forgot."
Julia felt incredibly uneasy but it had nothing to do with Sally's forgetfulness. "It is all right," she said. "We have all had other things on our mind."
A heaviness blanketed the room. No one seemed to know what to say and Julia had no idea where to begin.
"Dear me," Emily said at last. "Samuel hasn't gone, has he?"
"No," Julia said, feeling the color creep up her neck.
"Finally, a wise man," said Rebekah.
All eyes were on Julia. The knot in her stomach tightened. She couldn't bring herself to say what she knew she must. She didn't want her friends to know that her fiancé had refused to join her brother. She also couldn't stand to hear Rebekah sing Samuel's praises for doing so.
"The wedding," she said weakly, "has been postponed ."
A collective sigh went about the room. Even Rebekah looked concerned.
"Edward was to be Samuel's best man, wasn't he?" Sally said, obviously thinking that was the reason. "Yes."
Julia's friend tried to smile, to sound hopeful. "I am certain he will be home soon."
"Yes," Elizabeth said. "They all will."
The women dabbed their eyes with their handkerchiefs. Emily then spoke. "I think we should continuewith our original plan and work on Julia's lace. That way everything will be ready when the time comes."
The others nodded in agreement.
Julia tried to object. "That is very kind of you but it isn't necessary."
"Nonsense," Sally said. "I would rather look ahead to happier times."
"So would I," Trudy said.
Julia could hardly argue with that. If looking forward to a wedding that would never actually take place was what it took to lift her friends' spirits, then Julia would not interfere. Not today, when she was already uncomfortable and upset over her encounter with Samuel at the prayer meeting.
"Thank you," she said meekly.
"Now," Sally said, eager to begin, "which pattern did you choose?"
"
When the hall clock chimed four, they put their newly constructed lace in their baskets and agreed to meet again the following week. Julia was slow in packing up her supplies. She put away the dining room chairs while Sally bid her other guests goodbye. When she came back into the room, she spoke softly.
"I wanted to tell you something," she said, "but I didn't want to say it in front of the others, especially not Rebekah."
"What is it?" Julia asked.
"My father will be handling the mail."
Julia did not understand. Mr. Hastings was a member of the city council. "He has taken a new job?"
"No. The Confederate mail."
"Oh."
"When our brothers are able to write, the letters willcome through special channels, not the regular post," Sally explained. "Bring your letters here to mail them. It will be safer that way."
Julia nodded. She hadn't thought about how to mail letters to an opposing army but she was glad someone else did. "I hope we hear from them soon," she said.
"So do I. Now'¦what is bothering you? I know it is more than Edward. You barely mentioned Sam at all today. That's not like you."
Julia sighed, hoping the others hadn't noticed. "I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how."
"Tell me what? Did he do something to upset you?"
"It's more what he didn't do."
"I don't understand."
Julia motioned to a chair. "Perhaps we should sit. This may take a while."
Sally did so and as Julia spilled the entire story she listened most sympathetically. "Oh, Julia. I am so sorry. I didn't know he held abolitionist views."
"Neither did I, until recently. What do you think?"
"About Sam or slavery?"
"Both."
Sally shrugged. "Slavery is legal
Julia felt incredibly uneasy but it had nothing to do with Sally's forgetfulness. "It is all right," she said. "We have all had other things on our mind."
A heaviness blanketed the room. No one seemed to know what to say and Julia had no idea where to begin.
"Dear me," Emily said at last. "Samuel hasn't gone, has he?"
"No," Julia said, feeling the color creep up her neck.
"Finally, a wise man," said Rebekah.
All eyes were on Julia. The knot in her stomach tightened. She couldn't bring herself to say what she knew she must. She didn't want her friends to know that her fiancé had refused to join her brother. She also couldn't stand to hear Rebekah sing Samuel's praises for doing so.
"The wedding," she said weakly, "has been postponed ."
A collective sigh went about the room. Even Rebekah looked concerned.
"Edward was to be Samuel's best man, wasn't he?" Sally said, obviously thinking that was the reason. "Yes."
Julia's friend tried to smile, to sound hopeful. "I am certain he will be home soon."
"Yes," Elizabeth said. "They all will."
The women dabbed their eyes with their handkerchiefs. Emily then spoke. "I think we should continuewith our original plan and work on Julia's lace. That way everything will be ready when the time comes."
The others nodded in agreement.
Julia tried to object. "That is very kind of you but it isn't necessary."
"Nonsense," Sally said. "I would rather look ahead to happier times."
"So would I," Trudy said.
Julia could hardly argue with that. If looking forward to a wedding that would never actually take place was what it took to lift her friends' spirits, then Julia would not interfere. Not today, when she was already uncomfortable and upset over her encounter with Samuel at the prayer meeting.
"Thank you," she said meekly.
"Now," Sally said, eager to begin, "which pattern did you choose?"
"
When the hall clock chimed four, they put their newly constructed lace in their baskets and agreed to meet again the following week. Julia was slow in packing up her supplies. She put away the dining room chairs while Sally bid her other guests goodbye. When she came back into the room, she spoke softly.
"I wanted to tell you something," she said, "but I didn't want to say it in front of the others, especially not Rebekah."
"What is it?" Julia asked.
"My father will be handling the mail."
Julia did not understand. Mr. Hastings was a member of the city council. "He has taken a new job?"
"No. The Confederate mail."
"Oh."
"When our brothers are able to write, the letters willcome through special channels, not the regular post," Sally explained. "Bring your letters here to mail them. It will be safer that way."
Julia nodded. She hadn't thought about how to mail letters to an opposing army but she was glad someone else did. "I hope we hear from them soon," she said.
"So do I. Now'¦what is bothering you? I know it is more than Edward. You barely mentioned Sam at all today. That's not like you."
Julia sighed, hoping the others hadn't noticed. "I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how."
"Tell me what? Did he do something to upset you?"
"It's more what he didn't do."
"I don't understand."
Julia motioned to a chair. "Perhaps we should sit. This may take a while."
Sally did so and as Julia spilled the entire story she listened most sympathetically. "Oh, Julia. I am so sorry. I didn't know he held abolitionist views."
"Neither did I, until recently. What do you think?"
"About Sam or slavery?"
"Both."
Sally shrugged. "Slavery is legal
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