Yu-Gi-Oh is the property of Konami and Kazuki Takahashi, and this work is only a very appreciative celebration, from which we hope to derive no profit of any kind.

Yuugi's late-night conversation with his brother stayed in his mind, but not in a bad way. He'd accepted the fact that he could probably never live his dream of being an architect. As a nobleman's son, his first duty was to the family, and the best goal for him, he was sure, was to stay home and live the quiet, dignified life his father had planned for him. But that wasn't so bad, really. There was plenty of architectural interest close by to the Jardine estate. For instance, there was the old castle his family had occupied in the Middle Ages; he made sure to speak to his mother the next day about going out there on Saturday, so he could show Donald the renovations being made.

"Oh how lovely," she'd told him. "We can bring the Colonel, and make a party of it." As she said that, Yuugi felt a little drop in his heart; it would have been nicer going out just him and Donald. But he couldn't deny Mother of course, and after all, it was going to be nice to show his brother around the castle whatever sort of circumstances it was done under.

Saturday dawned, clear and almost-warm. So close to the end of the year, the weather could be vile, with harsh downpours of rains, but today the sun was actually shining …sort of. Later on toward evening, the winds would pick up probably, perhaps blowing in rain, or even snow for tomorrow, but they would be home by then, and for now, the cold, dry weather was bracing. The party piled into the pony cart, all of them bundled in their warmest coats, and squeezed tightly together, what with the hamper that held their lunch, and the warming stones for their feet.

Mother sat up front with the Colonel. "The current house is five miles from the old castle," she told him. "We're up on a little hill now, but the castle's really elevated, you'll see when we get close. We'll cross the River Dee to get there. The Water of Ken's on the other side, and we'd cross that if we were going down to Drumfries. We won't of course," she said. "We're just straight home once we're done looking around." She gave a rippling laugh. "After being out in this cold wind a few hours, I'm sure we'll be quite happy to get back into the warm house."

As for himself, Yuugi sat in back, cuddled up close to his brother, against the cold winds that hit them as soon as the cart was on the road. He was glad to be sitting with Donald, who already knew all the history of the old castle, because that left him free to tell him all about Father's planned renovations. "Weatherby and Sons," he said, "that's the name of the architectural firm he's hired." He had his hands tucked under his arms for warmth, but when Donald pulled them out, to clasp them with his own, it made him smile. "They work out of Glasgow." - For some reason, his voice grew shaky for a moment, and he felt himself blush, as Donald squeezed his hands in his own. - "William Weatherby is the architect, he's about Father's age, and he has two sons who supervise the workmen. - Oh, and Donald, he's training oldest son, Gavin, and he let me work with him. - Gavin, I mean, not his father. - I drew some of the blueprints, Donald, and the plan for the northwest battlement is entirely my work. Gavin said he thought I showed promise."

Donald's laugh embarrassed Yuugi a little, and made him afraid he'd been talking too much again. But his brother hugged him tight right afterward. "Don't mind me," he said. "It still surprises me how much you've changed from the little boy I used to see when I'd come home on holiday. You've really found your passion, haven't you, Yuugi? I'm a little bit jealous."

For a while, he didn't say anything more, and neither did Donald. Travel was fast at first, as the little cart trundled downhill from the Jardine house, and out onto the road that led to the Castle. Yuugi leaned close to his brother and just watched the scenery flash by, the leafless branches of the trees, their shadows falling on the piles of brown leaves underneath. It felt good, knowing his brother approved of his choice, and it felt a little exciting as well. They were both breaking with tradition now, weren't they? They were both choosing their own identities, instead of letting their father dictate to them

The cart bowled along the road, whipping chilly breezes at the passengers, and Yuugi was glad for the warm pressure of Donald's hand around his, under the old plaid that covered them. He wanted to stay in that feeling of gladness, and simple brotherly content, but at the same time, little doubts kept creeping into his mind. Donald hadn't always been this affectionate, had he? Maybe it was just that he'd grown up, in the past seven years, and learned to appreciate his family more. But it was strange, even so, Yuugi thought, how most of the affection seemed to go to him, and only a little of it toward Mother and Father. A pat on the shoulder, a strand of hair quickly tucked behind his ear, the way he was holding his hand now: All those touches felt good, and they were kind of exciting too, in a way that was also confusing. But they weren't how Donald had used to deal with him. - For that matter, they weren't how most men dealt with his brother, were they?

