“Why can’t she be like a normal woman and support her husband?” Sven grumbled as he paced a circle around the cluster of chairs. “Why can’t she be a helpmeet instead of a constant, incessant, irritating, and annoying drag on him?”

Caroline bit her tongue, fighting back the urge to ask why Mr. McKinley had run for the highest office in the land when he knew his wife wasn’t up to it. She didn’t like Ida’s tantrums any more than Sven, but the first lady had been dealt a brutal round of blows in her life and was more fragile than most women. It was the way God had made her, but trying to reason with a man like Sven was pointless, so Caroline cut straight to the point.

“Ida McKinley is the First Lady of the United States. If you can’t show her a modicum of respect, you may be in the wrong job.”

Sven heard the veiled threat and whirled to point a finger in her face. “I am an essential member of the president’s team. You’re only here to help his wife manage tea parties.”

“Oh, sit down and shut up, Sven,” she groused. “You sound like a hummingbird with whooping cough.”

He threw himself into a chair in the corner and glowered at her. Before he could make any other nasty remarks, the door banged open, and Nathaniel strode inside. He looked out of breath and furious, and she instinctively stood.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I just met with the chief of the Secret Service. Mr. Wilkie had interesting things to relay about why you’ve been meeting with a criminal attorney.”

She blanched, glancing over at Sven, whose eyes had widened in shock. The last thing she wanted was the only enemy she had on the president’s staff to know about this. Her mouth went dry, and her hands were clammy.

“Let’s step outside where we can speak privately,” she said, managing to keep a calm tone.

Nathaniel looked taken aback by Sven’s presence, for he sat in a shadowy corner, his face awash in cool, calculating fascination.

“Get out,” Nathaniel bluntly ordered.

“Actually, I’m enjoying the fireworks,” Sven said.

“This is a matter of national security. You can leave of your own accord, or I can have you removed,” Nathaniel said. “Your call.”

Sven’s face tightened in displeasure, but he collected his stack of papers and left, closing the door softly behind him.

Caroline forced herself to breathe smoothly. Nathaniel’s boorish behavior would not ruffle her. She was a proud daughter of Virginia and would not act guilty or ashamed, for Luke’s freedom rested on her ability to keep this job.

“Is this how they teach gentlemen to behave in Chicago?” she asked the moment the door clicked shut behind Sven.