A Birth day

"We can take any ship anytime we want, Ru. I think we should do that with the kids this summer. This is the place I grew up," Angus said. "And a lot of the families that were here then still live in the same places, albeit it the next generations. A good many of them now work for Edward in the olive orchards, the vineyards or the fields that grow the hay crops to that feed the horses. Edward pays very well, and he treats every employee with respect. He does his best to get to know every one's name and their family situation. He's helped them with unexpected needs if they come up. Hardship things, you know, and in return, they love him. I doubt they would love my relatives very well if they knew how they treated him or me. I was always Edward's 'little scamp,' as they called me."

He saw an old woman sitting at a wooden table that was sitting on the sidewalk. She had little peck sized baskets of orange colored fruit.

"Marcus! Stop," Angus said. "Stop. I want to get some of those." Marcus pulled the car over.

"I'll get them for you."

"No, no, I have to talk to her," Angus said. Marcus had to help him out of the car, and Angus went over and looked at her.

"Signora Mazza?" Angus asked. The old woman looked up at him, trying to place where she knew him and then it struck her. She stood up and patted both of his cheeks and kissed him.

"Il mio piccolo furfante!" she said, delighted.

"See? I'm still her little scamp," Angus looked at Ruby and laughed. He talked with her for a moment and showed her his wallet photo of Caprice. She was overjoyed to see he had a daughter of his own. Then he introduced Ruby as his fiancee and Caprice's mother. Mrs. Mazza told him that he needed to get done being afraid of marriage and make Ruby an honest woman.

Then she looked at Ruby and told her about her memories of Angus being absolutely fearless. She remembered of him having boundless energy, standing up to any bully he faced, even if they punched the stuffing out of him. And she believed those childhood bullies were responsible, in their own way, for Angus turning out to be so muscular.

"She's selling loquats," Angus told Ruby. "Think an orange that also has flavors of apricot, plum, and cherry. She said she picks them from one of Edward's trees and that Edward lets her have all she wants." He seemed to get into a little argument with her, but he shoved a wad of cash into her hand and looked at Marcus and Ruby. "Help me load all these up. I've bought the lot. It's going to be hot today, and I don't want her having to sit out here all day to sell them..." Mrs. Mazza, who had been counting all the cash, started to argue with Angus that he had given her too much. When Angus wouldn't take the money, she shoved it down his shirt. He dug it out again and shoved it down into her bra. She looked at him for a moment and then burst into laughter, shaking her finger at him. Then she kissed his forehead, telling him what a good boy he had always been and still was and said that, aside from Edward, all of is relatives were alcoholic bums. It made Angus laugh.

Ruby watched as they drove and listened to Angus "So really you have a whole village as an extended family" she said smiling at him. When he asked for the car to stop she looked at him and then at where he was looking. She got out and walked with him over to the old lady who after a moment smiled at Angus who then introduced her to him "Piaceredi conoscerti Signora Mazza" she said smiling at her. She watched and listened as she spoke of Angus as a boy then laughed as she said it might have been becuse of the bullying he turn out to be so muscular.

" well I have to say Im not with him becuse he looks like a greek god but mor becuse he had a good heart and head on his shoulders" she told her but leaned closer to her " but the body it a bonus" she said and chuckeld as did the woman. She watched as Angus bought all the loquats from Signora Mazza and they playfully fought over the extra money. Ruby chuckled as she took hold of a basket and palced it in the trunk of the car, which was on the front , that was confusing but she knew it was the design of the car or rather porsche.

" I rember you giving me one in the duplex one time , it tasted divine" she said taking one and peeling it to start eating it." humm, still as nice, I think the girls will love these too" she said smiling as she now sat in the back beside Angus.

Mrs. Mazza made them promise they would come again to see her before they went home. She told Angus she approved of Ruby but told him again that he needed to give his daughter a proper mother. Angus just nodded.

"I'm glad you like them," Angus said. "I'm sure we can do some sort of fruit salad with them. She wouldn't be selling them if she weren't having some sort of money trouble. I'll tell Edward, and we'll work something out so she gets enough food and her bills are paid.

