Ladies and Gentlemen-The Story

After lunch,Lord Desmond had the Montes shown to their rooms and instructed them to rest for the remainder of the afternoon;they would join his daughters for tea at half-past five in the evening.

Their rooms were situated on the third landing,in the east wing.They were well furnished,and warmlydecked with rich maroons and browns,giving a homely feel.Each brother received the bedding of his liking,and their clothes were arranged in the wooden cabinets.The beds were high,four-postered pieces of wood,witha nightstandflaggingboth sides.The walls were painted creme,the paint giving a light texture to the dark,manly hues of silken fabrics.

The brothers each undressed and bathed in their rooms,denying the help of their attenders,to get some alone time.Warm tubs of water had already been put out for them,and the steamy currents running down their backs soothed the cramped muscles from their lengthy journey.David wrapped himself in a bath robe,as he stepped out of the gilded bathroom doors,not bothering to put onthe freshly ironed clothes that the servants had laid out for him.Just as his body touched the surface of the bed,the doors to his room opened and William traipsed in,dressed in a single navy blue bath robe like himself,Christopher trailing behind in similar attire,which seemed a little too large on his thin frame.

”All done?Splendid!” William remarked,as he planted himself exagerratedly in a plush,velvet chair near the bed.David shook his head,as he usually did at his brother,and invited Christopher to sit beside him.

“How do you find Mavery Mansion?” he questioned the young blonde,as the brothers adjusted in the comfortable silence.

“It’s nice,I suppose,” Christopher replied,twiddling his fingers.”They’ve got beautiful gardens,I believe,I haven’t really seen much yet.Room’s nice.Not much different from back home.”

David understood the hiddenmeaning behind his brother’s words.There was probably no justice in establishing which brother suffered more from their mother’s death,but David did believe that Christopher’s loss may be worse than his own.Christopher was a much sensitive person than him,and definitely not equipped with the abilty to cloak his feelings at just ten years old.The fact that he’d been just a year old,when the accident consumed their mother’s life,meant that he had little or no memory of her.Their father could not fill the void left by her,no matter how much love he showered upon them.And so,he was most likely to suffer from homesickness during this trip.But,their father had thought a change of weather and attentive company would suit him,so here he was.

Taking his brother’s hand,David carressed it,and gave a rare smile.

“If anything worries you at all,all you have to do is let me know,yes?And I’m sure you’ll feel pretty comfortable soon;Lord Desmond is like our own father.You may call him uncle,if you wish.”

Christopher nodded smilingly at his eldest sibling,but William,being the lively spirit that he was,could barely handle their show of emotions,and burst forth,plunging onto the side of the bed.His golden locks bounced amiably on his forehead.

”And,you can finally know what it feels like to have sisters,while you’re still young.Mypoor self was stuck with David,and those boisterous Humphreys all the time,so I never knew what it was like,to have decent siblings.”

Christopher giggled at William’s pouting face,as Lawrence entered and joined them on the bed.He bent down to tie a shoe lace,the only one among his brothers,to have donned clothes already.

”Why are you talking about the Humphreys?” he frowned at his shoelaces,as if the whole conversation was their fault.

He straightened up,only to ignore David’s look of disapproval at his way of talk.

“Thank our lucky stars,we only had one more of them left to tolerate,given how Theodore and Marcus settled away…..but,what do you think of these girls?” he asked nobody in particular.

Like always,William bounded into the conversation with unmatched enthusiasm.

“Well,I think that Fiona’s a beauty,very much a lady.And those twins seem to have taken a interest in you,I dare say..."

"And that Jane looks like such a sweetheart.I'm sure she'll make a wonderful playmate for Little Chris,"Lawrence teased his brother,causing the young one's face to flush again.

"Then there's that brash Audrey.Seems quite a bunch,don't they?" William's question was addressed more to his older sibling,then to his younger brothers,who nodded their consent to his statement.

