Toby had set the bed tray aside, as Jill walked over to him, helping him to get off the couch as Jane had gone to get a soft pillow for him to sit on at the dining room table. Jane was rather surprised when Marie sat down at the table instead of helping bring out their meal. She gave Marie a look, only to have Marie hold up a finger, indicating she'd have to wait for her answer. Jane had been so involved with everything around the events of the day that she only now realized the wonderful aroma permeating the house. Her wait to learn the cause of that aroma wasn't long in coming, as first Francis then Charlotte came out of the kitchen, each carrying two plates of food. Francis placed her plates in front of Jane and Marie, while Charlotte placed her plates in front of Jill and Toby. Francis had gone back into the kitchen after serving Jane and Marie and returned with the remaining two plates of food.

After Charlotte and Francis had sat down, they again watched as Toby momentarily bowed his head. Jane waited, then asked, "Is this what I think it is, Miss Thorton? Huevos Rancheros, made with the correct ingredients? With just a touch of 'heat'?

Jane saw ideas play across Charlotte's face, frowning when the one Charlotte thought to use, but the thought died when Charlotte saw the expression on Jane's face. Charlotte chuckled, then said, "Yes, Aunt Jane. This is indeed Huevos Rancheros, made with all of the correct ingredients. And yes, with a touch of 'heat'. And yes, I removed the seeds from the jalapeños, no proper chef would add them to a dish like this." Charlotte actually smirked, earning her a stink eye from Jane. Jane's stink eye had the desired affect, and a proper young lady reemerged. Charlotte mouthed, 'sorry' and earned a head nod from Jane. Charlotte had a feeling she'd pushed things a bit to far, and might regret it.

Everyone waited for Jane to take the first bite. They watched as Jane's expression went through several emulations before she told Charlotte, "Ahhh, finally, the real thing. The tortillas are still hot but supple. The egg is at the right consistency. The refried beans not dry but not to watery. And the pico de gallo, wonderful, with just the right balance of heat and the flavor from the lime juice. My compliments to the chef, Miss Thorton, and you must teach THIS recipe to Marie. For I expect to see THIS recipe again at this table.

Marie shook her head, looked at Charlotte and said, "So eine Drama-Queen, unsere Jane. Man könnte sagen, sie gehört auf eine Bühne. " Turning to look at Jane, Marie asked, "Dürfen wir jetzt unsere Mahlzeiten einnehmen, Eure Majestät?"

Jane gave Marie her best stink eye, which did no good, since Marie was immune to them. Instead, Jane told her, "Sie stehen kurz vor der Änderung Ihres Wohnsitzes. Wenn Sie an dieser Leichtfertigkeit festhalten, wird sie zur Realität."

Hearing what Jane said, Charlotte looked between the two women, seeing a serious look on Jane's face and a blank stare on Marie's. Toby caught what he thought was tension between the two women, and Francis was trying to decipher what Aunt Jane just said. Jill, on the other hand, was doing her very best not to start laughing because of the looks on the two girls' faces and Toby's reaction. She had seen this act so many time before that it never got old, especially because of the reaction of those who didn't know the two women.

"Ja Ja Ja. Du sagst das immer wieder, aber hier bin ich, immer noch deine Allround-Haushälterin (Yes Yes Yes. You keep saying this, but here I am, still your all-around housekeeper)," Marie shot back, before a smirk appeared on the face of both woman. That's when Jill's willpower failed and she started laughing out loud.

Charlotte looked at the laughing Jill, then at Aunt Jane, then Marie. It was only then the smirks on the two women's faces, along with Jill laughing, registered with Charlotte. She let out a groan, closed her eyes as she slowly shook her head, before whispering in a sardonic voice, "Oh, gads."

Even though it had been a whisper, what Charlotte said wasn't lost on Jane, especially since she saw the gestures that accompanied it. "Yes, Miss Thorton? You have something to say to the rest of us?"

