Fire, The (18 page)

"You did."

Sadie lifted her eyes but maintained her frown.

"He was a good man, for the most part. He worked hard and saw to my needs, but he was never quite the same after my mother died."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he drank more and started gambling."

Kevin studied her somber face but didn't speak. He could see that this was not her favorite conversation topic.

"It was all right at first. I didn't want for clothes or food or even attention. Papa always set aside time for me each day. He liked hearing about how I did at school. He encouraged my education from the very beginning."

"That's good," Kevin said.

Sadie nodded.

"The problem was that he began spending money we didn't have. He began borrowing from the bank and using his merchandise as collateral for his debts," she said. "I knew we were in trouble when he started giving me less money for groceries."

"I'm sorry, Sadie," Kevin said. "Tell me about your mother."

Sadie brightened a little but only a little.

"What would you like to know?"

"Oh, I don't know. What did she look like? Did she look like you?"

Sadie nodded.

"She had the same hair and eyes, but her skin was darker. She was half Cree and part Irish and French Canadian. I'm not sure what that makes me."

Kevin chuckled.

"It makes you practically perfect."

Sadie smiled.

"What was she like?" Kevin asked.

"Well, she was kind and smart. Mama was very smart. She did the figuring for the business. She was also strict. She believed that girls had only so many chances to find a good life and didn't want me squandering any of mine."

Sadie met Kevin's eyes.

"She died when I was fifteen. I'm so thankful she never saw me, well, like you did."

Kevin reached across the chessboard and put a hand on hers.

"That's a dead subject, Sadie. You don't ever have to bring it up again or explain yourself."

Just that quickly the gloom in the room lifted. Sadie smiled warmly and thanked him with big brown eyes that had become increasingly difficult to ignore.

Kevin was as drawn to Sadie as ever but wasn't quite sure what to do with her. He knew it would be wrong to go any further as long as there was even a chance that his relationship with Sarah might develop into something more than a cordial friendship.

Deciding that it was time to move the conversation in a different direction, Kevin visually assessed his king's precarious position on the chessboard and then peered at his partner. He folded his arms and smiled.

"Do you want to finish me off now or drag this out?"

Sadie grinned.

"Let me think about it. If I finish you off, I'll lose the pleasure of your company. You'll sulk for hours and wonder how a common housekeeper can beat a man of letters in chess."

She lifted a hand and rubbed her chin.

"On the other hand, if I drag this out, as you put it, I'll have the chance to talk to you longer and tell you about my big plans for Sunday."

Kevin's heart sank.

"What plans?"

"I'm making Easter dinner! Maude has asked me to plan and prepare a meal for twelve."

"That's wonderful," Kevin said with little enthusiasm.

"Do you want to hear the details?"

"Sure."

"The dinner will be fancy, for one thing, very fancy. Maude insisted that I spare no expense. So I purchased a roast, a ham, and some exotic seafood that arrived just this morning."

"It sounds delicious."

"That's just dinner! I'm still working on dessert. I'm planning to bake some sweet rolls and several pies, but I haven't yet decided what kind," she said. Sadie beamed. "Do you have any requests, Mr. Johnson?"

"Sadie?"

"Yes, Kevin."

"About Easter . . ."

CHAPTER 33: KEVIN

Sunday, March 27, 1910

Kevin eyed the guest of honor and laughed. He didn't want to laugh and, in fact, tried his hardest not to laugh, but laugh he did. It was difficult to maintain your composure when the dinner you stared at stared back.

"Is something amusing, Mr. Johnson?" Bertha Marshall asked.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's the pig," he said. "I've never actually seen one dressed that way. The apple is a nice touch."

"I'm glad it meets your approval," the matron said with a trace of irritation.

Kevin scanned the faces in the dining room and found a few fans. George Marshall chuckled, his brother Winston grinned, and Sarah Thompson stifled a laugh with a decidedly lovely hand. Winston's wife, Candice, seemed less amused. She had helped Bertha prepare the pork and most everything else on the linen-covered table.

