Chapter 2

Caroline woke shortly after the first rays of the sun shone into her room and crept silently from the bed so she would not wake Lexi up yet. Once she was dressed she made her way into the kitchen to help prepare breakfast; even if she wasn't required to cook she found it pleasant and often times soothing. When it was nearly done she cleaned herself back up and walked back to her room to wake her sister. Then they both crept silently into their brothers' room to yell good morning; laughing loudly when Stefan and Damon jolted from bed with a start. When the boys realized they had been woken like that on purpose for laughs they shared a glance before jumping out of bed and Caroline and Lexi ran from the room towards the parents' bedroom; all four of them stopping short when the door opened for them to see an amused Giuseppe lean against the door frame.

Once they had all been scolded lightly they separated to prepare for breakfast; the boys going back to their room to change and the girls heading to the dining room to take their places at the table. Breakfast passed rather quickly in Caroline's opinion and she and Lexi bid goodbye to their father and brothers since they would not return home until time for supper. Once the men left the house went into a flurry as the rooms were prepared for their guests and the girls went about helping with the laundry and preparing for lunch. They had barely gotten the laundry hung up when they heard horses in the distance and had to run inside to gather the beddings and take them to the appropriate rooms. Once they were finished they ran back downstairs and out the front door to stand next to their mother so they could properly greet all their guests.

She could barely believe how much Henrik had grown in the past year, but it looked as if he had grown at least half a foot. She noticed Rebekah next and saw how exhausted she looked before looking at the rest of them and seeing a similar look of tiredness. She watched as they all gathered to greet them as the servants took the horses to the stables and stored the wagons in one of the barns. There was only one face she purposely ignored and she didn't need told it was Klaus to see the same features on an older body; holding her head high and keeping her breathing even so she would not show that his mere presence alone had her unsettled. They greeted Mikael and Ester first and both she and Lexi thanked them when they were complimented for how they had grown; both of them finally old enough to be called ladies now.

Once the parents had stepped back she had to suppress a laugh when Henrik cut to the front of the line and took each of their hands to lay a kiss on their knuckles to show how he was learning the proper etiquettes. Caroline and Lexi had both bowed enough to be at his height before they shared a glance and pulled him in for a hug. They briefly heard their mother lightly scold them for breaking their protocols, so they both pulled away to greet Rebekah next; who had mimicked her brother and cut in front of the others. Once again breaking formalities they hugged Rebekah, but not as enthusiastically as they had Henrik to avoid another scolding. Elijah looked at them a little wary since he was next but they didn't hug him and Caroline had to suppress another laugh when she saw him breathe in relief. Kol came up to them then and it was Caroline's turn to breathe in relief since he cut in front of Klaus. It was shortly lived relief but she didn't miss the way Kol looked at her sister and with them close in age she could imagine them together in the future.

She barely refocused her thoughts in time to raise her hand to Klaus but she refused to look him in the face. She felt his lips press against her knuckles as she bowed slightly and stiffly; noticing his lips lingered longer than necessary and his thumb grazed over her fingers as he held her hand before she pulled her hand back to extend to Finn. She was grateful Finn didn't hold her hand longer than a couple seconds before she was able to greet Sage for the first time. She had been happy to hear of his wedding and had sorely missed being able to attend, but she never traveled back to Virginia after her childhood and couldn't bring herself to go for even a wedding; and now she noticed Sage was pregnant and at least 4 or 5 months. Once formalities were out of the way Elizabeth turned to her daughters to let them settle their guests into their rooms and Lexi grabbed Rebekah and Henrik before Caroline had a chance to.

"If everyone will follow me I will show you to your rooms and you can rest after your journey or you may make yourselves comfortable in the dining room for lunch." Caroline stated to the rest of the group before calling for Lexi to explain lunch was ready to Rebekah and Henrik but she could already hear them playing. "I must apologize for Lexi… she's been in high spirits since we were told of your arrival." She spoke calmly to Mikael and Ester and saw them give her a smile in return. "Kol I fear Lexi forgot you… you'll be rooming with Henrik so I will leave you in her hands once we catch up to them." She explained and saw him put a hand over his chest feigning hurt.

