“Yes, miss,” the frazzled woman said, quickly disappearing into the other room.

Joanna turned back to her father and squeezed his hand. “Dad, she’s just a nurse, hired to help out. That’s all.”

“She’s not Pearl. She’s no one I remember.”

“That’s because she’s new. Her name’s Irene, and she’s been here all night.”

“Here? Where the hell is here? I don’t recognize anything. I don’t know this place,” Robert said, grasping the bedcovers even tighter to his chest.

Seeing his Bible on the nightstand, Joanna picked it up and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Here, read this.”

“What is it?”

“It’s something you wrote.”

“What?” he said as he opened the paper. Recognizing his own scrawl, his eyes narrowed. “Joanna—”

“Just read it, Dad. I’ll wait.”

***

Evelyn stood at the entrance to the east wing, waiting in silence with the nurse. Hearing the bedroom door open, they both watched in anticipation as Joanna walked toward them.

“Is everything all right?” Evelyn said.

“Yes. Dad was confused, but he’s okay now,” Joanna said. Looking at Irene, she said, “He’d like to take a bath and may need some help. Do you mind?”

“Of course not,” she said cautiously. “Is there anything I should know?”

“No, he’s fine,” Joanna said with a wave of her hand. “He knows where he is, and he won’t shout at you anymore. I promise.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m not sure who was more scared, him or me,” the woman said before plodding down the hall.

“Sorry about that,” Joanna said, looking at Evelyn. “I hope he didn’t wake anyone.”

“Addison’s not here, and the only reason I heard him is that I was just coming up to see if you were awake,” Evelyn said.

“I am now,” Joanna said, laughing as she looked down at her disheveled pajamas. “But I’m a mess.”

“You’re fine, but if you’d like to get cleaned up, I’ll meet you downstairs. Noah is waiting to find out what you and your father would like for breakfast.”

“You mean we have a choice?”

Once again forgetting that the world of wealth wasn’t one Joanna Sheppard was accustomed to, Evelyn grinned as she headed to the stairs. “Take your time, and come down whenever you’re ready.”

Joanna smiled as she returned to her bedroom. If breakfast was anything like the dinner she had had the night before, taking her time was not an option.

***