"Sarah tells us you're from Seattle," George said. "How is life in the city?"

Kevin was about to say that the traffic was as bad as ever, that the Mariners had improved their pitching, and that a crazy-good Thai restaurant had just opened in Madison Park when he remembered something vital. Kevin had not attended college from 2009 to 2013 but rather from 1906 to 1910. He decided to play it safe.

"It's the same as always: busy, noisy, and rainy."

"I imagine it was particularly busy and noisy during the A-Y-P."

Kevin laughed to himself. This was the price of time travel. You had to cover your tracks at every turn and become an instant expert on a time that was not your own. He considered playing it safe again when he remembered that A-Y-P stood for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, a world's fair held in Seattle, on the university campus, during the summer and fall of 1909.

"To tell you the truth, sir, I missed most of it. I went home to Unionville, Oregon, for the summer. From what I saw in the fall, I made a wise choice. I'm not a fan of crowds."

"I'm the same way, Kevin. That's why I stayed in the Army and soldiered my way west after the war. I couldn't stomach the idea of living the rest of my life in Philadelphia."

Kevin smiled. He liked this guy. He was tempted to let the conservation die but decided to keep it going when he thought about something George had said.

"You fought in the war?"

"It depends on what you mean by fight. I carried a rifle, yes, but I fired nary a shot in anger. I joined the 91st Pennsylvania Infantry in March 1865, five weeks before the end of hostilities. The fighting was all but over by the time I learned the difference between an Enfield and a Springfield," George said. "I was fortunate. I missed most of the commotion."

"My husband is rather modest," Bertha said. "Did George tell you he was present with General Grant at Appomattox?"

"No. He didn't."

Kevin put his fork on his plate and looked at the retired colonel with unbridled awe. He had expected riveting conversation at this Easter table, but he hadn't expected this. He was staring at a living, breathing veteran of the American Civil War.

"You saw Lee's surrender?"

"I saw the whole thing. Winston did as well."

"What was it like?"

"It was solemn. It was the most solemn thing I've seen and I've seen a lot in sixty-three years. When we'd heard that General Lee had accepted Grant's terms and were ordered to the McLean house, I'd expected to see great revelry. Lord knows we'd earned the right to crow. But we didn't crow. We didn't shout. We didn't do anything but stand and watch. I'll never forget the somberness of it all. We all knew we were witnessing history."

Kevin shook his head. He wondered what his parents would say if they knew he was spending Easter with a man who had seen Grant and Lee in the same place. He wondered what
anyone
from his time would say. For the first time since entering the chamber of stones, he truly appreciated the incredible journey he had taken.

Kevin was tempted to ask more questions about George Marshall's experiences but decided to wait. Even the most riveting Civil War story wasn't more riveting than the woman who had invited him to dinner. Though Sarah had sat quietly at his right through most of the meal, she had remained visibly attentive. She had no doubt followed his every word and action.

"You've been rather quiet," he said to her as the others commenced new conversations.

"Why speak when you can listen to men refight the War Between the States?" she asked with a playful smile.

Kevin couldn't tell whether the question contained a subtle dig. He was certain that Sarah had heard the colonel's stories many times, but he also had no doubt that she liked the man. She had told him on at least a few occasions how much she admired and appreciated the people who had offered her a room and the run of their house rent-free.

"You do have to admit it's interesting."

"It is," she said.

Kevin began to ask Sarah about her background but stopped when he heard his name. Bertha Marshall addressed him from the other side of the table.

"I hear you are doing wonders at the high school, Mr. Johnson."

"I'm doing my best, ma'am, but I wouldn't say I'm doing wonders."

"That's not what Sarah says or even Josie White. She's a neighbor girl who stops by once a week for piano lessons. She told me that you're the best teacher she's ever had."

Kevin made a mental note to make Josie valedictorian.

