A Birth day

"I like that a lot," Angus said. "It looks like it was made for you. Definitely a keeper. And those dresses for the girls are perfect. Good choices."

Marcus looked at what Ruby was choosing for herself and the girls, and he picked out a slim fitting, very tailored black trench coat for Ruby, in case of rain, and then picked a couple of dressy looking black rain coats for each of the girls. A good black coat was just a good staple to have. He also picked out some black flats for the girls to go with their dresses.

"Are we forgetting anything?" Angus asked Ruby.

"The thread for Ginger," Marcus said.

"Oh yes. There's a little shop across the street that has just a hodgepodge of all sorts of things," Angus said. "Why don't you and Ruby head over there and check it out and see if they have thread for her, and maybe a book or something for Anise? I'm going to go to the tobacconist's next door to this shop. I'll meet you both at the car shortly."

Ruby saw the coat and smiled nodding to Marcus " I like that look marcus and all right dear." she said smiling she heard them mention the thread for Ginger and nodded as she and Marcus walked across the road to the small craft shop "Oh these are so cute" she said picking up some small cloth stuffed toys " I'll get one for Caprice" she said then saw the thread to one side " there it is" she said walking over and picked one of each color and gauge for Ginger so she would have enough thread to work with. " you think thats enough?" she asked looking down into the basket and its contents.

Now with a bag filled with the threads and the small toy for Caprice she looked to Marcus " I thinkthats everything , unless you can think of anything else?" she asked hoping she'd not forgot anything. Stepping out of the shop once they ahd paid she smelt the salt from the ocean in th air and smiled " this is what I love about the out doors , the fresh simple natral scents." she said softly then looked to Marcus " you don't think they will cause any trouble for Angus at the funeral."

Marcus saw the one thing that he had heard Anise talking about--a skateboard. This one was a pretty one with purple flowers. It was well balanced and sturdy, and since Ruby had bought things for Caprice and Ginger but had not bought anything for Anise, he bought the skateboard for her and paid for it. Truth be told, he bought three skateboards, one for Anise, another floral one--thinking of Ginger, and a finely made skateboard with a beautiful wood grain to it, knowing that an adult was going to have to teach them how to ride.

Angus, meanwhile, had gone into the tobacconist's and he had invested in an antique silver cigarette case and a silver lighter. He didn't plan on carrying them all the time, but they would be good status pieces for times when he was going to some sort of event that he needed to look good for. As he was turning to leave, he saw a man's bracelet sitting alone in a display case with a great lot of pipes. He asked about it.

The tobacconist explained that he had gotten into a poker game with some acquaintances, and one of the men had gambled entirely too much and had lost this bracelet in the game. He said that he, himself, had no use for such a valuable piece. It was platinum, and it was set with diamonds. Angus didn't buy jewelry for himself, but this piece was one he truly liked. It was smooth, and shiny and sleek, and it was very unusual. After a bit of haggling, he got it at an exceptionally low deal because he was able to plunk down the cost in cash, he bought the thing. It didn't come with a box, so he put it on instead so he wouldn't lose it. Then he went outside to meet up with Ruby and Marcus.

Ruby saw Marcus with a skateboard and face palmed herself " that's what she asked for " she said " I've been raking my brain as to what she asked for." she said to him looking at the skateboard and smiled " its pretty" she said " she'll love it" Ruby saw Angusoutsidee of the tobacconist shop " Looks like hes done" she siad and smiled as she with the bags with the clothes and threads in walked over to Angus " you get what you needed?" she asked kissing his cheek as she moved to hold his good arm gently.

"Well, I bought a second girl's board because I know at some point Ginger is going to not be able to resist trying it. And I also know that one of us is going to have to teach them. I don't know if either you or Angus skateboards, but I used to. And I'm betting that Evie or Faith skateboard. I'm figuring we'll have someone that can teach them."

"I do want to look the part of the heir apparent at the funeral," Angus told her, "so I bought a silver cigarette case and a silver lighter. I don't see myself using them while I'm mucking stalls in the barn at home. While I was there, though, the tobacconist had a man's bracelet he won in a poker game and didn't want. So, after some haggling, I got it for a tremendously good price. Solid platinum with diamonds. If I were buying this with muggle money, I would be paying easily 6 or7 thousand pounds for it. However, I didn't pay anywhere near that because I could pay him cash." He showed it to her. What do you think? It's another thing that is heavy enough I could wear it for every day, but will I? Highly unlikely," he told her.

"Let's see it," Marcus said. Angus showed them the bracelet. "That's sharp. I like that a lot. How much did you dicker him down to?"

"A thousand galleons," Angus grinned.

