by Sarah Price
While Catherine didn’t quite know how to take this sudden change in Ida Mae, she was eager to talk about what had happened at the Tilmans. Besides, she did like Ida Mae and knew that sometimes people argued. She decided to forgive and forget and began to share her story, picking and choosing her words carefully so that nothing that she said could be construed as gossip. But she didn’t try to hide the fact that the entire time spent at the Tilmans had felt uncomfortable and created an uneasy cause for question: Why had Gid Tilman wanted her to visit in the first place?
“It’s pride,” Ida Mae ranted as they walked on the road. “Just plain old pride. That whole family is rather fond of themselves.”
Catherine frowned. Her complaint was mostly with Gid, not with the rest of the family. “That’s just not so, Ida Mae. Why, Ellie and Henry were nice as can be the other day! They even quickly forgave the misunderstanding with your bruder when he told me they had left without me when they hadn’t.”
But Ida Mae was not to be convinced easily. “To barely speak to you while a guest in their house? Does she think she is superior to you?”
Horrified, Catherine shook her head. How could Ida Mae put any of the blame on Ellie? “It wasn’t like that, Ida Mae. Honest. I mean …” She paused, trying to pick her words even more carefully than before. “Ida Mae, perhaps you misunderstood me. She was more than civil toward me. I felt no sense of unhappiness toward me, not from anyone in the Tilman family.”
“Then what, exactly, did you feel?”
Catherine could tell that Ida Mae was losing interest in the conversation. “Tense. Something seemed amiss between the father and the children.”
“And Henry? Was he talkative to you?”
Embarrassed, Catherine shook her head to indicate that he had spoken barely one word to her.
“Oh, Catherine!” Ida Mae cried out in dismay. “This family is completely unworthy of you and your attentions. I’m going to pray that you realize that and stop thinking about them this very instant! Especially that Henry! He is the most unworthy of all!”
“Unworthy?” Catherine could hardly believe her ears. How could Ida Mae make such a declaration? She had never spoken two words to either Henry or Ellie. “I doubt that he thinks of me at all!”
“And that is exactly what I mean! He doesn’t think of you! If he did, he certainly would have been a better friend to you and engaged you in conversation instead of permitting you to be mercilessly interviewed … interrogated! … by his father!”
Catherine held up her hand to stop Ida Mae from talking. “There’s no doubt that I’ve given you the wrong impression. Gid Tilman was more than pleasant, in a harsh kind of way. He asked me questions and engaged me in conversation, even if it was not the typical conversation I would expect to hear from someone I know so little of.”
Ida Mae rolled her eyes as they approached the house. “My reproach is more for Henry and Ellie than the father. Why, John thinks that Gid is quite a decent man. He said that he met him just a few days ago, at the store.”
Catherine frowned. The information that Ida Mae had just shared with her was completely different from what John had told her. In fact, there was a large gaping hole in their two stories. Hadn’t John told her that he wanted to save her from the Tilmans and their bad reputation? Yet, if she were to believe Ida Mae, John had only just met Gid Tilman a few days ago. Perhaps, like Noah Bontrager, this was just one more of his tall tales, she thought.
“Well, I shall see how Ellie and Henry behave toward me tomorrow afternoon,” Catherine said at last, trying to keep her tone neutral. “We’re to meet up and go walking once more.”
“And not go riding again?” Ida Mae all but gasped. “Why, I’m beginning to think that you’re avoiding me!”
Catherine tried to persuade her otherwise, although bothered as she was by Ida Mae’s flirtatious ways with James and her constant attempts to push Catherine toward John, there was some truth to Ida Mae’s statement. She began to wonder if there was a bit of jealousy that fueled her friend’s criticism of Henry and Ellie.
“I thought you were angry with me,” Catherine said dryly. “And I didn’t have plans when they asked.”
Forcing another light-hearted laugh, Ida Mae reached for Catherine’s arm and linked hers with it. “Of course. Silly me! Well, you are certainly getting your exercise with all that walking! I confess that I prefer riding. Something about the wind on my face.”
They walked farther down the road, and when they arrived at the lake house, Ida Mae hesitated as if waiting for an invitation to come inside. But Catherine didn’t feel compelled to do so. Something seemed off with Ida Mae, with her too-strained attempts to placate Catherine.
“I promised Wilma that I’d spend some time with her this afternoon,” Catherine finally said, feeling obligated to give a reason for not inviting her inside. “The Bontragers are coming for supper, so I need to help with the meal.”
“Well then,” Ida Mae said at last when she realized that an invitation was not forthcoming. “Since you’re busy tomorrow with the Tilmans, I suppose I will see you at the shop frolic on Wednesday?”
“I almost forgot about that!”
“It should be a lot of fun. Much less work for us women than at the barn raising.”
As she watched Ida Mae walking up the lane toward town, Catherine couldn’t help but frown. She wasn’t afraid of working hard, and she loved the sense of community at those frolics. She enjoyed being with so many people all lending a hand to help others. Taking part in such community activities gave her a sense of belonging. She never considered it work, and she certainly never tried to get out of doing it. Nor had she ever considered that other Amish might not feel the same way.