"That's nice to hear, Mrs. Marshall. I've enjoyed teaching Josie and students like her."

"What do you mean students like her?"

"I guess I mean girls, in particular. Most of the ones I teach are very bright, but they lack confidence. If I do nothing else in Wallace, I want to teach my girls that they can do anything boys can do if they work hard and dedicate themselves to achieving goals."

Winston sat up in his chair.

"Do you really believe that, Mr. Johnson?" he asked. "Do you really believe that women can compete with men in all fields?"

You ought to see Sadie Hawkins play chess, buddy.

"I do, Mr. Marshall, and I believe they should be given the opportunity to try."

"I
like
this man, Sarah," Bertha said.

Winston appeared less enthusiastic.

"I suppose you also believe that women should be given the vote."

Kevin paused before answering. He very much wanted to continue this discussion, but he didn't want to needlessly offend or put himself in a spot. It wouldn't take much for a time traveler from 2013 to step in it and step in it in a big way. He proceeded cautiously.

"I do. I know many others feel differently, and I respect that, but I believe that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men. This is their country, too, and I think they should have an equal voice in how it is governed."

George laughed.

"It seems that we have a suffragette in the room," he said. "I applaud your boldness, Mr. Johnson. I'm not sure I agree with your view, but I appreciate a good argument. Your position is certainly becoming more popular. I suspect that this matter will be resolved soon enough, though probably not in my lifetime."

"I suspect that it will," Kevin said.

"You're a fascinating man, Kevin. Perhaps you can join Winston and me after dinner for a more thorough discussion of this issue. We can smoke on it."

Kevin laughed to himself as he considered George's invitation. He knew the colonel wanted to smoke cigars, but he couldn't purge peace pipes and Cheech and Chong from his mind. This was a funny time with funny references.

"I'd like that, sir," Kevin said with a smile. "I'd consider it part of my continuing education."

CHAPTER 34: SARAH

"You were quite a hit at dinner."

Kevin laughed.

"You're probably right, but I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

"It's a good thing," Sarah said as they walked arm in arm down Sixth Street. "You made everyone in that house, including me, rethink their positions on a number of issues."

"Now, how could I make you rethink anything, Miss Thompson? I thought teachers were unshakable pillars of certitude and confidence."

"Some teachers may be, but not me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I say it because it's true. If there is one thing I've learned as an educator, it's that I have a lot to learn. That's why I so enjoy your company. You make me look at the world differently."

"Is that the only reason?" Kevin asked with a sly smile.

Sarah blushed.

"You can wipe that grin from your face at any time, Mr. Johnson."

Sarah stifled a smile as they crossed the intersection with Bank Street. She knew she had a duty to publicly protest his forward comments, but she was not about to object to them privately. She savored every word that came out of his mouth and every second she spent in his company.

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises. You make me smile."

"I'm happy to hear that I serve a useful purpose."

As they passed a barbershop, a clothier, and a newsstand, Sarah noticed that several other couples were out and about in top hats and parasols. She knew most of the couples and knew that most were married. She wondered what it would be like to enjoy the love and stability so many seemed to possess.

"Is there any place in particular you'd like to go?" Kevin asked.

"No. I'm content simply to walk around town," Sarah said. She looked at him thoughtfully. "I do enjoy your company, Kevin. Thank you for coming to dinner. I wasn't sure you would accept my invitation, much less actually show up."

"Why would you say that?"

"I was afraid you might be scared off by Preston."

"I thought you said you two were just friends."

"We are. Well, let me rephrase. I consider him a friend. I believe he considers me more than a friend. He has become rather possessive in the past few weeks."

"Has he mistreated you in any way?"

"Oh, no," she said. "It's not like that. He's been a gentleman from the start, but he doesn't care much for competition. I dare say he wouldn't care much for you walking me down the street. I dare say he wouldn't care much for you at all."

"I'm not surprised. Our meeting at the bank was not a particularly pleasant one."