Subject: A visit to Uncle Daniel. Where: Daniel's home. Who: Marie Hardwick (and brood). Warnings: None. Open to: Daniel Perkins, Daphne Wexley.
Little Daniel was a sweetheart, but he couldn't half be a pest at times. Marie was going to tear her hair out if he asked to go see Uncle Daniel one more time. Her wonderful middle child had spent the past week tearing through the house, playing doctor to an unwilling Eve and terrorising Henry with his 'diagnosis' of dementia. Henry wasn't mad, but Marie was sure she would go that way soon enough.
Eventually, she caved. She hadn't seen Daniel in too long, anyway, and she missed him. She wanted to catch up on his life. She'd been completely out of the gossip loop, so she had no idea what was happening with him, and she wanted to find out. So she'd piled the children into the carriage, left a note for Mark, and set off for Daniel's house, watching the world go by as she did so.
'Perhaps I should've sent word ahead', she mused as she gazed out of the window, stroking Eve's hair as the little girl laid her head in her mother's lap. Daniel wouldn't be expecting them, but he rarely did... they were an unpredictable bunch, the Hardwicks.
As they pulled up, Marie ushered the children out onto the pavement and up to the front door, knocking and stepping back, keeping the children herded. Little Daniel was raring to go, bouncing up and down, and Eve was inspecting some nearby flowers. Henry, always the sensible big boy, was standing beside his mother, austere and strict. Marie rested her arm over his shoulders and looked to the door, waiting.