"I should be used to Lexi running away from me… but alas I am not." Kol replied with a grin and Caroline shook her head.

"Oh don't be silly Kol… she's merely excited she has others to play with her during free time; being 13 gives her the opportunity to dodge her study sessions more often than if she was older." Caroline replied as she led them all upstairs.

"I hear you have excelled at your father's teachings… particularly in history and medicinal studies." Mikael stated and she turned as she opened the door to his and Ester's room.

"It can be fascinating but I enjoy learning whichever subject my father chooses to teach me." Caroline replied as she held her arm out for them to enter.

"Well I find it refreshing to see that my old friend decided his daughters should be as educated as his sons. Perhaps Rebekah will be more thankful at our attempts for teaching her once she is around you and your sister more." Mikael announced and Caroline giggled slightly before clearing her throat to stop; she knew Rebekah despised having to sit and study as much as Lexi did.

"I'm sure she will as well… although with all of the upcoming events our study sessions will be shortened. Still… she is welcome to sit with us during our sessions." Caroline offered and Mikael and Ester nodded in return so she moved away from the room and motioned for Finn and Sage to come forward for the next room. They both told her they were exhausted from their trip and not to expect them at lunch so she told them if they needed anything her room was the next down the hall with Lexi and Rebekah before proceeding to stop at her room. "Lexi… you forgot Kol… yet again." She spoke when she opened her door and saw her little sister look down with a blush.

"My apologies… I was just excited to see Bekah and Henrik." Lexi replied as she led Henrik out into the hall and beckoned Kol to follow her.

"Do you need anything Bekah?" Caroline asked the other blonde with a smile and saw her look between her and the bed.

"I do so wish to come down to lunch and catch up but I think I will take my rest if that is alright. Can we catch up at supper?"

"Yes of course… would you like me to send up some tea for you? It will help you relax after your journey."

"I think I will be asleep before it came, but thank you regardless." Rebekah answered and Caroline smiled before nodding and shutting the door. "I guess that leaves you gentlemen." Caroline remarked and held her arm out to gesture for Elijah and Klaus to follow her as she made her way towards her brothers' room. Once inside she gestured to the side opposite of Stefan and Damon's beds and they sat their satchels down to claim their beds. "I apologize but for now you two will have to share with Stefan and Damon, but by next week Damon will be housing in his own house not far from here; there will be more room then." She explained and watched them turn to look at her.

"That is alright Miss Caroline… might I ask where your brothers are?" Elijah asked and she nodded before clasping her hands in front of her.

"They are with Father today in town, but they will return by dinner. I fear you may not see much of them until after next week as they are busy with the preparations for Damon's wedding."

"I would imagine so. Are you excited for your brother's wedding?"

"Very much." She answered with a smile before continuing. "Elena is one of my dearest friends so I can't wait to call her sister." She explained before glancing behind her into the hall. "Well… do you two need anything else or will you be joining us for lunch?" She asked when she turned back to the brothers.

"We'll be down in a few minutes… we need to put away our belongings before we can join you." Elijah answered and she bowed her head as she took a step back.

"Then I will see you both shortly. Elijah you may show Niklaus where the dining room is if he decides to follow you." She finished and looked to see him nod in return before she turned and left the room; shutting the door behind her and walking downstairs to help set the table for lunch. She saw her mother already at the table inquiring as to how many extra places should be set at the table and she replied her estimate; she really only knew that Elijah would be coming, but Finn, Sage, and Rebekah were going to sleep until time for dinner. Her mother nodded to her before going and informing Sheila as Caroline started setting the plates, cups, and silverware out.

"Caroline Brianna Forbes Salvatore, you will sit down immediately. How many times must your father and I tell you that you should not exert yourself so?" Caroline heard her mother scold and she huffed silently and continued with her task as she answered.

