Page 13 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

I looked up at him. “That might be true, but I have nothing to say to him or to you. Now, I have to leave. A colleague is waiting for me.”

“It’s not your brother waiting for you,” Urschel said. “We know that because he is dead.”

Ernest remained in my path. “I say good riddance.”

“Get out of my way,” I snapped.

Ernest got into my face. “You can’t speak to me like that. I’m the minister’s son and am superior to you in all ways.”

Fear gripped my heart, but I didn’t step back.

Just when I thought Ernest would strike me, Catherine walked around the meetinghouse with tears streaming down her face. “Leave her alone, brothers.”

“We are your elder brothers,” Urschel said. “You have to listen to us.”

I inched away from them.

Catherine threw out her hand and grabbed my arm. “Willa, don’t leave. I want to hear what happened to Henry. You said there was an accident. What kind of accident?”

“I heard that a horse trampled him because he was cruel to it,” Ernest said.

I glared at him. “Henry is—was not cruel. He was the kindest person there could possibly be. He was even kind to people who were undeserving.”

The twins stepped on either side of me, and I realized my miscalculation. I should have known better than to speak so sharply to them. No matter how much I might hate to admit it what they said was true, they were superior to me, at least in society’s eyes.

“Willa.” Miss Dickinson walked around the building with Carlo at her side. The great dog’s back was tense as if he was unsure of the Dwight twins. Carlo was very observant just like his mistress.

“Willa,” Miss Dickinson said again. “I thought you would have gone straight home after church to help with the Sunday meal. Miss O’Brien is waiting for you on the corner. You know how seriously she takes making sure each meal is perfect.”

My brow was up because it was Miss O’Brien’s and my day off. We weren’t responsible for feeding the family today, but I saw it as Miss Dickinson’s way of offering me an escape from the Dwight siblings. I was happy to take it.

Ernest bowed to her. “Miss Dickinson, what a fine day to see you out and about.” He glanced at Carlo. “With your dog. Did you enjoy this morning’s services? My father did a fine job, did he not?”

Miss Dickinson looked at him down her petite nose, which was quite an accomplishment seeing how she was a foot shorter than the twins. “I did not go to church. I am not a member of this church as you well know. Carlo and I were just out for a morning walk. That’s our means of worship.”

The twins looked at each other.

“Surely, that is just an oversight,” Urschel said. “You have not taken the time to finish your membership. Our father would be happy to welcome another member of the Dickinson family into his flock.”

“You are assuming that I intend to. My god is not there.” She pointed at the white meetinghouse with its peaked steeple.

The twins were confused. “If he is not there, where is he?”

“If you must ask, you will not understand the answer. Therefore, there is no purpose in answering a question that does not need to be asked.” She looked to me. “Willa, Carlo and I have finished our walk. We will accompany you home. Since you ran into me on the way home, it will explain the delay to Miss O’Brien.”

I nodded and started to follow Miss Dickinson.

“Willa,” Catherine called. “I just want you to know that I cared for Henry. He was a good man.”

I nodded and left the church grounds. As Miss Dickinson and I came around to the front of the building, Miss O’Brien came down the church steps. She wasn’t waiting for me at the corner of Main Street, but the truth was I never thought that she had been.

“Miss Dickinson,” Miss O’Brien said when she came upon Miss Dickinson, Carlo, and me. “I did not expect to see you here. Is everything all right at home?”

“Everything is quite all right. Can you run ahead of Willa and me to the house and let my sister know that I will be there as soon as possible to help with Sunday dinner?”

Miss O’Brien glanced at me. If she was wondering why she was told to go home while I was to walk with Miss Dickinson, she didn’t ask it. She merely nodded and headed down the sidewalk.

Miss Dickinson looked over her shoulder to me. “Why were you talking to those two troublemakers?”

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