settle up with me when he is able.”
David had no intention of actually making claim on any bills, but she didn’t need to know that, either. His suggestion seemed to please her. A look of appreciation filled her eyes. He tried not to think more of it than he should.
This is to be my business, he reminded himself. Roof tiles, loose molding, trimming tree limbs. Nothing more. “I’ll pick up the new tiles tomorrow when I finish at the paper,” he said.
She nodded. “Thank you, David. I appreciate your kindness. I know Mother and Trudy do, as well.” Then, offering to take the now empty lemonade glass, she turned and went back inside.
* * *
David returned as promised the following afternoon to repair the roof. After seeing to it, he quickly took leave. Elizabeth’s mother tried to get him to stay for supper, but he politely declined. Elizabeth was relieved that he had. After crying and falling into his arms yesterday, she preferred to limit the contact between them.
“I’ve an assignment for which I must prepare,” David explained to them. “An interview tomorrow with state delegates Nash and Van der Geld.”
Elizabeth knew the two men were bitter rivals. One supported slave owners’ rights, the other immediate abolition. She wondered how David would manage such an interview. “Are you interviewing them at the same time?”
He chuckled slightly. “No. I am smarter than that. It is to be separate interviews. If not, I doubt I’d get any questions asked. They’d be too busy arguing with one another.”
The thought crossed her mind that she could capture delegate Van der Geld’s likeness in a sketch quite easily. Elizabeth knew him personally. He was the father of her friend Rebekah. She dismissed the idea, however, as quickly as it came. She couldn’t cover the slave vote, for more reasons than one.
“I hope all goes well for you,” her mother then said to him. “I’m certain it will make for a nice article.”
David smiled. “Thank you. I suppose then I’ll see each of you on Sunday. I’m looking forward to the service.”
As he left, Elizabeth breathed a shallow sigh. Once more she had been reminded of her shortcomings. David might be eager to attend worship, but she most definitely was not. Crying at the church service would be even worse than breaking down at the funeral. Elizabeth wasn’t certain how she would manage to excuse herself from worship again this week, but she was counting on the fact that her mother would be so pleased with David’s attendance that she would be willing to accept Elizabeth’s excuse to stay home.
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