“I sound foolish, even to me. You remember me and Deborah used to go to the cemetery to look after our graves?” Sarah nodded. “Well, I haven’t been since I went last with her, first of the year. It’s over time. I don’t want to go by myself.”

“I’ll certainly go with you,” Sarah said. “I should have thought of it myself. But my sister—”

“I know!”

“And Aunt Pea has been here—”

“And there’s your school,” Edna said fulsomely to further excuse her of any possible slacking or self-blame.

Sarah patted her hand. “You just tell me when you want to go, and we’ll go. I promise nothing will stand in the way. And we’ll go by ourselves, just as you and Aunt Deb used to go, unless Trudy wants to come with us.”

“Oh, you are a good girl!” Edna said, patting Sarah’s hand gratefully. “You’ve got a good heart as well as a good head. No, let’s not ask Trudy. She has so much to tend to, and she’d be in some hurry or— I wish Bonard could have married a girl like you. Oh, I don’t mean to speak ill of Selma, but she’s always been something strange in her ways, and that isn’t what Bonard needed. It would have made all the difference if he’d— There I go.” She laughed at herself unconvincingly. “They do say it’s a sign of getting old when folks start saying ‘if only this, if only that.’ Well, there’s no ‘if only,’ there’s only what is.”

They had made their way slowly around the house and come again to the back door. “Come in and sit,” Sarah said. Edna shook her head. “Wouldn’t you like a cup of coffee? Or sassafras tea to be a change?”

“No, dear, really not. I’ll go.” She looked down at her woolen dress and pulled the heavy shawl she wore over it closer, as if to hide the everyday shabbiness of the old dress. “I didn’t think—just came the way I was. I don’t want anybody to see me.”

“There’s no one likely to, except Aunt Pea and Lauretta’ if she’s in, and they’re family.”

“Oh, but they’re city!”

“Come in, do?”

Edna shook her head firmly. “I must hit the grit.” She went to the buggy and stepped up into it as lightly as a girl before Sarah could help her. Once again, Sugar emerged from the barn too late to be of any assistance. Seeing Edna in her seat, he merely stood there, watching her with his mistress. “How are you, Sugar?” Edna said, as if seeing him for the first time.

“Just fine, Miss Edna.”

“That’s good. Violet tells me you’re coming to spend the day with her Thanksgiving. That right?”