The lady of the house had everything she desired, except for one thing: her true love. She had lost him far too soon. What she did have, however, was a house full of servants: nannies, governesses, parlor maids, cooks, a butler, pantry boys, boot boys, footmen, scullery maids, housemaids, a head housemaid, and of course her lady’s maid, the elderly Mrs. Bramble. Lady Tremaine treated her servants well and with respect, and insisted her daughters Anastasia and Drizella do the same. The household staff doted on them. The Tremaines and their staff lived comfortably in their lavish London town house. It was always full and bustling with activity, so Lady Tremaine didn’t feel quite so alone. She enjoyed giving her daughters the best life possible.

Like most aristocratic Londoners, the Tremaines flitted to and from the country like birds, going hither and thither as the season dictated. One fateful day, the lady was about to embark on such a trip, unaware that it would forever alter the course of her life. We wonder what would have happened to Lady Tremaine and her daughters had Lady Tremaine decided not to visit her old friend Lady Prudence Hackle, but then again once it’s written in the book of fairy tales there is little one can do to change one’s fate.

Before the flurry of the day took hold that morning, Lady Tremaine sat in the front parlor, making time for a repose before her daughters woke or her maids came to her with questions about what to pack for their trip to the country. The front parlor had been one of her favorite rooms when her husband had been alive. They spent many quiet moments there, enjoying their coffee in the mornings, or sipping drinks after a night out, or just sitting in their own corners of the room enjoying a good book. She was missing those days more keenly than usual and found that in the silence of that morning she could almost feel her husband with her.

It was a bright, sunny parlor with large French doors that opened onto a balcony with a breathtaking view of the city. She loved the sounds of the city bustling below and would sit for hours listening to musicians playing on the corner, always making sure to have one of the boot boys take some money down to thank them for entertaining her.