Three weeks of gardening with Meredith every Saturday.
Three weeks of running the bar.
Three weeks of dates with Wyatt, dinners at his cabin, evenings on the back deck, long walks through town where we hold hands like teenagers and talk about everything and nothing.
Three weeks of falling deeper into a life I never thought I’d want.
It’s a Tuesday morning when the email arrives.
I’m in the office, going through invoices, when my phone buzzes. I almost ignore it, probably spam or a newsletter I forgot to unsubscribe from, but something makes me look. The sender’s name stops me cold.
Genevieve Ashford, Institut de Raffinement
I stare at the screen for a long moment, my heart pounding. Genevieve Ashford. I know that name. Everyone in the etiquette world knows that name. She runs the Institut de Raffinement in Lausanne, Switzerland, the most prestigious finishing school in Europe. Royalty sends their children there. CEOs. Diplomats. The kind of people my mother spent her whole career trying to impress.
I met Genevieve once at a conference in New York five years ago. We spoke for maybe ten minutes, and I gave her my card.
Why is she emailing me now?
I open it.
Dear Ms. Whitfield,
I hope this message finds you well. We met briefly at the International Etiquette Conference in 2019, and I’ve followed your career with interest since then. I was sorry to hear about the closing of your mother’s studio. Vivian Whitfield was a legend in our field, and I know her passing left large shoes to fill. I imagine the past year has been challenging.
I’m writing because an unexpected opportunity has arisen at the Institut. Our director of American programs has accepted a position elsewhere. Effective immediately, we find ourselves in need of someone with your background and expertise.
The position involves overseeing our programs for American students and families, teaching advanced courses in etiquette and protocol, and representing the Institute at international events. The compensation package is substantial, $200,000 USD annually, plus housing in Lausanne and comprehensive benefits. The start date would be November 1st.
I realize this is rather sudden, and you may have commitments that make relocation impossible, but I wanted to extend the offer before looking elsewhere. Your mother’s training, combined with your own experience, makes you very qualified for this role.
If you’re interested in discussing further, please reply at your earliest convenience. I’d be happy to arrange a video call to answer any questions.
With warm regards,
Genevieve Ashford
Director, Institut de Raffinement
I read the email three times. Then I close my laptop and sit still in Mavis’s chair, staring at the wall of photographs.
I don’t even see any of them.
$200,000 a year.
Housing in Switzerland.
The most prestigious etiquette position in the world. Everything my mother ever wanted for me, just delivered to my inbox on a random Tuesday morning. The question is, do I want it?
My brain is in knots. I thought I knew what I wanted now. Copper Creek. The Rusty Spur. Wyatt.
So why does this email feel even slightly tempting? After all, I left the etiquette world behind, didn’t I?
By Thursday, the secret is eating me alive. I’ve read Genevieve’s email probably fifty times and drafted responses over and over.
Yes.
No.
