Minutes later, there was a knock on my door. Realizing the size of this house and how far off the carriage stables were, I suspected Dora had been hovering in the wings somewhere nearby, nervously awaiting Garland’s assurance that all would be fine. I felt a mix of sorrow and power. Having authority over other young women wasn’t something new to me. They sprawled at my feet during my womanly talks and later hoped for some acknowledgment when they saw me. Something my father once told me rose to the surface of my thoughts, however. “Kings and queens have power,” he’d said, “but it doesn’t take them long to realize that power traps them.” I didn’t quite understand it when he said it, but I thought I did now. It adds responsibility and widens the reach of your conscience.

“Yes?”

Dora peered in gingerly. “Ma’am?”

“Please, just come in,” I said. “I’m sorry I raised my voice.”

She smiled and entered. “You’re wanting a bath after such a long day, I’m sure. I have the water ready for you,” she said. “My aunt gave me some powders to soften the water and give it a scent. It’s very nice.”

“Where are you from, Dora?” I asked, rising.

“Richmond, ma’am.”

“Do you have brothers and sisters?”

“An older brother. He works in one of Mr. Foxworth’s factories. He lived with my parents, who were both quite sickly. They had us late in life. My mother was in her mid-thirties, and my father was forty.”

“I see,” I said. Although she answered shyly, her eyes down, I thought if I continued to ask her some personal questions, she would relax and not be as afraid of me. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Oh no, ma’am,” she said, actually blanching at the idea.

“You can’t be much younger than me.”

She looked confused.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m almost five years older,” she said. It sounded like a reluctant confession. “But unlike most girls my age,” she continued, “I had to spend most of my time caring for my parents.”

“You weren’t a servant for any other family?”

“No, ma’am. Until most of last year, I was at home. When my mother passed, I cared for my father, and then when he passed, my aunt told Mr. Foxworth about me. I was at home, caring for my brother’s needs.”

“I thought you were only just hired. How long have you been here?”

She thought a moment. “Since October tenth of last year, ma’am.”

I stared at her. Why didn’t I see her when I was here? Surely she knew I had been here that night. Why hadn’t Garland mentioned her?

“You stay in the carriage house?”

“In rooms above it, yes, ma’am.”

“Your brother never brought a young man home to meet you?”

“No, ma’am.”