Chapter 19

“What a glorious day. Just perfect for the Fourth of July festivities.”

Marvella swept into the dining room and joined Ellie at the table, where she’d just been seated by the Judge. Sir Theophilus padded along behind his mistress.

Judge Ashbury walked around the table and helped his wife to take her seat, then claimed his own. “It is indeed splendid. Shall I pray?”

“Oh, please do.” The older woman bowed her head.

Ellie did likewise, and for maybe the first time, really listened to what the Judge had to say.

“Father, we come to You today in gratitude of heart and joy of spirit. We thank You for our great nation and the freedom we enjoy here. We praise You for the beauty You have created and the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Please come with us as we go through the day and guide our hearts and minds. Bless this food, in Jesus’ name, Amen.” He looked up and smiled. “This day gives me great pleasure.”

Marvella nodded and tossed the pup a piece of bacon. “The celebratory spirit is upon us. Ellie, my dear, how did you make out with your reading?”

She picked up her napkin and settled it on her lap. It seemed impossible to describe all she was feeling. “I ... enjoyed it very much. It brought back a great many memories of my mother.”

“When I was a boy, I loved the story of David and Goliath.” The Judge passed Ellie the platter of bacon. “I used to ask my mother to read it to me every night, and then I would imagine standing there before the giant and knowing without a doubt that God had already won the battle. That gave me great courage to trust in God no matter what obstacles I had to face.”

Ellie let out a laugh, picturing the Judge as a little boy going to battle. Of course, she couldn’t imagine him without his bushy eyebrows and mustache. “Yes, I can see how that story would give you great courage to slay your own giants.” She put two pieces of bacon on her plate and passed the platter to Marvella.

Ellie could hardly sit still, but this morning it was a joyful kind of struggle. Like she had a secret that was ready to burst from her. She’d been so eager to tell Marvella about what happened last night, but Father wasn’t home yet. Before she made any public declarations, she wanted to talk to him first. God, I hope he understands.

She started. The prayer flowed through her mind as though she’d never stopped talking to God.

“My dear, let’s not overtax the young woman.” Judge Ashbury’s voice broke through her thoughts, and he offered her a sympathetic smile.

“Oh tosh.” Marvella waved her hand. “Ellie is perfectly capable of answering my question.”

Ellie suppressed a laugh and turned to Marvella. “I appreciate your interest, but before I say too much, I want to talk to my father. I want him to hear from me where I am with Jesus. With the Bible. How my heart has changed.” There. That was as close as she would get to telling Marvella. For now.

“How wonderful.” The older woman reached for the jam. “We will eagerly await the full story.”

The Judge smiled, his eyes twinkling. He knew. “Yes, indeed, my dear.”

Marvella sipped her coffee.

Ellie gave her a smiling nod. The peace that had fallen over her last night hadn’t left. So this was what Mama meant about the comfort of the Scriptures. Ellie couldn’t wait to dig in and read the Bible for herself. She might never fully understand why her mother had been made to suffer, but after reading about what Jesus went through on His journey to the cross, she believed God Almighty knew her sorrow and pain. He hadn’t spared His own Son the pain and suffering of death! And that it was allowed on behalf of the world whom God did not want to see perish from their sins ...

What an incomparable love.

Maybe life wouldn’t always bring the answers she wanted. Maybe the Bible would give her insight, but not necessarily complete understanding. Perhaps that only came, as Sarah had said, by growing deeper in her love of God.

The Judge glanced at the clock. “It’s nearly time to pick up the men from the station. I’m going to have Jim drive today. I’ll send him back with the luggage, and then he can drive you to the park, Ellie.”

“Oh, I had thought to go with you to the station.”

The Judge stood. “If you wouldn’t mind waiting, I need a short time of meeting with the men and thought we might be able to talk at the depot.”

She forced a smile. “I understand. I can wait.”

“The Judge is going to drop me off to meet with my ladies on the final touches for the luncheon.” Marvella gave her husband a sweet smile. “I’d like to make sure the girls have everything they need.”

Ellie helped herself to scrambled eggs and toast, then held out her cup when the footman brought coffee around again. It would be a long day. She doused the dark liquid in cream and put sugar in as well before sampling it. Coffee had never been her favorite.

