“Then what has you so excited?”
“According to this doctor and his colleagues, blindness that has occurred from trauma has been known to reverse itself by another traumatic incident.”
Charles stared. “I don’t understand. That would require another accident.”
Trent pressed his lips together. “Or a carefully orchestrated one.”
“You mean you’d make something happen to Lily Ann?”
“No, of course not. It would have to be done under a specialist’s supervision.”
Charles frowned. “I don’t know, Trent. Are you sure you’re not grasping at straws again?”
Once more, Trent’s lips tightened. “Lily Ann has to see again.”
Charles looked at his friend and sighed. If he didn’t know Trent better, he’d think the man was going mad. As it was, he realized that his friend was excited because his hope for the child’s vision had been restored.
“I’ll be praying about it, Trent.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Two hours later they boarded the train and headed home. Excitement ran through Charles as thoughts of Livvy bombarded his mind. He could hardly wait to see her again.
As Charles had expected, it only took a visit to the coal car for Jeremiah to lose interest in railroading.
Jeremiah came out into the fresh air at Magnolia Junction with his nose turned up. “It stinks in there! I think I’d better stay with farming.”
Charles grinned. Of course, everyone loved the smell of horse manure.
* * *
“Livvy, the divinity is about to boil over.” Ma’s panicked cry brought Livvy back from the dream world she’d been living in lately. She rushed to stir the candy down.
“Sorry, Ma. It’s safe.” But Livvy’s voice shook. What a mess she would have had to clean up if the stuff really had boiled over.
It would take two of them to get it poured out in just the right time. Livvy couldn’t see what the big deal about divinity was, anyway. She thought the stuff tasted downright nasty and much preferred fudge of almost any flavor. But the older ladies all swore by their divinity. Probably because it was so difficult to make.
An hour later, several batches of divinity stood in small mounds and Livvy sang as she stirred peanut butter fudge.
“I’m glad to see you’re in a happier mood than you were earlier, daughter.” Mama smiled as she melted butter for the fudge.
“I am happy, Mama.” Livvy’s lips curled upward, testifying to the truth of her words.
“Looking forward to the festival and dance tomorrow night, dear?”
“Yes, ma’am. It should be a lot of fun, don’t you think so?”
“Be careful if you take part in the three-legged race. Remember the year you fell and skinned your knee so badly?”
Livvy laughed. “Mama! I think I’m a mite old for those sorts of games, don’t you?”
“Only if you think you are.” Mama’s eyes twinkled.
“Yes, ma’am. I certainly do think I am.”
“What are you looking forward to the most? The dance, maybe?” Once again, the twinkle.
Livvy sighed. She should have known. Mama was teasing.
“Is Charles picking you up, dear?”
“No, he has to ride over with the wagons from the school. He and Felicity and Howard and Hannah Wilson have to chaperone, you know.”
“Not the whole evening, I hope.” Ma pulled a wooden spoon from the candy mixture and allowed a small amount to drop in a cup of cold water.
“Well, no. They’ll have more volunteers once they get to the Bineses’. Everyone sort of takes turns so the teachers can have some fun, too.” Livvy looked at the sample in the cup. “It’s not ready yet, Mama.”
Mama sighed and laid the spoon on her chicken-shaped spoon rest. “I know. I always get in a hurry when we’re making fudge.”
By midafternoon the candy they’d promised was all done and boxed up.
“What do you think, Livvy? Shall we go ahead and take these over to the Bineses’ so we won’t have to load them up tomorrow night?”
“Hmm. That’s fine with me, Mama. It’ll be nice to simply concentrate on getting ready tomorrow and driving over.”
“I agree.” Mama walked to the back porch and came back with several baskets. When they had everything packed up, Mama asked Hank to hitch up the buggy for them.
The day was sunny and mild as Livvy took the reins and drove from the churchyard. “Oh, I hope the weather stays nice until after the festival.”
“Yes. Me, too. Remember the year we had an early snow and had to cancel it?”
“Yes, we must have had five inches that year.”