Nathan’s glass overturned on the carpet as he struggled to retrieve the frog. And through it all Cassie continued to scream.
“It’s all right, Cassie,” Ginna said soothingly. “It’s only a harmless frog. I’ll help you to clean up.”
“No. I want you both out of my parlor. Mama had no right to fend you off on me when I’m in such a delicate condition. Because of you two, my baby may be marked for life.”
“You know that’s poppycock, Cassie. You heard Papa say so more than a dozen times.…”
But Cassie was in no mood to listen to Ginna. “Just take your damned frog, Nathan, and both of you get out of here. You can tell Barge to drive you around until four o’clock. That’s when Mama said I could send you back to the house. But you, my little brat of a brother, you’re going to be sent away permanently in September.”
Cassie disappeared upstairs while Ginna took her handkerchief and mopped up the spilled lemonade.
“What did she mean by that, Ginna?”
“Oh, you know how Cassie exaggerates. She probably overheard Papa and Mummy discussing where you’re to go to school. That’s all.”
“But I don’t want to go off again. I want to stay where you are, Ginna.”
“But after I marry Jonathan, we’ll live in Kentucky. So, you see, I’ll be going away, too.”
Seeing the stricken look on his face, she added, “You can come to visit us during the summers. And Jonathan will let you choose your own horse to ride. You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Nathan?”
“I guess so.”
Harriet appeared because of all the commotion, and Ginna said to her, “Nathan and I will be leaving now, Harriet. Will you please tell Barge to bring the carriage to the front?”
“Yes, Miss Ginna. And I’ll finish cleaning up the spill.”
“My sister’s rather nervous these days, so I would appreciate it if nothing is said about this afternoon.”
“I understand, Miss Ginna. And I’ll have this room good as new before Mr. Stanley returns.”
“Thank you, Harriet.”
Later, two carriages wandered aimlessly through the streets of Washington. One contained Ginna and Nathan Forsyte, watching the time carefully until they could go home. The other held Allison Meadors, who had no knowledge of time, no desire to return home. That afternoon her world had toppled around her, threatening the happiness of her entire family.
CHAPTER
3
When Rad Meadors left his Senate office, he took out his watch and looked at the time. Six o’clock—so much later than he had intended to stay, especially with the dinner party at Senator Drake’s home that evening. The meeting with the other committee members had been a worrisome one, with serious disagreements about the way to proceed with the pending investigation.
“You’re going to alienate half the attorneys in Washington,” Edwards had warned.
“If it’s the half dipping into government funds illegally, then I don’t care,” Rad had responded.
He had voted against much of the legislation enacted in those four years between Cleveland’s two terms, but this last veterans’ thing was the worst of all. It had bestowed a government-approved license to steal on any unscrupulous man with an unscrupulous lawyer. He wasn’t happy at being appointed to chair the committee to investigate the matter. But there was nothing he could about it since it came by Cleveland’s request.
Although the president had finally gotten a telephone put into the White House, it had done no good that afternoon. Cleveland had suddenly left town and couldn’t be reached. Rad had demurred from calling the vice president, for the two were on opposite ends of the political pole, especially with the upcoming session to repeal the Silver Purchase Act.
As the carriages waiting in the shaded park across the street began pulling up to receive their passengers, Rad waved to his friend, Miles Johnson, and began the trek down Pennsylvania Avenue to the livery stable where his black horse, Sumi, was waiting for the gallop home.
God, how he missed Bluegrass Meadors, his estate outside of Lexington. Although he had turned over the running of the stables almost entirely to his son Jonathan, the horses and the races were still in his blood. And it was on days like this, in the middle of summer, when he had to deal with graft in the government, that he missed his life in Kentucky with Allison.
He hadn’t thought about Bourbon Red in a long time, but as he approached the livery stable, Rad began to think about his old war-horse, who had lived out his last days in peace on those hazy blue acres far from the noise of battle.
Lately, he’d begun to think he might do the same: leave the Senate after this session and retire to the country. Wendall, one of the congressmen from Kentucky, knew the ropes well, and with just a little push, he might run for the seat vacated by Rad.
“Good evening, sir.”
“Good evening, Dorty.”
“You’re a little late. Thought maybe you’d decided not to come. Won’t take but a minute, though, to get Sumi saddled up.”
“I hope he’s in the mood for a gallop. I need to clear my head after sitting in a hot, smoke-filled room all afternoon.”
“He’s every bit as anxious for a gallop as you are, sir.”
The livery man was right. A small twister of dust took shape as the two—man and beast—galloped down the road toward the turreted house that had been a second home for Rad during his past seventeen years in Congress.
With a slight rising of the wind, the heat of the day was now beginning to dissipate. Straight ahead, a few dark clouds forecast a late-afternoon thunderstorm. Rad wanted to get home before the rains began, so he urged the animal on even faster.
When he reached the house, Rad saw his son waiting on the front steps. Jonathan was a younger version of himself: tall, broad-shouldered,
