How could she compare our lives to this? I wanted to tell her that there would be servants, maids, cooks, grounds people, and drivers all at my beck and call. If she thought I hardly lifted a finger to care for myself and my things now, she’d be even more astounded at how much would be done for me after I was married.

However, I did admit to myself that I was quite frightened about it as I looked out and was able to see so much more than I had anticipated after being here at night only once. To me, it looked like it needed a small army to maintain it. How would I begin life here? What was the proper etiquette for speaking to and ordering servants about to do this and that? Exactly what would my responsibilities be, what would Garland leave up to me to do? What, if anything, could I change, would Garland permit me to change? It almost felt like a rebirth into a totally new world. Maybe my mother was right; maybe I was being naive thinking I could successfully be the mistress of Foxworth Hall.

Garland, having seen his carriage approaching, awaited us at the front entrance, wearing a riding jacket, cloth breeches, and a soft felt hat with black jackboots. He looked like he was dressed to go foxhunting on an English estate.

Myrtle Steiner stood beside him in her plain blue housekeeper’s dress. It hadn’t occurred to me until just now that she might greet me in a way that clearly demonstrated I had been here, that she knew me. What should I do? Would she handle it as well as Lucas had? Surely my mother would see the panic in my face the moment we stepped out of the carriage, but as it turned out, I had no reason to fear. Garland had set the scene. He introduced the three of us to her. Obviously, he had ordered her how to react.

“Mrs. Steiner has an assistant we will introduce you all to later. She is someone she has been training herself, her niece Dora Clifford. She’s seeing to your chambers right now, especially yours, Corrine.”

“Thank you,” I said. If my mother wasn’t standing right beside me, I probably would have said nothing. I would have taken that for granted, and I wasn’t going to thank my future husband for every little thing he did for me anyway. My tongue would collapse with fatigue.