The rest of the day was a resounding success.  Veronica only choked on food two times, fell in the lake once, and one large watermelon almost hit her in the head.  Everything was quickly taken care of as it appeared and the entire household got to enjoy themselves to the utmost.

Jack did some rather intense interrogation on the last surviving attacker but got very little useful information.  Before they could give him over to authorities he committed suicide however under Jack's watch.  Soon after the baron decided to fire Jack who went on back into the world.  The baron was actually rather grateful he left without a fuss.

Before anyone knew it a year had already passed, making Veronica the ripe age of eleven.

[hr]

[color=6ecff6]"Are you sure this contraption is stable?"[/color]  The baron questioned as he poked around his newest purchase, a horseless carriage.  A very diminutive pixie fluttered around in a shocked fashion, meaning very erratically as it tried to defend its work.

"Of course it is!  The gearbox has been triple-checked!  I would stake my reputation as the best engineer in all of Brighton!"

[color=6ecff6]"Ohh, but I thought you were the second best?"[/color]  The baron countered without batting an eye as he continued his inspection over all the shiny metal that comprised the machinery that allowed the carriage to move without any animal power.

The two foot-tall pixie seemed to buzz as its ruby red wings moved like a hummingbird's wings in frustration.  "Please, that no good gnome hack might have a much bigger operation but he can't do the find detail work that I can!"

[color=6ecff6]"I have great respect for your work, and I really do thank you for coming all this way to do a check even after I bought it.  I really hope this will make a great addition to my house and allow me to get home even sooner."[/color]  It had been a very expensive purchase and he'd be feeling like he had a hole in his money pocket for a while but the benefits such a machine could bring had been too good to pass up.  He just hoped it would not come and backfire on him later.

[color=6ecff6]"Thank you for your service.  I'll have James take care of anything you need before you head back."[/color]  The baron figured this would be as safe as he could make the inspection and turned toward the pixie to thank it.

"Thank you your lordship, I'll happily take you up on the offer."  The pixie's irritation gone, he flew away to find James and get some tea before heading back to Brighton.

The baron looked back at the fancy machine with worry.  [color=6ecff6]"Well, I hope you're up for a trip, cause it is high time I take my daughter on a trip to the city."[/color]  The gear laden carriage shone with splendor as if to say it would complete the trip without fail.  The baron certainly hoped that was the case.

[hr]

Veronica happily played with a rather large playhouse in the middle of a special playroom inside the mansion.  It was large, two-story, and was cut in half so that her dolls could populate the inside while she made up stories.  The current drama seemed to be a family dispute between Mr and Mrs Bunny and their human offspring.

[color=bc8dbf]"How many times have I told Danny, you cannot go into town on your own?  What if something had happened to you because of those hoodlims you hang out with?"[/color]  Mrs. Bunny scolded Danny, a young boy doll with dark hair.

[color=bc8dbf]"Why do you always have to get in the way mom?  I have great fun every time I'm over there!  It's perfectly safe!"[/color]  Danny argued back fiercely.

[color=bc8dbf]"Now you listen to your mother young man or one day you're going to regret it!"[/color]  Mr Bunny said in his wife's defense.
[color=bc8dbf]
"Honey, let me handle this."[/color]  Mrs. Bunny said, then continued to explain to her son what horrible things could happen to him.  The funny thing was that Veronica had actually had quite a few of things things happen, or at least been attempted against her so the drama was not exactly that far from home.