"Mother I am perfectly capable of setting the table for us and our guests. My breathing and my arm are fine today and I know my limits; I'm not exerting myself." She explained as she finished the table and turned to see they had been joined by Mikael, Ester, Elijah, Klaus, Kol, Henrik, and her little sister as they awaited sitting at the table. She felt her emotions scramble but she did not change her expression; she was determined to prove she could be as normal as anyone else. "Now… I am going to go see if Grams needs any help serving…"

"Caroline, if you're going to go into the kitchen you are going to take a treatment; I will not budge on this." Elizabeth said sternly and Caroline breathed in to remain calm before nodding and walking away from the group as they started for their seats. She knew if she argued against her mother on this she would only end up getting embarrassed and she'd rather not go through that if she could avoid it. She entered the kitchen to see Grams giving her a knowing look but overlooked it as she picked up a rag and the jar containing a mixture the mixture of herbs she would need.

She would rather have used the other treatment but the smell from it would make her nauseous and it wouldn't bode well with her to not enjoy lunch because she was likely to throw it back up; she would wait until bedtime to use that one. Grams walked over to her with a glass of water; both of them knowing she would likely have a coughing fit and would need it. She always let Sheila put the rag over her face because she would inevitably resist the choking feeling it and the herbs would induce, so she sat in the chair as Grams walked behind her with the rag and herbs in hand; waiting for the brief moment of panic she would have when she felt like she was being smothered. Without warning she felt the burning and scratching in her throat as she breathed the herbs in and immediately started coughing and trying to regain her regular breathing; nearly falling out of the chair until she felt Sheila holding her in place.

When she could finally breathe without erupting into another fit of coughs she drank some of her water and focused on even her breathing back out to normal. She could see Grams and Bonnie taking the plates out of the kitchen to serve everyone and stood from her seat as she wiped at her face as she tried the tears that had streaked down it. Looking at her reflection in the window she was sure she looked presentable again and picked up a plate to balance on her good arm so she could use her hand for another and use her bad arm to carry her water. Walking back to the dining room she placed her water at her seat and saw she was lucky that it was just her and Lexi that hadn't been served yet. She sat the plate in her hand down in front of Lexi while she balanced the other until she could set it in her place; ignoring the looks she could feel coming her way as she smiled at her little sister. She was glad the conversations remained between Mikael, Ester, and her mother as they ate; only having to speak with Lexi when she confirmed what they would have to do after lunch was over. When she set her silverware down she was about to excuse herself but she saw her mother hold up a hand to stop her.

"I forgot to tell you earlier, but your father left some ledgers for you to work through for him; he'll need to take them with him tomorrow."

"Alright Mother. Are they in his study?" Caroline inquired and Elizabeth nodded in return. "Is there anything else?"

"You need to have Lexi watch you and perhaps you could write out some figures for her to solve since your father will have other things to do today instead of giving you your lessons."

"That's alright… I can give Lexi her lesson."

"You girls will be busy later as well… Giuseppe mentioned he'll have a surprise for both of you when he comes home if everything has gone according to plan; quite a few surprises actually." Elizabeth explained and Caroline looked at her with her eyes narrowed in contemplation. She knew with Damon's wedding and her own birthday coming up it could be dresses, but her mother wouldn't have called those a surprise since they already knew they would be getting new dresses.

"I suspect it's more than dresses… would I be correct in that assumption?" Caroline asked slowly as she kept her eyes on her mother and saw the little tell-tale twitch in her eyes that let her know when she was right.

"I will not tell you what he has planned for the two of you, but I will say you can try to figure it out all day long and you will not." Her mother answered with a small smirk and Caroline felt her eyebrows rise with the challenge; she liked figuring things out but she disliked surprises so she didn't quite know what to feel at the moment.

"I guess I better get started then… especially with everything there is to do today. But I do hope whatever it is doesn't require dry weather… and that they do indeed return by dinner time; it's going to rain this evening. If you'll excuse me." Caroline spoke and waited for her mother to nod before she stood and pushed her chair in before retrieving her dirty dishes and carrying them back into the kitchen; knowing full well her mother would be biting her tongue for her not leaving her dishes behind. She would have washed the dishes but knowing she had to work on her father's business ledgers she decided to get started with those quickly.