Marvella held her delicate teacup in her hands. “Is Louis planning to stay with us?”

“No, my dear. He’s coming in his private train car so that he can attend today’s festivities and then go up as far as the tracks will allow to inspect the route to Whitefish. He’ll have his accommodations with him.”

“Well, we can still invite him to join us for dinner each evening.”

The Judge shook his head. “No need. He’s only staying the day and then moving on.”

That was good. Father had been busy with Mr. Hill last time. She was eager to have time alone with him.

“We should probably be on our way, Marvella. I don’t want to be late picking up our guests.” The Judge tossed back the rest of his coffee and got to his feet.

Mrs. Ashbury dabbed her lips with the napkin. “I’m ready.”

And without further ado, they bid Ellie good-bye and were gone. She remained at the table looking down at her breakfast and feeling almost as if the encounter had never happened. The Ashburys seemed to be in constant motion.

Ellie finished her breakfast and then made her way to the parlor.

The minutes seemed to creep by and then the hour was gone. Had something happened? After another half hour, she was just about to call for her bicycle when she heard the carriage wheels crunching on the gravel drive.

She hurried to the door and stepped out onto the porch, but as the carriage came to a stop, she found it to be empty, save the driver and luggage.

“Jim, where is my father?”

He jumped down and tipped his hat. “He remained in town. They all did and sent me home with the luggage and the instructions to pick you up and deliver you to the celebration. You are to wait for them at the luncheon table.”

“Let me get my hat and gloves.”

She hurried back inside. Her things were waiting for her on the foyer table. Ellie settled a simple straw boater on her head and secured it with a hat pin. She was just pulling on her gloves when Jim showed up with the luggage.

“I’ll be with you in just a moment, miss.” He hurried past her and up the stairs to deliver the suitcases and bags.

Ellie stepped back outside, not bothering to close the front door. Why hadn’t Father thought to send for her sooner? It was bad enough that he’d abandoned her for his short trip, but now it seemed that he wasn’t even concerned with seeing her right away. It would seem Kalispell had changed them both.

Jim returned, pulling the door closed. He hurried down the steps and awaited Ellie. She let him hand her up into the surrey and settled on the backseat. Her thoughts were a jumble.

She couldn’t imagine her father casting her aside, but he had been put out with her when she had questioned Mr. Grinnell about the alterations he wanted in the national park. There had also been other times when she had spoken to her father about other issues, and he had no patience for her views on the matter. Goodness, had they been growing apart all the time, and she hadn’t noticed? Would it cause further grief to their relationship when she announced that she wanted to return to the Lord and wanted him to return as well?

It was hard to imagine him shutting her out. She loved her father. He was all she had left in the world. Ellie bit her lower lip. What if they moved into the rambling Hennessy house and simply resigned from each other’s company?

People were increasingly present on the walkways, and by the time Ellie reached the city center, the crowds were everywhere. There was an exuberant buzz among the townspeople. They appeared to be more than fervent in their desire to celebrate the Fourth.

Jim slowed the surrey to accommodate the traffic, but finally he managed to maneuver them to a place near where tables for distinguished guests had been set in place by the grandstand. Most of the folks would eat picnic style on the ground unless they brought other means. To the back there were long tables set up with what looked to be hundreds of dishes of food. Ellie had heard from Sarah that several pigs had been roasted for the festivities. It looked like those were being carved up at the far end of the food tables.

Ellie’s foot had no sooner touched the ground than she saw her father. He was speaking with several men, and the Judge was at his side. She made her way to them and was relieved when her father looked up and smiled.

“Ellie. How good to see you. I’ve missed you.” He hugged her in an uncharacteristic show of affection.

“I missed you, too. I have been counting the minutes until you returned.” She pulled back and looked at his tired face. “You haven’t been resting well.”

He chuckled. “Ever the worrier.” He looked to the other men. “Where would we be without women to take care of us?”

The other men agreed and laughed. Father turned her toward the gathering. “This is Ellie, my daughter.” The men tipped their hats and names were given, although she wasn’t of a mind to remember them.