Charles always knew when he'd stepped into it in a big way, and this time it was no different. He looked at Jane, then Marie, then Jill, seeing the 'you stepped into it big time' look on their faces. If she told Aunt Jane, 'nothing,' Jane would persist that she heard Charlotte say something. If she told Aunt Jane what she realized and what she thought of it, Aunt Jane would surely assign her a writing assignment. She was in a no win situation. A damned if she does and damned if she didn't. Charlotte rolled the dice and they came up snake-eyes. "Um... I, a, realized that you and Marie were just bantering with each other, Aunt Jane."

"But that wasn't what you'd planned to say about our banter, was it, Miss Thorton?"

Marie and Jill had clamped there hands over their mouths, each enjoying watching Charlotte squirm under Jane's gaze. They watched, keeping their laughs under control for the moment. "Um... no Aunt Jane, it wasn't." Charlotte thought to herself, 'in for a penny, in for a pound,' before saying, "J'allais dire, tu aurais dû être sur scène.."

Jane kept her steady gaze on Charlotte, who realized the pile she'd stepped in was clear over her head. Jill and Marie were on the verge of laughing out loud from watching Charlotte squirm. "I see, Miss Thorton. So you believe I'd have made an excellent actress, Miss Thorton?"

Jane saw the decision on Charlotte's face, the one that said she had pulled her courage together, as she told Jane, "No Aunt Jane. You wouldn't have been an excellent actress. You'd have been a great actress."

Jane knew Charles would sometimes shy away from making a decision to do something for fear of the consequences. She used this play with Marie as a way to force Charles to make a decision and engage, even though there might be consequences. "Well, thank you for that confidence, Miss Thorton. But isn't your food getting cold?" Jane just smiled as she saw Charlotte realize she'd been played again. And watched as Charlotte shake her head, before picking up her fork and begin eating. Marie and Jill couldn't hold back any longer and started laughing, watching as Charlotte turned a lovely shade of red.

Everyone complimented Charlotte as they ate. Jill so loved what she was eating that she asked Charlotte to give her the recipe. When their main meal was finished, Francis and Charlotte collected everyone's plate, surprising Jane and Marie when Francis told them, "Dessert will be out in a minute." When the girls came out of the kitchen, each was carrying a try with three bowls. Francis sat a bowl down in front of Jane, Marie, and Jill. While Charlotte sat her bowls down in front of Toby and where she and Francis sat. When Francis returned the trays to the kitchen, and returned, she stood behind her seat, and told the assembled group, "This is Arroz Con Leche, Mexican rice pudding. We hope you enjoy it." She and Charlotte then sat down and began eating their dessert. Jill once again asked for a recipe.

When their meal was finally over, the girls asked to be excused, as did Toby. Jane excused Toby but told the girls, "This was a passable meal, ladies. I expect your next meal to be even better." Jill and Marie bit their tongues as the watched the expressions on the two girls' faces go from pride because of what they'd done for Jane and Marie, to shock at hearing they'd have to fix another meal. Jane then excused the girls, as Jill helped Toby leave the table and walked with him back to the couch. Despite the girls being the chefs, Marie left the table and went into the kitchen. Jane left the table and went into the study, wanting to check for any faxes or emails she needed to see.

Jane sat down at her desk in the study, unlocked the computer just as the fax machine chimed, indicating a fax was ready to be printed. Jane stood up, walked to the fax machine, entered a code, and waited while the fax machine printed out the fax. Taking the printed fax off the machine, she sat back down and began reading.

From: Jeb Thorton, et al.

To: Jane Thompson

Re: More Arrests Made and a shooting victim

Jane,

Saddly, there's been another shooting. This time the victim was an adult, possibly shot for the same reason the kids were killed. Two police officers were partolling the warehouse district and found him lying outside a warehouse door, apparently trying to get help for himself. One of the officers called for an ambulance as the other officer searched the man, trying to find any identification he might be carrying. Jane, it was Tylor Camber, Toby's brother. He was shot three times, his pulse was weak, and we were told he'd lost a lot of blood. But he was still alive and they rushed him to the hospital and directly into emergency surgery. Right now, he's in recovery, in serious but guarded condition. None of the bullets hit any vital organs, but because of the blood loss, they're keeping an alertful eye on him. He's being kept sedated, to give his body a chance to recover and to keep him for thrashing about until his body has recovered. When he is taken off the sedatives, he isn't going anywhere, as the police have arrested him and cuffed him to the bed rail.

