Who would have thought that now, at this age, there is more to tie her to home than ever?
She will follow all the protocols. First, visiting cards. She has not used them for years.
When they first married, Ernst presented her with a stack of cream cards, with her name printed on them:
Frau H. Schwebel
The printed font was italicized, so the H bent forward as if it had a load on its back.
Now, she opens a small wooden drawer and takes out the first of the pack. She looks at it. It is slightly yellowing on the corners. It’s been years since she used them. She has long since eschewed the formal visiting, and with her few close friends, like Sarah, she simply knows what time they are usually at home. And they know that even if they are not sitting in state in the drawing room, she is only too happy to follow them into the kitchen while they supervise a beef stew.
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