Free Keeping Secrets by Joan Lowery Nixon Page A

to have lost all track of time.”
    Miss Hennessey smiled at Peg. “I’ll be back to pick you up at three o’clock,” she told her.
    “Thank you. I’ll be ready,” Peg answered politely, although her attention had been captured by the fragrant odors wafting from the open kitchen door.
    She didn’t wait to watch Miss Hennessey and her sister drive away. She raced into the kitchen, tugging Danny with her, and dove into the nearest chair. Ennie’s chicken was good, hot or cold; the baked yellow squash, with butter and a touch of cinnamon, was stillwarm, and the apple dumpling Gussie set before her rivaled Ma’s.
    After welcoming Peg again, Alfrid said, “Danny, I can easily finish our fence mending by myself. You stay here and visit with Peg. Look how glad she is to see you. Or could it be Ennie’s apple dumplings that have Peg so excited?”
    “The dumplings, of course,” Peg said and grinned at Danny.
    As Alfrid left, Ennie served Danny and Peg second helpings of the dumplings, then plopped into a chair at the table. “So the Parkers are living on the Millers’ place,” she said to Peg. “I hear they didn’t buy the land but are only renting. Thad and Gennie Miller moved out west, you know, after their second son was killed.”
    Peg swallowed noisily, sure of what Ma’d have to say if she talked with her mouth full. Trying her best to remember the Millers, she said, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
    “It was after the raids last year,” Ennie said. “Union patrols suspected the Millers of having southern sympathies and arrested their son, Joshua. Amos, the younger son, was so upset he ran off and joined the bushwhackers.”
    Danny spoke up. “Then they
were
southern sympathizers.”
    “Some said
yes
, some said
no.
I, myself, never thought so,” Ennie said with a sigh. “But then, nowdays, who knows? How many people, loyal to the Union, changed their allegiance because of the cruelty of those Union patrols?”
    “The bushwhackers are cruel, too,” Danny insisted.
    “That’s right,” Ennie said. “They’ve done horrible things to many innocent people. These are hard times for all of us. I can only pray that they’ll soon be over.”
    As she smoothed her apron across her ample lap, a smile brightened her features. “No more talk of war,” she said. “Let’s talk about pleasant things. How is your mother, Peg?”
    “Fine,” Peg said. She drank a long gulp from the glass of sweet milk Gussie had placed before her, then wiped off her damp milk mustache with the back of one hand.
    “And you, dear? Is all going well with you?”
    “Yes, ma’am,” Peg answered.
    “You’re growing up to be a lovely young lady, Peg.”
    “Thank you,” Peg said. She looked at the large bite of apple on her fork, put it back into the bowl and cut it into a daintier piece—the size a young lady would eat.
    Ennie leaned toward her, eyes twinkling with curiosity. “Tell me about Miss Hennessey,” she said.
    Peg looked up, surprised. “You just met her.”
    “She certainly seems very pleasant,” Ennie began. “Your mother has never mentioned Miss Hennessey. How long has she known her? Where did she come from?”
    Peg thought a moment. She’d have an eager audience if she told Ennie in great detail about Miss Hennessey’s flight from Quantrill’s raiders and Frances Mary bringing her to St. Joe and shelter at their home. But the apple dumpling was gone, her stomach was full, and she’d rather spend her short time here with Danny.
    She tried to remember Ennie’s questions as she answered, “Ma hasn’t known Miss Hennessey for very long … just a couple of weeks. She lives in St. Joe, and she comes from Boston.”
    “Don’t you know anything about her family?”
    Peg stared in surprise. “Her sister’s name is Nellie Parker, and she was here just a few minutes ago.”
    Ennie sighed and hoisted herself from her chair. “Never mind,” she said and gave her apron a shake. “Why don’t