"Yeah. Mama likes flowers, our gardener is very talented, he doesn't speak much English though, mother picked him up on her travels, that's him now. Hello Hans!" said Alissa. A tall, hawkish blond man hunched his shoulders and waved shyly as he pruned away at a cluster of roses.

Randy nodded to him. "Good morning!" He supposed they couldn't all be as attractive as Ellen...

The man responded in a soft, gravelly voice, "G..good morning," his accent was heavy and he spoke slowly.

"I am Randy; it's very nice to meet you." Randy offered him a hand.

"...I....I Hans Kraus," Hans replied moving to shake the hand but thinking better of it when he saw that his own large, rough hand was covered with dirt. He was a young man, only perhaps just into his twenties and his shaggy curls nearly hid his grey eyes. He looked almost frightened as he quickly turned around to tend his flowers, "I...I work. Not stop now,"

"Of course. Carry on," said Randy with another brief nod. "Poor fellow seems a bit shy," he noted to Alissa as they continued on their way.

"Some of Mama's visitors like to have a laugh at his expense, he got hurt once when Lord Stickbottom tried to jump a horse over him, so he mostly doesn't come out when new people are around," said Alissa, "I left him a cake once, I think it made him feel better,"

"Well, that was very kind of you," said Randy. He frowned. "...'Lord Stickbottom'?"

"He's a horrid man, he treats everyone like he's better than they are and he pushed Ellen down the stairs because she was cleaning the banister and he couldn't be bothered to wait for her to finish and move out of the way," said Alissa, "He looks at me funny too....I don't think I like him."

Randy grimaced. "Well, from the sound of things, nor do I," he muttered.

"Ellen hit her head hard and broke her glasses, mama bought her new ones but now Ellen won't serve Lord Stickbottom, so I have to bring him his face mask," said Alissa.

"His... face mask?" Randy looked at her in confusion.

"It's mashed up meat, honey and eggs, it keeps his skin soft," Alissa explained. "You'll get to meet him when Mama brings him home,"

"I'd rather not," Randy lamented. "He spreads food on his face and doesn't eat it?"

"It's his skin treatment," said Alissa "and you'll probably have to do it when he gets here,"

"I'd rather not," Randy repeated with a groan.

Alissa patted his arm, "You won't have a choice....but I'll help if you want me too," she offered.

"Oh, I couldn't ask that of you, but thank you anyway for the offer," Randy replied with a smile. "I'd like to see him try to push me down the stairs."

Alissa giggled, "I don't think anyone could, poor Ellen would have moved if he'd just asked, there was no call for him to do that,"

"Certainly not. I'd have had a few choice words for him if I had been there to see it," Randy responded in a vaguely threatening tone, ears, tilted backward ever so slightly.

Alissa giggled and reached up, not quite tall enough to touch his ears, "You're ears moved! How do you do that?"

Randy blinked at her. "Oh, you noticed that, did you?" He knelt down and gave his ears a wiggle just for her. "I've always been able to do it. Sometimes it happens whether I want it to or not," he said with a shrug. "Most people don't seem to notice."

"I think it's interesting," she said running her finger along the edge of one, "You're a lot nicer than my last tutor,"

Randy gave his ear a very small flick before standing again. "Am I?"

"Yes, you didn't yell at me for not reading the book, or hit my hands with the rod," said Alissa.

"I'd find that approach to be counter-productive," Randy stated with a frown. "Being hit certainly never made me want to read."

Alissa shook her head, "It just made me want to cry," she confessed.

"And we can't have that, now, can we?" said Randy. "I shall do my best to help you."

Alissa gave his arm an impulsive squeeze, "And I'll try to be a good student!" she said eagerly.

"I am sure that you will." Randy gave her a tentative pat and a smile.

"We should probably get back inside, I need to learn my piano today, you can listen if you like," said Alissa.

"Alright; I'd be happy to listen," Randy replied. "How far along are you?"

"I've been playing for two years, I'm pretty good," said Alissa.

"Really? Perhaps you should teach me to play," said Randy.

Alissa grinned and lead him back inside, she sat down at the piano and played a few simple tunes for him, "It's not hard once you get used to it,"

Randy glanced around as though to make sure that no one was watching. "May I?"

Alissa nodded and moved over on the bench so he could sit, then she took his large hands and very gently positioned them over the keys, she showed him some simple chords, "Now you try," she said.

Randy followed along and did exactly as he'd seen Alissa do, getting a feel for the keys and paying close attention to their sounds.

"Good! Good" Alissa encouraged him, she showed him exactly what to do, how to read some of the sheet music and occasionally put her hands on his and guided him along the keys, she was kind and patient and quick to smile and praise him.

He picked up fairly quickly, very much enjoying the lesson. "You'd make a wonderful teacher," he remarked.