"You nearly stole that thing off him," Marcus laughed. "Michael will be proud of you for getting that bracelet and for getting it at the price you paid. That's obviously the deal of the day, Mate. Well done. And you happened to be carrying that much cash?"

"I was. Not anymore," Angus laughed.

Ruby looked at Marcus and shook her head at the mention of skateboarding "Sorry I can't skateboard, tried and fell on my butt" she admitted then she heard Angus and smiled. When he showed her the braclet she smiled "It is beautiful and does suit you" she said running her finger over the cold metal of it "Very sleek and not to over decrative." she added " its perfect for you, but I do agree not an everyday thing to wear." she took his hand in hers and noticed the car parked not too far away from them.

"maybe we should get these in the car and head back so we can hand out the gifts and clothing to the girls." she sugested " I don't want them to think we did a runner. " she chuckled teasing him about how long they had been away from the girls.

"I did skateboard. I used to really piss off Edward with it, though," Angus laughed.

"How did you do that?" Marcus asked as they walked back to the car.

"I wanted to learn how to ride my board up ramps and do tricks but there weren't any ramps. So, I used to take bricks out of the garden retaining walls and out of Edward's flagstone paths and use them to try to stack up as the foundation of an improvised ramp and then lean a couple boards on the blocks and bricks to make a ramp. God, Edward got so irked."

"God, you really were fearless, weren't you?" Marcus laughed. "Did the ramps work?"

"Well, I had a pretty tall one that I used for a couple hours, but then I wiped out, broke the skateboard completely in half, and banged myself up pretty good. I hit my head and dislocated my shoulder and broke my leg too. My gran thought I had all kinds of bones. Once Edward got over being concerned, he was beyond irked. I was still a pretty little guy. Maybe seven or eight. I sort of remember Edward scooping me up from the pavement and carrying me into the house and telling my gran she needed to summon the healer because I was such a mess."

"I'd have been grounded for weeks," Marcus said.

"Well, with my shoulder dislocated and my leg in a cast, there was no point in grounding me because I couldn't go anywhere anyway," Angus shrugged. "Edward was going to make me serve a month's grounding after I got the cast off, but by then, he'd forgiven me."

Marcus moved the purchases into one of the back seats so that Angus could sit in the front and not have to climb into the back.

"I don't think the girls will think that we dashed off. They were going to have a picnic lunch with Evan's family, remember?" Angus said. "I don't think we'll see them til supper time, but I am glad they've got that opportunity. This is working out really well for them so far, I think."

Ruby chuckled at Angus reminiscing about skating when he was younger and how he fell while doing it and broke his board "Well maybe you could show Anise and Ginger some of those moves" she said with a smile as she placed the bags on the back seat where Marus and move the others too , to allow Angus to sit down there. She nodded at his reminding her that the girls were having a picnic lunch at Evans " that's right, so were free all day then" she said and chuckled "So what or wheres next?" she asked

"I think we should go back and get some lunch and then maybe we can go through the closet and the drawers in the bedroom and get rid of things that we don't want in there and send word to Clive for things we do want. When Edward and Simone get back, we can talk to them about the bedroom redecorating, and they'll take care of arranging it," Angus said.

When they got back, Carlo told them that Rosaria almost had lunch ready. She had set the table outside for them, and Carlo had a lovely chilled bottle of white wine open, and he poured it for them. He told them that Caprice had been hungry just thirty minutes before they'd gotten home. Rosaria had fed her and then put her down for a nap.

Rosaria served them a very traditional Italian lunch. She started their lunch by serving a creamy Pasta al Limone, done with linquini and then followed it with a delicate and beautiful veal piccata and a panzanella salad with a nice light vinaigrette. For dessert, she served them each a cannolini from the pastries they'd bought on their shopping trip, along with some fresh brewed espresso.

"That was an absolutely perfect lunch," Angus said when they were through eating. "I'm stuffed. I can't remember when we had a whole morning that has not been dealing with kids. I don't regret the kids, not at all, but the adult time sometimes is great."



"

Ruby smiled and nodded to Angus agreeing just as her stomach growled even though she'd eaten the pastries in the cafe earlier. On returning she smield at Carlo and Rosaria and thanksed her for loking after Caprice " you realy didn't have to do that, but Im greatful " she said smiling as she knew they enjoyed looking after the girls and Caprice then she smelt th food and smiled again " that smells hevenly" she said as they were fed and she felt satisfied.

" that realy was delishious Carlo, Rosaria you both out did your selves , thank you" she said with a smile " Im probably going to have to run ff all this good food I've eaten over the last few days." she teased and chuckled as she sat back in her chair. " well I'll work it off while were sorting out the closet." she said chukaling hen she heard Angus talk and smiled to him " a little adult time is refeshing, but I do miss the kids." she said glancing at the stairs to the nursary.