The road had turned uphill now. Ahead, Yuugi could see the silver ripples of the River Dee, and the vast, greyish bulk of the old Castle beyond it. He pushed his uncomfortable thoughts away. There was nothing unusual in his feelings for Donald, or in his brother's for him. Hero-worship for an older brother was quite common, wasn't it? And what could be more natural than that a brother some several years older than the younger one, would take on a protective, almost parental role? Yuugi's spirits rose. He and Donald were the rebels in the family, he told himself. They had to stick together, support each other, in the face of the nay-sayers who wanted them to pursue a more conventional path.

"Donald, look!" Trundling over the bridge, still with half a mile to go before they reached the castle, there wasn't much one could make out yet, but Yuugi pointed anyhow. "Look past the hedgerow," he told his brother, "and you can just see the scaffolding Weatherby's men put up."

"Have you ever gone in the castle?" he asked.

Donald thought for a moment. "You know," he said, "I don't remember." - Up in the front seat, the Colonel began speaking as well, but he closed his mouth as soon as Donald spoke. "Mother, do you remember?" he said. "Did we ever come here when I was growing up?"

Mother laughed. "You'd better not have," she said. "I always gave strict orders for you and your brother to stay away. There's bats in there," she said, "and unstable flooring, and all kinds of hazards. Boys will be boys though, and I certainly wasn't watching you every minute of every day. Yuugi, do you remember? Did you two ever explore the castle?"

"I guess you wouldn't have had much chance." Yuugi gave Donald a fond look. "You were off at school so much, and you never did really make that many friends in Drumfries, did you?" He paused for a moment, wondering how many of his own exploits he ought to tell about to his mother, then admitted, "I went a couple of times with Joey and Tristan. And you know that strange boy Ryou Bakura, I hear he went with Tristan and Tea once, and they all climbed up the side of one of the towers." He heard his mother's sharp intake of shocked breath, and swallowed. "All's well that ends well though, right, Mother?"

"I suppose so." Mother's voice was tight. "We're here now at any rate," she continued, as the cart took the last turn, and they pulled to a stop in what had once been the courtyard of Castle Kirkconnell. The bare earth was rutted now, from the wheels of the wagons Mr. Weatherby and his men had been using, and there were bits of planking and nails and empty bottles scattered about, but to Yuugi, it looked better than it had used to, when the grass had been unscarred. He liked seeing these signs of activity, and thinking about the transformed castle they would lead to.

Yuugi jumped out of the cart as soon as it stopped, taking the lead as they proceeded across the courtyard to the gaping archway that was the entrance to the castle. "We're going into what used to be the Grand Hall, first," he called back, as the others struggled to catch up with him. "Back in the Fourteenth Century," there would have been guard houses out here in the courtyard. Mr. Weatherby told me those were usually made of wood, so they were destroyed when the castle was burned down." He shuddered, picturing it. "He said the men-at-arms who were guarding the castle that night probably died in the fire."

Catching up with him, Mother stared into the darkness inside the castle. "You've really gone in there, Yuugi?"

"It's not so dangerous, Mother." He put his arm around her waist and gave her a quick squeeze. "Weatherby's men cleared all the bats out, and put up scaffolding to keep everything stable." He threw his brother a quick look as Donald caught up too. "It was more exciting before they started work. I wish I could show you the owl's nest Joey found when he climbed to the second floor."

Yuugi heard his mother's sniff of disapproval, and purposely lagged a little behind, to avoid more disapproval. He took his brother's arm, just so that Donald would lag behind with him, he told himself, ignoring the warm feeling that went through him as they touched. "Mother knows the history of the castle well enough," he said, his voice low. "She can tell the Colonel all about it." He grinned. "I'll tell you the exciting bits she doesn't know about, Donald."

Donald grinned back at him. "There's more?" he said. "I had no idea you were so daring." The approving words felt good; Yuugi could feel himself blushing. The quick hug Donald gave him right afterward, felt even better, it felt confusingly good, and made a little fluttery feeling start in his chest.

