The next day, the women woke up at noon. They were still talking about the wonderful party. They had arranged with the kitchen to serve leftovers for brunch in a picnic basket.
They decided to eat in the garden with the ocean view right in front of them. Gloria felt as if nothing ever could go wrong for her again. She was mentally trying to capture this moment as a snapshot in her mind.
After the brunch, they met Mr. Shepard in the hallway. He told her that, now that she had received her new name, he wanted to take her to a new level in her life. He wanted to introduce somebody important to her. It turned out to be seven women all standing on a line in the hallway, but she could not see their faces because they were all covered behind veils. Their dresses were all seven different colors.
Gloria was wondering what this was all about, but she knew by now that her father always had her best interest in mind, which made her relax, but it did not prevent her from being curious.
"The seven women were connected to seven doors here in the cottage," Mr. Shepard explained. "Every door is leading into to a room, with seven different challenges. You have to pass one before you can go on to the next. If you should want to procrastinate, you will have to go through it later on. Remember that it's a test and that you've got what it takes. The challenges you will face are made specifically to fit you. But they have been carefully planned to challenge you as well, to build you up, and to make you stronger no matter what you might face behind a door or what you feel about the challenges. If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."