With the introductions complete,Desmond showed the brothers to the dining hall,where the kitchen help was just finishing putting up the plates.A few servants standing by the sides,moved forward to take out the chairs at the table for the ladies and their guests,pushing them in when the person had sat down.David watched, straightening in his chair,as Audrey ushered back the servant-boy who had stepped up to help Jane into her chair,doing the task herself,and smiling at her little sister before refusing the help of her own helper and taking her seat.

“So,” the lord’s voice brought David back to earth,”tell me of my friend.”

David smiled.

“Father is quite well.He caught a flu last winter,but recovered nicely.He sends his love and best wishes for you all.”

“Ah,I miss him!” Lord Desmond let out a heavy sigh,the wrinkles around his eyes creasing even more.”I haven’t seen him in years.Whereas there was a time when we met multiple times a day.”

He paused as servants placed steaming dishes of food on the table.William took this moment to speak up.

“Father has also sent his apologies for not making this trip,”the blonde man said,”but it is ofcourse difficult for him to leave affairs of the estate or not take part in the district’s matters.”

“However,”he said,turning his gaze towards the second eldest Hughes daughter,watching as she struggled with a pea on her plate,”he said he would try and visit as soon as posible,especially since he has been looking forward to meeting your daughter Audrey for a long time.”

The mention of her name caused Audrey to look up,and she glanced between the men,trying to work out who’d been talking about her.

“And why would that be?” Fiona asked surprised,while Audrey’s neck swivelled in confusion from Fiona to William.This action did not help decrease any animosity that David had gathered against her in the short period of time they’d spent together;he wanted to ‘tsk’ aloud.

“Well,the last time he met her,it was at our mothers’ funeral,and he says he found her quite engaging,” William explained.”He thinks she takes after your father alot.”

Everyone smiled at this,and Audrey ducked her head.

“Well,” she looked up, “I do remember talking to him vaguely,”she offered.

William chuckled.”Well,ofcourse.You must have been…what?Nine or ten years old at the time?” He smiled politley,and Audrey returned the favour.

“So tell me about yourselves,boys,”Desmond said after a few moments silence,neatly slicing a bite of his chicken breast.”What are your interests?”

David wiped his mouth with a napkin,and cleared his throat,before speaking.

“Well,I mostly help Father with his affairs now,and William’s just begun,as he only recently turned twenty-one.”

“Honestly,brother,” William grinned playfully.”He’s asking about our interests,not our boring routines.”

A general round of chuckles went around the table,and David settled his brother with a mild glare.William took this as his cue to take a hold of the conversation by the horns.

“My brother,David,”he began,cutting into his food as he spoke,”is a prime example of a gentleman.He is very good at everything,so it is difficult to comprehend what exactly his interests maybe.”

“Perhaps his interest is in being good at everything,” their host provided,and once more everyone at the table laughed.

“I am sure,that is more than likely,”William replied with twinkling eyes.”But he is awfully gifted with horses,” at this,both brothers noticed Fiona and the twins cast a side-glance at Audrey,who stiffened slightly,”and is the best rider in our town of Cesquire,and most of the neighbouring region.”

William’s voice dripped with pride at his brother’s ability,but David’s face remained impassive as ever.

“As far as I am concerned,my loves are literature and theater,”the bright-faced man replied,an almost unintelligible blush appearing on his cheeks as the topic of his own interests arised.

“I have actually asked Father’s permission to pursue a career in the field of drama,but he is yet considering it.”

He said this with such pain and longing,that all the Hughes girls wanted to place their arms around his neck and say comforting words to him.

Desmond,ofcourse,understood his friend’s hesitation to grant his son’s wish,for it had to be taken into account that the profession did not turn out to be unreputable for a lord’s son.So he nodded encouragingly at William,and smiled at him to go on.

William motioned toward his left with his head,at his younger brother.

“Lawrence here,is growing into quite the gentleman.He’s very well-mannered,and responsible.His greatest ambition in life is to become an engineer,but for now he simply pays attention to his training and his hobby;hoarding as many quotations as possible,in a notebook of his.”

William smiled cheekily at his brother,seeing that he had managed to make him look abashed.Audrey smiled widely at the short-haired boy,Prunella and Ivy conveying through their grins that they would love to take a look at his collection.

