“There’s no need. I can walk from here. Whose hayfield is it?”
“Bishop Beachy’s.” The captain was already moving toward the door.
“Was it deliberately set?” Lillian asked, but he was out the door and didn’t answer her.
The fire marshal pulled a business card from his shirt pocket and gave it to Lillian. “Thank you for your time, Miss Keim. If you think of anything else, please get in touch with Captain Swanson. He will know how to contact me. I will get to the bottom of this, I promise. It doesn’t matter to me if the arsonist is Amish or not.”
Lillian followed them out the door. Timothy joined her on the porch. As the men drove away, she turned to him with a deeply worried expression on her face. “Your captain doesn’t think the fire was started by one of us, does he?”
“By an Amish? Nee, I don’t think so, but I understand why he has to be sure. Mrs. Hanson is telling people an Amish fellow started it.”
“She must be mistaken. I don’t know anyone who would endanger the kinder so callously.”
“I agree. From what I learned on the way over here, the fire was started inside the shed where Mr. Hanson kept his farm equipment. It could be someone wanted to destroy his new tractor. They didn’t know or didn’t care that he kept extra fuel in there, as well. The resulting explosion along with the high winds allowed the fire to get out of hand quickly.”
“I pray whoever started the blaze will see how foolish he was, and I pray he turns to God for forgiveness.”
“As do I.” He wanted to put his arm around her and pull her close. He wanted to erase the worry he saw in her eyes.
She smiled at him. “Would you like some coffee? There is still some on the stove.”
“Not this morning. I have to get back to work. I came along so that you wouldn’t feel uncomfortable talking to outsiders.”
“I appreciate that you were here.”
“That’s what friends do,” he said softly.
* * *
Lillian managed a small smile at Timothy words. “Ja, that is what friends do.”
Why was it that she suddenly wished they were more than friends? Would he ever see her in any other light?
A red low-slung sports car turned off the highway and drove slowly into the yard. It stopped next to the gate, and a young man rolled down his window. “I’m not sure I’m at the right house. Is Debra Merrick here?”
Lillian was glad of the interruption. “She is, and you must be her brother. I’m Lillian and this is my neighbor Timothy Bowman. Do come in. Debra is inside.”
“I’m glad I have the right place. Thanks for taking care of my sister, Miss Keim. I will certainly pay you for your trouble.” He opened the car door. It was then Lillian saw how short he was. He needed a thick pad to raise him high enough in the seat to see over the steering wheel.
Timothy moved closer to inspect the vehicle. “Nice car. Electric?”
“Hybrid.”
“I see you’ve made some modifications.”
Brandon slipped out of his seat and climbed down. “The foot pedals are the only thing that didn’t come standard. They are detachable if my sister or someone of regular height needs to drive.”
“No kidding? How do they hook on?” Timothy squatted next to the open door to peer in.
Brandon was soon showing him how to disassemble the pedals. Lillian knew Timothy’s curious nature would have him checking under the hood before long. He always wanted to know how things worked. “I’m going to tell Debra you’re here.”
“We will be right in,” Brandon said.
“I won’t hold my breath,” she answered with a chuckle and walked away.
* * *
“What did she mean by that?” Brandon asked.
Timothy grinned. “It means that she knows me pretty well. Well enough to know I could spend the rest of the morning looking over your vehicle to see how it works.”
“Perhaps we should save this for another day. I would hate for my sister to think I’m ignoring her in her hour of need.”
“That would be wise.”
The small man walked with a rapid rolling gait toward the house, and Timothy followed him. Before they reached the porch, Timothy heard the clip-clop of horses’ hooves. A buggy turned off the highway into the lane and came to a stop in front of the house. Timothy’s mother stepped down from the driver’s seat. Mary and Hannah got out on the other side. Emma and Rebecca got out of the backseat. All of them carried large baskets.
Timothy made the introductions and took his mother’s burden from her. He caught a whiff of cinnamon and baked apples. “What have we here?
“Just a little something for Debra so she doesn’t have to cook until her ankle is better.”
“She should stay off her foot for at least a week,” Rebecca added.
Hannah peeked around her mother’s skirt at Brandon. “Are you a little person like Amanda?”
“I am,” he said with a smile.
“Aren’t you going to get any taller?”
“Nope, God made me exactly tall enough. Do you know how I can tell?”
Hannah shook her head. He grinned and pointed down. “Because my feet reach all the way to the ground.”
Hannah looked up at her mother. “He’s silly.”
“Not as silly as you. I see Amanda at the window. Take her some of the cookies you helped me bake.”
Timothy held the screen door open for Hannah and for the women to go inside ahead of him. Rebecca, the last one in line, stopped and whispered in his ear, “I will see which way the wind blows for you. Samuel warned me to be discreet.”
Timothy stifled a moan. “Don’t say anything. Please. I’m begging you.”
She patted his arm. “Your secret is safe with me.”
When a hole didn’t open up in the floor to swallow him, he reluctantly followed Rebecca inside.
Brandon quickly crossed the room to hug Debra. “You and your adventures. What will you be up to next, sis?”
She returned his embrace. “There’s no telling, but as long as I have you to race to my rescue, I’m just going to keep on having them. Thank you for coming so quickly.” She sat up a little straighter, wincing as she moved her foot. He took a seat in the wingback chair opposite her.
“I’m just sorry I couldn’t get here yesterday. I drove past the school and took some pictures of your car so you can file an insurance claim. I’m sure an adjuster will need to come out and verify the VIN before they pay up. In the meantime, I’ve arranged to get you a loaner car so you aren’t stranded at the apartment.”
“Thanks. You’re a good brother.”
“That’s because you’re my favorite sister.”
