The five people in the room turned to look at the girl who had just come in. Even Leo, the baby gurgled at her. Lady Adelaide rushed to Lia and said hurriedly, “Yes Lia dear, we’ll come as soon as we settle some things.”

The young girl held her skirts and peeked around her mother. “Oh, did we have guests Mama? Why didn’t you tell us? Is that Aunt Matilda?”

Lia ran to hug her aunt. Lady Adelaide held out her hands in despair. Lady Matilda patted the girl’s hair fondly. “Lia dear, I was just about to see you, why don’t we go out to meet your sisters.” Lia held her hand out to the woman but then stopped as she saw the three standing behind her aunt.

Cara stood holding her baby and Daniel next to her.

Lia looked at Cara with a smile. “Why hello, I’m Aurelia Welleman. I’ve never seen you visit us before. Do I know you?” She looked at Daniel curiously, as if she'd seen him before.

He frowned and stuck his hands in his pockets.

Cara put out her hand unsteadily to touch her daughter’s hand, unable to speak. Daniel sucked in his breath and looked out the window. It was still pouring outside.

Lia looked so much like him it was a bit disturbing. Daniel wondered if his mother really spoke the truth when she said that Lia was his sister. She did look a lot like Mother and him…

Lia smiled and rushed to her mother, “Mama, can we eat dinner with our new guests? Mina, Nettie and I have never met them, so we should get to know one another. And Father would like to meet them too.”

 Lady Adelaide flinched at the sound of that. Lia looked at her mother expectantly. Adelaide faltered and said, “Well dear, we never told your father, so he might be upset about the sudden company.”

Aurelia looked at her mother quizzically, it was rare to find Lady Adelaide so flustered. “Well, then I’ll tell Nettie to tell him.” The blond head whipped out from the door to call her sister. “Nettie! Come!”

A young girl with a halo of prominent brown curls popped in the room, big grey eyes searching for her sister. She looked like a mini Adelaide. “Lia, we’re waiting! Didn’t you say we were going to sort our dresses today?” Nettie Welleman looked at her sister with an annoyed stare.

"Oh, yes of course, but we’ll do that after dinner, tell Father we may have some guests dining with us tonight.”

Nettie huffed and pulled her sister with her, out of the room. “You’re coming with me, Lia!”

Lia waved awkwardly at the guests as her sister snatched her away, "We'll see you at dinner!"

Lady Adelaide shut the doors and bolted them. “Well now look what you’ve done!”

Lady Matilda shook her head sadly at the blonde trio. Cara shrugged, Daniel raised an eyebrow and the baby cooed. Lady Matilda picked up her skirts and walked to Adelaide, consoling her quietly.

Lady Adelaide clasped her hands and fretted, “Now all my daughters will want to eat with you! And what will I say to John? He said Cara should never come back!”

Cara shrugged and at last Lady Adelaide gave up, “Well all right, I suppose it would be rude to leave you all here alone. Come along Matilda, the girls wanted to show you something.” 

Cara lingered behind awkwardly, bouncing Leo. Daniel stood behind his mother, waiting for her to move. But she didn’t.

Adelaide threw her hands in the air and said, “Are you made of stone? I said we’ll be having dinner!”

Lady Matilda smiled behind her hand. At least they weren’t fighting anymore.

Adelaide led them all out of the fourth parlor, to the dining room. She floated through the gilded doorway and some heavily scented jasmine bushes. In the middle of a large room, stood a long gleaming oak table, lined with lavender colored velvet seats. On one side of the room were three, tall, floor to ceiling windows covered by light purple and blue-green curtains, taller than even Adelaide. Plush chairs and sofas surrounded the table, at the corners of the room, for more comfortable meal seating. Potted flowers were placed in appropriate areas, making the whole room smell like jasmine.

Daniel gazed at the ceiling which was smeared with gold carvings and painted lavender and blue roses. Lots of them. Cara whispered to her son, “This is the family dining room, for regular meals only. The dining hall, which is much bigger, is reserved for important guests and parties.”

The boy’s jaw dropped, “Really?” Cara nodded.

Adelaide looked back at them, “Seat yourselves please, my husband will be coming any minute now.”

The guests seated themselves, Cara, Daniel, Leo and Lady Matilda on one side and Lady Adelaide on the other. The head seat was left empty and there were three empty places by Adelaide. For Mayor Welleman and his three daughters.

Soon the sound of footsteps approached the room, switching from the cold clacking of marble to the soft swish of carpet. Lia entered in hand in hand with Mina, while Nettie talked to her father behind. All made their way to their seats in a way that seemed regular and normal until John Welleman stopped to look at a certain golden head already seated at the table.

Lady Adelaide cleared her throat and said slowly, “They are here for dinner dear, as you may know---”

Lia burst in “They’re guests Father! I invited them to have dinner with us!” She giggled, and took her seat.

Nettie sunk in next to Lia, “Goodie! We haven’t had guests here in so long, and especially a baby!” She squealed and waved at Leo, who gurgled back.

“It has been such a long time. When was the last time we had a baby visit here? Why that was two years ago! Remember William, Mama? Lena Harrington’s baby?” Mina sat beside her mother.

Adelaide nodded to her daughter and passed a look to her husband.

He passed a look back seeming to ask, ‘What is she doing here?’ while gesturing to Cara.