While reading this fax, you may wonder why he was being sought, since he was smarter and didn't live above his means. Several statements from the kids caused the police investigators to start checking bank accounts. His account was one of several that had been flagged by the bank as suspicious. While he wasn't living above his means, he was saving above his means. A guy working for $20 an hour has a hard time explaining how he's able to deposit $5000 into his bank account each week. If he makes it through the next several days, the police will ask him that question, and like the department store staff arrested, they'll threatened to lay everything on his shoulders if he doesn't talk to them. He is going to prison, how long is up to him.

I'll keep you informed when we hear anything more. Give our love to Charles.

Reguards,

Jeb

Jane reread the fax twice more, looking for anything Jeb might be eluding too but didn't say. Unlocking the secure drawer, and opening it, she put that fax into the drawer, closed it and relocked it. She sat there with her head back, resting on the chair back, wondering how Toby was going to take hearing that his brother had been shot, had undergone surgery, and was in serious but guarded condition. She also wondered why the good ones had to walk through hell during their lives. Setting her resolve, Jane pushed the chair back, stood up, and walked out of the study with a purpose.

The girls had been directed by Marie to return to their lessons in the library. Jill had to leave for an appointment with one of her patients. Marie was sitting in one of the two easy chairs in the living room, reading a book and keeping an eye on Toby. As Jane walked into the living room, she saw that Toby had fallen asleep, with a piled of completed tests lying to his left. The bed tray had been moved to the floor and a blanket had been placed over him, likely by Marie. Marie looked up from the book she was reading, saw Jane's face, stood up and motioned towards the kitchen; they could monitor Toby from the kitchen monitor. Once the two women were in the kitchen, and the kitchen monitor was active and the living room on the screen, Marie made Jane sit down at the kitchen table and made each of them a mug of tea. After setting a mug before Jane, she sat opposite Jane in order to keep an eye on Toby by way of the monitor.

Marie had been with Jane since the beginning, and knew how to read her. Asking, "What is it, chère? What news have you received?"

Jane took a sip of her tea, sat it back down on the kitchen table, played with it, rotating it where it sat, picked it up, took another sip, sighed deeply, and told Marie everything. "They've made more arrests, adults this time. That Obler moron and the security guard, Conner, from the Taylor's where Charles encountered his troubles. Managers and assistant managers from other department stores were also arrested. Even some of the staff were involved, and were arrested. The fools were living about their means. Obler had a car his yearly salary couldn't begin to afford. And Conner, car, house, vacation home, what a fool. Some of the statements given by the kids led to these arrests, and resulted in forensic accountants looking into banking accounts. One in particular."

Jane once again looked down at her mug, played with it again. Picking it up and taking another sip, she continued with, "A patrol car was checking warehouses in the warehouse district and found a man lying outside one of the warehouses. He'd been shot three times, still alive, but in a serious condition because of blood loss. One of the officers called for an ambulance while her partner searched the man, looking for identification." Once again, Jane looked down at the mug in front of her, rotating it back and forth.

Marie waited a moment, then asked, "Who was he chère? Is he related to someone we have here with us?"

Jane nodded her head, then in a small voice said, "He's Toby's brother, Tylor. He was taken to the hospital and into emergency surgery. He's in serious but guarded condition at the moment. Doctors say if he makes it through the next few days, then his chances of a full recovery are excellent. His main problem is the blood loss he suffered, none of the three bullets hit any vital organs. They were looking for him because they couldn't understand how a man making $20 an hour could deposit $5000 a week into his bank account. The most he could have made a week, without overtime, and before taxes were taken out, was $800 a week. Take out taxes, and well, you see why they wanted to find him."

"And you're worried how Toby will take the news, given his own condition. How would you feel, chère, if someone did to you what was done to Toby? He isn't Charles, at least we don't know if he is. He may forgive his brother, or he may curse him. No matter his reaction, he has the right to know. And no matter how he reacts, you're going to hate yourself for needing to tell him, aren't you?"