Ahead of them, Mother led the way into the castle. "This is where the laird would have held court," she said, the Colonel nodding interest as she spoke. "It's where grand feasts would have been held as well. - I'm sure you've seen paintings of what that would have looked like." She looked up, and the others followed her gaze, staring at the rough stone of the interior walls. "There would have been galleries above the Grand Hall, back then," she said, "and minstrels in them to give music for the feasts." - Or archers, Yuugi could have told her, during meetings when the laird was expecting some treachery. But he kept his mouth shut, preferring the private conversation he was sharing with Donald, to telling the Colonel and Mother about history.

"You can climb the scaffolding," he told Donald, looking up at the flimsy wooden structure of it as he spoke. "The workmen did it all the time when they were here. And one day I was here and Mr. Weatherby said I could give it a go, and I climbed all the way up and out onto what's left of the old castle roof." He laughed, adding, "and I told Joey about it at school the next day, and of course he wanted to try too. But Mr. Weatherby says he only wants people who know what they're doing, up there."

"And that's you." The approval in his brother's voice made Yuugi's heart lift. ""You're halfway to being an architect already, aren't you, Yuugi?"

"You're teasing me." Yuugi felt his face go hot again. He leaned against his brother. Mother would frown if she saw him do that, he knew it. For that matter, there were doubts in his own mind as well, about whether it was something he should be doing. But as he leaned closer, Donald's arm tightened around his shoulders, and the embrace felt so good, he just couldn't pull away from it. "I'm just an amateur, Donald." The fluttery feeling was back in his chest again, and his voice came out a little uneven. "And if Father has his way, I'll never be anything more."

Ahead of them, Mother looked back. "Yuugi, Donald," she said, "I'm going to show Max the private apartment area." Her eyebrows raised a little, as she saw them standing so close. "You'd best get a fire going if you're cold," she said. "We'll need one soon enough for the picnic anyhow."

"A fire, yes." The Colonel turned to look at them as well. An expression of great surprise went across his face, then he fixed Donald with a cold stare, very unlike his usual bland expression. "You'd best be quick about it too." For just a moment, his voice sounded tight, and angry. It lightened as he continued, "didn't I hear you say we were going to roast potatoes in the coals?"

"Just what I love most," - For a moment, Donald met the Colonel's stare and held it, a defiant expression on his own face. Then he grinned, looking ready for fun as before. - "charred balls of soot with a little bit of potato inside."

Yuugi couldn't summon a laugh; there were too many undercurrents to this conversation, and he barely understood any of them. But he met his brother's grin with one of his own. "You needn't eat the potatoes if you don't like them," he said. "Cook sent plenty of other things as well."

He smiled at his mother. Now more than ever, he felt that he'd rather he and Donald explore the castle by themselves, and leave her to entertain the Colonel somewhere else. "I'm going to show Donald the Northwest Tower," he told her. "You can actually go inside, now that Weatherby's men have stabilized it."

"Certainly dear," Mother said, "just don't go getting yourselves killed before luncheon."

Beside her, the Colonel looked like he wanted to disagree. Yuugi saw him throw Donald a quick glance. Then, when Donald didn't look up, his gaze went back to Mother. "Boys will be boys, eh, Margaret? I'll come with you at any rate," he said. "I'd rather look at the apartment area, than go back out into the wind to see the outer buildings."

There was a back exit to the Great Hall, that led out into an interior courtyard (called the Inner Ward, Gavin Weatherby had explained in October). The wall surrounding the Inner Ward was missing in a lot of places, and the Northeast Tower had tumbled down completely, but as he'd told Mother and the Colonel, the Northwest Tower still stood. You could go into it, and there was scaffolding in place so you could even climb to the top and look out over what was left of the castle's battlements. Yuugi loved the pure history of it. He loved walking where his ancestors had walked, and climbing up to look out over a scene that had changed little in the past five centuries. He'd taken his friends here one Saturday in November, just to share the excitement of it all. But it wasn't the history he was thinking about, as he led Donald across the Inner Ward.

"Mother's always so protective." He couldn't have said why he wanted to get his brother alone like this, but he wanted to. "It felt like they had secrets to tell each other, like every word, every touch that passed between them, was a secret to treasure.

