Chapter 16: Reviewing the Options

At first, it was jarring to watch Isaac and Arabella interact with the household staff. Lavinia quickly realized that what she had taken for guards were nearly interchangeable with the rest of the faculty. Their uniforms, crisp and ironed, matched the ones worn by the kitchen and cleaning staff and were mirrored in the dresses worn by maids. All of them had the same spreading black veins. Arabella caught Lavinia staring and shook her head.

"I'll explain later," she whispered.

Isaac and Arabella seemed dedicated to the divide and conquer method. Isaac focused mainly on the technical side of things while his sister engaged with the details. She made remarks about color and shape. Arabella insisted on white and green centerpieces, much better to contrast the dark mahogany and stone of the manor house.

Isaac watched the staff set up the ballroom. He made adjustments to the tables they placed and pulled tablecloths to be more centered. The young woman waxing the dance floor shook s