Jane nodded her head, replying, "Yes... yes I am. But he does deserve to know, that is beyond doubt."

Marie reached across the table and took Jane's hands in her own. "Chère, nothing about this whole situation is normal. One boy was falsely accused, another savagely beaten into submission and being hunted. This is not our normal way of dealing with our girls. We've not had boys at the level of Charles or Toby, or even Francis as they are at the moment. Why, Frank would still be the lackadaisical boy he was before Charlotte came. But look at him now. Look how far he's come. That's what we've worked for in the past, and hoped for. Not a falsely accused boy and one in Toby's condition and situation. Remember the past successes, and failures, and don't dwell on a situation that's out of our hands. As I have told you many times before, "Nous ne pouvons faire que ce que nous pouvons faire. Ne vous attardez pas sur ces choses que nous ne pouvons pas contrôler."

Jane squeezed Marie's hands and smiled at her, before hearing, "Now, go check on the girls. I'll go back into the living room and keep an eye on Toby. Jill said she'd return after taking care of her patient appointments. Go... shoo!"

Jane squeezed Marie's hands one more time, before releasing them, picking up her mug and finishing her tea. She stood up from the kitchen table and walked out of the kitchen, heading to the library to check on the girls. Marie watched her go, very tempted to pick up the phone and call an old friend. A friend who could find the head of this whole monster. Whether the monster would be delivered alive would depend on that person. But her friend would deliver them to those searching for them. Marie finished her own tea, picked up both mugs, rinsed them out and set them on the counter next to the sink. She turned off the monitor, closed and locked the cabinet, before leaving the kitchen and picking up where she left off with the book she was reading. She had to get the thoughts out of her head of what she desperately wanted to do to several of those involved in all of this.

Jane knocked on the library door before entering, closing the door behind her. Some of Charlotte must have rubbed off onto Francis, because after seeing Jane's face, she asked, "What, Aunt Jane? It's bad, isn't it Has something happened to Toby?" Jane was two steps away from the table the girls sat at, doing their lessons, when Francis asked her question. Jane gave Francis a 'how did you know' look and was told by Francis, "The expression on your face said it all, Aunt Jane. Is it something about Toby?"

Jane smirked, stepped up to the table, pulled out a chair and sat down. "That's very observant of you, Francis. Your teacher has done well." Saying that she looked over at Charlotte, who had a mixed expression on her face that said she hoped Jane approved and worried Jane didn't approve. Chuckling, Jane told Charlotte, "Relax, Charlotte. You did a splendid job teaching Francis to read expression, it can become quite useful in certain situations." Taking a deep sigh, looking first at Francis, then Charlotte, deciding they needed to know, she told them, "Yes, part of the news I received is bad. But there is good news as well. More arrests have been made, adults this time. Charlotte, you remember Dan Obler and James Conner? They were just two of all the adults arrested. Managers, assistant managers, and staff at other departments stories have been arrested. The arrests were due to statements many of the kids give. Those arrested were living well above their means, owning more than their salaries would allow." Jane paused, looked down, then went on with, "A patrol car was patrolling the warehouse district and found a man lying on the ground near one of the warehouses. He'd been shot three times, he was still alive, but in serious condition because of blood loss. They called an ambulance and searched him in an attempt to identify him." Jane looked up then finished with, "It was Toby's brother, Tylor. They were looking for him because of his weekly deposits, which were substantially more than a man making $20 an hour should be able to deposit. He was taken to the hospital and rushed into emergency surgery. He's in serious but guarded condition, but he's alive. Doctors believe if he survives the next few days that he'll make a full recovery." She paused and made another decision, as she said to the girls, "And I have to tell Toby about this."

Francis looked at Charlotte, and Charlotte looked at Francis, before both girls stood up from their chairs, Charlotte walking around the table with Francis the first to hug Jane. After both girls had put their arms around Jane, she reached up, held onto their arms, and with tears sliding down her face, gave the girls, "Thank you for this, girls. I needed it." Both girls laid their heads on Jane's shoulders, where they were found when Marie came into the library to tell Jane that Toby was awake. Jane thanked Marie, and patting the girls' arms, told them, "I have to go girls. Please come with me, Toby might need you in a moment."

