Ida smiled. It was the right thing to say, for Ida expected Caroline’s full attention until the last hour of the last day of the McKinley administration.

Sleeping quarters on the train for the staff were only curtain-covered berths, but Caroline was thrilled with the dining accommodations because everyone would dine alongside the McKinleys. Two long tables filled the center of the dining car, with another for the buffet at the end.

By morning, the train had crossed into Ohio, but they were all treated to a full breakfast in the dining car. Caroline filled a plate for Ida while everyone else served themselves and ate together without regard to wealth or status. The president sat next to the White House clerks, and Ida sat beside junior guards. The delicious scent of bacon and scrambled eggs filled the traveling caravan, silverware clattered, and laughter was plentiful. In a few hours they would arrive in Canton, and the air hummed with excitement as the train sped through the rainy countryside. This was their last opportunity to relax before the whirlwind of election day tomorrow.

Caroline circulated to chat and refill everyone’s coffee cups while Rembrandt took impromptu photographs of people as they mugged for the camera.

The only gloomy one in the group was Nathaniel, whose grim expression sucked all the energy from his corner of the railcar. Rather than join the others at the table, he had curled up in the sitting area on the far end of the car. The corners of his mouth turned down as he scribbled in his notebook.

“Why don’t you join the rest of us at the table?” Mrs. McKinley asked him. “You can’t protect my husband if you’re fainting from hunger.”

Nathaniel glanced up. “I ate before everyone else was up. I’m fine.”

He didn’t look fine. He looked tense and moody, and he was making Mrs. McKinley nervous. If possible, his mood darkened even further as the train arrived in Canton. He was always edgy when guarding the president outside the White House, but Caroline wasn’t going to let him spoil her day.

Canton was charming. Prosperous storefronts, spacious parks, and manicured front lawns spoke of solid respectability. At the Canton train station, townspeople waved American flags and applauded for the town’s most famous resident. Even from inside the train, Caroline heard a brass band playing “Hail to the Chief.”

The president helped his wife stand, but before they could exit the car, Nathaniel stopped them.

“I need to meet with local security first,” he said.