A Birth day

"She caught me looking at the girls with their father," Angus told him. "I was just thinking that they look happy today but it's going to be a whole different story tomorrow. And she told me that tomorrow, I will be enough for them. I appreciate her thinking me--especially since this morning she reamed me out for being a negligent father to Caprice." He cast Jessie a look of amusement. "Anyway, supper is ready. Let's go through to the dining room and enjoy the appetizers and maybe by then the others will be ready to eat."

Michael and Marcus followed Angus into the dining room where Carlo was setting down the appetizers--a beautiful antipasto salad, and a beautiful focaccia bread that was stuffed with a creamy cheese filling, cut into squares and served alongside the salads. Carlo had poured glasses of water, and at Angus's direction, Carlo opened some bottles of a white wine and a sparkling white grape juice for anyone who didn't want alcohol.

Angus, Michael, and Marcus all chose the wine, and Carlo already knew that Edward and Simone would have wine. Angus was positive Kate and Robert would have wine.

"Just let Carlo know if you want wine or sparkling grape juice," Angus told Jessie.

Jessie laughed as Angus spoke of being told off that morning nd he nodded " I agree with her , tomorrow you and Ruby will be there for the girls" he said he smiled hearing that supper was redy and followed him into the dinning room where the food was " just sparkling grape juice please" he said and took his glass. " I'm off alcahol,after how I met Robert I think its best" he said and chukled " besides I like having a clear head."

Ruby dismounted her horse and lead it to the stables where she took of its saddle and tack then brushed it down before placing it in the stall. " thank you for the tour it was intresting and eye opening too." she said to Edward as they walked to the main house. She moved to the dinning room and smiled at Angus. " this place is amazing and so self suffishiant" she said sitting down at the table and taking a glass of grape juice.

"I'm glad you like it," Angus said. "You're all just in time. I told Carlo to go ahead and serve the appetizer."

"Good. I'm glad you did," Edward said, as he took his place at the head of the table, with Simone at the other end. "Ah. You all should like this. It is an antipasto salad, and the square beside it is a focaccia bread that is stuffed with a creamy cheese filling and sprinkled with flaky sea salt and a little splash of our own olive oil. Carlo, what is the rest of the menu, please?"

"Vellutata di zucca, tagliatelle alla castellana, rapini, pannacotta," Carlo told him.

"Oh, very nice," Edward said. "When soup comes, it is called a Velvet soup. It's a very smooth, creamy pumpkin soup, folllowed by pappardelle pasta with a slow braised shredded pork and wild mushrooms, and sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic, and then a chocolate panna cotta for dessert."

"Sounds lovely," Kate said.

Ruby moved to take the seat next to Angus and smiled as he spoke of the supper "Oh I agree Kate it sounds delicious" she said smiling not having had this menu before nor this amount of food. " Im glad Dennis and his pack are settled in the tents," she said placing her napkin on her knee as she sipped her juice.

Jessie chuckled and noded " yeah there loving the extra space those tents give them and Anise sugested asking about replacing some of their old ones with ether camoflaged or magical tents that will give them some extra room, I think we should donate them and a few more." he sugested as Carlo placed down his plate and moved around the table each person thanking him. Jessie began to eat and found the flavours delightful in his mouth.

"I'll try to talk to Dennis when we get past all this, and I'll see if the pack actually wants new tents. I don't want to tread too heavily on Fenrir's toes. Maybe he won't mind, but I see Fenrir as wanting to always be seen as the alpha in his pack, so if he chose to update the tents, I think the respectful thing towards Fenrir is to arrange any new tents to go through him. I think that decision has to be his," Angus said.

"You know, I agree the new tents would be probably greatly welcomed because the pack's current tents are pretty threadbare," Edward said. "I do like your idea, though, Angus, because it allows Fenrir to show strength and independence to the pack and not dependence on us humans. Let's take it up with Fenrir when we get back."

"I'll do that," Angus said.

"Now, let me ask you this. Are we settled for tomorrow? Do we have everything in place?" Edward asked.

"I believe we're fine," Angus said, "but I am going to double check tonight to make sure so that we don't get up in the morning and find out that we're in the weeds with food or something."

"Good lad. Let me know," Edward said.

"And what are your plans for tomorrow with the baby?" Simone asked.

"Well, I haven't asked yet, but since Rosaria and Carlo will be busy with the food, I thought I would ask Evan and Tara if they would mind keeping her for few hours," Angus said

"Good idea," Edward said. "They could come over here or take her over to their place, whichever they want. How is she tonight?"

"I haven't checked her tonight but I'll do that after supper," Robert said, as Carlo brought in bowls of the velvety pumpkin soup and set them in front of everyone. "I expect her to be feeling better by morning, even if she does still have a little infection in her ear. She shouldn't be as ouchy and cranky by morning. She should be a lot more like herself, I should think."

"This is splendid," Kate said, sampling her soup. "How did you get pumpkin in almost June?"

"We freeze quite a lot of them, while we're harvesting all the other crops," Edward said.

"I would have never guess it was frozen pumpkin. It tastes like its just been plucked from the garden," Kate said.

