A Birth day

Aria chukled thn awed at teh sight of the jewlery " wow thats so beautiful" she said " remind me if I ever need jewlry to ask Kate to design it for me" she said looking at the set in its box in front of her " maybe in time she could desing some rings for us " she said brushing her finger against the earings that sat with a necklace as she admired them. Ruby smiled hearing mulled wine mentioned by Angus.

" oh that will be the perfect end to this day" she said smiling as he asked who wanted any she saw Aria look to Marcus and smiled " trust me its fine, he makes it so it will warm you but now over do it" she told her " remberAngus this is Aras first time trying your mulled wine" she said o him as she picked up a glass and handed it to her.

Aria took the glass and looked over at Marcus a she took a small sip feeling it warm her from the inside she smiled " its wonderful" she said smiling a she took a slightly biger sip from the glass.

"I'm sure she could. She gets a lot of commissions for wedding sets. Angus had some clear glass mugs, and he poured a glass for everyone and garnished each mug with a slice of orange and a cinnamon stick. He floated a mug of cocoa up to Simone

"Definitely our own wines," Evan smiled. "Good choice, Angus. I want this recipe, if you don't mind. I'd like to serve this at the company's Yule dinner this year."

"Absolutely," Angus said.

"I'd prefer to have you cater it but I know that isn't something you do much of anymore."

"Not really," Angus said, going and sitting on the sofa," but I certainly could work with the caterer if you like." Cris sat down on the sofa next to Angus, and as he drank his cocoa, he seemed to curl into Angus, getting warm and relaxed.

"I'll keep it in mind."

"I could like this a lot," Anise said.

"Me too," Victor agreed. Cris drank his cocoa and ate a cookie. He was into his second cookie when he dozed off, leaning against Angus.

"Careful, Bro," Evan said. "Cris put the rest of his cookie into his mouth and fell asleep mid-chew. He still has a mouthful of cookie, and he's sound asleep." Angus laughed.

"Okay. Fair warning. I'll keep an eye on him," Angus said. "It is his bedtime, so I can't blame him for being tired. But I know Jessie would be a little irked if I let him choke on his cookie."

Ruby sipped her own Mulled wine and smiled seeing Chris doze off to sleep against Angus. She finished her wine feeling sleepy herself but she placed the glass into the sink and sat back down with Caprice who had finished her warm cocoa in her bottle. Now she stood back up " some one else is ready for bed," she said showing a sleepy Caprice as she took her up to her room and lay her down in her cot where Finn curled up under it on his bed.

Aria smiled hearing Marcus' words and nodded feeling it would be special if Kate designed some rings for them, come the time and not right now as they were just at the beginning of their relationship. She sipped the mulled wine and smiled " I wouldn't mind the recipy myself for when we're in our cottage by the lake. " she said

"That's a good idea," Marcus said

"No problem," Angus said.

"You know," Evan said, "maybe for the holidays, I could bottle a blend of the merlot and the cabernet, like you just used, and call it just mulling wine. Even if all I did was to bottle enough for all of us to enjoy over the holidays."

"That's a wonderful idea," Edward said. "And put the spices and the brandy in it as well. That way, all someone would need to do is to add the honey and the orange in it and heat it."

"Do it right, and you could probably add the honey and the orange juice too. That way all someone would need is to heat it and maybe garnish it with fresh orange slices," Angus said.

"You and I might have to work on that," Evan told Angus. "I like that idea even better.

"You do that, and all our family and friends will want that by the case in the fall and the winter," Tara said.

"Well, that might not be bad either. If it works out well over a year or two, maybe we could release it for sale. Who knows? We might be able to sell more wine that way," Edward said.

"In a gift set," Tara said. "A bottle of mulled wine and a pair of really beautiful glasses with the winery's crest engraved on them."

"Now you're talking," Edward nodded. "And maybe Angus could come up with some sort of savory biscuits or something to tuck into the gift set."

"Those lovely ones he does with the Hawaiian bread dough. Those are addicting little buggars," Evan said.

"I wouldn't know," Tara scowled at Evan. Edward looked at Tara and then at Evan.

"My bad," Evan said. "Angus gave us a big tin of them, and I tucked into them."

"I didn't get a single one," Tara said.

"Not one? That had three pounds of biscuits in that tin," Edward frowned.

"It did. Now all three pounds worth are around his waistline," Tara teased.





"I'll go make sure your suit is ready for tomorrow," Marcus told Angus. He set his glass in the sin, and he went upstairs


Angus saw it was a bit after nine, and he wanted to keep his word to Jessie. He woke Cris and made sure Cris finished eating his cookie. Then he walked Cris next door to Jessie's, with Cris far more asleep than awake. He knocked on the door, waiting for someone to answer.

Aria could not help laugh at Tara and Evan as they spoke of Even eating all the Hawaiian bread dough. she watched as Marcus placed his glass in the sink and headed up to their room " I should go sleep too, night guys" she said and followed him up the stairs.

Jessie heard the knock on the door and smiled seeing Angus and a rather sleepy Chris seating a cookie and drinking hot chocolate he waited until he was done then picked him up.

