“Gretta Foxworth, Mr. Foxworth’s grandmother, took in war wounded at one point toward the end of the war,” he said. “Both Union and Confederate wounded. There was a battle not two miles from the Foxworth estate. The Union Army outgunned the rebels. Dozens died, and they said the field was an ocean of red. I can take you to see the battlefield if you like.”

“It isn’t still red, is it?” my mother asked.

“Stained forever in other ways,” John suggested.

“There are skeletons all over this property,” Garland added, just to tease my mother, who looked like she would faint. He and my father laughed.

The ride to the border of the Foxworth property took so long that my father joked we had just entered another state. He continually put value on everything he saw, from lumber to possible housing sites.

“My hope,” Garland said, “is never having to sell anything and certainly never to break up this property.”

My father nodded as if he agreed, but I could see in his eyes that he didn’t. “Bankers,” Garland would tell me later on, “see only the monetary value in everything. The only time they’re emotionally involved with a dollar is when they lose it. Do you know a romantic banker?”

I didn’t like thinking or saying anything negative about my father, so I was silent.

When we reached the lake, another carriage arrived behind us, this one carrying our picnic lunch, blankets, and cool drinks. Both Dora and Mrs. Steiner began to set up.

“Perhaps you’d like to take Mrs. Dixon for a bit of a row before we have lunch,” Garland said to my father. “Build your appetite.”

“Rosemary?”

My mother glanced at me and then smiled. “We haven’t done that since—”

“Since Adam,” my father quickly inserted, and everyone laughed.

Garland helped them into the boat, and then my father pushed off with surprisingly strong and graceful strokes. We watched them go farther and farther, and then we sat on the blanket and drank some lemonade.

“You are a charmer, Garland Neal Foxworth,” I said. “Right now, my mother would say you can do no wrong.”

“Isn’t she right?”

I just looked at him skeptically, and he laughed.

“So, are you really serious about wanting the Swan Room to be your room?”

“Why shouldn’t I be? It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I look forward to making love to you while embraced by the wings of a swan.”

He nodded and looked away.

“Dr. Ross will be here to examine you in the afternoon tomorrow.”

“Oh, that reminds me. I’d like to hire my mother’s friend, Nurse Grace Rose.”

“Let’s wait for Dr. Ross’s examination. If all is good, you might not need anyone else until the time comes. I’m sure Dora could ably assist anyway.”