At first Meg didn't know what Amanda meant, but then she remembered the suffrage school. She gave a silent shake of her head. No, Papa didn't know. At least she didn't think so.

A look of relief crossed Amanda's face, followed by a knitted frown that seemed to say, Then what? What is on Papa's mind?

Meg lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. Surely he wasn't still upset about the watch. Not after Mr. Garrison had paid at least double what it was worth.

She looked down at her plate and was startled when the vision of a crooked smile and velvet-brown eyes came to mind.

"Is everything all right, Meg?"

Meg lifted her gaze. "What, Mama?"

"Is there something wrong with your meal?"

Meg shook her head. "No. Everything's fine."

Her mother studied her for a moment before glancing at the wall of clocks. In five minutes a cacophony of chimes would announce the hour.

"How long do you intend to keep us in suspense, Henry?"

Papa looked up from his plate. "What are you saying, my dear?"

Mama finished buttering her roll. "It's obvious that you have something on your mind."

Setting his fork down, Papa dabbed his mouth with his napkin and cleared this throat. "What I have to say can wait until after we have finished eating."

Mama set the buttered roll on her bread plate. "I'd rather you say it now."

"Very well, my dear, if you insist." Papa cleared his throat and glanced at the clocks. Reprieve was still four minutes away. "Barnes wants to meet with you in his office. Wants to go over your testimony."

Mama sat back in her chair. "M-my testimony?"

"Since neither the plaintiff nor defendant is allowed to testify in a breach-of-promise suit, it's up to the rest of the family to take the stand."

Meg's heart skipped a beat. "But why, Papa? You know how Mama hates talking in front of an audience."

"What are you talking about? Audience? A courtroom is not a theater. All she has to do is address her comments to the judge."

"But what on earth would I say?" Mama asked.

Papa laid his napkin by the side of his plate. "The truth. You just have to tell the court how devastated our daughter is. How it's affecting the entire family."

Her mother glanced at Meg as if to determine the truth of his statement.

Amanda crossed her eyes and mouthed, "Devastated?"

Meg pushed her plate away. "This is ridiculous. I won't have it, Papa. It's bad enough that you're putting me through this, but now Mama."

Her father dismissed her concern with a wave of his fork. "We're family. That means we're in this together."

Meg's temper flared. "If that's true, then why didn't you consult us before filing the lawsuit?"

"As head of this household, I'm required to make certain decisions I think are best for the family." He arched an eyebrow. "Surely, you're not questioning my judgment. Hmm?"

That was exactly what she was doing. She blew out her breath in an effort to calm herself. "I've always tried to be a good daughter and do what you've asked of me. But this time you ask too much."

The silence that followed was as brittle as broken glass. Even the ticking clocks couldn't fill the void.

"Would you please pass the salt," Amanda said at last.

Meg reached for the salt dish and handed it to her sister. Amanda met her gaze and tossed a slight nod at their father, calling attention to his bright-red face.

Alarmed, Meg softened her voice. "I'm sorry, Papa. I don't mean to question your judgment, but I'm very much against this lawsuit."

"I didn't think you'd fight me on this, Meg."

"And I didn't think you would go against my wishes."

She had already done battle with him twice today, but it couldn't be helped. She felt like she was fighting for her life.

He struck the table with the palm of his hand, rattling the dishes and causing Mama to jump. "You'll do what I say, young lady, and-"

"Henry, please," Mama said gently.

"This is a matter of honor." Papa toned down his voice, but the stubbornness remained on his face. "Tommy Farrell caused great injury and embarrassment to my family."

Meg glared at him, and this time she made no effort to hide her anger. "This has nothing to do with me or even Tommy, and you know it. It's all about your ridiculous feud with Mr. Farrell."

"Meg..." Mama said. "You don't know what you're saying."

"It's true, Mama. You know it's true." Meg pushed her chair away from the table and jumped to her feet. "And I won't have Mama testifying! I want nothing to do with your blasted lawsuit!"

Her father rose so quickly that his chair fell back. He opened his mouth to speak but instead tugged on his tie, his neck thick with blue ropelike veins.

Meg slammed her chair against the table at the same time the minute hand of every clock struck the hour. The bells, cuckoos, and gongs sounded like a bunch of scolding jurors all mocking her. She clapped her hands over her ears.

"Meg, please," her mother pleaded, her voice barely heard above the chiming clocks. "Let's talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about!"

Her father opened his mouth to say something, but his voice faltered and he gasped for air. Before Meg's startled eyes, he folded like a rag doll and collapsed to the floor.

Horrified, she was the first to reach his side. "Papa!"

Thirteen.

Meg waited in the hall outside their parents' bedroom door with Josie and Amanda. It seemed as if they'd been waiting for hours for either Mama or Dr. Stybeck to exit.

Amanda had fetched Josie, and Meg was filling her in on what little they knew about Papa's condition. While the two stood whispering, Amanda paced the narrow hall like a dog with a bone to bury.

