In All Good Faith by Liza Nash Taylor

Author:Liza Nash Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Published: 2021-05-26T22:49:15+00:00

Eighteen

MAY

august 4, 1932

On a Thursday morning in early August, May stood in the driveway at Keswick Farm, listening to the retreating whistle of the eastbound passenger train—the train she had expected to be on at that moment. She wanted to cry in frustration, but she would not, not in front of Dennis. That would be childish and, well, she just couldn’t. She cleared her throat and stood up straight. Dennis stood beside the Studebaker, looking discomfited. “So,” she said, forcing a smile, “looks like I’ll be getting the 11:15 now. I’d better telephone Elsie. Can we leave at eleven?”

Dennis nodded slowly, then walked toward the canning building. May blew out a slow breath. Determined not to snap at anyone, she trudged up the porch steps. She had been ready to leave on time but Hank clung to her knees, wailing, then Sister tripped over the dog, and when May picked her up, the toddler spit up down the back of her dress. By the time Delphina sponged May’s back it was already past time to leave and then the car wouldn’t start.

When Elsie had telephoned the week before, inviting May for a girls’ trip to her family’s house on the Rappahannock River, May had at first said no. The farm was in the throes of berry season, and there was no one to help Delphina with the children. Elsie said, “Listen, hon, the world will not come to a screeching halt if you get away for a couple of days. I’m talking about three little tiny days! We can go swimming, and sleep late, and stay in our pajamas drinking gin and tonics all day if we want to. And the river is so nice and breezy . . .”

May had listened and sighed, fondly remembering an autumn college weekend at the Carters’ river house, Elsie’s nervous mother chaperoning a gaggle of flighty girls, with raucous boys from Hampden-Sydney and the University crowded into the attic bunkroom.

Still, May said no, attempting to placate Elsie with a vague commitment to go sometime in the fall. After she’d hung up, Delphina asked about the call then encouraged—actually commanded—May to go, insisting that she could take care of Henry and the children. She would sleep on the bed in the parlor, which had somehow never been returned upstairs. It would be good for them all, Delphina had said. So May called back and said yes, she would arrive on Thursday.

At 11:10, with no further mishaps, she was at the Keswick station. Dennis carried her bag to the platform and saluted her with a grin that said, Enjoy yourself, for a change. We’ll be fine. May bought her ticket to Richmond then made her way through the train to the last car. The conductor hefted her suitcase to the rack, and she placed her handbag on the empty seat beside hers, along with two boxes of candy for Elsie. She kept her sunglasses on and after taking her seat she opened her copy of

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