How does Penelope Fitzgerald set the stage for Lisa's and Dolly's mysterious encounter in the woods surrounding the Reid dacha?

The author establishes the stage for the mysterious encounter in the woods outside the Reid dacha by first noting that it is not much more than a shack in the forest. Although the surrounding trees have been cut on occasion, they have never been cleared. The forest closely surrounds the dacha as a result and there is no direct access to it. The railroad stops in a nearby village, and walking from there through the woods is the quickest way to the dacha. The luggage goes via a roundabout route by horse cart. There are also other dachas scattered within the woods, but at night their lights are not visible and noises from any neighbors cannot be heard. Sound coming from the birch trees is all that is heard after dark.