The Stills by Jess Montgomery

Author:Jess Montgomery [Montgomery, Jess]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

CHAPTER 19

LILY

Friday, November 25, 1927

6:00 p.m.

At long last, Lily and Benjamin come around the bend to the turnoff to her farmhouse.

Benjamin’s driven in silence since their last stop, and Lily has taken the quiet as a chance to reflect on the events of the day. After they’d hiked from the church back to his automobile, he’d driven them back to Rossville proper. From there, Marvena had pulled Lily aside and asked if it was fine by her if she headed back home to tend to Frankie, and Lily had agreed. Marvena leaned close, said, If’n Frankie’s right well, I’m hoping Jurgis will still be willing to go to the barn dance. You could mention it to Benjamin. Lily had given a little smile while shaking her head. At Lily’s request, Benjamin drove to the turnoff to the Harkins place. She told him to wait in his automobile, but he’d gotten out and followed her, just as he had up to the church. Irritating, but she couldn’t order him to stay put.

It didn’t take long to assess that the Harkinses weren’t back home yet—a curiosity, given Dora’s frail state. But if Agent DeHaven was tucked away somewhere on the property, it wasn’t anywhere obvious. And without permission or proper paperwork, Lily wouldn’t unlawfully search. Or, for that matter, with Benjamin observing, she wouldn’t even peek in windows and barn doors, toeing the line of lawful.

Now she ponders how best to leave off with him once they inch to the top of the snowy lane.

Lily ventures a glance his way. So different in looks and nature than Daniel, and yet he has the same resolute air. The same underlying quality of loyalty. The conversation they’d had in the woods overlooking the church, about the Argonne forest, comes back to her.

Might well be that he’s aiding out of respect for his friend Daniel, nothing more.

Well, Mama would want her to invite him in for a bite of supper. He’d certainly earned it and had to be famished, as was Lily.

At the sight of light warming the parlor window, Lily relaxes just a little. Sanctuary. Mama. Home. The children. A warm meal. Even the effort of heating water and toting it upstairs for a warm bath in the claw foot tub seems worthwhile. Then sleep. Hopefully, dreamless.

Then again, how likely is she to restfully sleep after a day like this? Her mind will be aswirl. Maybe they should go to the barn dance Marvena keeps going on about.

Lily turns to Benjamin. “You know, Marvena’s been telling me—”

Benjamin yawns. “Sorry,” he says.

Lily looks back out at the night. “Well, she’s been, she’s been saying, um, how you get on well with the miners. And you’ve been such a help today. Thank you. Please know you’re welcome to come in for supper—it will more’n likely be Thanksgiving leftovers—”

Benjamin, who has been driving smoothly, jolts to a stop. The sharp movement wracks Lily’s body only lightly, but it’s sufficient to send a spasm of pain from her stiffening shoulder, still in the makeshift scarf sling.

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