"A couple of times removed as well, I think. She came here from Britain to live about eighteen months before my father died." Angel smiled and added "She and William have been best friends from the second she walked in the door. They're both at school right now, so you'll get the chance to meet them later."

"How old are they?"

"William's seventeen, Dru's sixteen, but her birthday's next month. They both graduate high school next year."

Buffy and Angel stopped before a pedestal in an alcove. Buffy turned her back on it for the moment, while she looked around.

The library was a large room, but the big fireplace and shelves of books gave it a cozy feeling. There was a ladder on rails along both sides of the room, allowing easy access to the stacks that rose to the ceiling on either side. Buffy turned back to Angel, and indicated the pedestal as she asked "Is this where the statue was?"

"Yes, it was."

Buffy inspected the statue for any kind of alarm, not very surprised when she didn't find any. Prowling around the library, she noticed alarms on the windows, but any alarm system could be defeated with the right kind of knowledge.

"Why don't you show me the rest of the house and the grounds, and we can come back later?"

"Fair enough."

Buffy and Angel spent the entire morning going over the grounds of Sunnydale estate. Angel proved to be an excellent guide, adding in bits and pieces of the house's history as they went. Buffy dismissed all the day staff for the time being-they may have had knowledge of the house, but they didn't have the access or the time.

Much as Angel might hate to admit it, the thief had to be a resident of the house, or someone close to a resident. Buffy made a mental note to check if any of the family or live-in servants had close family or a relationship outside the house.

After an excellent lunch, Buffy and Angel went back to the library. Buffy noticed an open book on the table and picked it up. She recognized it instantly.

"Are you a fan of Emily Dickinson?" she asked.

"No, Dru is. She's writing a paper on Dickinson's life for her Literature class. Do you like her poetry?" Angel asked, eager to learn more about Buffy's tastes.

"Not particularly" Buffy said flatly.

Angel sensed something deeper and asked "Do you have a friend who likes her?"

"I used to. He was killed in the war." Buffy told him. She took a deep breath and added lightly "I like Agatha Christie, myself. Sherlock Holmes, too."

"I guess you would, given your profession" Angel remarked. He decided to find out more about this 'friend' of hers later, and asked, "What else would you like to do?"

"I'll need to interview the staff you have living here, I assume they're busy right now?"

"They're busy most of the day." Angel looked at his watch and said, "Nicholas is bringing William and Drusilla home right now-their school closes early on Fridays. Maria has the afternoon off, she won't be back until late this afternoon to prepare dinner."

Buffy frowned and said, "I really should talk to them as soon as possible. Could I come back tomorrow?"

"I have a better idea" Angel told her. "Why don't you stay the night?"

"Excuse me?" Buffy asked, raising her eyebrows.

"We have lots of spare room. This way you won't have to waste an hour every day driving back and forth."

"I don't really think that would be appropriate-" Buffy began.

"Why not? With the amount of art we have in the house, you should be okay to stay here for at least a week. If you need longer, we can drag the rest of the collection from storage."

Buffy took a deep breath and thought fast. Somehow, she didn't think that telling Angel that she didn't want to stay in his house, because she wasn't sure if she could keep her hands off him, was really the right thing to say. She was about to continue when the front door banged open. Buffy jumped about a foot-she didn't think that a door that heavy could bang-and Angel couldn't stop himself smiling.

"Angel, we're home!" called a young voice.

"In here" Angel called in reply. At Buffy's look, he told her "It's William and Drusilla."

Buffy watched as a couple came through the door. William had platinum blonde hair, worn in a short crop, and ice blue eyes. While the only similarity to Angel in looks was his pale skin, there was a certain resemblance. Watching him move towards her, Buffy decided it was in the way he held himself. Not just that, they moved the same way. A kind of stalk, implying confidence just short of arrogance, though Angel carried it off better. Obviously, since he'd had more time to perfect it.

Drusilla didn't. She had black hair like Angel's hanging down to her shoulder blades, and the same pale skin-it must be a family trait-but she was slender, almost wraith-like. She wandered in, looking like she couldn't quite remember the reason why she was here. There was an almost otherworldly quality about her, even in the private school uniform she wore.

"How was school?" Angel asked the pair.

"The usual." William shrugged. He yanked at his school tie, and added, "I can't wait for college." He saw the gorgeous blonde standing next to his older brother and gave her his most charming smile. She smiled politely in reply, and offered him her hand. William shook it, liking the fact that her handshake was firm-most of Angel's 'ladies' didn't even bother to smile back, let alone shake hands. He hoped that Angel would keep this one for a while.

"Buffy Summers" the woman introduced herself. "You must be William and Drusilla. It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine," William said, as he smirked and held her hand just a little longer than necessary. He caught Angel's speaking look, and quickly let go of the handshake. Evidently, his older brother was more serious about this woman than his usual conquests. Maybe she was actually giving him a run for his money, this time? It had to happen sooner or later.

"Miss Summers is here to appraise the art collection" Angel told William and Drusilla. Noticing the bulge in Drusilla's sweater pocket, Angel gave her a searching look, and he asked "Do you have something for me, Dru?"

Now that he had actually brought the subject up, Drusilla remembered and handed him the letter from the principal. "Angel, why is Principal Snyder so nasty?" Her voice held a strong trace of the British accent that not even six years in California had been unable to take away.

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