She laid her hand on Father’s arm. “I was hoping we could talk, but I see the day is much too busy.”

Her father leaned close. “Let’s go for a walk after the luncheon and speeches. We can talk then.”

At least he hadn’t dismissed her. She looped her arm through his. “How was the trip?”

“Wonderful. Mr. Hill joined us for a short time and brought us to town on his private train car. We were able to work out many of the details we hope to propose regarding the national park. We’ve all agreed to head to Washington, DC, in August to meet with the president. It’s an election year, however, so he may not have much time to consider our proposal, but we hope by being there he will feel obligated to at least hear us out.”

“Washington. Well, that may require new clothes. I’m not sure what we have is fine enough for that.”

Her father patted her arm. “I won’t be taking you along, Ellie. Louis is providing transportation, and it will just be us gentlemen. I’ll explain more when we’re alone.” The last of this he said in a barely audible voice.

As though he hadn’t just stunned her, he walked across the grass, chatting with his companions.

So. It would seem Father had teamed up with his friends and no longer needed her. She pressed a hand to her heart, but the pain there remained.

What was she to do with herself? There was, of course, Mrs. Ashbury and her ladies’ club, but that could hardly occupy all of Eleanor’s time. She’d gone to school, but how could her studies from Vassar in bookkeeping and history land her a job doing anything but what she’d done for her father? Tears pooled and threatened to spill over onto her cheeks.

She turned from the joyful gathering and walked past the tables. She slipped behind a large tree and wiped at her face.

Letting her thoughts spin out of control wasn’t helping anything. Besides, her father said they would talk. Instead of jumping to conclusions, she needed to hear him out. She let out a long breath, no longer on the verge of crying. Though her head was starting to pound.

Straightening her shoulders, Eleanor walked back to the tables in search of a friendly face. Her father and his friends had returned to the tables, chatting with the Judge and Marvella. Conversations were going on all around them, and children seemed to appear from every corner, racing after each other. She pressed her fingertips to her temples. The myriad noises only made her headache worse.

“Have you taken too much sun, Ellie?” Father appeared beside her.

She glanced at him and shook her head. “I’m fine.”

He took her elbow and led her to an empty chair. A large tree offered shade and a gentle breeze.

Father pulled out the chair and helped her to sit. Marvella arrived and claimed the seat across from Eleanor, her concern palpable.

“Are you all right, my dear?”

Eleanor nodded. “Just a bit of a headache.”

A touch of worry showed in Father’s eyes. “She’s probably had too much sun. She’ll be better here in the shade.”

To the left of the grandstand, a band began to take form as musicians with their instruments took their places. After another minute or two, the conductor raised his baton, and the band sounded a call to attention. The mayor stepped up on the grandstand, and the crowd went silent.

“Let us stand for ‘Hail Columbia’!”

Everyone rose and the band began to play. Voices were raised from one end of the park area to the other. It was only then that Eleanor really noticed the red, white, and blue buntings fashioned after the American flag. The Montana state flag had been set up in place just a little lower on the grandstand than the Stars and Stripes, and at the tables for the city’s important guests, red, white, and blue tablecloths were laid.

Eleanor had never participated in an event like this one. She and Father had never attended parties or such revelry. Generally speaking, Father’s work kept them much too busy, and more times than she could count, they were on a train to some new destination when July Fourth came around.

In fact ... the same could be said of Christmas and birthdays. After Mother died, they had forsaken such things, offering only the slightest attention to those events that demanded action. Father always gave Eleanor a gift for her birthday and Christmas, and she had done the same for him, but there was little celebration.

How could they have let joy escape them?

Last night she’d known such happiness in just reading the Bible and remembering her mother. Could they ever recapture the joy they’d once known without Mother?

The music ended and the mayor again spoke. “We will have the Reverend Brooks offer grace, and then everyone can form a line for the food. Please allow our guests of honor to go first.”

The pastor came and prayed while the mayor retook his seat. As soon as the amens were said, the mayor greeted Mr. Hill with a vigorous handshake. He gave a nod to the Ashburys, the Briggses, and Mr. Grinnell. Eleanor allowed her father to maneuver her through the crowd, and the rest were ushered to the front of the line, where Mrs. Ashbury motioned to Nora. The maid immediately took up a stack of plates and handed one to each of them.

