BooksBarbecue
Back A Gilded Lady Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Elizabeth Camden
  4. Title Page
  5. Dedication
  6. One
  7. Two
  8. Three
  9. Four
  10. Five
  11. Six
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Ten
  16. Eleven
  17. Twelve
  18. Thirteen
  19. Fourteen
  20. Fifteen
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-One
  27. Twenty-Two
  28. Twenty-Three
  29. Twenty-Four
  30. Twenty-Five
  31. Twenty-Six
  32. Twenty-Seven
  33. Twenty-Eight
  34. Twenty-Nine
  35. Thirty
  36. Thirty-One
  37. Thirty-Two
  38. Thirty-Three
  39. Thirty-Four
  40. Thirty-Five
  41. Thirty-Six
  42. Thirty-Seven
  43. Thirty-Eight
  44. Thirty-Nine
  45. Historical Note
  46. Questions for Discussion
  47. In 2021, look for Luke Delacroix’s story in
  48. About the Author
  49. Back Ads
  50. Back Cover

The meeting ended shortly after that, and Mr. Alphonse privately advised that she accept the likelihood of a trial in Cuba. Tears clouded her vision as she bid him farewell, but she couldn’t be rational at a time like this.

She almost stepped in front of a streetcar as she darted across the road and toward a church, for the only thing she could do was pray to God for mercy.

The church was empty and quiet as she fell to her knees. Luke was a good man despite his irreverence. He’d been studying the Bible. He’d engineered funding for Petra’s school for poor women. While it was possible he’d committed a terrible crime, there was no sin that couldn’t be forgiven. Jesus had promised them that.

And wasn’t Luke’s salvation what she should care about the most? He could find peace in the hereafter, if not on earth. God had never promised them a long life, and she might need to become reconciled to the fact that Luke would not have one.

Her knees ached by the time she rose, but her heart was still heavy as she walked back to the White House.

“Where have you been?” the housekeeper asked when Caroline entered the kitchen. “Mrs. McKinley has been banging her cane, shouting down the house in search of you.”

“What now?”

The housekeeper rolled her eyes. “She’s in a mood because the blueberry muffins were burned this morning. We still haven’t heard the end of it.”

Caroline drew a fortifying breath, bracing herself for a difficult day, but there was a limit to her patience, and she feared she was about to reach it.

Twenty-Two

ch-fig

Nathaniel had spent an hour inspecting the exterior security measures when he got wind of Mrs. McKinley’s latest tantrum, for apparently, she’d had a rich one with Caroline that afternoon. Sullivan told him the news when he stopped by the north yard sentry box.

“It was all about some burned blueberry muffins,” Sullivan said in a low voice. “She ordered Caroline to get the housekeeper to make another batch, but there were no more blueberries. Didn’t matter. She wanted Caroline to go out and find some, and Caroline refused. That caused another ruckus, and Caroline threatened not to go on the train trip, and Mrs. McKinley shouted ‘Good riddance’ and kicked her out of her suite. Everyone is hoping this blows over, because nobody wants to be trapped on that train for three months if Caroline isn’t there to tame the dragon.”

Nathaniel ought to reprimand Sullivan for speaking disrespectfully of the first lady, but everyone knew it was true, and they had complete privacy at the sentry box. He’d have to see what he could do about getting Caroline back on board.