<em>~Mila, touring her new home with her new family~</em><br/><br/>Cathy came into the dining room, her timing uncanny as it seemed everyone had finished their meals.  Mila stood as the others did and gave the girls a bright smile that bespoke of her excitement.  This was it... the start of their time here, the six of them together.<br/><br/>She followed the crowd into the kitchen, paying careful attention as Cathy showed them all of the gadgets in the kitchen.  It was remarkably updated for such an old place, and she was grateful that they wouldn't have to cook in rustic conditions.<br/><br/>As they moved into the laundry area, she noticed a funny look on Nicci's face and tilted her head curiously, wondering what the other woman was thinking.  Nicci grinned back, her expression full of promise, and again Mila found herself enjoying the camaraderie.<br/><br/>The room they went into next was unusual for Mila.  She'd seen mud rooms on HGTV before, in houses in the north, but she'd always lived in warm climates and had never actually seen such an area.  Certainly she could see the benefit of this sort of setup, but it reminded her of how cold it was going to get here, and her mouth curved into a petulant little pout as she thought of it.  She really did hate the cold!  But it was worth putting up with it, since it meant being a part of this group.  But really, Mrs. Taylor could have found some tropical island for the experiment.  Had an ancient Scottish castle really been necessary?<br/><br/>As Cathy explained about cleaning fireplaces and replacing wood, Mila blinked, feeling a bit overwhelmed and startled suddenly.  This wasn't going to be a matter of going to the grocery store and buying a bundle of wood, was it?  No, Marcus, Bo, and David would have to go out with axes and cut down trees.  The realization that she was terribly unsuited for this sort of life left a sinking feeling in her stomach.  Nervously, she looked around at the others, hoping nobody else noticed what was surely a sick expression on her face.  The others seemed to be unbothered by all the talk of cold and fireplaces and ash.  Mila pursed her lips, trying to look casual as she took it all in.<br/><br/>Next, she followed the group into the largest walk-in pantry she'd ever seen, and as Cathy continued to talk, this time of rough seas and being stranded for months at a time, Mila couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Well, damn."  Two months' worth of supplies.  Check.  She'd go along with that, because if the weather meant that there were two months in a row that nobody could get to the isle, then those were two months that she'd be staying inside, thank you very much.  She paid careful attention to how to order items and their monthly stipend, wishing she'd brought along a notebook on which to jot down notes.  There was a ton to remember.  Her brow furrowed with anxiety, she tried to remind herself that there were only six of them, not sixty.  How bad could it be?