"The Colonel too." Donald's voice sounded awkward. "He ...ah, he feels responsible for bringing me safe and sound back to Bangalore," he said.

The Northwest Tower was not spacious. Gavin Weatherby had said people didn't grow as large in medieval times, but even so, Yuugi had been amazed at the smallness when he first saw it. The men-at-arms who had to stay here to protect the castle would have been wearing armor, wouldn't they? And wouldn't that have taken up some space as well? He was glad of the smallness now, though, and of the makeshift door Weatherby's men had attached to the old doorway. With that closed, it felt like he and Donald had complete privacy. The room was narrow, and barely lit from the top, where the ceiling used to be, but it was theirs for now, theirs alone.

"I'll miss you when you go back to India." Yuugi took his brother's hands and looked up at him. Donald's eyes were a little darker than his or Father's, - That was just heredity, wasn't it? People never looked all the same, even if they were related. - but Yuugi didn't care about that right now. It was the warm expression in those eyes that mattered, and the way they were looking straight into his.

"I'll miss you too, Yuugi." Donald's voice was soft. "I'll miss you so much."

"Do you really have to go back?" Yuugi's heart was hammering in his chest, as he looked up at his brother. The fluttery feeling in his chest was back; he didn't know what it was, but it came from being close to Donald. "Father says you have responsibilities here, and," - Yuugi looked away, his face coloring, as he added, "and I would be so happy if you stayed."

"I..." By contrast, Donald's voice sounded rusty, like it was being forced out of him. Yuugi looked up just in time to see his brother bite hard on his lip. "Dammit, Yuugi," he said. "Why do you do this to me?"

"Then that means you're not staying?" Yuugi looked down again. A crushing disappointment filled him now, completely replacing the excitement that had been there before. "It'll be just these few weeks together, and then," -

"Yuugi, I can't." Donald's voice sounded a little shaky, and Yuugi looked up to see his deep-red eyes swimming in tears. "You don't understand."

"Six years, Donald." - He knew he was pushing his brother, but he couldn't help it. - "I was eleven the last time I saw you. Will I be 24 the next" -

His words were cut off as Donald's arms went around his waist, pulling him close. One minute they were just standing there looking at each other, the next minute, they were in each others' arms. Donald's mouth found his, and then they were kissing.

Donald raised his head. "I never want to leave you again, Yuugi." He held him tight, and Yuugi held his brother back, both their bodies as close as they could get them.

At first, all he wanted was more. He felt his body start trembling, just from the intensity of Donald's kiss, it felt like. Then his brother lifted his head, if he was going to come to his senses, this would have been the time to do it. He ought to say, "no, Donald," he ought to push him away. But instead, when Donald bent to kiss him again, Yuugi clung to him. The moment felt endless, like the cold little tower room was their private sanctuary, and they could stay as long as they wanted, unobserved by prying eyes. At the same time though, it seemed like Mother and the Colonel might discover them any second now. The moments ticked by, with the room still theirs alone, and the only sound in it, the gentle one of their kiss, but Yuugi found himself growing more and more nervous, as he thought of the inevitable interruption that was to come. Finally, he pushed his brother away.

"Donald, we can't do this." It was hard, saying something that was so much the opposite of what he wanted. It was Donald who'd kissed him, but Yuugi knew he'd wanted it too. Just that first touch of his brother's lips against his had been enough to tell him that this was what he'd been wanting all along. "It's wrong." He looked up into a look of pain on his brother's face that mirrored his own. The last thing he wanted to do, he thought, was to let go of Donald now. But how was waiting going to make it better?

"Yuugi, don't do this to me." At first, his brother just sounded surprised, as Yuugi turned away, moving toward the door of the tower room. "You can't be serious," he said, "not now." Then, just as Yuugi's hands brushed the door, he felt Donald's hands seize his wrists, stopping him. "This isn't my fault." He pushed him up against the wall of the tower room. "I didn't mean for it to happen," he said. "But has happened, Yuugi. You can't just walk away and pretend it hasn't."