Caroline left the kitchen and walked outside to go inform Jesse that it would be raining so he could make sure everyone was finished and inside before the rain came later. Over the years they had learned to listen to her when it came to the weather; sometimes even asking her before a task or chore so the weather wouldn't catch them at an inopportune time. Once she was back inside she went straight for her father's study and retrieved the book and papers to take with her to the sitting room. From the desk in there she could see everyone else was still at the table so she found a blank piece of paper to create some arithmetic problems for her sister. She finished writing out the equations just as her mother excused everyone else from the table and saw Lexi about to leave with Henrik so she quickly called for her.

"Lexi! You need to work before you play." She spoke loud enough to have Lexi stop mid-run and saw her little sister's shoulders sag. She didn't like disappointing Lexi but she knew it was important she spent a little time each day learning so she wouldn't be overwhelmed when she got older and the material became more difficult. She saw Lexi shuffle her feet as she came in and took a seat on the other side of the desk. "I only made one page for you to work on… so don't look so down." Caroline added and saw Lexi look up at her with a small smile and a nod.

"Can everyone else sit with us while we work?" Lexi asked with her best puppy-dog face and Caroline giggled before she could stop herself.

"It wouldn't be fair to ask them to after such a long journey; they would probably like to rest. However… you may ask them but don't be disappointed if they refuse." She replied and watched Lexi jump up and run back out of the room before shaking her head and organizing the loose papers she would have to copy into the ledger before working on the figures. When she had every page in order from the beginning of the week until the day prior she opened the book to begin copying the information; pausing when Lexi returned with Henrik, Elijah, Kol, and Klaus behind her.

"Mikael said Henrik should study while I do and his brother's said they would help him since you'll be helping me." Lexi informed her and she nodded before pointing towards the chairs in the far side of the room.

"Very well… Lexi, help them get situated if you don't mind; I need to get started on this." She spoke before pointing down at the book and Lexi nodded excitedly as her and Henrik ran over to where the spare chairs were stacked up against the wall. Caroline turned her attention back to her task and began copying down the items from her family's store that were incoming, outgoing, or exchanged. After a few minutes she was so completely absorbed in her work that she did not hear her sister speak to her until Lexi reached over and shook her shoulder.

"Care… I don't know how Father has his books organized and I need you to find a few." Lexi stressed as she started bouncing in place.

"Sorry Lexi… which books do you need me to get?" She asked as she put the quill down and used her hand to fan the ink on the paper so it would dry faster.

"The ones on agriculture, fishing, hunting and trapping. The boys and men will need something to occupy their time with as they settle."

"Alright…"

"Find the ones that focus on this area… and it would probably be good if they can study the maps of the area too."

"Sure… just don't touch the ledger. It looks as if Father will have to send for more goods soon and if you move anything I will lose my place and have to start over; I need to make a list for him so he can send it out right away."

"We had a good week I assume?" Lexi asked and Caroline nodded as she tried to think of a way to tell her sister it was the threat of war that had everyone buying and stocking up right now.

"Lexi… if war begins… it'll be harder to ship goods or have them shipped here; everyone is just being prepared and stockpiling. So… the store needs to remain stocked in case that happens; it'll help to be prepared."

"Will there really be a war?" Lexi asked and Caroline paused to take a breath so she could explain her thoughts without scaring her sister.

"There may be… but you should not be dwelling on the matter. Like I said… we're only making preparations in case there is one; it isn't certain yet." She said softly and waited on her sister to nod in return. "Now young lady… I'm going to go get those books and you are going to stay away from this one." Caroline continued as she pointed to the ledger with a small smile.

"I promise." Lexi ensured and Caroline stood from her seat to go back to her father's study.

