Ashley lay in her bed and smiled when she heard her father walk in. he always brought her little surprises when he came back from his trips. She jumped out of bed and scampered to the edge of the stairs, "Papa!" she cried out to the man in the breezeway.

"Angel! What are you doing out of Bed? It is a late hour." The man replied as he hung up his coat and walked to the stairs where Ashley met him at the bottom.

"You promised Papa!" she giggled

"Oh that's right I owe you fourteen goodnight kisses!"

"One for every night you were gone!" Ashley demanded as she held up her chin.

"One, two, three ready if you are!" the man replied as he leaned in and kissed her face fourteen times before ending with a tickle which caused the girl to collapse in laughter. "Now how about I give you your present?"

Ashley laid her head on the man's shoulder and said coyly "What present?"

"You wound me angel!" the man feigned a heart pain and then laughed as he sat down in a chair and handed her a small wrapped package. "Your Grandfather thinks you are too young to have this now but it was your mother's and I think now is as good of a time as any for you to have it."

Ashley opened it up and gasped, "It is Mommy's lucky necklace, and she wears it in all of your pictures!"

"And it was her wish when I was beside her that her beautiful daughter would wear the necklace. She is smiling right now from Heaven waiting to see her little angel wear her necklace." The man replied as he placed it around her neck.

"Papa you look sad." Ashley wiped a tear from the man's eye.

"I am just very happy Angel, though I can't help but think I am being unfair to you by leaving you for so long with just the house maid. Would you like very much to have a mother?" the man asked

"Papa I am very happy here with you and the maid but if you want to give me a new Mommy, I will try to love her." Ashley sighed as she looked to the dying embers of the fire, "Do you have anyone in mind?" she asked with wisdom beyond her four years.

"Tommy are you insane?" a woman replied

Trini, "Kim died as Ashley was born. I love my little angel to pieces but I feel like I am going to start losing her if I don't put another woman into her life. The lady Katherine has wonderfully opened her home to me with the offer of marriage to her. She lives in the best part of the Kerovian Empire and where I travel through their so much it would just be so much more convenient. I wouldn't be away from Ashley half as often. Plus the Lady Katherine has two wonderful daughters that are right about the same age as Ashley."

"If it makes you happy then I guess we should all be happy for you and wish you luck, just don't forget what the city does to people who have money. I also want you to be one hundred percent sure that this woman isn't offering you this because of the old money you have."

The door opened and Ashley ran in with a nod and a wave to Tommy, "Daddy, school was lots of fun today, it is always more fun when you are home waiting for me."

"Did Mrs. Campbell drive you home today?" the man asked as Ashley unwound her scarf and set down her princess backpack.

"Yes Daddy and she asked if I can go play with TJ tomorrow after school." Ashley asked

"I will call her tonight and tell her it is alright why don't you go play and I will make lunch in a little while, but before you go, please say hello to Aunt Trini."

"Hi Aunt Trini, I am going to have a tea party, would you like to come and have some tea with me?"

Trini glanced at Tommy, "I would love to have some tea but it can't be too long because I have people to see."

Trini followed Ashley up the stairs where Ashley put some imaginary tea on her play stove and pulled out tea hats for her and Trini, "Even for a short tea we need to dress the part."

"While we wait for the tea pot to whistle why don't you show me what your Papa brought you from his last trip?" Trini asked as she sat down

"Well Daddy didn't exactly buy me anything this time, he gave me something so much more. He gave me Mommy's necklace. I promised I would take very good care of it. Do you think I should wear it at the wedding?"

Trini gazed at the small box that held the necklace that her best friend had never taken off. It was the first time that she had seen something so very priceless. "Ashley Your papa has done a great deed by entrusting this to you but you must never wear it carelessly. Hide it and don't ever bring it out till you understand the importance of this necklace."

Ashley looked to the kettle, "The tea is done!" Ashley cried as she jumped up and got two tea cups and the tea pot. "Be careful Aunt Trini, it is going to be hot!"

Trini looked at her watch, "Ashley would you mind horribly if I took my tea to go sweetheart?" Trini fished out a travel mug from her hand bag."

"No, but you have to promise to come to the next tea party I host, anyone who is anyone will be in attendance." Ashley said with a smile.

Trini took the travel mug filled with imaginary tea and went downstairs to the kitchen. "Tommy!" She whispered, "You didn't!"

"I didn't what?" Tommy asked as he flipped over the sandwich he was grilling.

"You gave the only link to the old money to a four year old." Trini said in a hushed yell.

"I am in love with that woman; I never said I was going to trust her not to steal from me. If that necklace is in Ashley's hands she will never guess that a child's necklace is the key to the money."

"I just hope that you are right about the fact and that nothing will happen. I have advised Ashley to hide such a beautiful thing and never wear it till she knows what she wants in life. If Ashley doesn't know what she wants then that necklace can be a curse to her for the rest of her life."

"Trini, you are an old friend of Kim's and I respect your guidance and advice but this time I think you need to sit back and relax." Tommy set a hand on Trini's shoulder, "Now you might want to hurry out of here before Ashley finds that you didn't really have to leave as soon as you told her you did. You will tear her little heart."