Chapter 2: Money means everything

The doorbell back at the house rang.

"They're here!" Sadie exclaimed, barely able to contain her excitement. "They're here! Aiden, go and let them in."

"Yes, ma'am." The butler replied, and opened the door.

"Hello, Elliot!" Jonathan greeted the man at the door, wrapping his arm around Sadie's waist. "It is good to see you again."

"I could say the same for you. Boy, you look like you have been through a warzone."

"I guess that comes from raising two sets of triplets."

"I guess so. Is anyone else here?"

"Not yet." Jonathan replied, removing his hand and going over to his guest.

"What about the merchandise?"

"All six are still in school, today is their last day."

"Then how will I know what I am paying for?" Elliot asked, eyeing Jonathan suspiciously. "I will only have the best for my Angus."

"It is a good thing we have their most recent school pictures then." Sadie replied brightly. "Then you can see the true beauty that are my stepdaughters."

"Knock knock." Another voice called from the open doorway.

"Oh hello, Harold." Elliot exclaimed. "I am so glad you could come. Jonathan," He waved his friend over. "This is Harold Echo, one of my closest acquaintances."

"Nice to meet you. This is my wife, Sadie." Jonathan replied, greeting the frightfully pale being that had just graced his doorstep.

"It is nice to meet you too. Please, call me Harry. Theo should also be coming soon." Harry replied.

"Well then, why don't you two go inside, and we will meet you there shortly." Jonathan suggested, waving for the butler to bring them in. "It certainly is a lot cooler inside than it is out here."

"I am sure it is." Elliot replied, rubbing his fat hands together in glee at the idea of not having to stand outside on such a sweltering day. The pair followed the butler inside just as an old station wagon pulled into their driveway.

"One of your friends?" Jonathan whispered to Sadie as the car parked.

"Someone I used to work in television with, who had a hankering for all things old." She replied as a dark haired figure emerged from the car. "Hello Eric!"

"Hello Sadie!" The man called. "It is lovely to see you again, though I cannot imagine why you would call me after such a long time."

"All will be revealed shortly." She replied, pulling Eric into a hug. "This is my husband, Jonathan." Jonathan held out his hand.

"So this is the man that healed our dear Sadie's heart." Eric shook his hand. "I was wondering when I would get to meet you."

"If you wanted to, you could go inside where it is cool, while we wait for the other guests." She offered, indicating the door. "Some of them are here already, and would love to hear some of your tales from the trenches of journalism."

"Shall I tell them how I once was dared to fight Blair off of a pole using nothing but my intelligence and body?"

"If you think that story would entertain them, be my guest." She replied coolly. "Oop, looks like another guest is here."

"You must be Theo." Jonathan greeted the stranger.

"That I am. You must be Jonathan." Theo said in response. "And this lovely lady must be your wife."

"Yes I am. Have you travelled far?" Sadie asked, perplexed by this stranger's appearance. He certainly didn't look like he had come from the city, with his dark plaid shirt and jeans.

"No, just outside the city limits."

"Well, most of the party is already inside if you want to join them." Jonathan said, trying to stop the man from ogling his wife.

"Thank you, I will." Theo turned and went inside.

"Are we waiting for anyone else?" Jonathan asked Sadie, who was checking her phone.

"Just Penelope and Bella, though I don't know how long they will be."

"Apparently not long." He commented as two more cars pulled into the driveway.

"Hello stranger!" Bella called as she emerged from her muddy utility vehicle. "Are we late?"

"No, not at all." Sadie replied, pulling both Bella and Penelope into a hug. "This is my Husband, Jonathan. Come on in." She turned and led her friends into the house.

"Is that all of us?" Elliot asked as Sadie and Jonathan entered the dining room.

"It is." Jonathan confirmed. "Now, who's hungry?"

"That was delicious, Sadie." Theo said as they finished the lemon tarts. "Well done."

"Thank you." She replied, smiling. "I spent many hours getting them right."

"Shall we get started on business now?" Jonathan asked as the butler cleared the dishes away. "I don't want to keep you too long from the rest of your busy lives."

"Yes, let's talk business." Elliot agreed. "Do you have any pictures of the ones you want to sell?"

"Indeed we do." Jonathan waved the butler forward with the pictures and profiles of the children. "The girls are my own daughters, and the boys are Sadie's. I do hope you will find them to your liking." He said as his guests opened the files.

"Are they still enrolled in school?" Harry asked.

"Today is the last day of their last year."

"Are they well trained?" Elliot asked, taking an interest in Claudia's file. "Can they do household chores to an acceptable standard?"

"Yes, they are. The boys made sure that the house was spotless this morning, while the girls got everyone ready for school." Sadie replied. "You will also find that they are extremely mild mannered, gentle, quiet, can take direction well and don't ask many questions."

"All qualities that are so hard to find in children these days." Harry commented. "Bride price?"

"One million per girl, half a million for the boys."

"I think that Savannah would fit in well in my master's family. Unless, of course, someone can offer more money for her." Harry replied decisively.

"I like Esmee's profile best." Theo said. "No bid on Savannah or Claudia from me, but yes for Esmee."

"I think that Peia would get along best with Jeremy." Penelope said. "No bid on Joshua or James."

"Who do you like, Eric?" Sadie asked.

"For my Skylar, I like James best." Eric replied. "No bid on Joshua."

"I am assuming that you want your boy to marry a woman, Elliot. Does my Claudia interest you?" Jonathan asked.

"I am perfectly satisfied with having her as my daughter in law."

"What about you, Bella?" Sadie asked. "Does Joshua fill what you are looking for for your sister?"

"He does, and I am not going to fight anyone for their choices."

"Excellent!" Joshua cried in glee. "Aiden, can you please bring the contracts?

"Yes, sir." The butler bowed and left the room.

"I assure you, none of you will be disappointed by your decisions." Joshua said joyfully. "My darling wife has worked very hard to bring our children up to be very respectable people, well versed in many different talents and skills." The butler walked back in with a tray filled with contracts and placed them in front of the guests, the names of the children embossed into the leather file. "You will find that I have already signed the contract for the girls, and Sadie has done so for the boys."