Fred told Helen a truncated story about her life, leaving out most of the gory details of her time in Pylea and the time she had spent in Los Angeles with Angel Investigations. What she did tell her, however, was enough to make her understand what she had been through.
"Oh, dear," Helen said. "You're so young to have been through so much. No wonder Rupert's so taken with you - you're obviously very strong and very smart to have lived through all that. I always thought that he deserved an equal in his life. Olivia most definitely wasn't that by any stretch of the imagination. I think he's finally found it in you."
Fred found herself blushing again. "Thank you. I definitely know I've found what I was looking for in your son."
"He's a good one, my Rupert. Always so bright and intelligent - knew from the time he was a tot that he'd do great things. Sometimes it's hard to believe that he was young so long ago now." Turning, Helen leaned over and picked up an album, placing it on the table so both of them could see it and opening it up. "Here he is when he was a baby. And with his doll - didn't go anywhere without that for so long."
She was flipping through the pictures and talking about each one when an older man came in with Rupert behind them. Fred looked up and smiled. "Your mother was just showing me some pictures from when you were a child," she told him, standing up. "Is this your father?"
"Richard Giles," Richard said, going over to shake Fred's hand. "It's nice to meet you, Winifred."
"Isn't she lovely, Richard? By far the prettiest Rupert has brought home," Helen said with a smile. She turned to Rupert and looked him over. "Did your father give you the gift?" Giles nodded. "Well, then show it to your wife-to-be!"
"My parents got us a house in London," Giles said as he looked at Fred. "As a wedding present."
"It's a nice house too," Helen said. "Enough room to have children. Would be quite nice to have a grandchild or two before I pass on."
One of the staff peeked into the parlour and said lunch was ready. Richard and Helen went ahead while Giles took Fred's hand. "I told you that they would love you," he said, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss. He pulled back and held his arm out so she could take it.
Giles then led her to the dining room and pulled a chair out for her. His mother had outdid herself with the meal as he eyed the roast and potatoes. He sat down and poured some water for Fred, skipping the wine since they still had to drive to Bath.
"Eat up dears and what you don't eat, you can take to the other house with you," Helen said as she passed the meat platter to Giles.
Fred's eyes widened when Rupert told her what his parents had done for them, and she looked from him to her soon-to-be in-laws in amazement. "That's...that's so generous and...amazing. I never--thank you so much," she managed to say, hoping as well that they'd be able to give Richard and Helen grandchildren as well in time for them to enjoy them. She knew her own parents would be around for quite a while yet, but Rupert's parents were older.
She smiled up at Rupert after he took her hand and kissed her. "Your parents are wonderful," she whispered to him before she tucked her arm into his.
When she saw what they had prepared for lunch, she was very glad that she had taken Rupert's advice and skipped breakfast that morning. As he served each of them a few slices of the roast beef, she took the potatoes from Richard and spooned some onto both their plates before passing it back with a smile. Richard then passed her a bowl with some oddly shaped...muffins? biscuits? She couldn't figure out what they were.
"These are Yorkshire puddings," Richard told her, apparently seeing her look of confusion. "But not a pudding like you would think. These are a bit like your American popovers."
"Never heard of them before," she said, taking one of the puddings and passing the bowl onto Rupert.
"I'm sure you'll discover several new foods while you're here. I would, however, recommend staying away from haggis if you're ever offered."
The lunch was wonderful, and Helen continued to talk about talking about things, telling Fred about Rupert and what he had been like as a child and offering advice for their wedding plans. It was easy to see that Helen absolutely dotted on her son. Richard didn't say quite as much, but he obviously cared just as much about his son and adored his wife.
"You two really should ring Sarah Jane while you're in Bath. She's absolutely marvelous when it comes to helping planning events and could probably take care of most everything you need since I'm sure you'll both have your hands full with the Council," Helen said. "Remind me, and I'll get her number before you leave."
"Thank you," Fred responded, looking over at Rupert with a smile.
"Oh, dear," Helen said. "You're so young to have been through so much. No wonder Rupert's so taken with you - you're obviously very strong and very smart to have lived through all that. I always thought that he deserved an equal in his life. Olivia most definitely wasn't that by any stretch of the imagination. I think he's finally found it in you."
Fred found herself blushing again. "Thank you. I definitely know I've found what I was looking for in your son."
"He's a good one, my Rupert. Always so bright and intelligent - knew from the time he was a tot that he'd do great things. Sometimes it's hard to believe that he was young so long ago now." Turning, Helen leaned over and picked up an album, placing it on the table so both of them could see it and opening it up. "Here he is when he was a baby. And with his doll - didn't go anywhere without that for so long."
She was flipping through the pictures and talking about each one when an older man came in with Rupert behind them. Fred looked up and smiled. "Your mother was just showing me some pictures from when you were a child," she told him, standing up. "Is this your father?"
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"Isn't she lovely, Richard? By far the prettiest Rupert has brought home," Helen said with a smile. She turned to Rupert and looked him over. "Did your father give you the gift?" Giles nodded. "Well, then show it to your wife-to-be!"
"My parents got us a house in London," Giles said as he looked at Fred. "As a wedding present."
"It's a nice house too," Helen said. "Enough room to have children. Would be quite nice to have a grandchild or two before I pass on."
One of the staff peeked into the parlour and said lunch was ready. Richard and Helen went ahead while Giles took Fred's hand. "I told you that they would love you," he said, leaning forward to give her a soft kiss. He pulled back and held his arm out so she could take it.
Giles then led her to the dining room and pulled a chair out for her. His mother had outdid herself with the meal as he eyed the roast and potatoes. He sat down and poured some water for Fred, skipping the wine since they still had to drive to Bath.
"Eat up dears and what you don't eat, you can take to the other house with you," Helen said as she passed the meat platter to Giles.
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She smiled up at Rupert after he took her hand and kissed her. "Your parents are wonderful," she whispered to him before she tucked her arm into his.
When she saw what they had prepared for lunch, she was very glad that she had taken Rupert's advice and skipped breakfast that morning. As he served each of them a few slices of the roast beef, she took the potatoes from Richard and spooned some onto both their plates before passing it back with a smile. Richard then passed her a bowl with some oddly shaped...muffins? biscuits? She couldn't figure out what they were.
"These are Yorkshire puddings," Richard told her, apparently seeing her look of confusion. "But not a pudding like you would think. These are a bit like your American popovers."
"Never heard of them before," she said, taking one of the puddings and passing the bowl onto Rupert.
"I'm sure you'll discover several new foods while you're here. I would, however, recommend staying away from haggis if you're ever offered."
The lunch was wonderful, and Helen continued to talk about talking about things, telling Fred about Rupert and what he had been like as a child and offering advice for their wedding plans. It was easy to see that Helen absolutely dotted on her son. Richard didn't say quite as much, but he obviously cared just as much about his son and adored his wife.
"You two really should ring Sarah Jane while you're in Bath. She's absolutely marvelous when it comes to helping planning events and could probably take care of most everything you need since I'm sure you'll both have your hands full with the Council," Helen said. "Remind me, and I'll get her number before you leave."
"Thank you," Fred responded, looking over at Rupert with a smile.
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