Lady Tremaine wondered what types of women her servants had worked for before coming to her household. Of course, she wanted the staff to be sensible, diligent, and respectful, but she didn’t insist on unnecessary formalities. Not when they were alone, at any rate. Oh sure, when her husband was alive they would throw lavish parties, and she’d always liked giving her lord and lady friends a good show with all the proper formalities from time to time. And of course she had an air of reserve when speaking to her friends’ servants, which was to be expected. But she always left a little something for them at the end of their stay. She wondered if her friends were like this, too. She wondered if they weren’t all just putting on a show. Perhaps when they were alone they were more real with their servants. Treated them like people, talked to them, asked them about their days, and smiled at them. She hoped they did.

It made her feel less lonely to have so many servants about the house. She had no illusions about them being actual friends, but there was no reason not to be friendly. “Thank you, Daisy. You can tell Nanny Pinch she may bring the girls in now if she likes, unless Avery has already done so. I’m sure he has other things to attend to for our trip. And, Daisy, I will tell Avery that he’s to arrange a little outing for the staff who aren’t coming along with me,” said Lady Tremaine.

“Yes, my lady.” Daisy left the room with a smile. Lady Tremaine had known the news of an outing would bring a smile to Daisy’s face, but then again it was easy to make Daisy smile.

Lady Tremaine sipped her coffee, wondering when her little hellions would come storming into the front parlor. She loved her daughters, but they were quite the handful, and the older they got the more difficult it became to rein them in. She had been indulgent with her daughters after their father died. Giving them whatever they pleased, doting on them, finding them the best governess, taking them on splendid holidays, buying them whatever they wished. If they wanted new dresses, they got them. If they asked for horses to ride when they were in the country, Lady Tremaine could hardly say no. There was nothing her girls wanted that they didn’t have, but this was the very reason they were becoming harder to please. Lady Tremaine dreamed of the day her daughters would be married. She dreamed of a life of her own with a man she loved. And if she was not lucky enough to find true love twice, she would be content with solitude.