“I didn’t want to cause anyone discomfort. It’s not a pleasant topic.” Laura looked down at her soup.
“Does it have to do with the governor’s position?” Granny asked.
Laura put down her spoon. “No. Something happened last night. I’m so disturbed by it that I can hardly make sense of anything.”
Everyone stopped eating and looked at Laura.
She lowered her voice and leaned in. “I don’t want the staff to overhear.”
“Perhaps it should wait until we are assembled to sew,” Granny suggested. “There’s more privacy there.”
“I agree,” Faith said, nodding.
The other women did likewise, and Laura leaned back. “Of course you’re right. We’ll wait.”
Luncheon was rather hurried and silent after that. The women seemed to understand the urgency of the matter, and when it was suggested that dessert be served after sewing, everyone agreed.
They adjourned to the front sitting room, after which Laura dismissed Rosey and closed the pocket door. Thankfully, Carrie was still busy eating in the kitchen. Laura joined her friends at the table, wondering how they would receive her story. No one had even bothered to retrieve their sewing.
“My birthday was on the tenth, and my father gifted me a locket.”
Laura omitted the details of their dinner and went right to her visit with Will. As she concluded with the basic details, Granny held up her hand.
“The obvious question is, Have you spoken to your father?”
“No. I had hoped to approach him on the matter but had no opportunity. He wasn’t here when I got home last night and was already gone this morning when I came down to breakfast.”
“Then fretting over it and making supposition here won’t do a bit of good. Matter of fact, I’ve seen far more harm come from taking up a subject and imagining all the bad possibilities without any of the actual facts. I suggest we pray for comfort and resolution, but that we don’t waste our time trying to figure out what happened. When your father comes home, sit down first thing and ask him what you need to know.
“But don’t do it in anger or accusation. Simply explain what you know—how Will recognized the piece. Don’t makea fuss over the fact that he lied to you about having the locket made. You can discuss that later,” Granny continued. “What’s important is to find out where he got it.”
“I agree with Granny,” Melody said, rubbing her stomach.
“Well, there is one other thing I wanted to ask,” Laura said, looking at each of the women. “Should I give the necklace back to Will? I feel like that would be the right thing to do, but I don’t want to cause him even more pain.”
“I don’t think it would cause more pain,” Marybeth answered. “If it belonged to my sister, I would want it back.”
The others nodded, but it was Faith who spoke up. “I wondered what was going on with him. I expected him to be happy when he returned last night because I knew he’d seen you. Instead, he went straight to his room and hadn’t come out by the time I left this morning. He didn’t even join us for breakfast. No doubt this has been very upsetting to him.”
“I’m sure it has left him overwhelmed,” Laura replied. She gave a heavy sigh. “Poor Will. It seems the worst is still upon him.”
“Let us pray,” Granny said, bowing her head.
Will sat staring at the wall. He’d never even gone to bed. He couldn’t have slept if he’d wanted to. He kept seeing Sally’s necklace hanging from Laura’s neck. Why did she have it? How had it come into Granite Evans’s possession?
A knock sounded on his door, and he glanced at his pocket watch. It was nearly two. He got up slowly and went to see who it was.
He opened the door just a bit. “Yeah?”
“Will, it’s Reverend Cather. I stopped by to see you, and Mr. Cooper said you weren’t feeling well.”
Will opened the door a bit more. “He’s right. I’m under the weather.”
“Could I come in and pray with you?”
“I don’t know if that would be a good idea. I ...” Will let the words trail off. He wasn’t physically ill, at least not in a sense that would infect the man. “Come in.”
He backed away from the door, and the reverend entered. Will motioned to the chair, then went to sit on the edge of his bed.
