Adrianna's Dragon

Chapter 4 Aunt Kaitlyn

"Aunt Kaitlyn thank you for coming."

"I got your note and couldn't resist. That lovely girl who was arranging the flowers, was that Addie?"

"My newest cousin, Addie."

"James, what are you up to. This not like your dog rescuing you did as a child. Addie is a woman."

"She was living in a terrible situation and was forced to steal. I want to give her a new start. I plan to take her with me to the Republic and enroll her in the Healing Arts School in Bountiful."

"Are you in love with the girl?"

"I just want to help. Helen was only seventeen when she died in my arms. I was helpless Aunt Kaitlyn."

"What will my roll be?"

"You are going to turn her into a fine lady. Teach her how to walk with grace, and have better control of her speech. She walks like a boy and swears like a sailor," James laughed.

"You're serious with this?" James nodded. "Let's have lunch together and I'll assess your new cousin's potential. I relish a good challenge. Besides this is going to be fun. Are you sure you're not in love with her?" James ignored the question and introduced his aunt to Adrianna as they sat for lunch. "Addie, did James tell you why I'm here?"

"He said you were his aunt and coming to the Republic with us."

"You missed telling me that part James."

"I'm selling the villa, I just assumed you would come. You're all the family I have," James said blushing.

"I'm here to help with your education Addie."

"You're going to teach me to read!" Adrianna said with real enthusiasm. "Bloody hell! I so much want to read!" James winked at his aunt who was sitting open mouthed in response to Adrianna's last words."

"Reading, and much more."

"Like what?" Adrianna asked chewing a mouthful of food.

"How to walk and act like a lady." Adrianna snorted in response. Kaitlyn continued, "Do you like dressing in pretty cloths?"

"Hell yea, I LOVE this blue dress. James gived me 'bout eight of 'em. And look at this necklace. James always tells me I'm beautiful. I'm not, but I feel pretty when he smiles at me."

"I'll just leave you two alone for a while," James said as he finished eating and stood. "Have fun." Kaitlyn rolled her eyes at him as Adrianna listed all the things that James had done for her.

Once James was gone from the room Kaitlyn looked into Adrianna's eyes and said softly, "You're in love with him aren't you?" Adrianna stopped talking and broke eye contact. Her face was red and a single tear fell from her eye.

"Yea, like who wouldn't be. He is the nicest kindness man I've ever met. I know he don't love me. He will find him some beautiful woman, a real lady to fall in love with. I gots nowhere to go. James is going to pay for me to be a healer."

"Tell me how you met James?" Adrianna told Kaitlyn about her life as a thief and the night she broke into Helen's room. "How did you know the room belonged to a dead girl?"

"When I'm in a room or standing close to someone I can see and feel things. I knew Helen was loved and her loss a source of sadness, I could feel it in the room. I couldn't steal any of her stuff...well I did take a bar of nice smelling soap."

"What do you feel when you stand next to your family?"

"They scare me, especially the way my cousins look at me. Like they be hungry wolves and I'm the prey."