A woman named Brianne gets permission from Ryan to order supplies for a school and cabins. She excitedly tells her friend Rena, who has made herself a lovely green gown. They laugh together. Brianne grabs Rena's wrist to bring her to Brianne's room, where she has gathered their housekeeper Mattie. Brianne asks for their help making lists of needed supplies, telling them jokingly that Ryan thinks she is trying to be the perfect lady of the manor. They begin compiling the lists, making suggestions.

1. UNFORGETTABLE POTRAIT
not wrong continuing to gaze out into the distance, he remained silent. the only sign of his
agitation was the familiar tightening of his check as he struggled to make a decision finally he
uttered the words she had prayed for. make your list, so happy, she stood on tiptoe and kissed
his smooth cheek, the one that had been clenched only moments before. oh, thank you, ryan. i
knew you d do the right thing. had i known what the reward was going to be, i d have done it a
lot sooner, he chuckled about to leave, she paused at the door and turning back to him, asked
something she had wondered about for weeks, ryan, are you very rich? she
inquiredshyly surprised and amused, he answered her, is suppose you could say we don t have
to worry about money. what is going through that beautiful head of yours? pleased by his
answer, she continued, then it wouldn t hurt if we supplied the material to make new curtains
for the cabins, and a few other small things? bursting into full scale laughter, he pointed to the
door go make your list, woman or i won t make the boat! excited, brianne shut the door and
shouted for mattie. when the housekeeper appeared, she quickly told her to bring something cool
to drink for three people, and ran up the stairs to find rena.her diligent friend was in her room,
smoothing the lines of the lovely green gown she had just finished. catching the young girl
admiring herself in the mirror, brianne exclaimed her approval rena! you look positively
radiant. i never guessed you had such skill your should have trained to be a dressmaker,
instead of a maid, brianne saw the patience of the last few weeks pay off, as rena did a neat
pirouette and primly answered in a most ladylike voice, why thank you brianne i m quite
pleased with it myself they both brush into laughter at her transformation. brianne grabbed her
friend s wrist and hurried down the hall to her own room, renewed laughter her only answer to
rena s inquiries as to the cause of this unladylike display in fact, brianne wouldn t say
anything until mattie appeared carrying the refreshment as she started to leave brianne asked
her to stay i jneed your help, mattie come sit down with us and have some lemonade ryan has
given permission to order supplies for the school, which rena will help me with and i d like your
help in supplying the cabins the other two women s eyes met, and apprehension passed between
them don t be silly! brianne admonished them, knowing what they were thinking no one will
know what goes on in this room, and your both know how i feel about this servant mistress
barrier. now, mattie, you sit here, she patted the seat next to her we have less than an hour to
make up both lists if we want ryan to take them into the city and! mgoing to serve the drinks
just to keep in practice now sit down mattie, and help me get organized. looking scandalized,
mattie nervously complied brianne handed each a tall glass glancing at them she said with a
devilish glint in her eyes don t eit her of you dare tell ryan he thinks that i m honestly trying to
become the grand lady of the manor, waited on hand and foot and all that, rena shook her head
before turning her eyes to the ceiling. now that has to be the best kept secret of briarfawn! i
suppose he just hasn t caught you scrubbing the laundry or polishing silver yet, defending
herself, brianne cried, rena, that s not fair! i am trying i just like to keep busy i simply cannot
sit around and watch other people work when i m perfectly capable of helping. dismissing that
subject, she got back to the one at hand. now let s forget my shortcomings shall we? and
concentrate on these lists mattie, how many cabins do we have? grateful for their help, she
noted down their suggestions and was making one combined list when someone knocked on the
door. mattie jumped up to answer it with the speed of a woman half her size and admitted
aaron, who announced he had come