Priscilla Langford opened her eyes and stretched luxuriously. Finally, she thought happily, a day off! I certainly need this. Her next thought was, Oh my goodness, what time is it…I’m supposed to meet Brian at 9:00!

Throwing back the covers, she flew out of bed. Pris rushed to the bathroom, shedding her nightie as she went, jumped into the shower and quickly washed away the last remaining shreds of sleepiness. After rinsing off, she grabbed a fluffy towel, dried herself, and then sat down to do something with her face and hair. Fortunately her hair had been freshly washed and needed little beyond a light touch with a curling iron here and there. As for makeup, she had a good complexion so not much was needed in that department either; a little blush and light eyeliner and some mascara. There, Pris thought, I look presentable now!

Slipping into a simple pantsuit that she accessorized with some good gold earrings, a tasteful braided chain necklace and a pair of low-heeled black pumps, and grabbing a light sweater and her purse, she opened her door and stepped into the hall.

Pris made her way to Harriet’s room to check on her patient and see if the nurse from the agency needed any further instruction. Finding all in order, she went down the staircase and through the door to the garden where Brian had instructed her to meet him. She looked around at the beautiful flowers, taking a deep draught of air scented by their perfume.

"Ah, there you are. Right on time." Pris turned to see Brian striding toward her. "Shall we go?"

The pair walked down the steps to a semi-circular drive where a silver convertible BMW Z3 roadster sat waiting for them. Brian opened the passenger door for Priscilla and made sure she was comfortably seated and safely belted in before closing it for her. Rounding the car, he slid into the driver’s seat, buckled his own seatbelt, and started the engine. Putting the car into gear he headed out of the driveway onto the road.

"I know a nice, fairly quiet place we can go to discuss the situation with Aunt Harriet," Brian said. "I think you’ll like it." He then concentrated on the road and Pris was left to watch the scenery as it whipped past.

After about half-an-hour, the car glided to a stop in front of a little restaurant located in a scenic setting. As Brian escorted Pris to the door, opening it to allow her to step inside, Pris looked about in delight. What a quaint little place, she thought. After they had been seated at a small cozy table situated in an out-of-the-way corner, had given their breakfast orders to the waitress and had received some coffee, she turned to Brian with a smile. "This is very nice, Brian."

"I’m glad you think so, Priscilla.

"Oh please, Brian, call me Pris. Everyone else does."

"Ok, Pris it is. Now, let’s enjoy our meal and then we’ll get to our discussion. By the way, you look very nice today."

Pris lowered her head to disguise the blush that rose to her cheeks at the admiration in his voice. She didn’t want Brian to think that she was entirely unaccustomed to such compliments. Gosh, I’m acting like a silly schoolgirl. After all, it’s probably because he’s been brought up to be polite.

Brian noticed her sudden confusion and smiled to himself. Pris seemed to be truly unspoiled, kind and gentle, unlike most of the girls he’d met in L. A. who were flashy, pouty divas.

As the couple relaxed with more coffee after having finished a delicious meal, Brian began the conversation that had brought them there. "Pris, have you ever noticed Uncle Herman asking Aunt Harriet to sign a lot of documents or coaching her on what to say during any telephone conversations?"

Furrowing her brow in thought, Pris answered. "To be honest, I have seen Mrs. Krause sign many documents. Unfortunately I don’t have a clue as to what they contain because she has never confided in me regarding such things. I have heard her muttering to herself about ‘those Hopper twins,�?and once I heard her say ‘why did Herman go after that girl…what does Bonny have that I don’t.�?I have never questioned Mrs. Krause because, frankly, I didn’t consider it any of my business. I do know that she is very unhappy and I KNOW in my heart that Mrs. Krause is bereft because Mr. Krause virtually ignores her except to have her do whatever he bids her to do. So far as the telephone goes, Mr. Krause asks me to step out of the room during any important conversations. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful."

Brian slapped his hand on the table, causing the other patrons in the restaurant to turn their heads. He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders and soon the hum of conversation rose about them once more.

"Sorry, Pris, I didn’t mean to create a scene. It just makes me feel so helpless and so angry when I hear you confirm what I know to be true. I know Uncle Herman has something up his sleeve concerning the Hopper twins but I don’t know what. I can’t confront him with my suspicions because he will either deny it or tell me it is none of my business, or both. I also want to maintain a low profile, allowing Uncle Herman to persist in his opinion that I am just a ‘twit�?and therefore no threat to him. I hate to put you in the middle of this predicament, but why don’t you casually mention the fire at Bunny Hopper’s house and see what Aunt Harriet’s reaction is. Perhaps that will pave the way for a further conversation with her concerning the Hopper twins. You haven’t been here long enough to have known how Aunt Harriet was before she became housebound and depressed. However, I know that Harriet Dunkleman Krause used to be a very strong and determined woman. After all, she defied Uncle Herman by bringing me to live at Krause Mansion and, believe me, he was extremely unhappy about it. That’s why I can’t accept that she has actually deteriorated into the frightened, cowed woman she appears to be. I’ll be alert when Uncle Herman is around and you can try to draw Aunt Harriet out. Hopefully together we can solve this mystery before it destroys Aunt Harriet completely."