Although the layout of the house was a bit confusing, she soon found her way around and began to revel in the sense of security she experienced within the walls of her husband’s principal seat. She was equally enthralled with the grounds, which were immaculately groomed, with neat graveled pathways leading through formal gardens and around the sparkling lake that lay a short distance from the stables. And while she hadn’t expected a busy social life in the country, she was astounded and pleased when soon after she and Mary arrived, numerous carriages began wending their way down the long driveway so their occupants could leave cards at Oak Groves. Mary was ecstatic. As she explained to Elizabeth, many of the neighbors had befriended her when she was a bride, before her marriage had deteriorated to the point that she had taken Jeremy and retreated to Aston Arbor to escape the humiliations being heaped upon her by her husband.
