Kat looked out the coach window. Her uncle and and aunt stood by waving as the coach pulled away. Kat ignored their worried looks and turned to play with her doll.

It was a long ride. The coach stopped several times and she slept on the seat several times. But soon they reached their destination. As Kat climbed down the steps she noticed one thing, this place was huge, like a castle, she also noticed no one was there to greet them. A footman carried her baggage to the door and rapped on it.

The door was opened by a giant man in a black suit, at least, he seemed a giant to Kat. She tried to wipe the awed look from her face and assume her usual look of boredom. It was hard but she managed to completely ignore the two men as she whispered to her doll and scanned her surroundings.

A few minutes later the tall gentleman called her name and told her he would show her to her room. He told her that here Uncle Mike would be there shortly, that a note had been sent to him and he had sent one saying he would be there by dinnertime. Kat nodded and ignored his presence till he left, she lay on the bed and slept.

Just about an hour later she was awakened by a knock on the door and the tall man was back. He said her Uncle wanted to see her in the library before dinner, and he had been sent to escort her.

He lead her down the stairway and down several hallways before coming to a stop before a set of double doors. He opened the door and anounced her then went about his way. Kat was a little nervous as she entered the large room. She noticed all the books on shelves, she also noticed how different it was from her Uncle Charles library, there wasnt a clutter of papers stacks of books and newspapers covering this library. But nothing was out of place here, except her. She saw a large desk in the center and a man sitting there, his dark head bent looking at a few papers in front of him. As he looked up his eyes met with hers. She looked into the coolest blue eyes she'd ever seen.

He smiled slightly and said "So, you must be the mischieveous Miss Kat, I've been hearing so much of lately."

"You've heard about me?" Kat squeeked.

Uncle Mikes smile disappeared and he glowered down at her, "Well, yes, darlin', my sisters both wrote to tell me about you. Seems you have single handedly brought both households to their knees, Agatha quite literally since she has decided to join the convent, and Josephine to hers in prayer for your soul. She believes you are posessed, you know?" he raised his eyebrow as he looked at her.

"No, I didnt know," she said, pulling her doll close to her face to cover her grin.

Her Uncle Mike walked closer to her, leaned down to her, almost nose to nose, pulled the doll away from her face and said sternly,"That wont happen here young lady. I run a sharp household and I like it that way. I wont tolerate any tomfoolery or pranks."

Her Uncle Mike stood back up and Kat backed up a step against the door. No one had ever spoke to her in such a tone. "If you dont behave you will be punished. I would hate to have to discipline you but I wont have my sisters child misbehaving in such a manner. Is this understood?"

"Yes, sir," Kat said, barely breathing, she was so shocked.

Uncle Mike smiled, Kat was amazed at the change that smile did to him, When he was glowering and towering over her she was close to terrified but a small smile just about lit up the room, "Good, then if you behave yourself we'll get on well, I'm not an ogre that eats little children and I think some company would be nice in this big old estate. It gets a little lonesome sometimes. Well then no more of this, we shall endeaver to have a pleasant evening. With that he put his hand on her shoulder and led her to the dining room.

He pulled out a chair for her and took his seat to her left at the head of the table."How old are you, Kat?

"Eleven, sir." Kat said.

Uncle Mikes eyebrow raised again,"Eleven?"

Kat grew a bit wary, "well, almost"

Mike nodded, and proceeded to ask more questions. Kat answered them as truthfully as she could, unsure where all these questions were leading. Soon she found out as Mike asked,"Have you ever ridden?"

Kats eyes lit up and started practically bouncing in her seat as she said,"Yes! Mama and Daddy gave me a beautiful mare, I named her myself and everyting she was so sweet and gentle. I loved riding her." Kat went on and on about her mare, Arora, more animated than she had been in months. Mike just let her prattle away enjoying the happy energetic conversation.

Then as if someone had thrown a switch the light in her eyes went dim and she became a different person, withdrawn. "Then mama and daddy went away and someone came and took Arora and ..." she trailed off as she withdrew into herself.

Mike tried to draw her out again but his attempts fell on deaf ears. Kat was lost in her own tortured thoghts and painful memories. Kat soon asked to be excused and he allowed her to go to her room.

The next morning Kat came down to breakfast. She had been wandering around the huge house, looking for the kitchen. She found the kitchen with her nose. Such delicious smells were wafting through the air, making her stomach growl. She pushed open the door and saw a a large woman in front of the stoves humming and stirring something in the pots, before her. The large woman turned around and before she knew what was happening, she'd been bustled into a seat at the table had a glass of warm milk sweetened with vanilla and sugar before her and a warrm pastry. The woman was prattling on and on about all the local happenings, births, parties and her family. She was told the the womans name was Mrs. Conroy. She'd been with Kats Uncle Mike since he was a child about her age. Kat listened but said nothing, unless she was asked a direct question. When she was finished eating she was told that her Uncle Mike had gone to work and that she was to entertain herself until he came back for dinner. She could play in his vast garden but she was not to leave the grounds alone.

