Chapter 7

Lexi lay floating in her lagoon when the house told her there was a little dragon trying to get in, Lexi looked and saw Mal standing at the front door, for just a moment she felt a prickle of tears, blinking them away she told the house to let him in, it had been four months since she had seen Tabby and Mal, she missed them a great deal but preferred to stay in her house. Mal appeared in the door way, with his eye’s wide he looked around then grinned widely at Lexi “can Mal come swim too?” Lexi nodded, Mal went zooming into the water, splashing and laughing, Lexi watched Mal playing, for a moment her heart stopped when he dove off the top of the waterfall down into the water. Mal paddled around “Mal and Tabby miss Lexi so much, Tee miss Lexi, you want come to story time at Salvation?” Lexi took the lily pad off the top of Mal’s head “we’ll see, no promises though” Lexi smiled when he put two orchids behind each ear as the two sat in the grass having juice and talking, Mal telling Lexi all about his baby Tee, about Heather and Holly setting the kitchen on fire trying to help Liz cook their breakfast, that Trink was in hiding until his beard and eyebrows grew back, that Mar had giggled so much when they had puffed Trink Marti’en thought he was having a fit and threw a pitcher of water on him. With a little sigh Mal said he had to go, Lexi gave him a tight snuggle then handed him two beautiful orchids for Tabby and Tee, Mal smiled and waved bye bye. Lexi left the lagoon and went out to the solarium, it and the library were the only rooms in the house she had bothered to decorate so far, what she had been doing was working on painting portraits, she had done one of her mother and father, Con, the one she was working on now was of Zara and DeClan, Tabby and Mal in their arms, she had even done one of Riley. Lexi sat for a long time wondering if she could face the gauntlet of disdain and disgust she knew she would see on the adults faces if she went to story time.

Zara frowned at Mal “where have you been young man” Mal took one of the orchids from behind his ear and gave it to his mama “went to see Lexi, ask Lexi come to story time” Zara blinked “did she say she would come?” Mal shook his head “said we’ll see” Zara sighed, Mal flew over to Tabby and gave her the flower “from Lexi” Tabby’s eye’s lit up, she purred holding the flower close, he then flew over to Tee who was curled around Mar’s neck, he held out the flower with a big grin, Tee ohhhh’d reaching for the flower “Lexi want Tee to have” Mal told her, Mal put the flower behind her ear and licked her cheek “Tee so pretty” Tee purred and crooned softly nuzzling his cheek, Mar hmmmm’d to himself hearing what Mal told Tee. Alex squeezed Laurel’s hand as he watched the young woman walk slowly across the lawn, her long braid wrapped around her head like a coronet, she was wearing a white blouse with a high collar, just the hint of lace around the edge, long sleeves also with a hint of lace at the tapered cuffs, a long loose flowing skirt of forest green, a delicate gold bracelet on her one wrist glinted in the sunlight. Lexi walked up to Zara “I hope you don’t mind that I came, Mal asked me to come for story time” Zara hugged Lexi “of course not sweetie, I’m thrilled to see you here” Tabby with a shriek of joy flew over to Lexi, hugging and nuzzling her purring happily, patting Lexi’s face with her little paw “miss you so much” Tabby told her, Lexi hugged her back “I missed you too kiddo.”

Lexi sat down on a small blanket snuggling and hugging Tabby, Tee and Mal, Crispin saw Lexi and went running over to sit on the blanket next to her, holding her hand, Holly and Heather went screeching over to snuggle Lexi, soon her lap was filled with hatchlings, Tee wrapped around her neck, Mal laying on her shoulder his little head laying next to TeeLinn’s.

DeClan walked out into the garden and stopped, Zara went over and hugged him then turned to look at all the children snuggled around Lexi.