“And finally,” William’s expression was now one of affection,”our youngest brood,Christopher,is a rather timid one.Which is why he mostly keeps to his books or to his pets.He’s very loving with all sorts of animals.”

Christopher turned bright pink at his mention,avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“Sounds like he’ll be regal company for our Jane,if they can overcome their shyness,”Desmond chuckled deeply,as both younger children cast small glances in each other’s direction,both blushing furiously.”Our Jane loves caring for plants and animals.A little darling she is with them.”

William nodded,with a smile and turned his gaze to the other four sisters.

“So who’s the bookworm of the family?” he asked entusiastically.

“That’ll be me,” Audrey raised two fingers slightly,while Prunella pretended to be disgusted at the notion,and scrunched her nose.

“Ah,” William laughed at their playfulness.”So we will have no problem getting along?” he asked,digging a spoon in his dessert.Audrey replied with a smirk.

“And Ivy and Prunella I am sure will find Lawrence’s companionship quite enjoyable,he can be quite the sportsman when he wants,” William suggested,noting the hint of pleasure that appeared on the twins’ faces at the mention of his brother’s athletic abilities.

“And what of me?” Fiona pouted attractively,bringing their attention to the obvious fact that she’d been left out.

William pretended to be busy with his food,and replied with an air of playful disregard,”Being the eldest siblings that you are,I’m sure you and David wil be able to find yourselves something grown-up and,um,boring,to talk about,won’t you?”

Lord Desmond Hughes straightened his bow-tie,taking a look at himself in the mirror.He smiled fondly at the thought of meeting his nephews of sorts (he had been friends with Friedrich Monte since the age of ten) and stepped out of his study.Life as a respected lord was not as luxurious as it seemed;there was paperwork to be done and an image to be upheld.It was a huge responsibility,one that had recently begun to seem a burden.Taking care of five young mother-less daughters was difficult,especially as the void created in his own heart by their mother's death still stung him deeply.Elizabeth had been his love,and his rock in trying times,ever faithful and sacrificing.Their daughters were the deepest connection he had left with her,so it was only fitting that he wanted the best for them.But he was old and worn,and he could not always handle their lively spirits,no matter how much he loved them.

He hoped the people he'd chosen for this task,would be up for the job.

______________________________________________________________

The Monte brothers emerged out of the carriage one by one,each stretching slightly before taking in their first view of Mavery Mansion.

It was a large,typical red-brick mansion,the window panes and cemented roof structures painted black.It wasn't hideous to look at,actually quite grand,Lawrence noted.Long green vines traipsed down parts of the building,shading a few windows in the east wing,but it was the flowers trapped in these vines that displayed real beauty;lilac clematises which brought out a pinkish-red hue in the bricks,making it a splendid sight to witness on a summer afternoon. 

A man appeared from inside the huge,polished wooden door of the mansion,bowing to the guests and leading them inside.He directed some servants to bring in the luggage from the horsemen and ushered the boys inside.Christopher observed everything with wide eyes,supressing the urge to hold onto William's hand as they walked side by side into a warm-looking lobby,bathed in sunlight.David moved ahead,drinking in the caramel colour of the wood-panelled walls,and the long,rectangular windows that lined the top of the door they had just entered through.A chandelier hung from the high ceiling,a carpeted staircase with ivory railings straight ahead.And at the foot of this staircase,stood Lord Desmond and his daughters.

Four of them anyway,David thought,as they moved nearer and he noticed it was the rider of the black horse that was missing.

"Finally," Desmond stepped forward,and caught David in an embrace.He patted his back as he let go,smiling from ear to ear and shaking his hand.

"David," he said,and David offered a polite smile."You were just a young child,when I saw you last time.You have indeed grown into a handsome man now."

David widened his smile slightly.Compliments meant little to him,but he was glad to meet a sensible and respected man such as Lord Desmond.He was sure to be great company and a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge.

Desmond moved on to William,and brightened even more at the young man's charming smile.

"Ah,William," he once again denied formality and hugged the tall young man,who returned the hug with as much enthusiasm.