When the three came out of the library, Francis closing the door behind her, Marie was helping Toby to the downstairs bathroom. All three went into the living room to wait. Toby turned out to be as sharp as Charles was at reading expression. When Marie helped him back to the living room, and to sit on the couch, he had no problem determining something bad had occurred. "Aunt Jane, give it to me straight. No embellishment, no varnishing the truth. Just be honest with me. By the way you three are acting right now, I'd guess it's about my brother, yes? You're worried how I'll react if you say what has to be said about him, right? He isn't dead, because people act differently around those who've lost a loved one or family member. So he's alive, just not in very good shape, right?"

Jane had an astonished look on her face after what Toby said. He then chuckled when he saw the look of 'how did you know' expression on Jane's face, telling her, "I learned real fast how to read someone's facial expression, Aunt Jane. It was after mom walked out on us, and dad had to start working two jobs to keep the dogs at bay, when my brother started slapping me around, then changed to beating me, that I learned how to read his moods when I was around him. I could tell, after walking into our apartment, whether I was going to be slapped silly or beat until I lost consciousness. Learning to 'read' my brother's moods also helped when it came to that man. I could tell from his expression, the minute he entered the building, what kind of a mood he was in. I could tell whether one of us could say something and not set him off or whether it was better to just keep quiet. I could also tell when someone was going to pay for something that happened. So, Aunt Jane, how bad had my brother been hurt?"

Jane pulled herself up straight and looked directly at Toby. "More arrests have been made, Toby. This time, because of statements given by the kids that were arrested, it was managers and assistant managers, along with staff, from not only Taylor's but other department stores in the area. Even the ex-manager and security guard at the Taylor's where you were caught were arrested. In some of the kids' statements, they talked about those people having fancy homes, cars, and in one case, a boat that could almost be called a ship. They all were living well above their means, Toby. When they started looking into bank records of these people, and discovered deposits that were much greater than they should have been able to deposit, that's when Tylor popped up on their radar. Your brother was working for $20 an hour, but putting $5000 a week into his bank account. A man working for $20 an hour, working 40 hours a week, only makes $800 before taxes are taken out. And yet, he was putting $5000 into his account each week."

No one saw Marie slip out of the living room and into the kitchen. It wasn't long before she was back, holding a tray in front of each person, urging them to take one of the glasses of water she'd returned with. After Jane all but drained her glass of water, she continued giving Toby the worst part of the information she'd received. "A patrol car was patrolling the warehouse district, Toby, and found a man lying on the ground next to one of the warehouses. He'd been shot, three times, but was still alive and in serious condition. While one officer called for an ambulance, the other searched the man's pockets, trying to find some kind of identification that would tell them the name of the man. The officer found the man's wallet and driver license, and learned it was your brother, Tylor. He was rushed to the hospital and into emergency surgery. On the plus side, none of the three bullets hit any vital organs, but he'd lost a lot of blood. He's still alive, in serious but guarded condition. I was told that if he makes it through the next few days, he'll likely make a full recovery. But he won't be leaving the hospital on his own. He's been arrested and handcuffed to the bed railing. When the police have the doctor's permission, they'll start questioning him." Jane drank the rest of the water in her glass, then sat back in the chair, watching Toby.

Seasons House was unscrupulous for making people examine their own feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. Jane could see how Toby was doing that at the moment, wondering what he would discover. She thought he was about to say something due to his head shake, but he remained silent, mulling over his thoughts. Finally, with more head shaking, he said, "My brother chose his own path, so he must accept the consequences of walking that path. You're probably wondering if I hate my brother, Aunt Jane. Do I hate him, Aunt Jane? No, but I do hate what he did to me. Do I love him, Aunt Jane. No, Aunt Jane, I don't. He made it clear early on that he was only concerned about himself, not me or our dad. Even before our mother walked out, he only cared about himself. I do, though, feel sorry for him. He could have gone any other way than he did, and would have been successful, he was that kind of a person. But the lure which caught him was green, money green. It pulled him in so deep that he's now fighting for his life and will spend years behind bars. I hope he recovers, Aunt Jane, but I have no desire to ever see him again. This feeling could change, in time, but I doubt it, not after everything he did to me.

