Sunlight trickled through the half-open drapes. She stood up and padded to the window looking over the valley that stretched beyond Silver Gables. The land that her grandmother had settled on looked like something taken out of a fairy tale book. The side of the bed where Damien should be was rumpled. He had obviously woken early and decided to go to the office to sort out things there. She moved to the wardrobe and opened it to find clothing there that was along her taste and in her size. Sighing, she closed the wardrobe and moved to the bathroom to go through her usual morning routine of showering, brushing her teeth and fixing her hair. She chose a peasant-style top and a long flowing skirt for her outfit of the day. Slipping her feet into sandals, she moved to the bedroom door, stopping when she creaked the door open and heard one familiar female voice mingled with another unfamiliar one. She waited, hearing Damien’s voice also in the mix. They were all speaking in cordial tones, telling her that he had invited his Aunt Blanche and the stranger to visit him.
