At first, Joanna believed the ceiling was the key feature of the space, but when she lowered her eyes, she was no longer sure. The grand staircase was situated near the back of the foyer, with its first step directly centered under the aperture in the ceiling. Although the wood was as dark as pitch, the tapestry carpet runner covering the center of the stairs was not. Against a background of burgundy, a design of gold, cream, and copper wove its way through the woolen fibers, and with the runner held in place by long, slim bars of bronze, it was absolutely regal.

The entrance hall alone was larger than her entire house in Burnt Oak, and trying her best not to allow her jaw to drop, Joanna stood in awe…and in shock. Its size was impressive, as well as a few of the architectural details, but overall the entire space seemed forgotten. There were no touches of modern and no attempts to hide age. The minimal furnishings scattered about held no photographs, and the paintings on the walls were of ancestors long since gone. It wasn’t lived in. It was merely there.

Wednesday night, Evelyn had spent hours at her kitchen table, writing out a long list of things that needed to be done. Thursday, the entire day was spent completing the tasks with the help of her staff, and a horde of workers paid three times their normal rate, but when Evelyn awoke on Friday, she realized there was one more thing she wanted to do...find out something about Joanna Sheppard besides her name. With Addison refusing to say another word about the woman, Evelyn called her friend, Millie Barnswell. Having both worked for the Kane family for years, their paths crossed almost weekly, so the conversation was easy. By the time Evelyn had hung up the phone, she knew Joanna Sheppard and her father did not come from money, so the look of astonishment on the young woman’s face was to be expected.

Noticing Robert Sheppard’s color had yet to return, after giving Joanna only a minute to take in her surroundings, Evelyn quickly rattled off the names of her staff and then sent them on their way. Taking a step toward the stairs, she said, “Addison doesn’t normally get home until six, so I’ve asked Noah to make us an early dinner. You’ve had a busy day, and I’m sure you’ll want to relax. Why don’t I show you where you’ll be staying and then, if you’d like, I’ll give you a tour of the house while we’re waiting for dinner to be served?”

Joanna smiled at the invitation, but when she glanced at her father and saw his deeply furrowed brow, her smile faded. “What’s wrong, Dad?”

“Those stairs look daunting. Perhaps there’s somewhere down here where I can catch my breath.”