The Arrangement by Joan Wolf

He departed in the opposite direction from which Lady Regina had come.
    I wanted to beg him not to leave me, but obviously that was not feasible, so I straightened my spine and resolutely followed Lady Regina across the floor to the beautiful staircase that, after the fireplace, was the room’s outstanding feature.
    Graciously, charmingly, relentlessly, Lady Regina began to quiz me. “Did you have a long drive, Mrs. Saunders?”
    “Rather long,” I replied quietly. “The roads were still quite filled with drifts, but we were able to follow the path of the mail.”
    “Ah,” said Lady Regina.
    We had reached the top of the stairs and I looked around at the imposing room I found myself in.
    “What a magnificent room,” I said, trying to turn the subject.
    “This used to be the Great Chamber,” Lady Regina told me. “At the time the house was built, rooms like this were used to entertain one’s noble guests.”
    From ornate ceiling to marble floor, the room was intimidatingly magnificent. The paneled walls were decorated with a wealth of curious carvings, which later I would discover included winged horses, chimeras, and mermaids. The chimneypiece was what caught my immediate attention, however. I stared at it in unabashed awe. It was a truly remarkable piece, made of alabaster and black, white, and gray marble, and decked with strapwork, acanthus scrolls, and garlands of musical instruments and flowers.
    Lady Regina saw where my eyes had lighted. “The chimneypiece has been described as one of the finest works of Renaissance sculpture in England,” she told me, with the pride I had detected in her brother’s voice earlier.
    “It is magnificent,” I said. I glanced at the room’s only furniture, which were some carved oak chairs set along the wall. “Is the room in use today?”
    “My parents occasionally used it as a ballroom,” Lady Regina said.
    She turned to her right and began to lead me through a succession of smaller, less formal rooms, all the while asking me questions.
    “Where do you live, then, Mrs. Saunders?”
    “In Surrey,” I said, “in a town called Highgate.”
    I was quite certain that Highgate would mean nothing to her, and from the small frown between her brows I saw that I was right.
    “I wonder, how did my brother know you were named in my cousin’s will?” came the next question.
    “I understand your brother is Lord Devane’s executor,” I replied. “One would expect him to know something about the contents of the will.”
    “Well, he never said anything about it to me!” This was obviously a sore point with Lady Regina.
    The passageway turned to the right and we entered what was apparently one of the bedroom wings. We walked halfway down the hall, past at least six closed doors, until finally Lady Regina stopped in front of one, turned the latch, and pushed it open.
    “Good,” she said. “I thought this room would be ready.”
    I followed the earl’s sister into an utterly charming room. It had a wide window with diamond-shaped glass, under which was a comfortable-looking window seat. The four-poster was covered with a faded gold tapestry spread, which matched the faded gold canopy over the bed. The floor was covered by a deeply colored rug that had come from the Orient. There was a wonderful blast of warmth coming from the coal fire in the fireplace.
    There was a partially open door set in the middle of the wall to the right.
    “The dressing room is through that door,” Lady Regina told me. “Shall I send one of the maids to unpack for you, Mrs. Saunders?”
    “No, thank you, Lady Regina. I am accustomed to doing for myself.”
    Lady Regina did not look at all surprised by this revelation. “Hot water will be coming momentarily. Dinner is in an hour and a half. I will send a footman to show you the way to the drawing room.”
    “Thank you,” I said, and stood in the middle of the floor, hands clasped in front of me, waiting for her to leave. When finally the