"Good." Caroline answered and moved a stray hair back in place on her sister's head before walking out of the room. Venturing towards the study she saw her mother speaking with Mikael and Ester in the main sitting room, but chose to ignore their conversation so she could get back to her own work faster. She made quick work of gathering everything Lexi had mentioned in a basket and threw a couple extra in that might come in handy before going back to the small sitting room she and the others had been occupying. She set the basket down next to Lexi as her sister started handing books out to the others and she picked up the paper she had made for Lexi to work on. She could tell Lexi had sped through it from the smaller writing than her normal and reached to get the quill to circle the numbers that were incorrect so she could do them again. "You have a few to do again Lexi…"

"Ahh…" Lexi whined and Caroline chuckled lightly as she shook her head. "Come on Caroline…"

"No… you are not going to get out of your studies. I know you're excited, but when you rush through it you don't focus and then you make mistakes. Take your time and use your head… I know you know how to do the problems I gave you." Caroline reasoned and she saw Lexi cross her arms before letting her back rest against the chair as she pouted. "The quicker you do your work correctly the faster you get to go do what you want." She finalized and knew she had won her sister over as she sat up straight again and uncrossed her arms.

"Fine. When we're done will you take me up the hill?" Lexi asked and Caroline felt stuck again; she knew she wouldn't have time until tomorrow but she didn't want to decline.

"If I can get everything I need to do done in enough time before dinner I will, but there's a lot to do so it may have to wait until tomorrow. Besides… we just went up there yesterday and if you were to gather more flowers you wouldn't get to replant them today before the rain comes."

"Is it going to rain tomorrow?"

"Ask me when the rain passes tonight and I'll then I can tell you." Caroline answered automatically and Lexi nodded before she went back to her work.

"What hill are you referring to? Maybe my parents will let me escort you." Caroline heard Kol offer and she looked up to see her sister blushing as she tried to come up with an answer.

"It's the north hill." Caroline answered for her sister with a smirk and felt her sister stomp her foot under the desk.

"Yes… the north hill… and that is a generous offer; I'll consider it." Lexi finally spoke up and Henrik turned to Lexi.

"If you go with Kol may I go too?" Henrik asked and Lexi looked to Kol before looking over towards Elijah.

"That would be up to Mother and Father." Elijah answered and Caroline went back to her work; grateful she would be able to concentrate again with Elijah answering the younger ones in the room. She put all her focus back on finishing the figures so she could provide the list of items her father would need to send for. It was nearly an hour later when Caroline was finally finished and looked up to see Lexi, Kol, and Henrik gone but Klaus and Elijah still in the room. Standing from her seat she reached over to pick up the paper Lexi had been working on and saw she had answered the problems correctly the second time she did them. "I checked them for her… I hope you do not mind."

"Not at all Elijah… thank you."

"Do you need help with anything?" Elijah asked and Caroline smiled before shaking her head. She liked having Elijah around; it was like having another brother and he always knew how to appease their younger siblings.

"I'm sure you'd like to rest up Elijah but if you insist on helping, then maybe you could keep Lexi, Kol, and Henrik occupied while I finish the rest of the chores." She replied since she knew he would persist if she didn't come up with something for him to do.

"Kol actually managed to get Lexi to agree for him to take her and Henrik up the hill."

"Seriously?" Caroline asked surprised; she had been so focused on her work she had missed it. When she saw Elijah nod with a chuckle she began laughing as she covered her face. "Oh I wish she would have delayed her answer long enough for me to finish so I wouldn't have missed it. Poor Kol has been trying for years to get her to give him attention and when she finally does I didn't see it." Caroline ranted before turning and sticking her head out the window so she could look towards the hill. Sure enough she saw the three of them up there running around so she pulled her head back in.

"She's growing up. Before you know it she'll be grown with a family of her own."

"Oh don't you dare get me started Elijah… she's the baby and Father will probably lock her up in her room when that time comes; and if he don't then any suitor would also have my brothers and I to contend with." Caroline warned playfully as she glared towards Elijah and saw him and Klaus both chuckling at her reaction. "It would be like someone coming forward and wanting to court Bekah." She compared and saw them both stop chuckling and smirked knowing she had proven her point effectively.

"Bekah is the only girl though so there is still a bit of a difference sweetheart." Klaus spoke up and she glared in his direction; not really wanting to talk to him specifically, but she wasn't about to let him rule over the conversation either.

