Joanna knew simple. She had lived it for years. Clothes were purchased without print or pattern, making it easier to mix and match without fear of clashing stripes with checks, and shoes in black, brown, and cream were all that were needed to cover the seasonal change. One pair of boots, warm and knee-high, when properly cared for, could last for years, and a raincoat used in the spring, when equipped with a liner, provided the warmth necessary on wet, winter days. Shopping at the market never took place without coupons or vouchers, and the food purchased was for meals requiring little extra than what her pantry contained. Joanna was all about simple, but when dinner was served the night before, she realized her simple and the Kane simple had two entirely different meanings.

Having eaten many a meal on a tray table in her father’s bedroom in Burnt Oak, Joanna assumed she would be doing the same thing on her first night in the Kane mansion. When Evelyn offered to have dinner brought upstairs, although Joanna hadn’t seen any stacked or racked tables in her travels through the house, she assumed they existed. They did not…at least not in the home of Addison Kane.

While Evelyn and Joanna were saying goodbye to Fran, the staff had turned the bedroom across the hall from Robert Sheppard’s into a makeshift dining room, complete with a small table and three Queen Anne upholstered chairs. Upon a cloth of linen and lace, place settings had been arranged, and each held plates of china edged in gold, silver flatware, and Waterford crystal goblets in varying sizes. By the time Joanna walked into the room, her father was already sitting at the table, positively beaming as he admired the finery of wealth.

Their meal began with what could have been an unpretentious starter. However, by adding a touch of cream, fresh basil, and croutons, Noah had turned the tomato soup into something beyond the norm. After their empty bowls had been cleared, all breathed in the scent of the braised lamb shank in red wine sauce as their dinners were placed in front of them. Accompanied by buttered carrots and new potatoes swirled with roasted onions, the entrée was completed with glasses filled with a ten-year-old Cabernet, its bouquet rich in black currant and its finish, smooth and graceful.