Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [3208]

WE PARTED THIS MORNING. My son-in-law shook my hand firmly; he looked surprised when Emma and I did not embrace. Emma gave me a long look; started to speak, and then thought better of it. She got into the waiting carriage. Two wagons were needed for the Sanfords’ trunks. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 3208

Note

The opening line establishes a moment of parting that feels heavy with unspoken emotion, immediately engaging the reader’s interest in the relationships between the characters.