“The woman from the Smithsonian?”
“That’s the one.She emailed me yesterday but, because of the wedding, I didn’t see it until this morning.Do you remember me telling you about the journals written by a friend of my great-grandmother’s?”
“Were they the ones Chloe discovered after you sent her the bereavement card?”
Barbara nodded.“She’s read the journals and she found something interesting.When we first started doing some research about my great-grandfather and where he’d traveled, Chloe found an entry in a Chicago gambling house’s book that showed Abraham Lincoln’s son and my great-grandfather being there at the same time.It turns out the husband of the lady who wrote the journals was there as well.”
“Was he a friend of your great-grandfather’s?”
“It sounds like it.Anyway, when he arrived home, he mentioned something about a letter my great-grandfather won in one of his poker games.My great-grandfather’s friend couldn’t believe he’d accepted the letter instead of the money he was owed.Chloe thinks there’s a high probability that the letter the journal refers to is the one we found—the last copy Abraham Lincoln ever wrote of the Gettysburg Address.”
“Why would Abraham Lincoln’s son have the letter with him?”
“We don’t know.Robert Lincoln visited the gambling house a few times, so it wasn’t unusual for him to be there.Anyway, Chloe’s still searching for more clues about my great-grandfather’s life.She also sent everyone an invitation to the opening of the exhibition at the Smithsonian.Are you doing anything on February 12 of next year?”
Theo smiled.“I’m all yours.Why that date?”
“It’s Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.He was born on February 12, 1809.Chloe’s team will be displaying the dresser where we found the letter, the key and the snuffbox, and my great-grandmother’s trunk and her journals.They’re also reproducing the relevant pages from my great-grandmother’s friend’s journal and the records from the gambling house.And, of course, the actual letter Abraham Lincoln wrote to his son will be there.”
“That’s a lot of work.”
Barbara licked a piece of chocolate off the end of her finger.“The Smithsonian has been working overtime to get everything ready.Chloe thinks that interest in the exhibition will be huge.I told her I know a journalist who would be perfect to cover the story.If you’d like exclusive access to the exhibition two weeks before it opens to the public, she’d love to see you in Washington, D.C.”
Theo dropped the muffin he was about to eat.“Are you serious?”
“Perfectly.”Barbara grinned.“As well as interviewing Chloe and any of her team for the radio, I wondered ifThe New York Timeswould be interested in publishing your stories about the exhibition?”
“I’m sure they would.In fact, the part of the offer I accepted included contract work.I can’t believe you thought of me.Do you know how many journalists will want to cover the story?People will be lined up for miles just to see it, let alone talk to the people who created the exhibition.”
“That’s what Chloe said, too.”She popped another piece of muffin into her mouth and smiled.
“Do you know how amazing you are?”
Her smile turned into a grin.“I’m in good company.You’re pretty amazing, too.I’m particularly impressed with your ability to balance a wine glass on your forehead for five minutes.That took an incredible amount of skill.”
Theo groaned.“In my defense, I’d like to point out that I’d had one too many glasses of wine.I shouldn’t have listened to your cousins.”
Barbara leaned toward him and kissed his lips.“At least it was white wine and you didn’t spill any on the carpet.”
“I can be thoughtful sometimes.”
“You’re thoughtfulallthe time.”
To prove she was right, he gave Barbara the most thoughtful kiss he could manage.And neither of them was disappointed.
THREE DAYS LATER,Barbara sat on the sofa beside Penny and Wyatt, looking at their wedding photos.“These are gorgeous.I still can’t believe Willow was able to develop them so quickly.”
Penny turned to the next page of the album.“We’re so grateful to her.She worked through the weekend to make sure the photos were ready before Wyatt’s family went home.”
“What did they think?”
Wyatt smiled.“They were stunned at how beautiful they are.Willow did so much more than take photos of everyone who was at the wedding.She created a story within each image.”
Penny pointed to a picture of her and Wyatt.“This is my favorite photo.”
Barbara leaned forward.It was one of the photos Willow had taken beside Flathead Lake.With the breeze lifting Penny’s veil, and Wyatt holding her hands, there was a softness and stillness about the image that touched her heart.
“It’s incredible.”