"It is such a pleasure to finally meet you,sir'" William spoke as he shook the older man's hand."I've heard much about you from my father.I was so thrilled when he actually arranged this visit."

Lord Desmend chuckled,and shook his head.

"The pleasure's all mine,boy'" he said in his deep voice."And you must call me 'uncle',not 'sir' or 'lord'." His eyes twinkled and William nodded with a bright grin.

Desmond then shook hands with Lawrence and Christopher,mentioning how he'd never been able to visit them after their births,and even ruffled the hair of the latter,who's expression then suggested Christmas had come earlier!

"And now," the elderly Lord brought his visitors to where his daughters stood waiting,"time for you all to meet."

"Pardon sir," David couldn't help himself,"but don't you have-"

"Father!"

He turned around to find the rider of the black horse come running up to them,now devoid of any armour,hair and dress miraculously intact.Her eyes met his stormy ones momentarily,before she turned her gaze up to her father,with an apologetic look.

"I had to take the horses back,"she said quickly before her father could question her.Desmond let the matter rest for the moment and turned to the Montes with a smile.

"Five daughters,yes," he answred David,before bringing forth Jane,who stood next to him.

"This is my youngest,Jane.I do believe she is the age of young Christopher here," his eyes twinkled with merriment,as the ten-year-olds shyly curtsied and Christopher placed a hurried kiss on Jane's hand,as was tradition.A quiet murmur of "aww"s went along the line of the other Hughes sisters,cooing at the children's cuteness.

"Ivy and Prunella,the twins," the two girls with extreme likeness stepped forward,as David placed a kiss on Jane's knuckles.Everyone curtsied again and knuckle-kisses were exchanged with the brothers.

"In case you're wondering,the one with the freckles is Prunella," Desmond smirked at Lawrence's confused expression,which cleared at once at his statement,giving way to a red flush on the cheeks.

 Horse hooves clanked hard against the stone road,the mahogany carriage moving at a mildly faster pace than before,as it neared it’s destination.When the large,ornate iron gates were in sight,one of the horse men,dressed in a fine,mauve tail coat,cried a warning to the occupants to get ready.The eldest of them,David Monte,slid part of the curtain shading the window next to him aside,and glanced at the green countryside rolling outside.He then moved back into the position he’d occupied for the entire journey;leaning gracefully against the plush carriage seat,and met the gaze of his brother,William.A curt nod was all it took for the signature grin to take its place on the second eldest Monte brother’s face,as he began to gently shake the head in his lap.

“Wakey,wakey,baby brother,we’re almost there,”he cooed as Christopher stirred and peered groggily through his eyes.”And I have to make sure you’re looking your best,else David-dearest will have my head on a plate.”

David shot him a playful glare,and turned his head to check on Lawrence.The 18-year-old was engrossed in his journal;a compilation of various quotations he’d read or heard.It was hand-made;pages of different hues fastened together with coloured strings.But the outside was a maroon-ish cover Lawrence had painted for it.He hadn’t wanted to write in a diary because he’d run out of pages at some point. 

“Lawrence,”he spoke to gain the attention of his younger brother,who looked up with almost as groggy an expression as his youngest brother,so that David almost believed he’d been sleeping over the book,not gotten lost in reading it.”We’re there.”

Lawrence seemed to take a moment to understand what he meant,then slipped the book into the satchel at his feet.He began straightening his clothes and expensive jacket,before the carriage came to a halt.

Voices floated into the interior of the carriage,as the horsemen conversed with the guards at the gate of Mavery Mansion,where the Hughes family resided.As David cast a last glance to check his brothers’ progress (William combing the hair of a now fully awake Christopher,Lawrence frowning at and fumbling with his bow-tie) he groaned inwardly;he’d never met the Hughes family.Even though he looked forward to meeting with Lord Desmond,his father’s best-friend,the woman species was not his favourite company to keep,and there would be five very young ones to bear at this place.And keeping in mind what was expected of him here,David was sure these were going to be a long nine months.

______________________________________________________________

The two girls giggled as they tripped over their own skirts,the teenaged one using the wooden sword to keep herself upright.The other one giggled again,and spoke to her sister who was dressed in an armour of sorts,as much as was possible to wear over a lady’s dress.

