A tall figure stood by a window outlined by the bursts of lightning outside. He turned and started pacing the length of the bed in the room. Lady Adelaide was layered in the grey and green covers, reading by a golden tasseled lamp.

She stared at him, letting him release some stress into pacing, then said, “John, I know you were upset at dinner. But it was inevitable. Lia had already invited the woman and she couldn’t refuse. You know I  wouldn’t have let her, but it was too late. And the girls were so happy over that baby. Apparently adore babies. What was his name again? Ello, Lelo, or something like that.”

“Leo. The baby’s name was Leo.” John stopped pacing and looked at his wife. “Why was Cara here, Adelaide? You know she was never supposed to come back. Why now? She must have told you.” He started pacing again, ruminating.

Lady Adelaide put down her book. “She wanted Lia back, John.”

John halted. Then slowly walked to Adelaide and sat on the bed. “Lia. Lia? She said she wanted Lia, back? I can't believe it! That lying, cheating no-good of a woman, went up to your face and told you that?! I'm going to the village tomorrow to give that—”

“John!" Adelaide looked at her husband and gestured to their door, putting her finger to her lips. "Dear, I already told her. No need to cause trouble. Cara has brought enough already. Going to the village will only make the girls want to come with you, since they know the Parks now. She won’t come again, don’t worry.”

“How can I not worry when Lia’s future is at stake?” He raised his hands angrily.

Adelaide nodded sympathetically, “I know, John. I know. But don’t worry, I’ll deal with the matter. You’ve done enough. Go to sleep, dear or you’ll wake the girls.”

John sighed heavily and climbed up to his side of the bed, pulling the covers and eventually falling asleep. Soon Adelaide, turned them lamp light down lowered the covers around her, following her husband into sleep.

John and Adelaide didn’t have to worry about their daughters being woken, for they were already awake enough.

In another room, lit very brightly, with the curtains drawn to prevent outsiders from seeing, three girls were on Mina’s persimmon-colored bed talking. Two beds were to each side of the girls, Nettie’s and Lia’s, both curtained with gauzy cloth. Mina was sitting by the head-board reading a book with Lia curled by her feet hugging a pale pink cushion. Nettie was spread out at the foot, petting two cats, a fluffy black one and a slender short-haired ginger one. In between all they were doing, the sisters discussed the new guests at dinner.

“Do you think they liked us? I think Cara liked us, but that Daniel seemed rather rude. Don’t you think so, Chamomile?” Nettie took the ginger cat’s face in her hands as she earnestly asked the question. Chamomile yowled his answer and shook himself from her grasp.

Nettie pretended to gasp in shock, “Chamomile, don’t you love me? Don’t push like that, you rascal. At least Coffee doesn’t behave so meanly to me. Coffee, you love me, don’t you?” Nettie now stroked the black cat.

Lia patted her pillow and said, “I think Daniel was just shy. Mina told me that people act very strange when they’re shy.

“I said, ‘I think’ Lia. I didn’t say that people actually do that. But I did notice that Daniel was a bit cold. His mother was splendid though, wasn’t she?”

Nettie said, “I liked her immediately and I thought she looked very nice. She has lovely golden hair, just like Lia’s. And blue eyes, also just like Lia’s. It even had that greenish tinge.” The girl stroked her sister’s hair.

Lia giggled, squeezed her pillow and said, “Leo was also quite adorable. More than adorable, I don't think I've ever seen a prettier baby. Those curls and the dimples!” She squealed.

“He looks just like his mother. Same hair, same eyes. Come to think of it, they all looked like siblings. Cara looked so young to be a mother.” Mina said thoughtfully.

“Oh, I’m sure she is a lot older than she looks, but she has aged quite well.” Nettie told Mina.

Lia laughed and said, “Stop that Nettie, you’re starting to sound like Aunt Matilda, always talking about how people age in different ways.”

“But she has, hasn’t she?” Nettie dodged the pillow that came flying at her.

Mina and Lia giggled as the pillow hit Coffee, who meowed indignantly and moved to Lia’s bed. Mina rearranged her position and tried to quiet her sisters as they burst into fits of laughter. Nettie recovered first.

“Despite how rude he was, Daniel also looked like he also aged quite well, don’t you think, Lia?”

Lia rolled her eyes and said, “Well I don’t know. I guess he does look nice when he isn’t scowling. And he scowled so much during dinner, so I couldn't tell much."

“I think his scowl looked dashing.” Nettie ducked, laughing as Lia grabbed another pillow and flung it at her.

Mina closed her book and flipped onto her stomach. “I think it looked like any other scowl. Unbecoming on anyone.”

Lia threw the last of the pillows on the bed and said, “The strange thing is, I feel like I’ve seen that scowl somewhere else. A lot of times, actually.”

Nettie rolled off the bed and started collecting the fallen pillows. “How would that happen? We rarely go down to the village. Especially the part that I'm guessing the Parks live in. We only go to the town part of the village, what's it called, Moonrale Hills?"

“I don’t know. I just feel like I’ve seen him scowl before. I think through a window.”

Mina said, “Maybe we’ll be going to the Park's part of the village more often now, since we’ve met them. I’ll ask Mama tomorrow if we can visit Cara.”

“Oh please do! I’d love to see them again.” Nettie bounced on the bed.

Lia said, “It’ll be fun!”

Mina smiled then said, “Now, get off my bed and go to sleep. I’m tired.”

“Can’t we just stay up for a little more?” Nettie pleaded.

Lia and Mina shook their heads, both already getting in bed.

Nettie sighed and walked towards her blue sheeted bed. Lia pulled up her lavender coverlet and said, “Lights off?”

Her two sisters replied, “Lights off.”

Then Lia pulled the switch by her that was connected to all three lamps by every bed. Lights off, indeed.