Lord John Roxton surveyed his brood of children proudly as they went through their paces on the horses, smiling as his beautiful wife, Marguerite, came out to the fence.
"Feeling better, darling?" he asked, putting an arm around her waist and kissing her temple.
"A little, still kind of headachey." she admitted. "Oh, they're doing splendidly." she smiled as Emmeline-Cate, their youngest, hopped her pony over a bush.
"Well, they are ours, after all." Roxton said a bit proudly.
"Did you tell them yet about the trip to go and visit Ned and Veronica?" she asked.
Roxton nodded. "Yes, they're very excited to see Abby and Tommy as well."
Edwin, the old stablehand, helped the children down from their horses, and bid them go back to their waiting parents.
"You can't run these ponies all day; they need a drink." he said, leading them back to the stables.
Roxton watched as his three children came bouncing towards her. Avery, who had been named for the estate in Averbury, who was 10, Morgan, who was 8, and Emmeline-Cate, who was six. All three with their mother's dark curls and grey eyes.
"When do we leave for the trip, Mummy?" Emmeline-Cate asked, clamoring to be picked up.
"Tonight," Marguerite smiled, nuzzling her baby's cheek. "We are getting on a big boat, and then a balloon."
"I've never been in a balloon before, have I?" she asked.
Marguerite shook her head. "No, but I think you're all old enough we can go for a bit of a visit," she said. "We haven't been since we left, because that was right before Avery was born."
In that ten year or so span, Ned and Veronica had come back-and-forth, a handful of times, visiting for his book tours and such, since the way off and on had become more visibly apparent to them after Veronica paid a visit to Avalon to spend some time with her mother.
And, Challenger, who had decided to retire halfway between the two places in a warmer climate, would be meeting up with them after the boat and coming along. He had said the warmer climate was for his rheumatoid and sciatica, however, Marguerite suspected it was the women in year-round bathing costumes and as much as said so, to the ginger-haired scientist's blushing fluster.
Marguerite took Morgan's hand with her free hand, Emmeline-Cate still on her hip, and began walking them inside, Avery and Roxton following.
"Are there really dinosaurs, Mummy?" Morgan asked, his eyes sparking and excited.
"Oh, aye, laddie." Roxton smiled, his eyes twinkling. "More than you'll ever want to see- all sorts of interesting people and creatures- even ape-men."
"Which we will be as careful as possible of how much 'interesting' you get." Marguerite said pointedly. She did want to make sure her precious babies were protected from the dangers as well.
"We'll be fine, Marguerite." Roxton said, kissing her cheek. "Roughing it will be good for them."
"I'm not scared of any ole dinosaurs!" Emmeline-Cate declared boldly.
"Oh, no?" Roxton asked, amused.
"No, if they tried to bite me, I'd pop it on the nose, just like Wolfy!" she said bravely.
Wolfy being their Irish Wolfhound that slept by the fireplace.
"You're gobshite, too!" Avery burst out. "You still cry if Wolfy barks at you!"
Marguerite stopped, looking at her son. "What word did you just say, young man?"
"I- Daddy said it to Mr. Tully at the pub!" Avery defended.
Marguerite whirled on her husband.
"Ah... well, at least he used it properly?"