peaceful breakfast.

"Where's the baby?" Ginger asked.

"Evan swiped her already," Angus teased.

"We won't see her all day, then," Anise said.

"I think you're probably right," Angus replied.