Elena jumped up from the table and ran to the side window.

“My goodness, we seem to have company coming through the gates. There are two females riding in a horse and buggy.”

“Do you know them, Elena?”

“I can’t tell yet, not from this distance.”

Kat walked swiftly through the house to the front door with Colette on her heels. Before opening the door, she checked herself in the hall mirror and noticed that her hair was still damp from the bath, but at least she was clean. She licked her hands and ran them through her hair then turning she reached for the handle and pulled the door open. As she walked out onto the porch she watched as the buggy came to a stop at the end of the path.

Isaiah’s foreman, Drew Maxen walked up and took hold of the horses’ bridle. When he looked up at the women he smiled.

“Well, I’ll be damned, if it isn’t Miss Kalila. Welcome home, baby girl.”

“In case you haven’t noticed Drew, I’m not a baby any longer. Where’s the old man?”

“He’s gone right now. He should be home in a couple of days. There’s Kat on the porch, ask her, she’ll tell you when he’ll be back.”

Lila turned towards the house and saw a young woman standing by the front door. Next to her stood a very young girl and they were both smiling at her. She jumped down from the buggy and started walking down the path.

“Yes, well, you must be a new housekeeper. Will you please see that all our bags are brought inside and taken up to our rooms? I presume that my room is still intact. The old boy hasn’t changed it into a smoking room or anything has he?”

Kat stood dumbfounded as she watched Lila push past her and enter the house. Before she could say anything the second lady had stepped up onto the porch and followed Lila inside.

“Well, for goodness sake woman, don’t just stand there. Bring us a glass of something cool to drink. It’s still a long ride from Rebel to here and we are thirsty. Annie come into the front room, it is always cooler there.”

The two visitors walked into the room and Lila just stood at the door looking around.

“Well, it looks like the old boy made a few changes around here. It’s alright, nothing fancy. Mrs.….. Mrs. whatever your name is, don’t you understand English? Can’t you do anything except stand there with your mouth open? Honestly, Annie, I am so mad that Minnie had to pick this time to get married. If she was here she would get whatever we wanted without a problem.”

As Lila walked inside the room she heard the rustle of a skirt as Elena came running down the hall. She stopped and turned around and watched as Elena ran up to the woman.

“Oh, my goodness, my baby is home. Oh Miss Kalila, look at you, all grown up. We were just talking about you not five minutes ago and here you are. It is so good to see you.”

She threw her arms around Kalila and gave her a hug and while Elena was speaking she glanced over at the friend that Kalila had brought with her. The woman looked familiar somehow but Elena couldn’t figure out where she had seen her before.

“So, you’re still here, Elena?”

“Yes sugar, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, I just thought that this idiot here was the new housekeeper seeing as she opened the door.”

“Oh, my goodness, that’s right, you wouldn’t know would you. This lovely lady is your father’s wife.”

The shocked look on Kalila’s face showed Kat that this was something that she had never anticipated. She stood there for a few minutes in total disbelief before she walked over to Kat and just stared at her. She walked around Kat and gave her the once over. Finally Kat found her voice.

“Kalila, it is so nice of you to come for a visit. Both your father and I have been hoping that you would come sometime soon. I hope you can stay a long time. I know that this is a shock for you….”

“It’s a shock, for me? Ha ha. Oh, my goodness, new wife of my father, this visit will be a total shock for all of us.”

Lila started laughing and laughing and soon had to sit down on the large leather couch because her legs couldn’t hold her up. She looked up at Kat and then over at her mother and once again started laughing. It was all Annie could do not to laugh along with Lila. She just held her breath and sucked in a smile.

Elena was looking very shocked at Kalila’s behavior and she was ready to say something when Lila finally stopped laughing and took over the conversation.

“Well, my goodness Elena, what a situation. And here I thought she was a new housekeeper when in reality she is my new step mother. Leave it up to old daddy to do the abnormal.”

“Lila, this is Katherine or Kat as we call her. She and your father have been married for about two years now.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet. Well, all I can say, Kat, is I hope he treats you better than he ever treated me. Oh, by the way, I forgot to introduce you to my friend here. Elena, you should know who this lady is.”

“Well I thought she looked familiar.”

“Well, let me introduce you to her. Mrs. Isaiah Irwin I want you and Elena to meet Mrs. Isaiah Irwin. Isn’t that just too much?”

Kat stood with her hand outstretched and a total quizzical look on her face.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Lila.”

It finally hit Elena and she turned pale.

“Oh my god, your Fanny, Isaiah’s first wife.”