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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

“She was,” President McKinley said. To Nathaniel’s horror, the president’s lip trembled, and it looked as if he was about to weep. He let out a deep sigh, and his shoulders sagged. “Forgive me,” he said in an unsteady voice. “It has been a trying day.”

Ida reached up to cup her husband’s jaw and turned his to face her. “God knew best, William,” she said gently.

The president managed a sad smile as he gazed down at his wife, a look of resignation on his face. The connection between them warmed and strengthened, and as Nathaniel watched, it seemed as if the president drew strength from his wife.

The pair headed upstairs to change into dinner attire, and Nathaniel watched them go. Mrs. McKinley’s crippled leg slowed their progress, but even so, it seemed as if the president was still leaning on her. It was the first time he’d ever seen the president turn to his wife for support, and it was a surprise.

After they disappeared into the upstairs bedroom, Nathaniel was alone in the hall. He looked back at the photograph of a girl so like Molly it hurt.

Did God know best? It had been twenty years since Molly had died, but he doubted this choking sense of regret would ever ease. He felt unmoored and exhausted from battling the undertow of regret, made worse by his responsibilities to guard the president. He had only a few more days before he could be free of this assignment and return to life as an ordinary detective.

This feeling of being stretched beyond his limits was becoming more common, and oddly, Caroline Delacroix was the best remedy. The moment she came into view, he felt grounded and energized by a spark of electricity that jolted him back to earth. He both mistrusted and craved the way she made him feel.

Whether McKinley won or lost tomorrow’s election, Nathaniel was going to be a free man soon, and then he could figure out what to do with this mass of complicated feelings for Caroline.

Fourteen

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It was election night, and Caroline’s shoes pinched, her corset was too tight, and her face hurt from smiling, but what a privilege to help host this party tonight. The McKinley house was crammed to the gills, for every local official in northeast Ohio wanted to attend. A team of hired cooks had prepared a steak dinner for those dining inside, while hot chocolate and caramel apples were given to well-wishers who gathered on the front lawn. The mayor, the governor, and the local congressmen were all at the party, but the president insisted that plenty of local townspeople be invited as well. The miracle of modern telegraphy meant that they expected election results sometime around midnight.