The Roswell Legacy by Frances Statham (parable of the sower read online .TXT) 📗

heart sounds good. But I might remind you: You’ve been through a traumatic operation. And even though you might feel almost as good as new, it will still take time to get your full strength back.”

Charles folded his stethoscope to return it to his medical bag. “That’s why you musn’t allow this special session of Congress to overwhelm you. Take plenty of time out to rest.”

“I appreciate your concern, Forsyte. And I’ll heed your advice as well as I can. But we both know that politics demand more than a modicum of work.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that, Mr. President. Only don’t allow the politicians the same measure of your time.”

Cleveland laughed. “That’s like telling me to repudiate the sin while still loving the sinner. It will take a far wiser head than mine to separate the two.”

A patter of feet down the hallway and a childish voice claimed the president’s attention. “And a wiser man than I might not have waited so long to marry and have children.”

“How is Mrs. Cleveland feeling?” Charles inquired.

“A bit peckish in this hot weather. But she’s the loveliest woman alive. I don’t know how I could have gotten so lucky. Sounds strange, doesn’t it, Doctor? For a man my age to be so in love with his wife. And to be filling up this creaky old mansion with children.”

“This world would be a sadder place if love were reserved only for the young.”

“I understand your daughter will be marrying Senator Meadors’s son at the end of the summer.”

“Yes. But I try to stay away from the house as much as possible these days, with all the activity going on.” Charles became serious again. “If your personal physician thinks I should see you again, Mr. President, I’ll be at the clinic for the rest of the summer.”

The aide opened the door and escorted Charles down the hallway and into the hidden recesses of the basement, where he walked through a servants’ door that led outside. He climbed into the nondescript carriage and began the short journey back to the medical center.

On the other side of town in Stanley Quail’s house, a swollen Cassie, her baby due any moment, watched while the seamstress fitted Ginna’s wedding dress. The material was a cream peau de soie, more elegant and flattering than stark white, which Araminta had chosen for Ginna at first. But the arrival of the mellowed lace veil had precipitated a change of material.

As the seamstress gave Ginna the signal to turn slowly so that she could check the hem, Cassie caught a brief glimpse of her own image in the pier mirror across the bedroom.

She did not like what she saw. Even the shapeless gray dress could not hide her bulk. She bore an inescapable resemblance to the Buddha with his fat stomach that she had seen in the London museum when she was thirteen.

And her mother, sitting in the other chair and watching the proceedings, didn’t look much thinner. The only shapely and slender one in the room was Ginna. And although Cassie knew that she, unlike her mother, would be slender again once the baby arrived, she couldn’t help but feel resentful toward her prettier half sister.

“Are you nearly finished, Miss Holcomb?” an impatient Araminta inquired. “If I’m to give you a ride home, we need to leave in the next few minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am. Just one more adjustment and then your daughter can take off the dress. But it’s shaping up beautifully, don’t you think?”

“Very nicely,” Araminta granted. She stood and walked over to Cassie. “I’ll say good-bye now, Cassie, dear. You just rest for this next week and let Ginna run the house. She’s used to it.”

“Yes, Mama.”

Araminta looked in Ginna’s direction. “I’m depending on you, Ginna. Send word to me the very moment Cassie’s pains start.”

“Yes, Mum—Mama. I will.”

The seamstress carefully placed the wedding gown in its protective muslin bag. “I’ll fix the hem tonight, Miss Ginna, and sew on the little seed pearls. One more fitting and then it will be finished.”

“You’ve done a wonderful job, Miss Holcomb. Thank you so much.”

The door closed and Ginna was left alone with Cassie. Hurriedly, she put on her blue dress and began to repair her hair while Cassie watched.

“I think Papa must have bats in his attic to spend so much money on one dress,” Cassie complained. “French silk for—”

“But, Cassie, I’m economizing on everything else. And it’s not as if it will be a large wedding—just family and a few friends. But I do want to look especially nice for Jonathan’s sake.”

“Well, it’s a good thing that Stanley and I have an excellent excuse not to come. We wouldn’t feel welcome around the Meadors family. This was awfully poor timing, if you ask me, for Senator Meadors to pick on Stanley the way he has.”

“Cassie, I’m sorry, too. It’s most embarrassing, I know. But Stanley brought it on himself. Jonathan’s father didn’t have any choice. He was only doing his duty as head of the committee.”

“Duty? To disgrace my Stanley before all of Washington?”

Cassie’s anger overrode her natural caution. She wanted to hurt Ginna, to bring pain to her because of Stanley’s censure.

“Well, Stanley might have the last laugh at that. With this wedding, the Meadorses will certainly be getting their comeuppance.”

“What do you mean, Cassie?”

“When they find out who their son has married, then they won’t be so haughty.”

“Cassie, are you feeling all right? You’re not making any sense.”

“Of course I’m making sense. Didn’t Mama ever tell you the deep, dark secret concerning you and Nathan? If she didn’t, it’s past time for you to know about it.”

Ginna stared at Cassie. She had the same expression of anticipation on her face that Ginna remembered from her childhood when her older sister was waiting to squash a toad in the garden, causing the soft-hearted Nathan to cry. And Ginna could no more do anything now about the feeling of impending doom than she had on that day so long ago.

“What