"I already know my father and brothers will be difficult with me being allowed to court soon, but when it's time for Lexi they'll be even worse; and that is my point. Rebekah being the only girl will have the same impact as Lexi being the youngest child between my parents; it'll be tedious to put it lightly." She explained and saw him nod before looking at his brother. She thought it was the end of their conversation, but when she saw him look back to her she knew she wasn't that lucky.

"I imagine you are quite excited with the prospect of courting coming up soon; especially since you are older than most girls are when they become eligible." He asked and she squinted her eyes at him as she formed the thoughts in her head. She wasn't sure if he meant it to be insulting or if he was trying to find some kind of hidden information, so she had to be sure she phrased her answer efficiently.

"Father thought it best to wait until he was sure I would be ready both mentally and physically for marriage and I agree with his decision. He's made sure I was schooled and that I had my defects under control so they would not hinder me from having children and caring for them; a lesser man would not have done so. Had he thought my health would have been alright sooner then I would already be courting." She answered and picked up the ledger; ready to be done with speaking so she could return to her chores. "Now I really must excuse myself… I have to get back to my tasks for the day." She stated as she dipped slightly in a bow for formality and left the room before either of them could stand.

She walked to her father's study and placed the ledger back on his desk as she thought about the short conversation she had just had. She hadn't missed Elijah's silent chuckle or the way Klaus' eyes had widened slightly with her response. Either Klaus wasn't expecting her to answer as she had or he was shocked she already had someone in mind she wished to court; which she hadn't admitted but she HAD slightly hinted it. Shaking her head she exited the study and proceeded in making her way outside to the stables. She knew the field hands would be seeing to the Mikaelson's horses, but she still wanted to see Shadow; her favorite horse. Walking into the stables she could hear the horses neighing from their stalls and smiled that they always reacted the same way when she came to visit them. She could see Shadow knocking at the stall door with his head and picked up a couple apples on her way to him.

"How's my big boy doing today?" She asked the horse and saw him calm so she held out the apple for him to take as her other hand went up to pet his neck and mane. When the first apple was gone the horse nuzzled his face against hers and she giggled before holding the other apple up. "Are you ready to let me brush you?" She asked as he finished the apple and she picked up the brush before unlatching and stepping into the stall. No matter how many times her parents had insisted she leave the grooming to the servants she couldn't resist taking care of Shadow; ever since his birth. She brushed over his shoulders and sides and she sang quietly to keep him soothed like she always did. When she was done she took him out of the stall and led him outside so he could get some running in.

She loved that she could let him run loose and he would still return to her whenever she called for him; yet it would also make her wish she was allowed to ride him. It was clear from the moment he was born that Shadow was her horse and no one could do anything with him unless she told them to; it gave her a small sense of pride. She cleaned out the brush while her eyes remained on her horse running around the open field freely and she took her time walking in his direction. She knew she couldn't let him run for long that day so to give him a little more time she walked over to the clothesline and started pulling off whatever was dry; which wasn't much but she took her time checking everything. Once she had the dry items placed in the basket she walked further towards the field and called for Shadow. Like always he steered in her direction and came to her on her first call; slowing when got close to her. She gave him the last apple she had on her before brushing the new thistles he had picked up off of him. Walking him back to the stables she could see her mother leading their guests on a walk as she threw Caroline a look of disapproval; ignoring it she led Shadow back to his stall and secured him.

Coming out again she walked over to the wagon that would be taking supplies to her family's store later. She noticed there were already a few baskets of corn and several pumpkins loaded and looked around to find Jesse again; she had forgotten to tell him to pick 4 extra baskets of corn to make cornmeal to take to the store later. He took the instructions rather well since both of them knew she had been likely to forget a couple things with her normal schedule being thrown for a loop that day. She wandered into the corn field and began picking ears of corn to help out a little since they needed extra; making sure her mother didn't see her. She only dedicated about 30 minutes to her task before moving on to the hay field to take note of how many stacks had been made that day; and giving instruction for how many more needed to be made.

