Gale was coming down the grand staircase with a small handbag when Corbin came from the mausoleum and entered the manor through the front door, noticing a plump suitcase resting at the bottom of the stairs. He snapped his fingers as he greeted Gale with a look of remembrance.

    "That's right, you're going away with Ethan this weekend aren't you?" he recalled.

     Gale sat the handbag down next to her suitcase. "Yes, to his cabin for a few days," she answered pleasantly.

    She clasped her hands in front of her then gracefully composed herself into a very lady-like posture with an expression of reserved concern under her radiant blond hair. "The cabin is only about an hour away, so if anyone should need me..."

    "Don't worry about us," Corbin interrupted, half smiling at Gale's parental care. "We'll be fine. You just go and enjoy yourself with Ethan," he instructed sincerely.

    Gale smiled gratefully at her brother's wish then her blue eyes widened slightly at the thought of something forgotten. "Oh, I left my cell phone upstairs," she said as she turned to ascend the stairs.

    The sounding of the doorbell made Gale pause on the first step, looking toward the front door with Corbin. "That must be Ethan. Will you show him in while I go upstairs?" she requested.

    "Of course," Corbin replied as he started for the door. Gale resumed her climb up the stairs.

    Corbin opened the door with a welcoming smile for the wiry, clean-shaven fellow with a conservative part to his brown hair who stood at the threshold in very stylish winter clothes.

    "Good morning Ethan, come on in," Corbin greeted as he motioned for Ethan to come inside.

    "And a good morning to you Corbin," Ethan joyously returned as he stepped into the warmth of the manor.

    Corbin closed the door and turned to find Ethan staring at him with an intrigued wonder gleaming in his eyes. Shaking his head in disbelief Ethan said,"I still can't quite get over you being here. I mean, after all those years."

    Making a gesture for Ethan to proceed toward the grand staircase with him, Corbin replied,"Yeah, I'm still trying to catch up myself. I mean there's a lot to absorb after a nineteen year absence."

    "Oh for sure, for sure," Ethan readily agreed.

    They stopped at Gale's waiting luggage and Ethan, who knew nothing yet of the Allender's unique heritage, went on about Corbin's return.

    "It's just an incredible tale, that the arsonist who set fire to your aunt's house took you all those years ago and raised you as his own until, on his death bed, he told you the truth about who your real family is."

    "Yeah, I know it's kind of a tall tale, but...that's the way it happened," Corbin admitted as convincingly as he could, binding the fabrication used to explain his return to Ethan with as much belief as he could genuinely display.

    Ethan wanted to comment further, but the sound of Gale's steps as she made her way down the stairs stole his attention, and the sight of her made him forget all about Corbin. He watched, almost entranced, as Gale sent him a smile as she descended the stairs then walked up close to him. He leaned in and the two shared a brief kiss for their morning greeting while Corbin observed, delighted.

    "All set my dear?" Ethan asked.

    Gale answered with a nod, then Ethan grabbed her suitcase and Corbin took her handbag and led the way to the door, which he opened for them. Outside, Ethan's hatchback responded with an audible clicking noise when Ethan reached in his pocket and pressed the button on the clicker to open the rear hatch. He raised the hatch with one hand and carefully placed the suitcase in with his other. Corbin handed him the handbag then went to Gale who stood beside the passenger door.

    With no need for words to express themselves, Gale lovingly caressed Corbin's cheek with the backside of her hand while he gazed warmly into her eyes. Ethan closed the hatch, then went to open the door for Gale who slid into the car. Turning to face Corbin with a parting handshake, the two exchanged silent nods that assured Gale was in good hands. Corbin stood outside and watched until the hatchback drove out of sight. As it turned onto the highway from the manor's drive and headed off in the direction of Ethan's cabin, a dark blue sedan crept onto the highway from a carefully chosen vantage point near the manor and trailed the hatchback, keeping an unsuspecting distance between them.

    Corbin went to his room and sprawled out across his bed. Glancing at the alarm clock told him that dawn was long gone but the morning hours still lingered, so he cleared his thoughts as he closed his eyes in order to dose off and find a little more rest for the coming activities of the day. He awoke a couple of hours later with a groggy yawn, stretching to help wake himself. After a quick shower and a bite to eat from the pantry's offerings, he went upstairs to see if his little sister was ready for their afternoon jaunt to the movie theater in Ridgeville.

    As Corbin neared the open door to Lydia's room he heard her voice speaking strange words. He slowed his approach, hoping to hear more of what she was uttering in short, direct sentences that made no sense to him at all. He found her sitting cross-legged on her bed wearing headphones that were connected to her laptop which was lying in front of her. He leaned against the door jamb with folded arms and listened curiously as she fluently repeated the words prompted by the software on the laptop, having learned during his time at the manor that studying other languages was a hobby of hers. Her seemingly natural aptitude never ceased to impress him.

    She felt his presence and turned to see him at the door,  grinning quickly at his admiring stare as she removed the headphones and twisted around to let her feet dangle off the side of the bed.

    "So what language are you in the midst of mastering now?" he inquired.

    "Svenska!" she replied, erupting with enthusiasm.

    "And this will make what...your third alternate language?"

    "Ja!" she answered proudly, in the manner of Svenska.

    Corbin chuckled fondly at her exuberance. "If you're ready to go, you can tell me all about it on the way to Ridgeville."

    "Just give me a few minutes and I'll be ready," Lydia stated as she hopped eagerly off the bed.

    "Okay. I'm gonna find Shade and let her know we're leaving, so I'll meet you at the car," he informed.

    "Okay," Lydia chirped.

    Corbin went back downstairs and wandered the manor until he found Shade lounging in the entertainment room.

    "Hey, I just wanted to let you know that Lydia and I are about to leave. are you sure you don't wanna join us?" he offered.

    "Nah, it'll be nice to have the manor all to myself for a few hours. You two have a good time," she answered.

    Corbin eyed a small table across the room that was flanked by two chairs. On the table rested a chess set whose pieces were frozen in the middle of a strategic battle, with a few pieces from each side already captured and imprisoned off the board.

    "How 'bout we continue our game when I get back?" he suggested.

    Shade flashed a cocky smirk at the idea then said with a confident nod,"You're on."

    With that Corbin left the manor to Shade and met Lydia outside at the car. They took off toward Ridgeville, happy to be spending the afternoon together and unaware of the dark blue sedan that had fallen in behind them on the highway.