As she looked at the line of fences in the distance giving way to small groups of stores and clusters of little houses that faced the tracks, Allison was almost sorry that she had not allowed Ginna to come with her. She would have been pleasant company, helping to pass the time and keeping her mind off the inevitable chore of closing the house and packing a part of her life in crates that were to be relegated to some dark corner in the attic.
With a sense of relief, Allison heard the call for the dining car. From that she knew that the hours were slowly passing into evening.
She deliberately waited for the second call before going into the car for dinner. That way, she could savor a quiet, leisurely dinner, with a second cup of coffee, rather than rushing through it to make way for the next group.
It was almost eight o’clock when the porter from the dining car stood before her. “I have your table ready, Mrs. Meadors. Anytime you’d like to come into the dining car, we’ll be pleased to have you.”
“Thank you, Grayson. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The black man in a pristine white coat disappeared as Allison undertook a few repairs to her hair. And then, smoothing her skirts, she walked into the dining car.
As Allison took her place at the reserved table by the window, a man seated at the next table put down his fork and stared openly. He was more or less like most businessmen who traveled by rail, with his gray suit, high-necked collar, and gold watch chain. Only the silver in his hair proclaimed him to be slightly older than the usual traveler.
Continuing to stare, he waited to see if Allison was going to be joined by a companion. But by the time she began to eat her soup, he realized she must be traveling alone. And that fact delighted him, making her seem a little less formidable.
Like all beautiful women who are used to being stared at, Allison paid little attention to the man. But he continued to watch her, for there was something vaguely familiar about her. Had he known her when they were both young?
He ate slowly, pacing himself so as not to finish too soon. And when she ordered coffee, he did the same. The other diners slowly left the dining car until, finally, only the two remained.
He stared down at his empty cup and then, with a nervous gesture, he stood. “Excuse me, please,” he said, “but haven’t we met before?” Then he silently cursed himself for using such a mundane approach.
“I don’t think so,” she replied with an unencouraging look.
In a split second, Grayson stood at her side, as if he had come to defend her from a savage onslaught. “Will there be anything else, Mrs. Meadors? You want me to walk with you back to your car?”
“No, Grayson. That won’t be necessary.”
A belligerent Grayson stood at her side while a totally rebuffed man left the dining car. But the porter had given him his answer. And nothing would be gained from introducing himself to the former Allison Forsyth.
But it was strange, after all these years, to come face-to-face with the woman he had searched for after the war. It had taken him a long time to get her out of his mind, even though she’d married again. For he had been the Union captain responsible for uprooting her and delivering her to her enemies.
“I declare, you never know what this ole world is comin’to, Mrs. Meadors. I thought Mr. Ferrell was a gentleman,” Grayson said, still hovering at Allison’s table.
She laughed. “I’m sure he is, Grayson. But a very bored one.”
The name tugged at her memory. Suddenly she looked up at the porter and said, “Ferrell? I met someone by that name long ago. Do you happen to know his given name?”
“Mars. Mr. Mars Ferrell.”
Allison stood. “On second thought, Grayson, I’d appreciate it if you’d walk back to the car with me.”
“Of course, Mrs. Meadors. And I’ll tell Lump to keep a good lookout tonight to make sure you’re not bothered again.”
“Thank you, Grayson.”
CHAPTER
38
“Surprise! Welcome back to Washington, Allison.”
Before her on the platform stood Peggy and Tripp Drake, with Lila and Richard Montgomery.
“Peggy wanted to hire a band to greet you,” Lila said, “but the rest of us discouraged her.”
Allison laughed, caught up in the homecoming with friends. “Oh, it’s so good to see all of you. Thank you for meeting me.”
“How’s Rad?” Richard inquired.
“Improving every day.”
The surge of people along the platform prompted the five to keep moving steadily toward the station itself.
“Give me your baggage ticket, Allison,” Tripp said. “Browne will get your luggage for you and take it to our house.”
“But I’m staying at my own house,” Allison protested.
“No, you’re not,” Peggy said. “We’ve already decided. You’ll be with us instead. So hurry up and give Tripp your ticket.”
“But how can I sort things out and pack from your house?”
“Easy. You can do that during the day. But you’re staying with us.”
“Is there anything else I should know? Any other plans you have for me, too?”
Lila took Allison seriously. “Oh, yes. The most marvelous plans for the winter. The four of us have already talked about it. And it only takes an okay from you and Rad.”
“Well, let’s not overwhelm her,” Richard suggested. “Give Allison a chance to breathe first.”
Mars Ferrell stood in the distance and watched Allison Meadors disappear with her friends. Then he summoned a porter to see to his own luggage.
That evening, Allison sat at the dinner table and listened to the plans that Lila had hinted at that afternoon.