“Everyone brings their own plates,” Marvella told Eleanor and her father. “Silver and glasses too. It’s easier that way. We just pack it all up and take it home afterwards.”

Nora handed her and Father a plate, then turned and gave one to Marvella as well.

“Silver and the glasses are being put on the table as we speak. Napkins too.” She moved on to Mr. Grinnell and the Judge.

“Seems most efficient.” Father smiled at Mrs. Ashbury.

“Oh, it is, and we all just share the load of providing food. The Kalispell Women’s Club goes around and gets the help of the various church women. They in turn can reach out to their family members and friends. We never lack for food.”

Eleanor glanced down the many tables and marveled at the way everything had come together. No, they wouldn’t lack food. That was clear.

“This evening everyone will bring their own food, and we will sit out under the stars, although we won’t be able to see them due to the long hours of sun. We’ll watch the fireworks and listen to the band play again. It’s always such a grand celebration.” Marvella’s eyes fairly glowed at all she’d arranged.

Eleanor made her food choices and then waited while a big burly man gave her a large piece of roasted pork. It was far more than she’d be able to eat, but she smiled and thanked him for it, nevertheless.

“If you need help with that, just give me a holler.”

She turned to find Carter’s dad beside her.

“Mr. Brunswick. How nice to see you. I was just thinking that the portion was much bigger than I’d be able to manage.”

“Too bad you aren’t sitting with us. I know Carter would certainly enjoy that.”

She felt her cheeks heat up. Thankfully no one seemed to notice. Even Mr. Brunswick had moved on to greet the others.

Eleanor did her best to calm her nerves. If anyone asked about her cheeks, she would blame the sun. She made her way back to the table only to find Carter waiting there.

“Looks like your eyes may be bigger than your stomach. You sure you can eat all that?”

She smiled. “Your father offered to help.”

“That sounds like him.” He glanced past her and then returned his gaze to hers. “I see they’re all coming back, so I’ll be quick about this. I wondered if maybe we could take a walk later.”

“Oh ... well, I’m supposed to take a walk with my father.” She hoped he didn’t hear the disappointment in her voice. She set the plate on the table, relieving her arms of the weight. My, but she had several important conversations scheduled for the day.

Father was the most important, though a talk with Carter was a close second. Her face warmed. She needed to rein in her thoughts. Even though she had given her life back to the Lord, Carter still might not want anything more than friendship with her. Best to be realistic.

“Maybe after you’re done walking with him, you can walk with me. I’m sure you’ll still be trying to digest all that.” He motioned to her plate as Marvella Ashbury joined them. Her plate was piled even higher.

“I never know how to say no to some of those dishes. Especially that peach pie.” She put her plate on the table. “Carter, how nice to see you. I was just speaking to your father.”

“Good to see you, Mrs. Ashbury. I was just seeing if maybe Ellie wanted to take a walk with me later.”

“Of course she does.”

Eleanor rolled her eyes for the first time in Marvella’s presence. For goodness’ sake, Marvella didn’t even look at Eleanor for her approval!

Marvella let out a laugh. She patted Eleanor’s arm, ignoring her insolent disposition. “Never you mind. Don’t bother giving me any more of your sassy looks. Why don’t you join Carter and his family? The men will be busy talking about the railroad and the national park. You should go and enjoy the day and have some fun. There are going to be games after lunch.”

Father arrived just then, thank heaven! Eleanor shook her head, doing her best to look disappointed. “No, Father and I plan to take a walk after lunch.”

“Oh pshaw!” Mrs. Ashbury waved her words away like a pesky mosquito. “Your father won’t mind if you walk instead with a handsome young bachelor. Will you, Stewart?”

Father chuckled. “Not at all. It’s only reasonable that Ellie should trade in an old man for a young one.”

“It’s settled, then.” The older woman took her seat. “Now, Carter, you carry that heavy plate of hers.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Carter grabbed her plate, grinning from ear to ear.