Mar opened a book and cleared his throat, all the children hushed and waited for their story. After story time, Lexi stood up and gave all the children hugs saying it was time for her to go, Tabby sighed, Lexi snuggled her close “you can come see me any time you want, Kiddo” Tabby smiled with a purr then went to get her treat. Lexi told Zara and DeClan goodbye then turned to leave “Lexi?” Lexi looked at her Grandmother “hello Grandmother, Grandfather” Lexi stood talking to them for a few minutes then said goodbye, she waved to the hatchlings and left. Laurel wanted to cry, she looked up at Alex “all her laughter is gone, her smiles never once showed in her eye’s” Alex nodded sadly, Zara asked “has she spoken at all to Connor” Alex shook his head “not since the night the girls were born.”

Lexi got home to find a note tacked to her door, it was from Riley saying his Uncle and his wife had arrived at Montcliff hoping to find employment with Lexi and that Billy had been requesting her presence. Lexi sighed and set the note aside, told the house to allow the hatchlings in whenever they wanted then fixed herself a cup of tea, even though spring was just around the corner it was still quite chilly. Finishing her tea she took a deep breath and went to talk to Riley, maybe she could convince the Uncle that he really didn’t want to work for her.

“Miss Lexi, I’m pleased that you have responded so promptly” Riley said as Lexi appeared in the foyer, next thing she knew she had been ushered into the parlor and an older couple was being introduced to her. Lexi looked at the couple, if the man was related to Riley she certainly couldn’t see any resemblance, the man was a short, portly man with a shock of white hair, white bushy eyebrows, a dapper mustache closely trimmed on his upper lip, he had bright smiling eye’s and jolly red cheeks. His wife was even shorter, just as round, her hair was also white, she had round red apple cheeks and smiling eye’s, Lexi looked at the man and woman introduced as Molly and Henry “there is really nothing for the two of you too do, I don’t have visitors, I fix my own meals, there is no furniture to dust” she tried to explain to them.

“That’s quite all right Miss Lexi, I’m sure we can provide a needed service, Molly is an exceptional cook, you will enjoy her cooking” Henry said to Lexi smiling, Lexi sighed “why did the two of you decide to leave London?” Riley stepped forward “they were dismissed from their last post Miss Lexi, their former employer feeling that he wanted younger employee’s, it is not easy to find employment in London for a couple that want to work in the same house and are of an older age” Lexi wanted to say no but how could she tell these two smiling people that she didn’t want them.

“As I’m sure you are aware Miss Lexi, butlers and cooks usually live in the house where they are employed, which left Henry and Molly without a roof over their heads, they have been living with another family member the last few months” Riley told her, Lexi sighed “all right, Riley you win, I just hope they can knit or whittle or something because they won’t have anything to do” Henry, Molly and Riley beamed at her “I’m sure we can keep ourselves occupied Miss Lexi” Molly told her with a jolly smile. “Well there you are, it’s about time” Billy said padding into the room and jumping up on the sofa, purring and rubbing against Lexi, “hello Billy” she said patting her, “Miss Lexi enjoys the ability to converse with animals” Riley told Henry and Molly, Lexi glanced at Riley “you have filled them in on what goes on haven’t you Riley?” Riley nodded “Henry and Molly have been informed that there are various creatures that populate the area and the house and look forward to meeting them.”

Billy leapt off the sofa and came back in a few minutes later carrying a kitten which she put in Lexi’s lap, with an awwwww Lexi snuggled the kitten “I want you to have my little one” Billy told her, Lexi frowned “Billy, I can’t take your baby” Billy purred licking the kitten “yes you can, she is a tiny little thing and finds your sisters to much to handle, Cat and I want you to have her, please” little tiny black eye’s looked at her then the kitten started to lick her chin purring. Lexi felt some inner part of her that had been numb responding to the soft purr of the kitten as she snuggled it against her chest “all right Billy, I promise I’ll take very good care of her” Billy purred “I know you will, Cat says she is a prissy little one, so I have been calling her Priss” Lexi smiled “thank you Billy” Billy licked Lexi’s cheek “thank you for taking her, Cat and I know she will be safe with you.” Con walked in and froze seeing Lexi, he slowly backed out of the room a look of fear on his face, she heard him say to Riley in a whisper “you’re going to let your relatives go live with her? what if they make her mad? you might not see their bodies again” Riley frowned “that is quite inappropriate and quite rude Master Con, I feel certain my Uncle and his wife will be perfectly safe with Miss Lexi.”