Adelaide brought her gaze to his chair mouthing, ‘Sit down’

He got into his seat stiffly.

“Well, I’m rather surprised no-one told me earlier. I hadn’t known we’d have so many new guests, and especially a baby.” He glared at Cara who smiled awkwardly. Daniel glared back at him.

There was a long pause of silence in the room as thunder clapped across the raging sky, making everyone momentarily realize it was still storming outside.

“Nettie dear, didn’t you say you had something special for Aunt Matilda?”

Nettie glanced at Lia and both of them nodded. Mina whispered a few things to them and the two jumped out of their seats, nearly bumping into the line of servants carrying elaborate silver trays of food into the room.

Lady Matilda chuckled, “Well, those two haven’t run out of energy yet, have they?”

Adelaide smiled as a servant spooned some steaming potatoes onto her plate, “True.”

Mina leaned forward to Cara, “Lia told me there would be guests, but I just realized I don’t know you all. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Wilhelmina Welleman, and you are?”

Cara beamed as she said, “Cara Parks, and these are my two sons, Daniel and Leo Parks.” Daniel frowned at his mother, annoyed that she had introduced him, yet again.

Mina giggled at Leo who was stretching his little hands over the table to her. “Don’t you all look alike. Father, have you ever seen a cuter baby?” She pointed at Leo.

John sighed, swallowed a sip of water and said, “You and your sisters were all very pretty as well when you were children.” His answer seemed to evade the question.

Lady Matilda nodded, “You had the thickest hair I had ever seen on a baby, Mina. It was a quite a mane when you were younger.”

As everyone started eating, Lia and Nettie rushed into the room, Nettie holding a small blue box. The two girls went over to Lady Matilda’s side and placed the box by her plate.

Nettie said, “It’s a gift from us, for letting us use your observatory.”

Lia said, “Do open it!”

Lady Matilda looked at Adelaide who nodded. Lady Matilda peered at the shimmery label, “Oh, how nice. It's from Aubrey.”

Daniel choked on a potato, making everyone look at him. Adelaide shook her head. He covered his face and said, “What?”

Mina laughed and gave him a cup of water.

Lady Matilda slipped of the silver ribbon of the blue box, making everyone look her way. In the box was a beautiful gold necklace with carved gold decorations and sparkling emeralds. Cara and Daniel were flabbergasted at how expensive it looked.

Nettie said excitedly, “We got you emeralds! Your favorite!”

Mina beamed and asked, “Do you like it, Aunt Matilda? Lia chose it.”

Lady Matilda fingered the necklace and said, “It is beautiful, I love it Mina. Thank you girls.” She hugged Lia and Nettie.

John waved his daughters to their seats, “Now, now, girls. Settle down and eat.” They returned to their seats.

Lia facing Daniel, and started peppering him with questions, aided by her two sisters.

“Where do you come from?”

“The village.”

“Oh, the village? Mama, how did you meet them?”

Lady Adelaide wiped her mouth with a napkin and said, “Oh, I know them dear.”

The girls went on, undaunted.

“What’s your baby brother’s name?”

Mina answered this, “Leo, isn’t he adorable?”

Lia and Nettie cooed their answers.

Meanwhile, throughout the meal, John and Adelaide were silent, only talking to their daughters. Lady Matilda joined in the conversation here and then, but mostly she was silent too.

Dinner finished much faster than they all expected. After the servants cleared the table, desert was served. Chocolate cake with strawberries and cream

Nettie chewed her cake slowly then asked Cara, “This is the first time I’ve seen you. Has Mama invited you before?”

Lia said, “Actually Nettie, I invited them.”

“Well, I was asking her, not you.” Nettie pouted at her sister.

“Her name is Cara” pointed out Mina, preoccupied on entertaining Leo with two forks.

Daniel said, “Well the raining’s stopped a little, so we’ll see ourselves out.”

The girls gaped at him.It was much too early to leave. Dessert had barely been served.

The Lia said, “But you haven’t even eaten your cake.”

“And I wanted to show you the dogs.” Nettie piped in.

“I haven’t even showed Leo around the house yet.” Mina added.

Cara smiled and said, “Yes, I suppose we could—”

“No Mother, we should go. Father will wonder what happened to us. Especially in this place.”

John frowned at this and said, “Yes, I believe you should go now, before it gets too dark out.” But it was already as dark as it could possibly be outside.

Daniel helped Cara out of her seat and started leaving the room. Cara followed rather reluctantly, glancing at Lady Adelaide as she passed by.

The three girls followed them, a flurry of different colored silks trailing simple woven clothes.

“Do come back sometime. We can eat lunch out in the garden.” Nettie hurried after Cara.

Lia said, “Yes, you should visit us again, before the ball.”

“And please bring Leo!” Mina said as the family were shown out the door with umbrellas.

Cara turned, looked back and said, “We’ll try, I do want to see your mother again.”

Daniel glanced at Lia for a brief moment then plunged out into the rain. A rickety, splintery wagon stood waiting in the mud, harnessed with a pair of brown and grey horses. The girls waved goodbye at the wagon as Daniel shook the reins, slowly leaving their doorstep. Cara was waving from the shelter of a brown coat beside her son. Her waves were generally directed to Aurelia. That was the last Mina, Nettie and Lia saw of them.

Then the servants pulled the massive doors closed, making the girls step back. The storm was shut out again.