Kat nodded and was told that she could take a pastry to the gardens with her for later if she wanted. Kat grabbed one and headed out with her doll into the sunshine.

Kat played with her doll and wandered the gardens for hours lost in her own little world.

She thought about her parents and Arora and everything that had happened, since. Then she thought about her meeting with Uncle Mike and decided that he wouldnt do anything really bad maybe just send her to her room without dinner, and as unpleasant as that was it was worth it for the fun.

Within the hour her plans were in place and she was grinning wickedly to herself, the ret of the day. That evening just as dinner was being served there was a loud crash and a scream from Mrs Conroy. It seemed somehow that there was a frog in the cupboard that she had opened and had leaped upon her large chest, eliciting more screams. Kat burst out laughing at her wild antics.

About that time Mrs Conroy whirled around and slipped on the spilled dinner on the floor, and fell hard on her backside. Mr Conroy, the tall butler, who had been seated at the table, flew across the room along with Uncle Mike to help the woman. Uncle Mike captured the unwanted visitor, opened the kitchen door and set him free. Then turned to the giggling girl.

Kat looked up to see her uncle striding toward her quickly with a determained gait and his furious expression had her turning to flee. She made it out the door and half way through the diningroom before he caught up to her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her struggling furiously up the stairs to her bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind him and then pulled a chair out from the desk pulled it to the center of the room.

Kat was terrified she'd never been treated this way before. Before she knew it she was over his lap and suffered several swats across her bottom. he let her up and walked her to the corner and told her she would stay there and wait for her punishnent until he came back from checking on Mrs Conroy. Then he walked out the door. Kat stood with her nose in the corner and bottom stingingm, completely overwhelmed with embarassment. She was so confused. She wanted to run away but she was afraid what would happen if she did. She was worried what would happen when he came back, he had said she would be punished, but hadnt she already? She stayed quietly contemplating what had happened until she heard his footsteps in the hallway.

Uncle Mike entered the room walked to the chair and sat, then he told Kat to come to him. She turned around and for a moment looked like she would refuse. Uncle Mike then told her if he had to come get her she would be punished further. Kat forced her shaking legs to carry her to his side.

Uncle Mike told her she would be spanked again and pulled her over his knee. Kat started struggling to get away until he brought his hand down sharply on her bottom several times as he said that if she was gonna keep fighting him she would get extras and she wouldnt like it. Uncle Mike almost released her as he felt her little teeth sick into his thigh.

"That does it kid, " he said as he tossed her skirt up grabbed both small flailing arms and held them with one hand behind her back then wrapped his legs around hers. Then he swatted her panty clad bottom sharply hearing her gasp at the sharpness of it. After several sharp swats she was still struggling. Uncle Mike said," okay, have it your way kat if you refuse to listen and stay still, I can only think your not listening or not feeling what I'm trying to impress apon you, so..." with that he pulled down her panties started spanking her bare bottom Kat started shrieking after the first few swats by the tenth she was crying openly and by the twentieth she was lying still and begging him to stop between sobs. After a hand full more Uncle mike said, "okay darling now for your extras for struggling and biting me." Nooo! I'll be good, Uncle Mike. Please, dont spank me more." Kat said sobbing. "Youve got to know what to expect the next time you are naughty during a punishment." He reached over to the table and grasped her hairbrush. "Extras are always delivered extra hard. I'd say four blows to each cheek and an extra four on ur legs for the marks i will surely have" With that he raised the brush and brought it down on her bare bottom. Crack! Kat near leaped from his lap and shrieked each time the brush touched her sore bottom. "Good girl", uncle mike said, "just the last four to go." he brought the brush down on her thighs four times. By the fourth Kat finally let go all the pain she'd been holding and called out for her parents.

Uncle Mike pulled her up to sit on his lap and held her brushing her hair and holding her against him while she cried for her dead parents. All his meetings this week with the doctors had actually worked they said she was acting out because she had never released her pain over the loss of her parents. They had told him that she would have to get emotionally worked up to be able to release it. That the pranks were a way of crying out for help and also a way of trying to find that emotional release she needed. Uncle Mike wept with her over the loss of his dear sister, and over the pain this child had endured for so long.

Kat cried herself to sleep and Mike carried her to the bed gave her a kiss on her forehead and tippedtoed from the room asking the house keeper to get her ready for bed.

The next morning Mike stayed home and had breakfast with Kat. Before she came into the dining room Kat walked into the kitchen and hugged Mrs Conry." I'm sorry Mrs Conroy, i didnt mean to make you fall. I dont know why i was being so mean." Mrs Conroy hugged her back and said" oh hunny, its okay you just werent yourself."

Mike and Kat sat and conversed through dinner, at first Kat was a little embarassed by the previous evenings events but Mike pretended nothing hhad happened and soon he was drawing her into a conversation and soon they were giggling about some stories of his childhood misadventures. After a week Kat was a normal little girl again full of giggles and lil songs and tea parties with her dolls. Oh there were mishaps and punishments and a few spankings here and there. But Kat soon grew into a young lady. And soon Uncle Mike had more problems to think about and deal with.

to be continued....