Lexi stood up and tucked the sleeping kitten into her skirt pocket, then went out in the foyer “Henry, Molly if you’re still interested in working for me you need to get your luggage” Riley turned to Lexi “I have all ready taken the liberty of sending their luggage on to your home Miss Lexi.”

Connor walked in the front door to hear Con say “it may be rude but it’s true, hell she horrified Tommy so badly he went out to sea and has never come back to Montcliff” Lexi whispered goodbye to Riley and disappeared taking Molly and Henry with her. Connor frowned at Con “I think we need to have a talk young man, come into the study” Con followed his father into the study and threw himself in a chair, Connor sat behind his desk and looked at Con “why did you just do that to your sister? I know you miss her just as much as the rest of us, yet with your words you just sent her running back to her lair” Con looked down at his hand then back up at his father “I don’t know, I walked into the parlor and saw her sitting there and all I saw was her in the stable again” Con got up and walked over to the window looking outside “I still have nightmares about that night, I sit down to supper and see her empty chair and know there’s someone I love missing but I can’t look at her and not remember, she showed up at story time today and I left before she saw me because of that. Tommy was my friend and because of what she did, I probably won’t ever see him again.”

Connor got up and went over to stand beside Con, he put his hand on his shoulder “you should have told me about the nightmares, that at least I can do something about, your sister that night in the stable was trying to protect her human who was badly hurt, should she have let her human die? and by dying her dragoness die with her? would it have been easier for you if there had been three coffins that night? I hope you’re never, ever in that position to have to make that choice, I know I wouldn’t hesitate to do everything I had to, to keep myself and my dragon alive. Think about Lexi who is having to live every second of every day with what happened and is trying to deal with it all alone. As for Tommy, he wanted to stay that night and help but he couldn’t, he had to take the Sea Dragon out because it had been decided to use her as bait to trap the pirates, that’s why he hasn’t been back, he can’t leave her for even a few minutes, he has to be on board to give the signal when the attack comes. Tommy had to make a hard choice that night Lexi or the Sea Dragon, he had responsibilities and had to see them through no matter how difficult, it’s just taking a lot longer then any of us anticipated” Connor gave Con a tight hug “let’s go see if the girls have burnt down Zinmer yet.”

Lexi steadied Henry and Molly who were swaying slightly on the porch, she told the house that these two people were free to come and go at will, then opened the door commenting that the house was able to protect itself and only those she allowed in were not turned away. Lexi put her hand in her pocket making sure the kitten was safe, she could feel the kitten purring as she slept, “I’ll show you to your living quarters so you can get settled in, you’ll have to tell me what type of furniture you want since at the moment the rooms are empty” Lexi told Henry and Molly leading the way down the hallway. Lexi opened two doors and stood back hmmming to herself “pick which one you want for a bedroom, the other can be a private living room if you want, the bathing room is the last door at the end of the hall” Molly and Henry looked into the two rooms still feeling rather bemused at being at Montcliff one moment and here the next, Molly stepped into one room and smiled slightly “this will do nicely for a bedchamber” Lexi could feel her hesitating about the furniture, even though mentally and emotionally Molly was visualizing the way she in her heart had always wanted their room to be like and not the cold stark room they had lived in before. Molly gasped reaching for Henry’s hand as the room was suddenly filled with furniture, even the drapes were as she had imagined, “oh Miss Lexi this is too much for the likes of us” Molly breathed out, Lexi smiled at her “nonsense, you’re going to be living here, you should have things the way you want them, what about the other room? how do you want that decorated?” Lexi looked at Henry who was remembering his fathers old living room, once again feeling the warm safe feeling he had felt as a child, “go take a look Henry and let me know if there is anything you want changed” Henry blinked and went to look in the other room, Henry felt a lump in his throat as he carefully walked into the room feeling like he had stepped back in time and his father would come in any moment with his loving boisterous laugh to give him a hug and a hard candy, “this will do very well, Miss Lexi” he managed to say.