Awful, yes. And yet at that moment, I would have given almost anything to be back there, wallowing in the comforting communal bleakness, instead of being here in this terrifying castle. “I’m sure they’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll speak to John. We’re always looking for ways to help the underprivileged.”

I could hardly summon more than a weak smile. It was exhausting to be continuously grateful and impressed.

Laura carefully balanced her fork on the edge of her salad bowl. “You know . . . this may be as good a time to speak to you about this as any.”

Oh, God, there was more? I braced myself.

“John, as you know, is a lawyer.”

“Right,” I said. “He knew my dad in law school.”

She smiled gently. “Yes. I met your father as well—only in passing, but I recall him seeming very gentlemanly. John and I married quite young, so I vividly remember the late nights and early mornings he spent in study groups—they were all so busy with their courses. And John’s been practicing law ever since. He’s very gifted. He takes excellent care of his clients—he represents several very high-profile companies between here and Chicago. And because of that, he takes his reputation in the community very seriously. We all do.”

I blinked. I felt like I should understand what she meant, but I didn’t.

“The Copelands have lived here for almost a hundred and fifty years,” she said, a note of reverence in her voice. “This family has been a pillar of the state—the entire country, some would say—for generations. My own great-grandmother was presented at court to the Queen of England. Everyone in the county looks up to us.”

Did they? I guessed I’d find out. I’d never lived anywhere but the suburbs, and I’d never even heard of someone being famous on a countywide level. The only thing people in our neighborhood looked up to was the Homeowners’ Association Board. But maybe things were different out here. Maybe it was a slower, more genteel lifestyle, and when people saw Laura and John coming, it was like the arrival of a minor celebrity.

Yeah . . . maybe?

I didn’t dwell on the maybe not. I was too worn out from the day. Besides, what did I care if the Suttons had delusions of grandeur? It wasn’t hurting me. And maybe Laura seeing herself as a great lady was what had led them to pluck me from the orphanage. Kind of a PR stunt, but for their own egos.

She leaned forward. “It means that you represent this family wherever you go, and whatever you do. We all do. So we must take care, in public, to comport ourselves in a way that upholds our legacy.”

I must have looked either confused or idiotic, or both, because she went on.