When she had buttoned the last button, shehad inadvertently left a raised fold in the blouse so I could see her brathrough the opening. Kristina had n...ver been so close to me before and Istarted feeling pangs of happiness that she was my sister now. I wasthinking of telling her that I loved her, when Karen returned holding ababy bottle with milk in it. "I warmed up the bottle," she said."Good," Kristina said sitting up straight and getting ready to feed methe bottle.Karen handed the bottle to. ."Sarah could hear noises coming from the front door, and two voices: onemale, the other female. Moments later, a man who looked to be in hismid-forties entered in the company of a young woman who simply had to beBrenda's daughter; she had the same natural elegance, the same sallowcomplexion, the same undisguisable innate beauty; but there wassomething else - perhaps the shape of her eyes, her nose, her mouth -Sarah was not quite sure, but there was something of Noah in her facetoo. Brenda was. She tapped my bottom. I heard the whistle, and felt the hundred bee stings. But I cried out, “One. Thank you, ma’am.”“Very good. You are a fast learner.” I felt the tap, heard the whistle, boy did it hurt. “Two. Thank you, ma’am.”“You will treat women a lot better from now on.”I felt the tap, heard the whistle, and the pain. “Three. Thank you, ma’am.”“Your halfway through your punishment.”I felt the tap, heard the whistle, and the pain. “Four. Thank you, ma’am.”“Only two left.”I felt. Not really. I probably know more than most of the people here though. You know Belladonna, right?” Tonya asked. “You were part of whatever she got swept up into before she took off on that boat?” They went down a flight of stairs. The walls went from wood to stone.“Yes,” Janie said. “I’m not sure how much about I should talk about it.”“I’m not a gossip,” Tonya said. “I won’t pry though. Your business is your own. Caine says to help you out, I’ll help you out.”“He seems to have a lot of respect.