Chapter 17
Theo
Brian Halifax came over to offer his condolences, drawing me into a story about Tim trying to teach him how to ride, using one of the oldest and steadiest mounts in the stable—and the resulting failure, ending up in Tim lying on the ground laughing as mud dripped from a soaked Brian, from his nose to his toes. When he left, it was with sadness on both our parts.
The rest of the reception disappeared in a blur, between receiving official visits from delegates and unofficial visits from friends. The first were polite and stuffy for the most part, the second a welcome change. Old school friends, some men I'd served with in the military—a handful of people who had known my parents from their own childhood, giving me their memories with no small amount of laughing and crying.