"Thanks for looking after him for me Angus" he said " oh I noticed some rather large pumkins out in the feilds , tomorrow I'll gather a few and bring them here if you want" he said so not so wake the now sleeping Chris over his shoulder.

"Awesome. I took a batch of pumpkin stew to the main house, and I was told I need to make a double batch for both houses in another night or two. They didn't leave a drop of it," Angus said. "So, I definitely need quite a few of the sugar pumpkins. And Cris must have liked it because he had two big bowls all by himself. Oh, and Jessie, he still has a mouthful of cookie. he took a bite of cookie and fell right to sleep before he swallowed it. He must be knackered. You might want to wake him up enough to swallow that before you lay him down flat. Just so you know."

"Hey, Jessie," Victor said. "We're planning on going to the Hogsmeade Halloween festival this year on Halloween and then going trick or treating that night. Hogsmeade is welcoming costumed trick or treaters to anyone under 18 this year, so we can still go. Cris is welcome to come along if he likes. I know he likes candy. I don't know if he has a costume, but maybe there's still time for him to come up with one. I think Evie and Faith are coming to go with us, so it'll be the lot of us."

"It's actually going to be two nights this year," Edward said. "THe first night is a village wide Halloween party with bobbing for apples, and storytellers telling Halloween tales. There will apparently be real ghosts haunting the shrieking shack for the occasion, and some other things. Then Halloween night there is the trick or treating and a couple other bits. That's why Evie and Faith are coming. They'll be here for two nights. Cris is welcome both nights, of course."

Jessie glanced at Chris and Angus, words woke him a little so he could finish the cookie that was in his mouth, once Jessie was happy it was empty he smiled at Angus "Thanks for letting me know" he said then he heard Victor behind him and nodded " I'll ask Chris if he wants to go in the morning but Im sure Yu and I don't have a problem" he said smiling to Victor as he responded. Yu walked up behind Jessie and tok Chris to ready him for bed chukaling as cookie crumbs fell from Chris's chirt to the ground.

" must have been a good cookie if theres nothing but crumbs left." Yu said as he walked back into the cabin leaving Jessie in the door way.

" I'll have some crew bring the biggest ones to the duplex in the afternoon" Jessie said as he looked at Victor and the others " we'll try and find something if he wants to go."

Ruby looked up at Jessie and smiled " Tara and I can make him something, its no trouble." she said smiling.

"Let them have at it," Angus laughed. "I think they enjoy doing it. And Marcus said that Aria and her mother sew. So maybe they'll want to join in. And I know Kate and Simone both sew too. The girls could make a regular hen party out of it."

"What's a hen party?" Tara asked.

"Well, its what Kate calls a gathering of her friends when they get together to work on a quilt or a wedding gown or some project. Everyone brings a dish for a potluck lunch. Someone usually brings a kettle of soup, someone else brings sandwiches, someone else brings a dessert--that sort of thing. They craft all day to knock out their project in one day and they work and eat and talk. Kate has always said it's great fun. I suppose I would have to sew to understand that," Angus said.

"I've got a better idea. We'll do the crafting, and you cater the lunch, Angus," Tara suggested. Angus laughed.

"You've got a deal," Angus said. "Always happy to lend a hand--or a dish. But you'll have to do it soon. Halloween isn't far away."

"No problem. We're pros. We can do it--no problem. Right, Ruby?" Tara asked.

Ruby sat and listened then chuckled " Wonder if we can invite Aria " she said looking to Tara and Angus " thought I don't think she sews or rather noth the kind we do" she added " but a hen night for her sounds fun" she said and chuckled " and you have to make some shortbread with chocolate" she added maing Jessie chuckle too.

"oh gez you might want to ask her if she wants a hen night since Marcus hasn't even hinted of anything bigger than living together yet" he said making Ruby pout.

"party pooper" she said and chuckled too show she was teasing him " but yeah we can ake it a party so we can make the kids halloween costumes " she smiled thinking of all the fabrics and sequins they would have to sew onto fabric.

"Why can't we just invite anyone who might be interested in coming?" Tara said. "Does it have to be a closed circle? We can extend an open invitation to anyone who might want to come? I know Rosaria sews too, and, honestly, if we're going to have several people there and we're going to be crafting a few costumes we might want a fairly large space. I think we should consider asking Edward if we can use his house since its more than big enough for that. I rather like the idea of a potluck too because nobody has to plan a definite menu, and we'd certainly end up with plenty of food for lunch?"

"Wait a minute," Angus asked. "I don't know that a bunch of people getting together to make Halloween costumes needs to have any sort of formal commitment. After all, you're not sewing a wedding gown or anything. It's just Halloween costumes. Why does Marcus's and Aria's intentions have to come into it at all? Is it even relevant? My concern is that if you make it a party, you might not get a thing done, but maybe I'm missing something. I don't mind a good Halloween party. I think it sounds like fun, but wouldn't it be better to get the costumes and things done first and then decide on a proper party? For all we know, the kids may not want to hang out with us 'old folks.'"