"How's Mama?" Josie asked with a worried frown.

"You know Mama," Meg said, her voice wobbling. "She's as calm as the moon."

Josie's forehead creased. "I don't understand. Father's never had trouble with his heart before. What would cause him to have trouble now?"

"It's all my fault." Meg dabbed at the corner of her eyes with her handkerchief. "We had an argument."

"Over the lawsuit," Amanda added, though it was unnecessary. Josie knew that Meg was against it and had been from the start.

Meg tried to breathe, but it felt like a brick had lodged in her chest. "If...if he dies, I'll never forgive myself," she said and immediately burst into fresh tears.

Josie wrapped an arm around Meg's shoulder. "Papa's strong, Meg. You know that. That old ticker of his is never going to run down. He's like an old clock."

Comparing Papa to an old clock usually brought smiles if not laughter, but not today. Even the most expensive clocks ran down eventually.

The bedroom door opened, and all three women swung around to face it. Dr. Stybeck stepped into the hall, black case in hand. Round and compact as a ladies' watch, he had a full head of white hair and a goatee to match.

Meg waited for him to close the door. "How is he?"

"He's asleep right now. The mustard plaster helped, and his pulse is now normal. I left your mother something to relieve his pain and laudanum to relax him."

"What would cause a problem with his heart?" Josie asked.

"Mental strain and excitement are the chief causes of heart disease," the doctor said. "He'll be fine with some bed rest. Just keep him calm. If he gets upset, he could have another episode, and we might not be so lucky next time."

"Does that mean we have to do everything Papa says?" Amanda asked.

"Amanda!" Josie said, looking shocked.

Amanda's eyes glistened with tears she seemed determined not to shed. "Knowing Papa, he did this on purpose just so he can have his way!"

Meg put her arm around her sister's waist. "It'll be all right," she whispered. "Don't cry."

"I'm not crying," Amanda exclaimed, brushing away evidence to the contrary.

Josie turned to the doctor. "My sister is just upset. We all are."

"Your father has a strong constitution. With some rest and good care, he'll be up and about before you know it," Dr. Stybeck said. "Just keep him calm."

Meg nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

He donned his derby. "I'll check back in the morning."

"I'll see you out." Josie followed the doctor to the stairs. She paused with her hand on the newel post and glanced at the closed bedroom door, her face etched with worry. "I'll stay the night."

Meg shook her head. "There's nothing you can do. Go home to Ralph." He had been laid up again with a lung infection, and nothing could erase the worry from Josie's face these days.

Josie hesitated before finally nodding. "You both better get some sleep. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

After Josie and the doctor left, Amanda said, "I'll sit with Papa so Mama can rest."

Meg nodded. "We'll take turns."

Amanda swiped at a tear. "How are we supposed to keep Papa calm? That's like trying to hold back the wind. If he finds out I've enrolled in that school-" She caught her breath. "I'll withdraw my application."

"Don't do that," Meg said, twisting her handkerchief into a ball. "It's only for five days, and it means a lot to you."

Amanda chewed on a fingernail. "I don't want to upset him."

"I'm afraid I'm the one most guilty of that, but I'll make it right. You'll see."

Amanda blinked away the last of her tears, but her eyes remained red. "Oh, Meg. I'm so sorry. I was thinking of myself, and here you-"

"I know." Meg pushed a strand of hair away from her sister's forehead and gave her a loving hug. Amanda could be distracted at times, maybe even self-centered, but when push came to shove, she always rose to the occasion.

Amanda searched her sister's face. "What are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do." Meg's confident voice belied her true feelings. Her life was spinning out of control, and there didn't seem to be a blasted thing she could do about it. No matter how much she dreaded the trial, she couldn't take a chance on further upsetting her father or his heart. Not now.

"I'll go through with the lawsuit. Just like Papa wants."

"Mama?"

Surprised to see her mother and not Amanda seated by Papa's side, Meg pushed the bedroom door open all the way. The first blush of dawn crept along the windowsill, but the shadows of night still clung to the corners of the room. A slight breeze from the open window tugged at the lace curtains, and the cool air felt refreshing.

"Come in, Meg."

Closing the door softly behind her, Meg moved to her mother's side and dropped to her knees. "Have you been here all night? I thought Amanda-"

"Shh." Her mother's gaze fell on Papa, who hadn't stirred. Even in the dim light, his face looked deathly pale. "Amanda sat with me for a while. Then I sent her to bed."

"Oh, Mama," Meg whispered. "You shouldn't have done that. You need sleep. Go to my room and rest. I'll stay here."

"Thank you, precious, but when your father awakens, he'll want me by his side."

Meg placed her folded hands on her mother's lap. "Forgive me, Mama. I never meant... If he doesn't recover"-she shuddered at the thought-"I'll never forgive myself."

Mama cupped Meg's hands in her own. "You mustn't blame yourself, child."