“I won’t turn this evening into a theater production, but certain truths have to be spoken aloud,” Lisa announced clearly.

Ava clenched her fists. “Lisa, if you have a grievance, we can discuss this privately.”

“I spent three years in private, Mrs. Covington, listening to everything you thought a maid could never understand,” Lisa countered.

The guests crept closer to catch every word of the unfolding drama.

“I was born Lisa Bartlett, but four years ago I dropped my name after a man tried to marry me just for my family fortune,” Lisa explained to the crowd.

“I wanted to live an honest life, without my wealth, to discover who I truly was.”