“Remember,you have to fight the best you can,even though you can never beat Auds.”

Prunella,the teenager,turned grave and kneeled so that she was Jane’s height,before taking one of her small hands and staring at her solemnly.

“Ah,speak as many harsh words as you may,fair Lady Linnet.But I shall not take them to heart,nor cower from my adversary.”

With that,she sprang to her feet,and brandished her sword in direction of a clump of shady trees,where the ground was covered with a black,silken sheet.

“Come out and spar if you have the guts,Knight of Black.You will not taste victory in this battle-“

“Where have-” a voice panted from behind them,”-you been?”

Fiona jogged up to them,purple skirt gripped with white knuckles,Ivy racing at her heel.Prune cast them a confused expression.The eldest Monte daughter let out an exasperated sigh.

“We’ve been looking all over for you!Have you any idea what day-“

They were cut off by a war cry from the distant clump of trees.

“Ready or not,here I come,you filthy scullion!” Audrey shouted as she came into sight,decked in scraps of armour like Prunella,riding a black steed and holding high a taped wooden spear.

Prune didn’t wait for her other sister to finish before climbing onto the white horse that had patiently stood by,and launching forward to meet her “opponent”.Both girls let out joyous screms as their weapons collided.They sparred while the others looked on.

“Fight,oh Black Knight,fight!Teach the kitchen boy a lesson,sir!”,Jane twittered in delight,bouncing on her feet,clapping her hands.Her long blonde hair rose and fell with her movements and Fiona had to smile through her disapproval.Ivy stood with her hands on her hips,as the action neared the spot where they stood next to the stone pavement wounding its way through the green lawns,a grin fighting its way onto her lips.

“Defeat is yours,haha!”,Audrey jeered,spear striking Prune’s shield,almost causing her to tumble off her horse.

“Not this time,you disgrace to knighthood!”,Prune replied,toy sword thudding against Audrey’s breastplate.

Their action was brought to a halt at the sudden sound of carriage wheels and the clomp of horses hooves.Their horses neighed and rose slightly on their haunches.

“Whoa boy,steady!”Audrey called out to her horse,and all the sisters turned around to see the source of the distraction;a sparkling clean carriage was making it’s way up the path,in their direction,two horsemen holding the reins of the chestnut brown horses that drove it.The windows were blocked by dark coloured curtains,hiding whatever (if any) passengers it carried.

The horsemen stopped their vehicle at the sight of the women,and inclined their heads.

Audrey,quick to act as always,rode up to them,muttering a “Heel,Plume!” to her horse and nodded good-heartedly at them.

“Where do you drive to,good sirs?”

“Mavery Mansion,Ma’am,”one of them replied politely.

“And do you carry any passengers?” she glanced at the side of the carriage;the curtain didn’t seem to have been moved.

“The Lords Monte,m’lady.”

Realisation hit Audrey like a brick in the face,and she had to grip tighter onto Plumolous’s reigns,to prevent from smacking herself in the face in front of the men.She regained her composure,and spoke to them.

“Continue on,then,my father is expecting you,”she moved her horse aside to give them enough space to pass,”if today is indeed Tuesday,”she muttered to herself.

She intentionally galloped back to her sisters,unaware that the eldest passenger of the carriage was watching their expressions just as she watched them;Fiona’s horified,Ivy’s a little guilty,Prunella frowning,and Jane’s sweet face mingled with confusion and worry.

Audrey’s however,took the grim authoritative one she wore whenever she had to be the leader in a dire situation,and she spoke urgently but without any worry.

“You four,hurry back to the mansion.Prune,hand me Ellenor,I’ll take her to the stables.”

Christopher Monte

Lawrence Monte

William Monte

David Monte

Jane Hughes

Ivy & Prunella Hughes

Twins.17.Whimsical & artsy.Ivy is older by two minutes and slightly more responsible.Prunella likes to go by Prune & is always coming up with pranks.Prune can be extremely disobedient.They usually only listen to Fiona.

Audrey Hughes

Fiona Hughes