"Rosaria does some little trick with them that she's never taught me," Angus said. "But one of these days, I will find it out."

"She has to find out that you cook first," Edward teased.

Jessie listened to Edward and Angus and smiled "Yeah I think it's to do with hierarchy, since hes the Alpha everything ahs to go threw him" Jessie said eating his soup and loving it. Ruby just listened to them all talk about the tents and then about if they were ready for the next day.

"can any one be fully ready for a fun,eral" she said and looked at them then heard them talk about Caprice and who would look after her while it was happening " I could stay with her if Rosaria is too busy" but she heard them mention Evan " oh that's a good idea, ifhe'ss not got plans," she said smiling as she ate her soup then once finished placed down her spoon "I'mm sure you'll find out her secret eventualy" she said with a chuckle as Edward said about him not letting her know he could cook.

"Of course it's hierarchy," Edward said. "And it also has to do with basic pack survival. If the pack does not have confidence that the alpha can protect and provide, then the pack is going to fall apart. And, in this particular case, we have a very invested interest in making sure that Fenrir retains control of his pack."

"We certainly do," Angus agreed. "James makes no bones about wanting Fenrir's pack, so if we don't want that whole pack to fall to James and for James' pack to dramatically increase in size, we need to make sure that Fenrir keeps control of his pack, as much as we can contribute to that."

"Agreed," Robert said. "I'm certainly not one of Fenrir's biggest fans, but, he is, by far, the lesser of the evils if I can only pick between him and James."

"I think you're right, Ruby, that no one wants to have to be ready for a funeral," Kate said, "but Angus has pretty much always stepped up for us as our event planner, so I think he just automatically takes care of things. If we can help, Angus, do let us know. Its why we're here."

"I will, believe me," Angus smiled. "I appreciate it. I'll know more when I go and double check on things after supper." Edward rang for Carlo who collected the soup bowls and served large pasta bowls with the pappadelle with the shredded braised pork and wild mushrooms in a luxurious cream sauce. Rosaria had garnished each bowl with some fresh curls of Parmesan.

"I don't think I've ever had this before," Simone said.

"Evan is going to be jealous," Edward said. "This is one of his all time favorites. He used to want to come stay with us on his birthday every year because Rosaria would make it for him for his birthday supper."

"I had forgotten that," Angus said.

"How could you forget that?"

"I don't know. When I think of birthdays, I think of the homemade vanilla ice cream in the old hand crank ice cream freezer," Angus said. Edward land Michael laughed out loud.

"A hand crank freezer?" Michael asked. Angus nodded. "God, those are a pain in the butt. You have to keep cranking those, literally, for hours before that stuff freezes in there."

"Yeah, but the ice cream is sooo worth it," Angus said.

"It was good ice cream," Edward said.

"Don't you make it anymore?"

"We do, but I don't stand there for hours turning that crank. I use an enchantment to do all that darned cranking now," Edward said.

"That's cheating," Angus said.

"Maybe, but the ice cream freezes all the same," Edward grinned.

Jessie heard Edward and nodded "It's a bit like the organization Robert being the Alpha," Jessie said and smiled as Edward continued explaining as he watched Carlo dish up the next course. He heard Angus and nodded " I don't think anyone wants to be under James' claws," he said "definitely not me and not Dennis." he said.

Ruby looked at Kate and smiled a little and nodded " its just what hes like " she said smiling as she looked at him as he spoke of a handcrancked ice cream maker " wow thats something I didn't expiriance growing up" she said and Jessie chuckled .

"be glad, I was the ice cream maker in our home" he said and Ruby chuckled.

"explains where the muscles came from" she said and Jessie chukled at her teasing.

"Do you know how to make this dish?" Michael asked Angus.

"I do,' Angus said.

"Then make it once in awhile, Lad," Michael frowned. "You're holding out on us."

"I didn't think of it that way, but I suppose you're right," he replied. Angus looked at Jessie, with a mischievous look on his face. "We might have to get a freezer and let Ruby experience a hand crank freezer, don't you think, Jessie? We certainly wouldn't want her to go through life not knowing what she's missing, do we? She could manage it. She's tough enough, right?" The others laughed, knowing for themselves how much it took to keep turning the crank on a hand crank freezer.

"She would never make it," Michael said. "Not without a spell to keep the crank turning."

"Oh, I bet she could," Angus said, as Carlo served up the dishes of broccoli rabe that had been sautéed with garlic and had some crispy, fried prosciutto crumbled on top.

"This has to be the best broccoli rabe I've ever had," Robert said.

"It is quite good, but you can't take Robert's word for it," Kate said. "If they crumbled up bacon on a car bumper, he'd eat it." They laughed.

Jessie heard Angus and chuckled "Oh yeah we should," he said and saw Ruby smirk " it's a once in a lifetime experience" he teased making her chuckle. Ruby heard them but just shook her head as she ate her next course.

"This is a unique taste," she said unsure of how to describe the flavor of the broccoli rabe. " it's nice " she added " and no, I like my ice cream from Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour with no cranking involved," she added chuckling as she finished her plate. " I wonder if the girls are enjoying there time with their dad?" she said with a smile.