Together as we walked up a beautiful curved staircase I saw that the whole house was both beautiful and cosy. Softness, depth and beauty swam like a warm sensual sea below me everywhere as I looked down. Up above light streamed in from upper windows and bathed the upper stories in the warmest golden lovliness I had ever seen.

No wonder Anna had made sure to correct me when she said this was a home.

Lucky, lucky people to live in such a beautiful home.

My bedroom was magnificent.

"Sarah, take some time to unpack," she said facetiously, looking at my near empty plastic shopping bag.

"Ok." I said softly "Thank you."

"I'll meet you in the kitchen tomorrow morning at 8am, Ok?"

"Ok, see you then"

She left me then to examine my room in greater detail.

The room was done primarily in white with pale pink flowers dotted over the beautiful clean bedspread which looked brand new.

Soft cream carpet of the same texture of that downstairs and over the staircase covered the entire bedroom floor wall to wall.

No need for a rug but one was there, so very soft white and fluffy (which I would later learn was sheepskin) by the side of the bed, where my feet would touch it last at night and first thing in the morning.

Delicate white lace curtains were prominent at the large window and the beautiful light was invited in forcefully, the effect was brilliant. Thick pink curtains were drawn well back from the window to allow the beauty of nature inside the room.

My bedside table had what I was to learn was an old fashioned alarm clock. It sat alone there on the bare wood, 3 drawers sat ready to be opened below it.

So much space all for me, in addition to those drawers the room also boasted a carved wooden chest, a large chest of drawers (6 large drawers) and a cupboard full of empty clothes hangers.

So much cleaner than the cabin, no way could I ever hope to get it so clean, the cabins floorboards were continually open via cracks to the loose earth below.

So very much larger than the cabin. This room must have been twice the size and the only person living here would be me.

I guessed it wouldn't be too long before I was desperately lonely.

I lay down on the bed, looking towards the window.

I felt restless and I realised suddenly that I didn't even have a hairbrush, Emma had been far too kind to mention the state of my clothes and when she had found me I had been far too upset to worry about things such as appearance.

But now sitting up on this lovely soft bed in this lovely warm home I felt for the first time in months the desire to bring back the woman within me, the woman that Luke had never loved.

I felt both sad and defiant as I hung up my three dresses and selected the beautiful dress that Emma had so thoughtfully given me. As I pulled it down over my head I felt excited, I smoothed it into place around my body and reached around to zip up the back for myself. I opened the door of the cupboard where I had seen the full length mirror stuck inside.

I stood there in front of it admiring my reflection, my body was thin but not emaciated as I had always imagined, my breasts were large and looked almost beguiling in spite of this dress's implied purity.

I took a step closer to look at my face, it was smooth, milky looking but deep in my green eyes I thought I looked old, no sparkle lay there, and my lips looked sad too.

I stepped back to look over my body again, I was happy, I smiled I looked good and much younger when I smiled, I laughed – and spun around and gathered my things – I was going shopping for myself for the first time in my life.

I went back out through the house as I had entered it, I walked back out into the sunshine a changed woman, a younger, prettier and happier woman than when I had entered.

I remembered seeing some shops on my way to the house, I headed for those.

There was a spring in my step and I nearly skipped along like a carefree child, nobody back home in the Willies would even recognise me now, the Sarah they all knew was gone – in truth she had died along with her final child on that cold mountainside.

And only I was left.

I had several hundred dollars gifted to me by Emma, I knew things were expensive but I had rarely been into the shops in Winnerrow let alone in Atlanta, so I would need a new education in how much things cost and what I would need to buy in this new life.

I reached the shop at last I at least wanted to find a hairbrush. I found one in a pharmacy, I also bought some face powder and lipstick – truthfully I wanted everything I saw but I was terrified of spending too much money – If anyone knew what it was like to be cold, hungry and without money it was me.

It made the few things I allowed myself to buy all the sweeter, they were truly cherished items.

I walked back slowly, enjoying the feel of the package in my hand as I walked along. Once I found myself back at the house I had to ring the bell once more as I had been given no key.

"Ah, Sarah," Emma exclaimed. "I was wondering where you had got to."

She stood eyeing my package "What have you got there?" she asked.

I felt too shy to say that it was makeup so I said "Oh just a few things from the chemist." I said furtively.

"Oh." She said losing interest, "actually it's a good thing I ran into you again, my husband has called and said he will be ready for his dinner at precisely 7:30pm" she giggled.

"You see he thinks I can be ordered about but truly it's a game that only I know the rules of." she winked.

"Of course I love him you understand, and he does own this house and is responsible for everything you see here, but I am responsible for his happiness and there truly is an art to keeping a man happy." She paused to see if I was listening.

I was listening, I guess it was something I needed to learn but at the same time relationships between men and women was the last thing on my mind right now.

"Well I guess that is something we can discuss as time goes on," she said.

I nodded.

"Well your dress is truly lovely Sarah, I do hope you'll wear it to dinner tonight, you understand you are free to look around the house or watch tv, read a book perhaps, there is some time to kill before dinner and I do want you to settle in properly and feel comfortable"

"Actually, what I would really like is to wash myself" I said finally speaking up.

Oh, of course – of course I'm so silly, allow me to show you to your bathroom.