Apparently, she’d been mistaken.
Chapter 13
Late Tuesday morning Catherine was walking up from the lake’s edge when she heard the laughter of James, John, and Ida Mae approaching the small cottage. The sound of their light-hearted voices made her smile, even though she was still sore at them for constantly pressuring her to ride in those open carriages.
“There she is!” Ida Mae sang out, raising her arm to wave over her head. The way she smiled, so radiant and happy, made Catherine wonder what was going on.
James started to run ahead to greet his sister but stopped short, thinking better of it, and ran back to Ida Mae. He grasped her hand and dragged her toward Catherine.
“Wie gehts?” Catherine asked as she neared, confused by her brother’s behavior. “Not another buggy ride, I trust.”
Ida Mae jumped up and down like a child, clapping her hands together. Her eyes sparkled. “Oh, Catherine! The best of news.” She held out her hands for Catherine to take, and when she did, Ida Mae skipped in a small circle, forcing Catherine to do the same. “I told you that we were the best of friends, remember? And I told you that I had hoped for something more, did I not?”
Even though she was smiling, Catherine couldn’t help but frown. Certainly Ida Mae was not bringing up the subject of her relationship with John again, was she? But, with John standing just a few paces away, Catherine knew better than to ask such a question. She just said a quick little prayer that Ida Mae would not put her on the spot right then and there.
“We’re to be sisters!” Ida Mae said, her voice shrill and high. She squeezed Catherine’s hands and then pulled her into a warm embrace. “True sisters. Oh, I’m the happiest of girls!”
“Sisters?” Catherine freed herself from Ida Mae’s arms. “I … I don’t understand …” Her eyes trailed to her brother who stood beaming, rocking back and forth on his heels. “Oh! I see.”
In hindsight, Catherine knew that she should not feel surprised. After all, James seemed to be constantly in the company of Ida Mae. While Catherine had known that the two of them were fond of each other, she hadn’t realized just how fond. What was surprising was that her brother would propose after only knowing Ida Mae a short period of time.
“That … that seems rathe
r sudden, don’t you think?” she managed to say, her eyes staring at her brother and not Ida Mae.
“Oh, you goose!” Ida Mae laughed. “Do you really think that?”
James beamed at his soon-to-be bride. “Catherine, I’ve known Ida Mae for quite a bit of time.”
That was when the fog cleared from Catherine’s head. Of course, she thought. James knew John and, consequently, had met his sister. His visit to Banthe was not entirely at John’s invitation but most likely Ida Mae’s as well. Once again, she felt an odd feeling that Ida Mae had used her, knowing all along that she was courting and planning to marry Catherine’s brother.
“I’ve come to tell you that I’m returning to Fullerton to inform Daed,” James announced. “It’s to be an autumn wedding.”
Catherine smiled, even though a dozen questions whirled through her head. “How wunderbarr!” she managed to say at last. “Surprising, but just right gut news.”
If Ida Mae sensed Catherine’s continued hesitation, she did not let on. Instead, she began to gush about the wedding preparations. They would need to begin thinking of food and dresses, invitations and guests lists. It was all too mind-boggling for Ida Mae to handle on her own, and would Catherine mind helping her organize everything?
“We’ll have to use one of those wedding trucks,” Ida Mae announced. “You do have those in Fullerton, ja?”
“Wedding trucks?”
Ida Mae nodded. “Oh, ja. They are just wunderbarr! They supply a trailer that has a full working kitchen in it, enough to warm up multiple platters at once! And all white plates, cups, and saucers! No more of the hodge-podge assortment of dishes! And no more cluttered and overheated kitchens.”
Catherine’s eyes bulged out of her head. She had never heard of such a thing. “Really?”
“Really! How genius, ja?” Ida Mae sounded genuinely impressed. “And just think, Catherine, when the wedding is over, we can truly be the best of friends and sisters! Why, I’ll be living on your farm!” She paused and glanced toward the sky. “Hmm, mayhaps, James, you should talk to your parents about having the wedding there. Surely your farm is much larger than my parents’ and therefore can accommodate all of our wedding guests!”
For a moment, Catherine wasn’t certain how to respond and was just about to comment when James stepped forward. “That’s why I’m going to talk with Daed,” he said as if that alone should explain his rapid departure. “I shouldn’t be more than a few days. John’s coming with me. So, I wanted to ask that you look after Ida Mae during my absence.” He didn’t wait for his sister’s response. “And John will help me pick out a clock for my soon-to-be wife.”
Once again, Ida Mae jumped up and down like an eager child. James extended his hand for her to take, and, once she accepted it, he led her to the side so that they could talk for a moment before he departed.
“And you,” John said, stepping toward her so that he could close the distance between them. “What do you think of the clock?”
Clock? Well, she knew that many young men purchased a clock to give their fiancée but she had no idea what that had to do with her. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean,” she said in a firm voice.
“Do you care for them?” he asked in a firm voice.
“Of course I do!” she exclaimed, laughing at the ridiculous question. “All houses need to have one! Otherwise, how would you possibly know what time it is?”
“So, you would like one, too?” There was a gleam in his eye that made Catherine feel uncomfortable.
