conscience.”
“Indeed,” Vinnie agreed. “But for what? Do you think he killed Mr. Nobody?”
“And then dressed the body in his own clothes? Why lay a trail that returns to him?”
“But he knows something.”
Emily nodded. “And it frightens him terribly.”
Her fingers fumbled at her work, —
Her needle would not go;
What ailed so smart a little maid
It puzzled me to know
CHAPTER 12
The next day dawned with a rainstorm that turned the dirt roads to a mud that would easily ruin a lady’s shoes. Several of the guests sent their regrets, but Ursula Langston and her mother arrived precisely on time. Both were dressed far more fashionably than the other women.
Mrs. Dickinson was frigidly polite. “Mrs. Langston, what a lovely dress,” she said.
“Why, thank you. My husband had it sent from Paris. At enormous expense.” Mrs. Langston had the same pale blue eyes as her brother, Sam Wentworth, but fashion had altered her into an entirely foreign creature. “It was an extravagance, but I love pretty things.” She looked at Mrs. Dickinson’s plain gown. “But I do admire how the ladies in Amherst don’t worry overmuch about the latest fashions.”
Mrs. Dickinson’s eyes narrowed, but she was too polite to reply in kind. She made the introductions. “I don’t believe you know Mrs. Hitchcock and Mrs. Gilbert.”
Since Mrs. Hitchcock was the wife of the president of Amherst College and Mrs. Gilbert’s husband owned the bank, Mrs. Langston was delighted to make their prestigious acquaintance.
Ursula’s quick glance made it obvious that she didn’t think much of the younger Dickinsons’ dresses. For their part, Emily and Vinnie were unobtrusively sizing up her ensemble. Ursula was only a year older than Emily, but her polka-dotted dress with a daring neckline showed off her shoulders and made her seem at least eighteen. She wore a choker of the same fabric. Her sausage curls cascaded down both sides of her face. Emily conceded that Ursula looked very attractive, but thought the rigid-ity of a corset was too high a price to pay for appearance’s sake.
Mrs. Dickinson led her guests into the parlor, where seven chairs were arranged in a wide circle. The older ladies claimed the seats by the window to take advantage of the limited daylight.
“Your house is lovely, Mrs. Dickinson,” Mrs. Langston said. “The brocade on this chair is so unusual. Was it expensive?
“It was a gift from my father when I married,” Mrs. Dickinson said, her face pink.
“As old as that?” Mrs. Langston rubbed her fingertips on the patterned fabric. “Ah, now I see that it is quite worn. The light in here is not very good, or I would have noticed it earlier.”
For a moment, Mrs. Dickinson’s famed composure deserted her. She took refuge in arranging the work of the sewing circle. “Ladies,” she said, raising her voice. “Our task today is to make baby clothes for the Irish families working in the factory.”
Mrs. Hitchcock said, “Those women. Always too many babies and not enough money.”
“Charity, Mrs. Hitchcock,” Mrs. Dickinson reminded her. “It is our duty to help the less fortunate.”
“We do seem to sew an inordinate number of baby clothes,” murmured Mrs. Gilbert.
Emily, Ursula, and Vinnie hovered by the door as their elders got settled.
“Sit down, Emily,” her mother said.
“May we be excused for a few minutes to show Ursula my herbarium?”
“I’d like to see it,” Ursula said politely.
“Emily, I’m sure your herbarium is very nice,” Mrs. Langston said, “but Miss Phelps said that Ursula’s was the best in the class.”
“Ursula, you and Emily were in Miss Phelps’s botany class together, weren’t you?” Mrs. Dickinson said.
Mrs. Langston turned eagerly to the other ladies. “Ursula received top marks in botany. She’s so clever that she makes almost all our little remedies. We hardly need to visit the pharmacist. She dries peppermint for a tea that takes away
“Indeed,” Vinnie agreed. “But for what? Do you think he killed Mr. Nobody?”
“And then dressed the body in his own clothes? Why lay a trail that returns to him?”
“But he knows something.”
Emily nodded. “And it frightens him terribly.”
Her fingers fumbled at her work, —
Her needle would not go;
What ailed so smart a little maid
It puzzled me to know
CHAPTER 12
The next day dawned with a rainstorm that turned the dirt roads to a mud that would easily ruin a lady’s shoes. Several of the guests sent their regrets, but Ursula Langston and her mother arrived precisely on time. Both were dressed far more fashionably than the other women.
Mrs. Dickinson was frigidly polite. “Mrs. Langston, what a lovely dress,” she said.
“Why, thank you. My husband had it sent from Paris. At enormous expense.” Mrs. Langston had the same pale blue eyes as her brother, Sam Wentworth, but fashion had altered her into an entirely foreign creature. “It was an extravagance, but I love pretty things.” She looked at Mrs. Dickinson’s plain gown. “But I do admire how the ladies in Amherst don’t worry overmuch about the latest fashions.”
Mrs. Dickinson’s eyes narrowed, but she was too polite to reply in kind. She made the introductions. “I don’t believe you know Mrs. Hitchcock and Mrs. Gilbert.”
Since Mrs. Hitchcock was the wife of the president of Amherst College and Mrs. Gilbert’s husband owned the bank, Mrs. Langston was delighted to make their prestigious acquaintance.
Ursula’s quick glance made it obvious that she didn’t think much of the younger Dickinsons’ dresses. For their part, Emily and Vinnie were unobtrusively sizing up her ensemble. Ursula was only a year older than Emily, but her polka-dotted dress with a daring neckline showed off her shoulders and made her seem at least eighteen. She wore a choker of the same fabric. Her sausage curls cascaded down both sides of her face. Emily conceded that Ursula looked very attractive, but thought the rigid-ity of a corset was too high a price to pay for appearance’s sake.
Mrs. Dickinson led her guests into the parlor, where seven chairs were arranged in a wide circle. The older ladies claimed the seats by the window to take advantage of the limited daylight.
“Your house is lovely, Mrs. Dickinson,” Mrs. Langston said. “The brocade on this chair is so unusual. Was it expensive?
“It was a gift from my father when I married,” Mrs. Dickinson said, her face pink.
“As old as that?” Mrs. Langston rubbed her fingertips on the patterned fabric. “Ah, now I see that it is quite worn. The light in here is not very good, or I would have noticed it earlier.”
For a moment, Mrs. Dickinson’s famed composure deserted her. She took refuge in arranging the work of the sewing circle. “Ladies,” she said, raising her voice. “Our task today is to make baby clothes for the Irish families working in the factory.”
Mrs. Hitchcock said, “Those women. Always too many babies and not enough money.”
“Charity, Mrs. Hitchcock,” Mrs. Dickinson reminded her. “It is our duty to help the less fortunate.”
“We do seem to sew an inordinate number of baby clothes,” murmured Mrs. Gilbert.
Emily, Ursula, and Vinnie hovered by the door as their elders got settled.
“Sit down, Emily,” her mother said.
“May we be excused for a few minutes to show Ursula my herbarium?”
“I’d like to see it,” Ursula said politely.
“Emily, I’m sure your herbarium is very nice,” Mrs. Langston said, “but Miss Phelps said that Ursula’s was the best in the class.”
“Ursula, you and Emily were in Miss Phelps’s botany class together, weren’t you?” Mrs. Dickinson said.
Mrs. Langston turned eagerly to the other ladies. “Ursula received top marks in botany. She’s so clever that she makes almost all our little remedies. We hardly need to visit the pharmacist. She dries peppermint for a tea that takes away
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