She found her attention called back to the house when she saw smoke coming from the chimney and knew Grams had begun making dinner. On her way back to the house she spotted her mother having her tea in the garden with their guests and found herself declining the invitation to join them. Once inside she went back to the sitting room to make sure the books she had gotten earlier made their way back to her father's study in their designated places. She knew the laundry wouldn't be ready to bring in for a little while yet so she returned to the sitting room to work on some sewing; she hoped to get a couple things done before she saw her friend Katerina and her daughter Nadia again so she could give them to them. With Finn and Sage expecting a child themselves it might be a good idea to begin making them a blanket as a gift since she was already making Matthew and April one for their unborn child; which she swore would be twins.

She got lost in her task once more until she had finished Nadia's dress and blanket, Matt and April two blankets, and had the patches cut up for Finn and Sage; who she guessed would have a girl. She had a habit of knowing what a child would be before it was born and she hadn't been wrong yet, so she was a little wary about speaking to Finn and Sage about it. When she heard the sound of horses coming from a distance she put her work up and ran to look out one of the front windows to see her father and brothers coming around the field. She ran out the back to make sure her mother knew and saw she and the elder Mikaelsons had been engrossed in conversation and had not noticed so she informed her before moving to check the wash again. She saw Bonnie coming to join her and began folding everything she took down until there were only a couple items left on the line; hoping they would be done soon.

Helping Bonnie carry the baskets in earned her another look from her mother that she chose to ignore. She and Bonnie shared a knowing look before going and getting the next baskets to take them back to the house. Once everything was inside she and Bonnie began sorting through everything so they could take all the items to the rooms they belonged in. She didn't get a chance to begin taking things to their rooms when she heard her father call for her to wake their other guests so they could prepare themselves for dinner. Giving him a small smile she went about doing as he said before sneaking back into the kitchen to help finish making dinner. When there wasn't anything left for her to do in there she made her way to her brothers to have them make sure Jesse had returned from the store and had put the wagon and horses up before the rain hit.

She went to see where her father was but seeing him with his mother, Ester, and Mikael she chose to wait and went back outside the finish gathering the wash; dry or not it couldn't wait any longer. When she got it all inside she went back into sorting and Bonnie came to take it all away when she was done. Not wishing to be bored or have to chance having another conversation with Klaus she went to the kitchen to get the oil jug to fill up the lanterns around the house for nightfall before setting out new candles close to all the candlesticks. Knowing there was nothing else she could do before dinner she went to her father's study to get the ledger for Giuseppe to check.

"Caroline darling, there you are." Her father exclaimed when she came to meet him in the main sitting room. "You mother tells me you've kept yourself busy today. Have you finished your tasks for the day?"

"Yes Father." She answered and held the ledger up for him. "I finished the figures and made a list for the next shipping order for you. Do you need me to do anything else?" She asked hopefully and saw him chuckle as he shook his head and took the book from her and gestured for her to sit. She sat next to her mother as she watched him check the figures she had done. Seeing him smile before closing the book she knew she had done them correctly before he even told her.

"You did well Caroline… as I suspected you would. Did you give Lexi a lesson?"

"I wrote out some figures for her and made her redo the ones she did incorrectly. Elijah actually checked them the second time before she left to go about her free time; and then I checked them again." She answered with a small smirk as she leaned forward slightly in her explanation. She heard him chuckle as he stood from his seat with the ledger in hand.

"You got lost in your work again, didn't you?" He asked jokingly and she nodded half-embarrassed before looking back at him. "Then you'll love the surprise I have for you later… although I think your mother will likely be cross with me once she realizes everything you'll have to learn and do." He stated and she looked to her mother to see her looking at her father with her eyes slightly narrowed in thought. Not wanting to see her mother begin interrogating her father she excused herself to go make sure Lexi and Rebekah were prepared for dinner before going to check on Finn and Sage again. Seeing everyone taken care of she went downstairs to help Bonnie set the table for dinner; once again ignoring the looks coming from her mother as she tried to keep from laughing. She knew her mother wouldn't make a comment with her father around; even if he didn't approve of her doing work with servants he never fussed at her for it.