Not surprisingly, the area turned out to have a variety of shopping options. Despite Kara’s objections, I started at Kohl’s.

“There’s no reason to pay a lot for bras and panties,” I said as we rooted through the lingerie section. “I don’t have that much to spend, and there’s a lot on this list.”

“Yeah, but …” Kara paused awkwardly, a black bra in each hand.

“What?”

“The lingerie is the most important stuff.”

I lowered my voice to a hiss. “Lord Cordus is never going to see it.”

“He will, Beth. I’m sorry, but it’s going to happen. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

She turned away before wiping quickly at her eyes.

I felt cold inside and tried not to think of Tiffany and Madisyn. I waited until I could speak firmly.

“Then look for the cheapest stuff. A rapist doesn’t deserve to see a $13.99 bra.”

Kara laughed weakly. “You’re a braver woman than I am. Here’re some on sale, two for nine bucks.”

“Perfect.”

Kohl’s provided not only all my new black underwear, but also some in lighter colors. I found several pairs of jeans and a bunch of black clothing: three pairs of slacks, two sweaters, and a slinky blouse. I was careful to make sure each item was entirely black. I also got three pairs of pants in other colors and a handful of nice knit tops in muted tones that Kara labeled “tasteful.”

Kara insisted on Saks for one item on the list — a black suit. While there, I also got what she identified as a “nice” pair of jeans. Those and the suit knocked me back as much as everything I’d bought at Kohl’s.

For shoes, I put my foot down — Saks was out of my league. Kara took me to Nordstrom. Still a lot of sticker-shock for small-town me, but not quite so bad. I left with heeled boots and a pair of pumps, both in black.

Our last stop was a sporting-goods store, where I got most of the other things on my list: sweat pants, running shorts, sports bras, socks, and athletic shoes. That stuff gave me a bad feeling. I’d never tended to put on weight, so I’d never gotten into working out. I didn’t particularly want to start.

Then I remembered trying to haul unconscious Kara along by her feet at the mill. Maybe getting a little stronger wasn’t such a bad idea.

We didn’t have time to buy the one thing left on the list, a black coat. I’d just have to hope spring came on quickly.

We headed back to the estate.

“So,” I said to Kara as we drove, “Do you live here most of the time?”