"I won't kiss you if you don't want me to." Donald let go of his hands and turned away, the pain in his voice so marked that it was all Yuugi could do, not to run to him with another hug, just to make it go away. "Dammit," he said, "I never meant for this to happen. I love you, Yuugi." He turned back and took his brother's hands again, gently this time. "I know," - He swallowed. - "I know we don't have any kind of a future together," he said, "but tell me, please Yuugi: Do you love me too?"

Did he love him? There was no doubt in Yuugi's mind. He wanted nothing more, right now, than to step into his brother's arms again and hold him, be held by him. Just holding his hands like this, felt like nothing. He craved Donald's mouth on his, Donald's arms tight around him. But they were brothers. Even the slightest touch was wrong, it was unnatural. Yuugi swallowed. "D-Donald..." He faltered, unsure how much he should say. What if his parents found out about this? What if Mother walked in right as he was saying it? This was unheard of, scandalous... but yet Yuugi already knew he had to at least say it. He couldn't let his brother go back to India without at least knowing his feelings.

"Yes, I love you." He took Donald's hands that were holding his own, and kissed them. "I never knew I could feel this way about anyone." As he spoke, the tears came to his eyes, and he felt his throat growing hoarse. Yuugi looked up into Donald's face, as a sudden idea came to him. "We could go to India," he said. That'll work, won't it?" he said. "They won't know we're brothers there. And they're not Christians," he said. "They won't mind that it's an unnatural relationship."

"Oh, Yuugi." Donald's voice sounded rough as well. He pulled Yuugi tight, and cradled his head against his own chest. "You'd give up your own home for me." - With one of his ears pressed tight against his brother's jacket, Yuugi could only hear a muffled version of his brother's voice, but it sounded like Donald was near tears. "No one's ever loved me that much before," he said.

"That's not true, Donald," Yuugi mumbled. "Father loves you, Mother loves you. You know how much they love both of us."

"I know," Donald said briefly. His arms around his brother tightened, and Yuugi felt him press a kiss against his head. "I know how you love them too," he said. "I can't ask you to give them up and go to India with me. I can't ask you to give up your home."

"Our home," Yuugi interrupted. Something about Donald's behavior was confusing him. He behaved as if their home didn't belong to him, as if Mother and Father ...weren't his mother and father. He didn't have time to think about it now though, as with an abrupt move, Donald pushed him away, and turned, to pace the narrow confines of the tower room.

"Our home, yes of course." Donald turned, staring into Yuugi's face. "I'd have given anything for things not to have gone like this," he said. "I've never loved anyone before, not like I love you, Yuugi. If I'd known what would happen..." He stopped short, then stood silent, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"We've always been close though." The confusion was back again. Yes, they'd been close, at least when his brother had been home they had. But had Donald ever been affectionate like he was now? Had Yuugi ever seen him cry before?

"I never thought..." Donald was talking to himself now, not looking at Yuugi, not expecting any response from him. "When I came here, I never expected..." Suddenly, his face went smooth, and his manner was the bland one he usually wore again. He was at the door before Yuugi even realized what had caused the change. He opened the door, calling a greeting to Mother and the Colonel, whom Yuugi could see now, coming in the distance.

"Mother, Colonel." His voice was light, and pleasant again. Yuugi, who was still mopping tears away, and worrying about how he'd explain his reddened eyes to his mother, wished he could recover so easily. "So," Donald said, "you decided to brave the cold out here after all?"

"It can't be colder than it was in the apartment wing," Mother said, similarly light. "I think there must have been ghosts in there, it was so cold." She was wearing the Colonel's greatcoat, Yuugi noted, and had both her hands in his.

The Colonel laughed. "If we'd stayed longer, I'd probably have had to give her my trousers as well," he said lightly.

Mother, for her part, turned a shade pinker, but she joined in the laugh that followed. "And what have you found, boys?" she asked, looking around the tower room. "Yuugi, can you tell us anything about what this room would have been used for?"

She sounded just a little bit guilty, and another time Yuugi might have worried a little at it. Right now, he was just glad to avoid any awkward subjects, hers, or his and Donald's. "There used to be towers at all four corners of the castle." He led the way back out into the weak morning sunlight as he spoke. "Gavin Weatherby showed me where you can still see the foundations from the Northeast Tower," he said. "Would you like me to show you?"

