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‘I want no darkness in here,’ Rosalie instructed as she and Florentine entered the dining room. With the arrival of the visitors and staff pressed to the kitchen to cook a larger dinner than usual, the dining room was unattended. ‘Light everything.’ Growing illumination bit into the gloom as candles were lit, followed by the gas light above the fireplace and the paraffin chandelier over the hardwood table. Shades were banished to the night where they belonged. With a deftness of movement from long practice, Florentine opened the buffet doors and started removing the white china dinner plates. Rosalie slid open drawers to collect the silverware and napery. Overhead, floorboards creaked and doors clicked as they opened and closed. Children’s voices, high-pitched with excitement, were overl