seen it on a plaque or a Pinterest page,” Libby mused.
“The greenhouse had its secrets, I’ll wager,” Colton said.
Libby felt a lift in her spirits she had not felt in a long time. “I can’t wait.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SADIE
Monday, February 2, 1942
Bluestone, Virginia
Sadie was nervous as she drove onto Carter land without her brother. For all her talk just before Christmas about being the best driver, she was scared of the Carters. They were rich, and even though her mother said rich folks put their pants on just like the poor, Sadie knew different. They lived by their own set of rules.
The old engine groaned as Sadie downshifted and drove along the winding road toward the big house. Last week’s snow had melted, but her mother had said to expect a good bit more. Winter was not nearly finished with anyone yet.
Woodmont came into view. The brick exterior without the green wreaths wrapped in red bows looked bleak and unwelcoming. The trees were bare, and the only splash of green came from the boxwoods that filled the front beds.
Sadie hated this time of year. It was like the world was asleep, and they were all just waiting for spring.
She hated Bluestone even more now that Johnny was gone. She and her mother had driven him the twenty-five miles to the train station in Charlottesville. None of them had said a word in the truck, and when Sadie had hugged Johnny on the train platform, she and her mother had both cried like small children.
She downshifted and drove to the side of the house and parked next to the kitchen. She shut off the engine, waiting as the motor sputtered and coughed itself still before setting the parking brake.
Her mother had tried to get her to wear her Sunday dress. “Important to make a good impression,” she had said.
But Sadie had insisted it was too hard to shift the old truck’s gears when she was wearing a dress. Plus, there was no telling when the engine would up and stop on her, and she would be forced to climb up on the front bumper and fix whatever was broken. Engine grease was a sure way to ruin Sunday best.
Still, she had let her mother put a comb to her auburn hair and smooth the curls down as best she could before fastening it back with a ribbon. She was wearing the best overalls she owned and a clean shirt and had brushed all the dirt off her scuffed brown shoes.
Sadie hugged the frayed folds of her coat close, conscious that the buttons did not match. She hurried up the steps and knocked on the kitchen door.
She turned her back to the door, staring at the land that rolled down toward the river. Without the leaves on the trees, the porch offered an unobstructed view of the James. The waters were meandering slowly today, as if they too did not care much for the cold.
The door snapped open behind her, and she turned, expecting to see the cook. Standing in the threshold was Edward Carter, a frown creasing the lines of his face. He was dressed in gray suit pants, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a vest cut from the same fabric as his pants.
“You’re late,” he said, glancing at his wristwatch.
“It’s eleven a.m., just as we agreed.” Sadie had gone to the general store and used Mr. Sullivan’s phone to call the Carter house last week. She had asked Mrs. Fritz the time twice and had scribbled it on a piece of butcher paper.
Her rebuttal appeared to irritate him more. “The time was ten.”
She slid her hands into her pockets, ready to pull out the note, when her mother’s warning rang in her ears. “No sass, girl, even if you’re right.”
“Sorry about that, sir,” she said. “Does Miss Olivia still want me to drive her into Charlottesville?”
“As luck would have it, she is just finishing up breakfast and should be ready any minute. You’re lucky she runs so late.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Come on inside. As soon as she arrives, I’ll show you both to the garage and familiarize you with the car. Then I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay. I’ve patients to see this afternoon in Lynchburg.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Which means if you two girls get into trouble, I won’t be able to help. We do have a telephone at the house and one at the hospital. Do you know how to use one?”