Let... " She was crying, her face toward the floor. She looked up at me, "Sir, no one has ever given me anything so ... so ... beautiful."The next eve...ing, as I was reading in our dining room, under a mage light to assist the setting sun, she bounced out of her bedroom. Bounced is the only word that describes her ebullient movement. She was wearing ankle length breeches, a blouse, and a short jacket. The shirt was of the light white material that servants had available in the castle, the. .. she looked exhausted."Doctor Blacktower, I've been looking forward to meeting you."Well ... that was about the most blatant lie I'd ever come across, in or outside of Washington.I must have come as quite a shock to her, because when our hands clasped her eyelids, which had been sleepily lowered in what felt to me like poorly concealed boredom, sprang wide open."Thank you for the invitation, ma'am." I rumbled softly, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.She'd probably gone thru that welcoming. I wonder whats in her mind. Liz and I love the freedom of boarding. My parents are divorced, and my dad travels all over the place. Mum wanted me to go back to live with her in England, but I got Dad to let me stay here. Awesome. How old are you? I blurt out. Becca blushes. I can tell Ive put my foot in it. Liz and I &hellip, were a couple of school years &hellip, she mutters, telling me her year group. I hope you dont think were &hellip, err &hellip, Becca pauses. Shes apparently not sure. Then I heard him stomp and the door slam as he left. I wanted to go over there, but without a good reason I just fidget around until a few minutes later there was a knock at my door. I opened it to find Julie, who while she had been crying before, had dried her eyes and put on her pleasant mask of a face that said everything was great. But I could see through it now to the pain underneath. Hi, I said dumbly, unsure what to say. Hi James, she said as if nothing was out of the ordinary. I hate to.