"I'd love to see that." Mother broke away from the Colonel's side and moved over to take Yuugi's arm. She walked quickly, quicker than Yuugi would have done himself, crossing the rough unevenness that used to be the castle's Inner Ward without watching where she was going. Then suddenly, she caught her foot on a projecting bit of rock, and tripped, tightening her grip on Yuugi's arm to avoid falling. "Dammit," she said, then, when she realized what she'd said, "oh my goodness. I'm sorry, boys, Colonel."

"Mother, that rock's part of the Northeast Tower." Yuugi could tell even while he was talking, that none of them were listening. Mother had turned to catch the Colonel's eye, and he was looking back, with an expression that mixed concern with amusement. Meanwhile, Donald came up close to him, cupping his cheek for just a moment.

"Stay with me tonight," he said, his voice very low. "Please." He pulled away and was back walking at the Colonel's side before Yuugi could answer.

Yes, the answer would be yes. Yuugi knew there was more to Donald's request than jut the words. This wasn't going to be just two brothers sharing a bed, like last time. He didn't know what would be involved, but he didn't care. Whatever it was, he wanted it; his time with Donald was too short for him to pick and choose. But he would have to tell him that later. For now, his mother was speaking to him again.

"Is it?" Mother gave a laugh. "Oh silly me," she said. "What a mistake to make!" Taking a step backward, "well show us, will you?" she asked Yuugi. "I won't get in the way again."

"Yes, show us, please." There was something hard, cynical-sounding in Colonel Crawford's tone, that made Yuugi look up at him for a moment. The unusual style that he wore his hair in, meant that only one brown eye was visible, but there was a coldness in his gaze that hadn't been there before, he thought. It was like he knew.. - But Yuugi pushed that thought aside right away. How could he... What was there to know anyway? Nothing had happened ...yet. He swallowed, a little uncomfortable, and looked back at his mother.

"The guard-towers were round," he explained, looking from her, to Donald, and then venturing a glance at Colonel Crawford (who now looked as bland as he always did). "They stood at the four corners of the wall that protected the castle. Here, Mother," he said, offering her his arm as he spoke, "take another step back, will you? And another?" Now that he had her positioned, he could see the outline of the foundation stones quite clearly.

"Oh Yuugi, I don't see anything." Mother looked at the ground, but carelessly, as if it didn't much matter to her what she did or did not see there. "Perhaps we're in the wrong place, dear?"

"No, look, Mother." He walked the entire circle, tracing the foundation stones with his finger as he went. "See? There it is. It's just the foundation, Mr. Weatherby said, because after the fire, the peasants probably came and made off with the stone, a little at a time, to build houses and things."

"Well there's one thing I know more about than you dear," Mother said. "I was beginning to wonder how I'd keep up with my architecture-expert son." Yuugi looked up - Did he just catch sight of Colonel Crawford, moving away from Donald's side? It was his imagination, surely. - and smiled at her fond laugh. "It was your ancestors that took some of the stone," she said. "If you'll look when we get home, you'll see the old wing of the house is built from it." She shrugged playfully. "Waste not want not," she said, "isn't that how the Scots do things?"

"But I'm ever so glad you showed me," she continued, her voice not unkind. "It's so interesting, how you can look at these old ruins, and see the castle that used to be here. Only tell me dear, won't you show us where Weatherby's men built the fire for their dinnertime? It's getting ever so cold, and some of the things Cook sent for luncheon still need cooking."

"Trust Cook." Yuugi smiled at his mother. "I suppose the hamper's so big we'll need two men to carry it too. Donald and I can get it," he offered.

"What say your brother and I go," the Colonel said, his voice a little tight. "You go show your mother where we can build a fire, why don't you, while Donald and I do the heavy lifting." Was it his imagination, Yuugi asked himself, or did Donald look less than pleased about going with his friend? Surely it was his guilty conscience making him see these things, he thought, making him imagine undertones where there was nothing but the pleasant family outing that showed on the surface.

