reaction. "This is the butler, call him Grandpa Bryan. She's the cook, Miss Emma.... I'll introduce you to the other staff late

only ever seen in movies. Everything about it suggested the Barnes villa had stood there for at least four generati

ill be upstairs, let's go." Mrs. Barnes kept showi

rs?" Mr. Barnes asked the butler after settling into

all with his friends from school,

boy's attitude never changes." M

d to adopt Juliana.... and Elaine, she thought back, and couldn't help but sneer. She'd have to find some way to get that girl out of this fami

clothes to bother hanging any. She hadn't reacted as strongly as Juliana had when they arrived, not because she wasn't surprised or happ

emed Mr. and Mrs. Barnes had already gone up to their room. Elaine nodded slightly and headed straight for the backyard sh

uch, or why the moves came to her so easily even without a teacher. Maybe it was instinct. S

her down for dinner?" Mrs. Barnes asked when

ybe she's upset," Juliana added,

dishes, giving Juliana a meaningful look. After waiting a while

d the footsteps even though the person had tried to tread carefully. She opened her eyes

hy did you interrupt?" s

doing in my backyard?" he answered, a sma

ted to pay him further attention, she closed her

aid, before finally leaving after watching he

t and outdoor air, tossing his basketball toward the hall closet withou

rs. Barnes waved him over to where Juliana still sat pick

falling just slightly over one eye, a jaw that looked like it belonged on someone twice his age. Even in a plain t-shirt with grass

ling him he could be in magazines if he wanted," Mrs. Barnes went on,

"Hey." He said it flat, already

new sister," his moth

rly bored of the whole introduction before it h

ime, leaving his mother mid-sentence and his fat

not even close, and the fact that he barely looked at her only made her want his attention more. Long after she'd gone up to her own room that night, she lay awake rep