Page 53 of Because I Could Not Stop for Death

“See you tomorrow, Miss Willa,” he called after me.

“Give the packages to the porter, and he will take them to the room,” Emily said to me when I joined the brother and sister outside of the dining room.

“You want me to come into the dining room with you?” I tried my best to keep the squeak out of my voice. I didn’t know how successful I was at that.

“Yes. Father will eventually know that you’re here. It’s best to get that surprise over with,” Emily said.

I couldn’t say that I agreed with her, but I did as I was asked. The porter took the packages with a bow.

By the time I made it back to the dining room, the Dickinson children were already in the room. The family of five sat at one end of a long dining table. A butler from the hotel showed Mrs.Dickinson the choices of china and silverware available for the dinner party.

“I want something fine, but not extravagant. We must show the frugality of the Whig party and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” she told the butler. “We are not a flashy people, and we honor restraint.”

“Yes, of course,” the butler said and put the gold-rimmed plate with the intricate floral design back into its case. He opened a second china case and came up with a simple royal blue-rimmed china plate with a scalloped edge. They were plain in color, but their shape made them special, just what Mrs.Dickinson was looking for. She nodded. “This one.”

“I will let the staff know your selections, ma’am,” the butler said and left the room.

“Now that that is settled,” Mr.Dickinson said in a tone that indicated he questioned the china selection’s importance, “I would like to talk to all of you about the dinner party that will be in three nights’ time. It is essential that we are all present and put on a good show.”

“A show, Father?” Emily asked. “Are you going to parade us around like trophies?”

He scowled at his eldest daughter. “No, but I must finish my term here in Congress on a good foot. We are representing both the Dickinson name and the commonwealth. We cannot forget that.”

“We won’t, Edward,” Mrs.Dickinson promised for herself and her children.

Mr.Dickinson glanced in my direction. “Who is this?”

“Father, it’s Willa Noble. The new maid,” Emily said.

“I can see that it is the new maid. What is she doing here?”

“I asked her to come.” Emily lifted her chin. “She will be a great help to Vinnie and I while we are in Washington.”

“Don’t bring me into this, Sister,” Miss Lavinia muttered.

Mr.Dickinson glared at me so hard it was like he was looking through me. “You’re here now.” It was a dismissive statement, as though the deed was done and didn’t justify another moment of his time or thought. He turned back to his family.

I let out a breath I didn’t even know I had been holding.

“Now, I went over the guest list with your mother. Is there anyone else you would like to add?” Mr.Dickinson asked his children. “We have a few spare seats, and it will be more pleasing to the eye if you have a full table.”

“What about Mr.Elmer Johnson?” Emily said. “I saw him on the train.”

Emily had not seen Mr.Johnson on the train; I had. However, I guessed she knew better than to bring my presence to her father’s attention again.

“Johnson is here?” He frowned. “He is a property owner in Amherst, and should be included in the dinner,” he said as if it pained him somehow.

“The man is brash,” Austin said. “Do you really want him at a party with the elite of Washington? That can’t look well on the Dickinson name or the commonwealth.”

“I’ve made up my mind,” Mr.Dickinson said. “I’ll have a member of my staff find out where he’s staying and extend the invitation.”

“Then you will also want to invite Mr.Arthur Milner, the postmaster,” Emily said. “We saw him while strolling through the city today. He says he’s here for some sort of post office conference.”

“Yes, we will include Arthur then. I have the postmaster general also coming to the party, so that will be a nice opportunity for the two men to meet. It’s odd that Arthur and Johnson would be here at the same time.”

I bit my lip because I feared Emily would also tell her father that Matthew was in the city, but to my relief, she did not.

“That makes a dinner party of sixteen,” Mrs.Dickinson said.

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