"Thank you, Colonel." He wanted desperately to go with Donald himself - He wished he could follow him and the Colonel out to the cart at least, and hear what they said to each other. - but he had promised his mother a fire, hadn't he? Giving her his arm, Yuugi politely took her over to the half-destroyed remains of the old kitchen, where all that was left, was the huge fireplace ancient servants had cooked at, and just enough adjoining wall to block out some of the cold wind.

Weatherby's men had left a pile of wood here, fallen tree branches, and bits of lumber from the scaffolding. A few bits of dry bark and some matches were all he needed to get a fire going. After that, he and his mother fed it until they had a large bed of flames, making the old kitchen feel quite cozy, with their light and warmth. Returning with the hamper, Donald's and the Colonel's faces brightened at the sight of it. But Yuugi, watching them, couldn't help but wonder what expressions they'd been wearing when they were still out of sight.

"Colonel, Donald, come here!" Mother, who saw them too, waved them over with the same bright, friendly look on her face that she would have worn for any other picnic. Maybe it really was his guilty conscience that was making him see undertones of tension here, Yuugi thought, because his mother sure didn't seem to see them. "Yuugi's been such a help," she told the others as they arrived with the heavy hamper. "He showed me where the wood pile was, and helped me get this fire going." Weatherby and his men had left a rough wooden table here too. "You can put the hamper there," Mother said, "and then you can all be dears and help me to unpack it." She moved forward, the Colonel's coat still buttoned firmly around her, just as if she wasn't ten feet from a roaring fire now, and protected from the wind besides, and started taking goodies out of the hamper.

"Dear Cook, see Donald, she's put in your favorite pie," and, "oh look Colonel, coffee and brandy: How funny, it will be just like dinner at home." Mother was good with the social graces, and perhaps she was trying to erase the tension that hung over their outing, Yuugi thought. And if that was so, it was certainly his duty to help her, even though the knot of discomfort in his stomach made it feel like he'd never eat again. He unloaded plates and cups, cutlery and napkins, and set the table for their luncheon, while his mother finished unpacking the food.

"What a lovely family outing." Once they had everything out, and the food hot and sending up delicious aromas, everyone seemed to relax a little, and Mother's exclamation actually seemed to fit. Yuugi, who had thought he'd never want food again, found himself piling his plate high. And, across the table, he was pleased to see, his brother was doing the same. "It's been so long since we've had a picnic, and they are such jolly fun. We must plan another one," Mother began, then, looking Donald's way, she stopped, apparently remembering that he was leaving again after the New Year. "Maybe you'll invite us to India, Donald dear," she finished instead. "Do you have picnics there?"

"Oh huge ones, all the time," the Colonel answered for Donald, his tone brief, a little abrupt.

"Yes, lots and lots of picnics." From across the table, Donald caught Yuugi's eye. "But of course we have to be careful of all the tigers," he said with a teasing grin.

Yuugi grinned back, loving the shared, inside-joke. "Why not invite the tigers to join you?" he said. "After all, they're just like pussycats. Just bring along plenty of mice to feed them."

"Loads and loads of mice," Donald said.

"Hundreds and hundreds." Yuugi laughed.

"Will you boys stop being silly!" There was a tense edge to Mother's voice. She looked toward the Colonel with a smile, but this time it was obvious she was just being a good hostess. "I suppose there's still ever so many things we haven't looked at yet," she said. "What were you hoping to see this afternoon, Max?"

"I believe I've seen all I want to of the castle." There was an obvious edge to the Colonel's voice as well, Yuugi noted. He was by no means, the genial conversationalist he normally was. "Perhaps we'd better go home after lunch."

"I'm fine with that." Donald looked at Yuugi again, and for a moment they shared a warm gaze. "There are plenty of things I can do at home," he said.

"I think we'd talked about going riding this afternoon," the Colonel said to Donald. "We have to discuss our plans for returning to India."

"Now?" Mother put her hand on the Colonel's arm and looked up at him. "Oh Max, no. It's just the 12th, don't start talking about leaving yet. The boys want to spend time together, I'm sure," she said coaxingly. "And I'd like to spend the afternoon with you. There's still ever so much to talk about."

"And perhaps your husband will be done with his work," the Colonel said, "and he'd like to join us."

"Yes," said Mother, "and wouldn't that add to the fun though!"