We would have over an hour to wait.
“Do you think Thomas and Andrew will come?” I asked her, finally voicing the question that had been humming in my mind all day.
“They said they would come, and I hope that they will.”
“Do you?”
Mother turned her blue-eyed gaze on me, and I could see the devastation in their depths—but there was also hope. “With all my heart.”
Lewis arrived soon after us, his face filled with worry.
“I tried calling you all day,” he said as he approached us. “I even stopped by the house, but you weren’t in.”
“We’ve been busy with the Lindbergh celebration.” I stood, eager to talk to him.
But he turned to Mother and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Baldwin. I can’t imagine what you’ve endured today. Please know that Caroline was never doing anything—”
“She explained everything to us, Lewis,” Mother said. “And we understand. Though the reverend and I were upset to learn that you took her to those places without our knowledge, we are relieved to know that you were there with her to keep her safe.”
Instead of looking relieved, Lewis’s guilt seemed to mount.
“Would you like to sit with us?” Mother asked him.
“Do you think it’s wise, since I’m in the photo with Caroline and Annie Barker?”
“I think it’s imperative,” she said.
Irene moved aside so Lewis could sit between us.
The smell of the musty tent, and sawdust laid over the dirt to muffle the sound of shuffling feet, mixed with the heat and began to give me a headache. As the clock ticked, I feared that people would not come to Father’s meeting. He’d never had a problem drawing in crowds before, but today was different. Today, people had learned that the things Daniel Baldwin preached were not being lived out by his children. That level of hypocrisy could not be ignored. I just wished that they knew our father’s life, and the things he preached, had nothing to do with the decisions we made as adults. He was good and honest and trustworthy, even if we were not.
Father joined us, his face set in a determined line as he scanned the large, almost empty tent.
“Don’t worry, Daniel,” Mother said as she reached for his hand. “God will sustain us.”
He smiled at her and then greeted Lewis, echoing Mother’s sentiments.
As they were talking, Thomas entered the tent, with Alice on his arm, his expression hard to read. They were dressed in their Sunday best, and I didn’t miss the shiny gold bands on both of their left hands.
Mother stiffened beside me, and Father’s face was serious.
Thomas acknowledged our parents as he said, “Father and Mother, I’d like you to meet my wife, Mrs. Alice Baldwin. We were married yesterday at the courthouse and were waiting to tell you in person this morning. Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as planned.”
No one said anything for a moment, and then Mother rose from the bench and went to Alice. She stood in front of her for a heartbeat, and then she embraced the younger woman.
Alice closed her eyes, and her lips trembled as she returned my mother’s hug.
“Welcome to the family, Alice.” Mother pulled back and put a smile on her face. “As you know, this won’t be easy. Especially for Ruth.”
Nodding, Alice looked down at her swollen stomach. “I wish I would have done things the right way from the start. But I guess that’s not part of our story, so we’re trying to make the best of it.”
“That’s all any of us can do.” Mother motioned to the bench. “Won’t you sit with the family?”
As Alice was taking a seat on the other side of Irene, Thomas turned to our father and said, “I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Of course I forgive you, son,” Father said, though the weight of the pain he carried was etched deeply into the creases of his face. “There will be time to talk later. You should take a seat next to your wife.”
Thomas did as Father instructed just as Ruth arrived, alone.
