how does the author create contrasting atmosphere inside and outside the whites home

The story is set in England around the turn of the twentieth century. It opens with the elderly Mr. and Mrs. White and their son Herbert in their cozy family home one stormy evening. Father and son are playing chess while Mrs. White knits by the fire. From their conversation, it is apparent they are expecting a visitor. The weather outside might possibly foreshadow the storm (trouble) that will soon descend upon their home.