Charlotte's childhood dream of one day becoming a wife and mother was dashed when her own mother spilled hot grease across her face when she was twelve, To avoid ridicule and stares her father helped her train as a gourmet chef learning from the French and Italian chefs he hired. She eventually worked for a wealthy family as their head chef. When she slapped the face of her employers son because of inappropriate advances she was immediately terminated. The only job she could find after six months of searching was for a general housekeeper, nanny and cook in Montana. She could pretend to be the mother she knew she would never be.