A tall middle-aged woman with long curly blonde hair glided through a large kitchen carrying two plates of buttered toast, she wandered out onto a patio and sat down next to a middle aged man who was silently reading a newspaper, she placed the plates delicately onto a table in front of them when the man spoke up.
"Rose darling, are the girls up yet?" He asked with a yawn, peering over the top of the paper at her.
Rose laughed, her face a light beautiful with her amusement.
"Awake? Before eleven, I think not," Rose replied with a smile, a perfectly painted rose lips showing the extreme beauty she held with that perfect smile.
Just then the pair heard a pair of slipper covered feet thunder down the stairs, a small bang and then a loud voice crying out in pain, as was the usual occurance for a summer holiday. Within seconds a young girl appeared beside the adults holding her head, fully clad in pink bunny pyjamas and bunny slippers.
"Ran into the door frame again honey?" The man asked with a smirk, his chocolate brown eyes light with amusement.
"Mark dear, she runs into the door frame every morning," Rose teased, slipping her daughters honey ginger hair behind her small ear, a look of concern etched into her features. "Tulip come here; let me check your head." She said with a kind smile, the girl called Tulip stepped into the morning light, revealing sparkling emerald green eyes, which stood out beautifully against her pale freckled skin.
"Tulip honey, when will you learn? You'll get seriously hurt one day," Rose said seriously, taking her daughters face, before allowing her to sit down.
"Sorry mummy. It was an accident." Tulip replied quietly.
"Don't be sorry honey, just try to be more careful, that includes not running down the stairs at break-neck speed," Rose said with a small smile satisfied that Tulip would live Rose got up and went into the kitchen, Mark and Tulip following.
There was a knock at the door and Mark said he would answer it, he left the room tightening the belt on his blue bath robe. Rose however went to the stove to cook pancakes for the rest of the family.
"Tulip are your sisters up yet?" Rose asked her daughter who was pouring herself a rather large glass of chocolate milk, while eyeing up some freshly cooked muffins.
"Petunia is. But the twins ain't," Tulip said between sips, as she edged towards the muffins.
"Aren't, Tulip. Pet I assume is getting ready for her date tonight," Rose said as she wandered around the kitchen, straightening flowers in their vases.
"Yes, though I see no reason for her to bother."
"Why is that?"
"Because hippo-man can only get any action from Pet-"
"Tulip! You're seven; I never want you to say something like that again. How do you... Where did you... Vernon is... Delightful, and Pet cares for him." Rose said firmly with a grimace, truth be told no one but Pet liked Vernon and it was obvious he was only with Pet because no one else would have him. Not to mention their family was relatively wealthy, and Rose did not doubt that's part of the reason Vernon had asked Pet on a date. "What have the twins said to you about Vernon and Pet this time?" Rose asked, eyebrows raised, she knew very well the twins had said something.
But Tulip only smiled innocently and left carrying a muffin in her hand, and a cheeky smile on her face as Rose rolled her eyes, knowing her daughters only too well.
"Rose, there are two policemen here, I will be talking to them in the living room." Mark insisted, looking pale as he pushed into the kitchen seconds after Tulip had left. Worry filled Rose, as she watched after her husband, but she was quickly distracted when within second two girls of eleven appeared, identical in every way but their hair colour. One girl had strawberry red hair and the other golden blonde.
"Morning," The blonde haired girl said with a yawn, she slid onto a stool that was placed around the centre worktop in the kitchen, she reached for two muffins, as the redheaded girl poured two glasses of orange juice from the fridge.
"The doorbell woke us up." The red head stated, looking up at her mother for a second, before placing the glasses on the worktop beside her sister. Rose nodded and then rounded on the blonde.
"Ivy, dear, you wouldn't have said anything to Tulip about Pet or her boyfriend?" Rose asked, she wasn't going to bother being subtle, Ivy was smarter than that.
When Ivy shook her head no Rose turned to the red head.
"Lily?"
Lily too shook her head no and Rose sighed there was no way to get it out of them, if one said one thing the other would, and neither would ever give up the other one. They were far too close for that.
"Rose gather the girls, meet me in the living room," Mark said from the door way of the kitchen, Lily and Ivy looked at each other as Rose nodded, flattening out her skirt and gliding out the room.
Ten minutes later Lily, Ivy, Tulip and Rose were sitting with Mark and the two policemen waiting for Petunia.
"I'm sorry she always takes her time," Rose apologised to the policemen who nodded in understanding, when a tall browned hair girl appeared and sat down as if the whole situation was extremely boring. Both Lily and Ivy rolled their eyes, while Mark frowned at his eldest daughter.
"I'm afraid we have bad news for you," The first policeman said, his expression grave.
"Mr and Mrs Dunn have passed away," The second policeman continued, there was a gasp in the room, and a sudden out break of tears from Tulip.
"There bodies were found last night; the cause of death is still to be found," The girls sat in shock, tulip shook as she cried, her mother stroked her hair and hugged her as she looked at the police officer in shock… Her parents, the girls' grandparents…
"I hope they made a will." Petunia said suddenly breaking the silence that had taken them; her tone was absent, but cold.
"Pet, you selfish dog!" Ivy screeched looking as if she were about to lunge at her sister, and quickly the police officers excused themselves.
Rose and Mark however barely noticed as they looked at each other over the tops of their daughters' heads, each knowing more than they wanted to, and fearing for their girls.