She walked to the windowsill and saw Shona Joplin leaving alone, dragging a rolling suitcase. Her high heels seemed to be broken, making her limp as she walked.
'Isn't Shona Joplin's current state just a preview of my own future? Joan, oh Joan, you absolutely cannot fall for Miles Xavier,' she told herself. 'Otherwise, you'll meet a miserable end.'
...
At dinnertime, unable to stay in her room any longer, she finally came downstairs, planning to dine with the rest of the Xavier family.
She took Miles Xavier's words to heart: be a good wife and a good mother. The implication was that she had to get along with his two daughters and treat them as her own.
Joan Shaw descended the spiral staircase, holding the railing. She was already treading lightly, but the little girl at the dining table still looked up alertly.
Because of their last misunderstanding, Sarah had no fondness for Joan Shaw. Winning over the older daughter would not be an easy task.