"I loved these people, and they seemed to like me a whole lot more than my own family. Mrs. Mazza made these lovely little pizzelli cookies and she sandwiched gelato between two of them and sometimes dipped it all in chocolate for these really amazing Italian ice cream sandwiches. I used to get one from her just about every day in the summer. One year, I was about five, and I had set up a lemonade stand, but I hadn't sold a single glass. So she baked some cookies and then took me with her to her ladies' sewing group, and I sold the whole pitcher full of lemonade to them."

"So, what you're saying is that the whole bloody town spoiled you," Marcus teased.

"I'm telling you I was a ladies' man even way back then," Angus told Marcus, teasing. Marcus laughed out loud.

"Charming an eighty year old woman when you're five isn't much of a conquest," Marcus said.

"Did you charm anyone at five years old?"

"I wasn't trying," Marcus said.

"So, no, then. You lose. I win," Angus laughed.

Ruby smiled as Angus spoke of Mrs Mazza and why she would be out selling the fruit " Then Im glad we could help, but I agree we should do something to help her." she said finishing her fruit. She listened to the boys talking about when Agus was five " awe that's so cute, but I love that the whole village wanted to be there for you, it shows that family isn't dictated by blood" she said smply "it's about who cares for you."

She sat and listend to the boys talking more then laughed when Angus said Marcus lost as he didn't charm any one when he was younger. It was now she saw a stall seling bags and leather goods " oh can we stop Marcus?" she asked as she saw several leather crafted bags hung up on show.

When the car stopped she hopped out and looked at the bags finding a simple Leather Handmade Women Ladies Travel Satchel "Quanto per questa borsa?" she asked and the man walked out from behind his stall "Per te 100 lire" he said and she smiled reatching into her pocket she took out 200 lire and handed it to the man.

"perdere questo è troppo" he said and she shook her head .

"this is good work and worth more, let me pay this for the bag." she said and smiled as he gave in smiling at her. She walking back to Angus and smiled showing him it. " now I can keep my things in this instead of my pockets she chuckled.

"Its a good bag," Angus said. "You may eventually find it more convenient to keep a wardrobe of sorts here so you don't have to take clothes back and forth. I do have some things here, but they badly need updated. I need to get rid of things that I can't wear. There are a lot of my things that I just can't fit into anymore, and they're really out of style anyway. They're things I wore while I was in Hogwarts and came back here for summers and such. Those all need to be pitched, and I need to get different things here in my closets and drawers."

"Well, you know that Simone wants to redecorate a lot of the bedrooms anyway," Marcus told him. "So as long as you're redoing your wardrobe, you could get her to redo the room too."

"That's a good idea," Angus said. "Personally, I'd like to take the woodwork back to its original mahogany color and put the walls back to their natural stucco color, with some very traditional furniture. Sort of a Tuscan farmhouse look. There actually was a fireplace on one of the inside walls but that was removed because I was so small when I got that room. I'll like to restore that. It can be cold in the winters here, so the fireplace would be a nice restoration."

"That sounds like a good plan," Marcus said. "You know, you could enchant that closet to be actually two walk in closets. That's what Khaat did for hers, and if she can do it with one, you could do it with two."

"Or just one large closet. One side for her, one side for me," Angus said.

"That would work too since you're not here that often right now. You could always add more later when the time comes that you have to be here more."

"Well, someday, when Edward's gone, I'm sure we'll need to move over to the master suite anyway, and all of this is already there," Angus told him. "What do you think, Ruby? Any ideas for what you'd like to see in the bedroom if we were to redo it?"

Ruby smiled when Angus said it was anice bag and she could use it for spaer clothing " thats what I was planning, a just incase bag" she said and chuckled. Siting she listened to Marcus and Angus talk about the changes to the room " oh don't change too much I love it as it is , maybe as you said update it, and oh please bring back the fire it would make it lovely and cosy in there" she sat more and just listened to them banter between them selves.

Hearing Angus ask her about the room she shook her head. " i did like the idea of a large walk in closet though, but not one seperatedas we both don't have much clothing." she added

"You read my mind," Angus said. "I think part of the reason I'd like a walk in is to keep dressers and armoires and such out of the bedroom to give us more living space. I'd rather have the fireplace and a couple of comfortable chairs than big clunky dressers. Actually, I like Khaat's room at Robert's farm. It was Remus's room when Remus was alive. it's on the ground floor, and there are french doors that open out onto its own private terrace that's beautifully landscaped with flowers and flowering shrubs and trees. It's set up with a bistro table and its a great place to have tea. Hard to do that when you're not on the ground floor, but we do have the balconies. We could leave one with the chaises and the other we could put a small table and chairs."

