Marriage is Murder

Khaat opened the package that Cassidy handed to her. She found the photo in the beautiful frame.

"It's beautiful," Khaat said. "Thank you, Cassidy. I can't think of many things that mean more to me than pictures of my family or of special times. And the frame is lovely."

"Can we eat cake?" Abbey asked.

"Yes," Angus laughed. He and Michael carefully moved the sugar figurines off the top of the cake to save them for Abbey and then cut the raspberry flavored cake. They gave everyone a slice of cake and a scoop of Michael's homemade strawberry ice cream. Michael had a mixed berry syrup for over the ice cream for anyone who wanted it.

Abbey was delighted with having pink cake and pink ice cream with pink syrup.

"You make the best ice cream, Michael," Khaat said.

"I like cake," Abbey said, putting a big forkful of the pink cake in her mouth. Brian looked over and saw his kids with pink cake, pink frosting, pink ice cream and pink syrup all over their hands and faces.

"Can we keep them like this forever?" he asked Khaat. This was what this large house had been built for--lots of people, and lots of celebrations.

Cassidy chuckled and quickly took a picture again " you can now" she said handing him the magical image with a smile before she sat back down and helped Jaylen to eat her cake then James. Brant had Catlin and little Robert who both got more on their faces and hands than in their mouths. But both were enjoying the ice cream and cake.

"Its a light yet moist cake Angus" Brant said "whats the secret?" he asked knowing he probably would not tell him anyway. Jack just smiled and ate his own cake. James tugged his sleeve and he smiled giving the boy some juice to wash the cake and ice cream down.

"Oh, there are a lot of different hints on making a cake moist. Some people use hot water some use extra eggs, some use mayonnaise or sour crème. I used whipped cream in this one to give it more air," Angus said.

"You used your great, great grandmother's recipe?" Edward asked.

"Well, it's always worked," Angus shrugged.

"My grandmother made lovely cakes," Edward said. "I remember she hosted high tea every Sunday afternoon. It was quite a social affair. It started with a large, fancy dinner at noon--standing rib roast or the like, and went to some sort of games--croquet or cards or something. And followed by high tea before everyone went home. Then later in the evening, she served us pasties made from leftovers of whatever meat she'd served and we were allowed another of the desserts left from high tea. I usually chose the cake."

"How did grandma get her recipe?" Angus asked.

"My grandmother gave your grandmother a book that she'd handwritten all our family's traditional recipes in. It was a gift to your grandmother on our wedding day."

"Whatever happened to that book?"

"Oh, I don't know," Edward laughed. "Probably in my room. Your grandmother had half a dozen or so books that she never wanted to lose. She kept them in our room, and I suppose its still there."

"Could I look at it while we're here?" Angus asked, knowing it was just a short apparating spell to Edward's compound.

"If I can find it," He shrugged. "I haven't looked at that in years and years."

Brant chuckled and ate some cake " well its delicious, I guess I missed a lot by not being in the family." he said and looked at both Edward and Angus. But he just smiled glad he was now part of the family. "Ow I'll go with you, I really should say hi while we're here" he said smiling at them both. "Got to keep on the good side of the family" he said smiling.

Cassidy chuckled and looked at him " thats good to hear from you Brant, Abby you going to open your gifts?" she asked moving to clean her hands and face of cake and ice cream so she could open her gifts.

Abbey nodded and Kate handed her the top gift on the stack.

Robert and Kate gave her a magical nightlight. It was shaped like a glass rose, but at night it shined stars or other soft glowing lights either in the room or on the ceiling.

Angus and Edward bought Abbey a large stack of storybooks that would start to teach her how to read. Abbey was learning the alphabet already, and she loved stories.

Michael and Marcus had gone together to get her a dollhouse that looked like a fairytale castle. And Brian and Khaat had gotten her a special doll that looked like a princess. They'd also gotten her a special necklace. It was a strawberry pink stone that was carved to look like a berry and set in white gold.

Cassidy gave her the magic photo book with pictures of her family inside it and smiled as Jack and the others gave her their gifts one by one. then sat back down. Cassidy helped some to eat their piece of cake happy to see them enjoying it she liked it too not too heavy and not to light.

Jack ate his and soon finished picking up his plate he headed to the kitchen to place it in the sink returning he chuckled seeing the state the others had got into. "Okay clean up time I think, what do you say Khaat?" he asked seeing all the children smiling with frosting beards and mustaches.

"I say we take them all down to the beach and dunk them in," Michael said.

"I am not going to fish dogs out of the sea any more tonight," Robert said. "We've got perfectly good bathtubs. I suggest we use them."

"I do it myself," Abbey said. "I big now."

"Well, that's a shame," Kate said. "And I have a new bottle of strawberry shower gel too. I guess I won't get to share it."

"Berries?" Abbey asked.

"Yes, you could have smelled like big sweet strawberries tonight."

Abbey thought long and hard for a moment.

"I wanna be a berry, Gam," Julia said quietly to Kate.

"Okay," Kate said back very quietly to her. "It'll be our secret, then." Julia nodded.

"Okay," Abbey finally agreed, not entirely happy but not wanting to be left out either.

"You'd better be able to actually cough up that shower gel now," Robert said to Kate.

Jack chuckled and shook his head " we'll help as well " he said " we'll wash the boys and Cassidy and Kate can do the girls" he said as he started to clear the table. Brant stood up and started to help him clear it leaving some of the plates with cake behind for those who had not finished to finish.

Cassidy took down Catlin and Jaylen and took their hands in her own "Come on then a nice warm bath will help you sleep" she told them and looked to Kate. " see you up stairs" she said and lead them up to the nusary bathroom to wash them.

Soon Jack and Brant lead Little Robert and James up leaving Brian with Michael to bring up and wash.

Brian took care of little Michael and was soon tucking the kids into bed. Kate sent a storybook downstairs and attempted to hit Robert in the head with it as a 'gentle' reminder that he owed the kids a bedtime story that he could actually read to them. Robert, though, saw the book flying at his head and snatched it out of the air, just as Marcus was about to set the book on fire before it could strike him.

"I would not set that particular book on fire, Belby," Robert said. "Not unless you want to go traipsing back to London to Flourish and Blotts and beg them to reopen so you can buy another copy."

"Its just a storybook," Marcus shrugged.

"Oh, no," Robert said, displaying the front cover so Marcus could see the title. It was Abbey's favorite book, the book that the party had been based on, the mouse and the tea party. "This is not the book to burn. Not if you want the kids to sleep tonight."

"Then you'd better go read it to them," Edward said, "or no one is going to sleep tonight at all." The twins were starting to get restless in their bassinet in the living room.

"Well, if I don't, she'll just throw more books at me," Robert said. "How about someone making a pot of almond tea for us to enjoy after the kids go to sleep? And while you're all at it, perhaps you'd feed those little ones and change them so that Kate and I can take care of the cuddling."

"Wait. What? We do the dirty work and you do the cuddling?" Khaat frowned.

"Grandparents' privilege," Robert said, heading upstairs.

Jim chuckled at Marcus's almost burning Abbys book " yeah unless you want a four year old temper tantrum I wouldn't think of it" Jim said and chuckled smiling as Robert said Kate would just throw more books at him. " she would too" he said and stood up " would you like my hand or are the parents doing it tonight?" he asked as Brant came down the stairs.

" ah you got the book, I saw it floating down " he said as he now cleared the table of the sticky plates and napkins sending the table cloth to the washing machine and the plates to the dishwasher. He also sent the last of the cake to the fridge so it would keep. He left the delicate tea set on a side board for Kate to place where ever she wished .