Exactly one week from the day that Michael left, he returned to the Dickly castle. It was Thursday afternoon at a half-past one o"clock. The small family sat in the family room, waiting for the appearance of a limousine or the possible sound of a toot from a musical horn that would announce Michael"s arrival. Although Paulette was eager to see her father after his weeklong absence, she had other things on her mind; in particular, her boyfriend who had written her every day from hundreds of miles away. Paulette would have never imagined that her soul mate was truly out there and destined to meet her through (what was considered at the time) the unusual medium of the Internet. And although she maintained her physical condition a secret from Todd, hope continued to live in her heart that her
