. the portrait.”Jon was turning red again, but slowly calmed down.“He helped with the boys...”“I’m sure he did, it might not have been the c...use, but I’ll bet it didn’t help with my relationship with the boys!”“I don’t know, I suppose it’s possible,” I said. “With Christmas Antonio had to return home, and I was going to be all alone with the boys, when Maria called and invited us to join them.”“Of course you had to go, right?” Jon said sarcastically.“You don’t have to be so nasty about it,. . would like to talk to you ... I mean about ... well ... what you already know about ... I mean about Lady Anita and myself. I ... would like to again formally request her hand in marriage," said Brian all in a rush at the end as he looked at Dusty almost pleadingly.The poor boy was flushed but determined and Anita smiled and reached out and held his hand as he spoke. He seemed to gather strength from that."Well you know, the King and I were talking about that just this very morning, about you. I've no doubt he'd offer his life in her defense, as young as he is. Of course there's no such threat to either of them, but I think it's important that you understand how deep his feelings go."Frank shifted uneasily in his chair. Madeline glanced nervously from her husband to Mike and back, then stared into her cup for a moment before lifting her eyes back to Mike with a hard look."Just what is this young man's interest in our daughter? How old is he?" No, no, nothing like that! You. Like the senator suspected" Yes Ma'am I am in the process of decrypting her personal files as we speak, I will contact you as soon as I know more" Yes Ma'am it looks like this lab was only the tip of the iceberg as far as the wormhole research goes, I would recommend we secure the lab on the moon, it has all the same equipment as here, In theory it could duplicate the results here" Yes Ma'am as far as I can tell they only ever thought it was time travel, we may have got it in time" I know.