She took a step backward as the smile faded from her face. “Young couples all need a clock when they start out. I presume that, one day, I will be in such a situation, John.”
He broke into a wide grin. “Oh, Cathy! How I had hoped you would say such a thing!”
Before she could comment further, James called out for his friend. “Let’s go, John! I want to get home before the sun sets!”
John turned toward Catherine and said, “I shall look for the most beautiful, expensive clock for you, Cathy.”
“That’s really not …”
He ran toward James, not listening to her.
“… necessary,” she whispered to herself as she watched John climb into the carriage next to James. Both men waved at the two young women before the horse started to move forward, the carriage lurching and then rolling along the lane.
Ida Mae rejoined Catherine, her face beaming and bright. “Isn’t this the most wonderful of news?” she asked, not really expecting an answer.
But Catherine forced a smile upon her face as she stood beside her friend who stared after the disappearing buggy. “I’m happy for you and James,” she said, her voice full of sincerity. “You will love Fullerton as well as our family.”
“Just think,” Ida Mae said with a dreaming sigh. “We’ll be sisters, Catherine. How fortunate am I to have the most wonderful of men want me to be his wife? And to have his own sister be my very best of friends makes everything even better!”
She linked her arm with Catherine’s and began to walk toward the house. “Now, tell me,” she said in a serious voice, “tell me everything that I should know about the farm. I’m so anxious to see it and to meet the rest of your family. I do hope they will like me.”
As they disappeared inside, the screen door slammed shut behind them, echoing out across the lake.
It wasn’t until much later in the afternoon, the sun hiding behind the trees above, that Catherine met up with Henry and Ellie once more to begin their walk around the lake. She wondered why they had invited her for an afternoon stroll instead of the morning, but she knew better than to ask. It wasn’t her place to make such personal inquiries. If there was a reason that they wanted to share, they would have.
“And your daed?” Catherine asked. “He is well?”
Ellie straightened her back and remained silent.
Henry, however, cleared his throat. “He is, Catherine. Thank you for inquiring.”
“It was quite kind of him to invite me over yesterday,” she managed to say.
Neither one of them spoke.
“And such a shame that you’ll be leaving the lake so soon.”
Henry coughed into his hand and looked away from Catherine. This time, Ellie turned toward the younger woman and smiled. “We still have the shop frolic tomorrow, and that will be quite a lot of fun, don’t you think?”
Fun or not, Catherine wasn’t looking forward to saying good-bye to her two new friends. She had grown fond of Ellie and her quiet, comforting manner. As for Henry, well … She could barely contain herself when he teased her or engaged in discussion with her about things no one else ever did. Newbury Acres was far too distant from Fullerton for her to visit on a regular basis. And that thought made her dread, not anticipate, the shop frolic, for it would be the last time that they would see each other.
“And what are you reading of late?” Henry asked, clearly changing the conversation.
With a big smile, Catherine began to tell him about the latest book that she was devouring: Anne. “Oh, it’s such a lovely story,” she gushed. “A love long lost that is suddenly rekindled. After so many years, who would have thought that neither one had remarried? And, after Anna refused him the first time, to think that he gave her another chance!”
Henry laughed. “You are quite the romantic, aren’t you, Catherine Miller?” he asked, watching her from the corner of his eye.
She blushed at the way he looked at her.
“But life is not a romance book,” he said, his tone suddenly somber. “In the real world, your hero would have most likely married long before he met up with Anna again. And poor Anna would marry an older man who needed a wife for his kinner.”
At this comment, she pouted. “Oh, I certainly wouldn’t want to read that book!”
Again, Henry laughed and gently pressed his arm against hers as they walked. “I suppose you’re correct! I wouldn’t either. I’d much prefer reading about your long-lost lovers rekindling
their courtship.”
Ellie grew unusually silent, neither commenting nor contributing to the discussion. At first, Catherine didn’t notice as she kept talking about the story, describing the horrible younger sister, Mary, and how she was a selfish woman and self-centered mother. But as they continued to walk, she began to wonder why Ellie seemed so melancholy.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said when Catherine inquired about her silence. “I just enjoy listening to you so. You have such energy and passion for life.”
Whether or not that was true, Catherine couldn’t be sure. But Ellie’s words alleviated her concern.
“When you return to Newbury Acres,” Catherine asked, “what will you do for the rest of the summer?”
Ellie sighed and her shoulders drooped a little. “Cook, I suppose. Make cheese and macramé to sell to the Englische. Manage the garden and all of the regular chores that I have. It’s a rather lonely place at times, although I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”
“Lonely?” Catherine couldn’t imagine ever feeling lonely at her parents’ farm. There was always someone running around, especially in the summer when school was on break. But, as soon as she repeated that word, she realized that Ellie did not have a mother or younger siblings to keep her entertained and busy. “Mayhaps you should start a quilting circle? Invite your friends and the other women in the area to come over.”
An awkward silence fell among them, and Catherine wondered if she had said something wrong.
“I’ll have fine memories of our walks to keep me company,” Ellie said at last.
“And the shop frolic tomorrow!” Henry pointed out in a cheerful voice. “I’m looking forward to that.”