Jane nodded sagely after Toby's statements. Then said in general, "Excuse me, there's something I must do." She stood up from the chair then walked to and into the study, closing the door behind her. She sat down at her desk, picked up the handset and dialed a number. After speaking with the person at the other end, she hung up the handset and waited until the fax maching chimed. Entering the security code, Jane waited until the machine printed out the fax it had received. She got up from her chair, went to the study door, opened it and called, "Charlotte, please come here." When Charlotte reached the study door, Jane fully opened it so Charlotte could enter the study and closed it behind her. "Charlotte, who is this man?" Jane asked, then handed Charlotte the piece of paper she'd been holding."

Watching Charlotte carefully, Jane got her first answer because of Charlotte's unflattering facial expression and then by, "That's Mr. Strom. He's the CEO of Taylor's department stores. He's the one who threatened to take me to Federal Court if Judge Ruth didn't find me guilty." Then risking consequences, Charlotte asked, "Why do you want to know who he is, Aunt Jane?"

With a smirk on her face, Jane told Charlotte, "You'll see, come with me. But say nothing and don't react. Understand?" Charlotte nodded her head, and followed Jane out of the study.

Jane began speaking just as she stepped into the living room. "Toby, describe the man to me again."

Charlotte was standing next Jane just into the living room, and like the others, was watching Toby. "He was maybe 5' 10" to 6', Aunt Jane. He wasn't thin but didn't have a gut. He had gray to white hair and he always wore a suit and tie. And he always had a pin attached to his right lapel."

Slowly walking over to the couch, Jane handed the paper to Toby. "Is this the man you saw, Toby. His name is George Strom, he's the CEO of Taylor's department stores."

Toby took the offered paper from Jane. Everyone in the room could see that man was familiar to Toby, as he immediately crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor. His face took on a horrible expression as he said quite forceful, "YEAH, that's the man. He's the one that punched the kid who didn't want to shoplift. He's the one who had some of the kids tied between the two pipes before whipping them. He also took some of the girls into another room there in the warehouse, they came out really shookup. Him I could do things to without remorse." At that moment, Charlotte took off down the hallway to the backdoor and out the door, leaving it swinging on its hinges. The consequences of leaving a door open wasn't on her mind at the moment.

Everyone had been so focused on Toby and what he was saying, they hadn't noticed Charlotte had bolted until they hear running feet on the hard wood flooring. Turning, Jane saw Charlotte disappear down the hallway to the backdoor, hearing the door open but not close. Marie started to get up, but Jane held up her hand and went after Charlotte herself. She had a feeling where Charlotte was headed.

Jane walked down the hallway and out the backdoor, closing the door behind her as she stood on the small porch. She went down the steps, looked around for Charlotte, and only knew she was right when her mere whinnied. Charlotte was with Pinto. When Jane reached the stable, she didn't go in, instead watched as Charlotte curried Pinto. Every so often, she'd lean her forehead against the horse and cry, only to wipe her eyes moments later and continue curring Pinto. Several times after crying, she'd walk around and hug Pinto, with Pinto gently laying its head on her shoulder. Charlotte was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't see or hear Jane as she quietly walked into the stable and sat on a hay bail. At least that's what Jane thought. "I so want to kick that fucken bastard's ass, Aunt Jane. I want to do to him what he's done to those kids, only with a cat-o-nine tails. I want to fillet him alive, Aunt Jane. For everything his done and everyone he's hurt, Aunt Jane. And I can't do a damn thing about any of it! Because that's not who I am, Aunt Jane," Charlotte finished with a soft voice. "And because it isn't the right thing for me to do. Damnitall, why do I have to be that way? Why can't I go out there and kick a bastards butt and not care if he lives or dies?" Charlotte was standing on Pinto's left side as she spoke, not looking at Jane. She now turned to face Jane and with tears rolling down her cheeks, asked, "Why, Aunt Jane?" She then dropped to the ground and started bawling.