"You know, you could simply send a note to Clive and have him send you new wardrobe for here," Marcus said. "You both could do that. I bet you'd have it by supper time if you sent it today. After all, With the position you'll be in, in the Donohue family, you should have a variety of casual clothes and dress clothes--both of you."

"And work clothes," Angus said.

"Well, yes. You could have him outfit you both for that and for all seasons. And, mission wear, of course."

"I think I'd rather to that than to go shopping," Angus said. "Would you want Clive and Diana to shop for you, Ru, or do you want to pick your own?" He noticed they were coming into the village. "Marcus, could you park the car and let us walk a little up an down the main street at least? I think Ruby would enjoy going in and out of the shops, and I'd like to go into the pastry shop at least."

"Absolutely," Marcus said. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to see or shop for, Ruby?"

Ruby chuckled and nodded to Angus " sounds perfect hideaway" she said then listened as he spoke of asking Clive and Diana to send over a new wardrobe for them for when they were in Tuscany " I don't have a problem with them chosing the wardrobe, they have good taste, but like you said we need mission wear with it too, just incase" she said smiling" oh and Marcus is righ we need something to show those harpies we both mean busness." she looked out at the shopes and heard Angus as Marcus to stop the car and mention a pastry shop. " not realy I have what I neded but trying some pastries sounds wonderfu" she said and smiled " besides i have everything I need right here, i'll window shop as we walk to it." she smiled to Angus as she finished speaking.

Slipping from the car she walked around to Angus side to help him out of it.

"Oh, I intend them to get the message," Angus said.

"Then you need to let me tailor your suit a little," Marcus said.

"What's wrong with my suit?"

"The one I picked up, I'm afraid, is one that you wore when you weren't as well built through your shoulders and your arms. I doubt it will strike a cutting figure as it is, and I know you've seen Jack blow out suit jackets that fit like that. We need to either tailor it or pick you up a suit jacket while you're here in town. If we get it anywhere close to your size, we can us magic to tailor it. I'd suggest a plain black, done in an elegant fabric, and perhaps with a waistcoat and all the accessories. Maybe a fedora," Marcus said.

"You want to help me look for a suit? I don't necessarily have to try it on because Marcus can fix it," Angus told Ruby. "Maybe I should get a single breasted jacket and maybe a double breasted jacket just to have some variety, at least initially."

"Two suit jackets does not mean variety," Marcus laughed, parking the car. He escorted them out of the car, and they walked to the pastry shop. Angus looked in the window.

"Look at those Pan au Chocolate," Angus said. "Those look perfect. I think we could get an assortment of some things and take them back to share with everyone in the big house. Let's see. There are six of us with us to, the girls, Marcus, and Nigel. Then there's Edward and Simone, and Rosaria and Carlo. We need at least 20 to make sure everyone can have two. I think we should get an assortment of at least two dozen. Do you see anything that you'd like to try?"

"I heard Carlo telling Nigel that one of the shops had some pretty incredible pasticciotto," Marcus said.

"That would have to be this shop. I think it's the only pastry shop in the village," Angus said. He went inside and was surprised to see they had added a coffee counter with a barista, another counter for a chocolatier, and some tables and chairs. "Well, look at this. They've come up the world. Good for them. Anybody want a coffee and a snack?"

Ruby chuckled at Marcus and Angus talking about suit jackets " Oh I've sen that and no it's not nice" she said chuckling "And I'll come along to give you a woman's perspective." she said smiling as she looked in the window and the pain au chocolat sat in it. She could not help but take a deep breath and smell the scent of warm fresh bread in the air along with coffee " Oh this place smells wonderful." she chuckled seeing Marcus and Angus enter as she did close behind them.

Glancing around she spotted a free table "Why don't we sit for a bit and enjoy a good coffee." she said looking from Marcus to Angus " we can talk about suits again" she chuckled