In the living room, lay down on her side, Anne linger in the sofa, looking at the garden through the opened window, waiting for her brother coming, she smile in hearing her daughter's voice talking with her tutor coming from the office, feeling proud of Elizabeth excellent level of education.

Concentrate on listening to her daughter's voice as she read a poetry to her tutor, Anne gaze dreamely to the tree of the garden and she shiver and jump in seeing her brother joining the entrance, then she smile happily and get up fastly for welcome him.

She open the door and George enter fastly, she hug him and kiss his cheek tenderly.

"Hello George !"

George enter the corridor and answer his sister in smiling, a arm around her waist.

"Hello little sister ! did you yet find my niece's gift ?"

Anne smile, put a finger on her mouth gestering hush and whisper with a accomplice air.

"Yes but shh ! I want it for being a surprise and after my return from the town with her gift, I have surprise this little mischievous to spy me from the corridor while I was trying to join my bedroom discreetly for hide the gift and later I have caugh her to look all around my bedroom curiously, trying to see her gift !"

Anne giggle amused by her daughter's playfullness and George laugh with her.

"She is well your daughter !"

Then he whisper her in a accomplice air.

"And what is it ?"

Anne getting excited in imagining her daughter's joy when she will see the great gift that she have specially command for her, answer him.

"A great and beautiful dollhouse, it's very expensive but really worth it, fortunately, I has been able to afford it thank to the money that the king have send to me for Elizabeth"

Anne smile, recalling of the mixture of surprise and joy that she did feel when she have recieve the king short note "For Elizabeth" and the money, thinking at all what she will be able to offer to Elizabeth thank to it.

But more than the money by itself, it above all because of the gesture meaning that have make her happy, because it was the first time that the king showed some interest in their daughter since their divorce, the first time also that she don't feel shameful to have soft feeling toward the king.

George, the air thoughtful and perplexe, frown and ask her.

"What do you think this sudden send of money can mean ? why now ?"

Anne, smiling answer him softly.

"It's mean that he care of his daughter, for me it's the only thing that count, later is better than never, isn't it ?"

George nodd, still toughtful, thinking that Elizabeth is lucky to have a loving mother like and wanting to avoid topic that could cause pain to his sister, decide to come back to the dollhouse topic.

"So, how is this expensive dollhouse ?"

Anne smile in thinking again to the dollhouse, looking forward showing it to her daughter, getting excited as a little girl, her eyes brighting and add in whispering.

"It's wonderful, it's really look like a true house and it's really pretty; there is all the equipments of a true house and also dolls for play with it, you can fill the mini basins and the tube with water ! open the chestes and there is true little clothes in it ! in seeing it, I have want to being still a little for play with it ! but since I have a little girl I have a good pretext for play with it !"

Anne and George giggle together and George, amused by her sister girlish excitement answer her.

"I am sure that she will love it and I can see that you look forward play with her with it !"

Anne laugh and answer him as they enter the living room.

"I have only to wait until tomorrow afternoon, when we will have eat the cake !"

Anne and George sat on the sofa side by side, Anne look at her brother with tenderness, feeling happy and reassured by his presence, his coming is always a joy for her and Elizabeth because he is her only real friend, confident and support, the only one who had always been there for her.

He is also the only one who care of them and pay them visites, aside people working around the house or in the domain, nobody ever come there and he give them a reassuring and protective masculine presence and a paternal figure for Elizabeth who adore her oncle.

George brush her silky hairs and ask her softly.

"How are you ?"

Anne smile to him and answer him.

"I am well, brother, don't worry for me"

He smile, feeling happy for his sister and say her

"You do look happy, it's good to see"

Then the door open in a creaking and Elizabeth enter fastly the room, smiling happily in seeing her oncle.

"Oncle George !"

He smile as she run toward him and wrapp her arms around his shoulder, endered he lift her and hold her in his arms, Anne smile and stroke Elizabeth's back.

"Hello Elizabeth ! do you have well work ?"

Smiling proudly, Elizabeth answer him.

"Yes ! sir James tell that the way I read is getting perfect ! yes he said perfect !"

George giggle, endeared and answer her.

"Then you well deserve your birthday's gifts !"

As she hear the word "gift", Elizabeth's eyes bright with excitment and she answer him.

"Yes I do ! and I can't wait for see them"

Then, she lean her head over George's and whisper in his hear.

"I have catch a glimpse of mama's gift before she had go to hide it in her bedroom, it's look very big !"

George giggle and answer her, amused.

"You are a little imp !"

"I hadn't try to see the gift itself, I just wanted to get a idea of its size for guess what it was"

"And what do you think it is ?"

"I don't know, I will see"

Anne glance to the garden ligtened by the still very hot and bright sun of the first days of september and tell them.

"What about take a walk in the garden ? look at this beautiful sun !"

George turn to his sister, smiling and answer her.

"Yes, good idea, it's still warm as summer and will not last a long time, we should take advantage of it."

Then he turn to his niece, look at her cute face higher than his as he still hold her in his arms and ask her

"Don't we sweetheart ?"

Elizabeth answer him happily.

"Yes oncle !"

He giggle and kiss her cheek noisely, Anne smile in looking at them, endearing, thinking that in absence of her father, at last Elizabeth recieve a bit of paternal love even if it's her oncle.

"Then let's go girls !"

George carrying Elizabeth walk with Anne until the back door leading to the garden and they go outdoor.