Two things occurred almost simultaneously. Jane rush to Charlotte, kneeled down, and pulled her into a hug and held her. Pinto had turned herself around and now put its head gently on Charlotte's shoulder, whinnying softly to help comfort the girl. Jane gently rocked Charlotte, and for the moment, let Charlotte cry herself out. When Charlotte had cried herself out, she reached up and rubbed Pinto's muzzle, thanking her for caring. Jane chuckled, as she watched Pinto walk back into her stall, turn around and using the underside of her mouth, pull the stall door shut. Giving Jane what could only be called a smile. "She just went back into her stall, didn't she, Aunt Jane? And closed the stall door behind her, right? She's quite the horse, isn't she Aunt Jane?"

Jane helped Charlotte to stand, answering her question with, "Yes, she quite a horse." She led Charlotte to the hay bails, had Charlotte sit down before going into the tack room and returning with two bottles of water. Handing one to Charlotte, Jane sat down next to the girl and they both sat quietly drinking their water. When Jane sensed Charlotte had calmed down enough, she began telling Charlotte her thoughts concerning Charlotte's question. "You asked why you didn't have it in you to go out and beat the hell out of people like George Strom, not caring whether they lived or died? First, because that isn't you, Charlotte. Secondly, the world is full of people like George Strom. People who steal, cheat, kill, rob, generally don't care about anyone but themselves and what they can get for themselves. What the world doesn't have enough of is people like you. People who are kind, intelligent, willing to help others, willing to stand up for others with disregard for the consequences. There are people like you out there, Charles, but not enough to counter all of the George Stroms in the world. And when you take care of one George Strom, another one appears. And after a while, Charles, those like you can no longer deal with not seeing the George Stroms of the world get what they deserve, and walk away to find their own private solitude. If you went after every George Strom out there, Charlotte, the world would lose you. Because you'd finally find it impossible to deal with it all and walk away to find your own solace."

Charlotte asked Jane a question Jane hadn't expected from the girl. "Is that what you did, Aunt Jane? Walked away to find your own solitude? Did you walk away from all the stupidity, bureaucracy and foolishness? Is that why you and Marie started your own school?"

Jane marveled at the girl, chuckled and said, "Charles Thorton. You do ask the damnest questions sometimes."

Chuckling, Charles answered with, "You aren't the first person to tell me that, Aunt Jane. But did you, walk away to find your own solitude?"

"Yes, Charles. Marie and I walked away to find our own solitude. I could no longer tolerate the egos that knew nothing but acted as though they knew everything. I was tired of arguing with those who refused to do what had to be done but were too worried about reputations. I was fed up with blind parents who claimed their 'darlings' would never do anything they were caught doing. Yes Charles, I walked away from it all and together, Marie and I started our school for boys like Frank. Boys we knew we could help but not in a traditional way. As you're well aware. Marie and I have found our solitude and still help those needing the help they don't realize they need." Jane changed the subject by asking, "Are you feeling better now?"

Nodding her head, Charlotte answered, "Yes, Aunt Jane. But I'd feel even better if I could have a few minutes alone with Mr. Strom."

Jane chuckled for a few moments, before telling Charlotte, "Between you and me Charlotte, so would I. Come on, let's get you back into the house."

Charlotte nodded her head, stood, then took an apple from the nearby basket. She walked over to Pinto's stall, held out the apple and watched as Pinto gently took it from her hand. As Charlotte gently rubbed Pinto's muzzle, she said, "Thank you for caring about me. I really appreciate it." Still masticating the apple, Pinto whinnied and threw its head up and down. Then to Charlotte's surprise, Pinto used its head to push Charlotte towards the entrance to the stable. A sure signal from Pinto that Charlotte needed to go back to the house. Hugging Pinto's neck one last time, Charlotte and Jane walked back to the house. Each lost in their own thought, seeing everything they'd like to do to one George Strom. But each bridled by the one rein at the top of their list for George Strom. It wasn't the right thing to do.