“They’re here,” Nathaniel said tensely as a squad of two dozen mounted police officers finally arrived.

Caroline helped Ida board a carriage, then climbed in too. It was a three-mile ride to the McKinley home, with the police escort riding alongside the carriage and well-wishers lining the streets, waving flags and shouting good cheer.

The McKinleys lived in a two-story frame house with bay windows and an expansive front porch. The house had been draped with patriotic bunting, and a barbershop quartet stood ready to welcome them.

“It’s so good to be home,” Ida said, her voice trembling with exhaustion as she descended from the carriage. “Do you smell that? Those are my fine Ohio viburnum shrubs. Oh heavens, it’s wonderful to finally be home.”

Then, unbelievably, Nathaniel had to be a fly in the ointment again.

“Please wait here while I clear the building.” He held out an arm to block Ida, then turned to stride up the path and through the front door of the house. Two agents accompanied him, and one skirted the house while the other went inside with Nathaniel to look for anarchists.

“Major!” Ida said. “This is beyond ridiculous. I have been traveling for two days and am not allowed into my own home?”

“It won’t be much longer now,” the president said.

Caroline leaned over to George. “How long do you think this will take?”

“It looks like they’re already done,” George said with a nod to Nathaniel, who emerged onto the front porch and gestured for them to come forward.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” President McKinley chided Ida as they started walking up the front path. Caroline and George walked several paces behind but could still hear Ida fuming.

“I am nearing my limit with that man,” she said.

“Now, dear—”

“He’s blunt and suspicious and I don’t like the way he’s always hovering.”

George leaned in to speak quietly. “Are you on her side?” he asked casually.

“He’s making her needlessly anxious,” she whispered back but smiled and nodded to the throngs of people who stood respectfully behind the fence lining the yard. All of them seemed so proud of their local son, but was it possible some disgruntled person had traveled all the way to this idyllic town to cause trouble?

She scanned the faces in the crowd and wondered. The king of Italy probably hadn’t suspected anything when he boarded his carriage with a group of friends.

She shook off the worries. She would not allow Nathaniel’s obsessive mistrust of ordinary people to mar her day.

Nathaniel tried to let the first lady’s belligerent comments roll off his back as he and Sullivan moved from room to room inside the house, but it was getting hard, since Sullivan wouldn’t let him forget it.

“She really hates you,” Sullivan chided.