“Ha! I’m your only sister.”
“Thankfully. Growing up with you around stunted my growth. I’d never have survived another sister.”
“You would have ended up two foot four instead of four foot two.” They shared a grin that told Timothy it was a long-standing family joke.
Perched on a chair in the corner where he could see into the kitchen, Timothy watched his mother, Mary, Emma and Rebecca as they took over Lillian’s kitchen with practiced ease. Lillian and Rebecca were working side by side. He couldn’t tell if Rebecca was posing the question to Lillian or not. He hoped she wouldn’t find the opportunity, but knowing Rebecca, that was a slim hope at best.
The women soon had coffee cake dished up on plates and glasses filled with iced tea. Lillian carried them into the room and began to pass them out as she introduced everyone. Hannah and Amanda sat quietly at the table, but Timothy could see the girl’s interest in Debra’s brother.
Brandon accepted a plate and looked at Timothy. “I hope the owner of the cornfield across from the school has crop insurance.”
“I’m not sure if he does or not. The Amish do not carry insurance, but Mr. Hanson isn’t Amish.”
“It’s a shame if he didn’t have it. I wonder if he would be interested in leasing that acreage to my university. I’m developing a new corn variety and I’m looking for test plots. His field location is excellent. With it burned off, I won’t have to deal with any harmful insects, weeds or disease that could be left over in the crop residue. It would make planting there more cost-effective for me. I’d even be willing to put in a cover crop to improve the soil until next spring.”
“What kind of cover crop?” Timothy asked.
“I’m a fan of daikon radishes. Their thick roots really improve soil compaction.”
Timothy glanced at Lillian and they both started laughing. She held her nose. “I do not want that awful smell surrounding my school for the entire winter.”
Brandon blushed bright red. “I’m sorry. I didn’t consider that. The smell can be overpowering.”
Timothy chuckled. “Our fire station was called out twice this past winter for a suspected natural gas pipeline leak. It turned out to be the oil radishes in a field across the river from here.”
Lillian’s chin came up as she leveled a stern look at him. “I had never smelled them before. I had no way of knowing it wasn’t a gas leak. I was being civic-minded. There is a pipeline over there.”
It was fun to stir that spark of indignation in her eyes. Timothy couldn’t help grinning. “True. It was better to be safe than sorry. Why not plant Austrian winter peas as a cover, Brandon?”
“A good choice. I see you have kept up on the advances in no-till farming and soil conservation.”
“We read the farm journals,” Timothy admitted, trying not to sound offended. Why did people automatically assume that because they used horses they were backward farmers? When a man could only farm so much ground, he had to get the most out of each acre.
“If Mr. Hanson would be willing to lease his ground, I’d write up a lease agreement and get him a check by the end of next week.”
Rebecca took a seat beside Debra. “Mr. Hanson is still in the hospital. I’m not sure how you would get hold of Mrs. Hanson. I heard she was staying with one of her sons.”
“I’ll ask Nick to find out where she is staying,” Mary said as she handed Timothy a plate. “Nick Bradley is the sheriff. He and his wife are my adoptive parents,” she explained for Debra and Brandon’s benefit.
Brandon pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. “My cell phone number is on this. Tell Sheriff Bradley he can call me anytime. Day or night.”
“What type of corn are you developing?” Timothy asked.
Debra laughed and held up her hand. “Don’t get him started. He will talk about kernel size, drought tolerance and disease resistance all day. This is wonderful coffee cake. I must have the recipe. Which one of you made it?”
“That would be me,” his mother said, blushing. “I have put the recipe in the thank-you basket I fixed for you. We know you won’t be able to be up and around cooking for a few days, so we put together a few things for you. Consider them a small token of our thanks for helping take care of our kinder.”
Debra pressed a hand to her chest. “I don’t know what to say. Thank you. Lillian did so much more than I did. You should give them to her. I can’t accept them.”
“But my ankle is fine,” Lillian said.
Brandon shook his fork at Debra. “I’ve seen the inside of your kitchen. I don’t want you living on frozen pizza for a week or better. Be thankful and be silent.”
In spite of Debra’s warning, Timothy wanted to hear more about Brandon’s work. “What traits are you trying to produce in your new variety? Is it hard to get the results you want?”
“I warned you.” Debra gave her empty plate to Lillian. “Go ahead, Brandon. It’s not often you find someone who actually wants to hear about your work.”
“You’re not in a hurry to get home, are you?” he asked hopefully.
“No, I have enjoyed wearing these same smoky-smelling clothes for two days.”
“Okay. Come out to my car, Timothy. I have some of my research data on my laptop. Producing hybrid seed corn isn’t difficult, but it is labor-intensive. It requires an understanding of basic genetics, a lot of planning and attention to details, but you don’t have to be a genetic engineer to grow your own hybrid seed. To do it yourself, you only need to copy what the seed companies do anyway. Select parent plants with the qualities you want, properly isolate the field to avoid pollen contamination from other sources, manage the seed fields and finally, you have to carefully harvest and store the seed produced.”
Timothy couldn’t decide if Brandon didn’t hear the sarcasm in his sister’s voice or if he simply decided to ignore it. “Perhaps another time. I know my father would be interested in your research. We raise a lot of corn for animal feed, but we also sell small amounts of seed corn to other farmers in the area. However, your sister has been through an ordeal and needs your attention today.”
“Yes, I would like to go home, brother,” Debra said, giving Brandon a no-more-nonsense-from-you look.
Brandon shot his sister a wry smile. “Sorry, you know how I get.”
“I do, but I love you anyway.”
He rose to his feet. “Timothy, I would like to take a look at your farming operation. Is it all by horse-drawn equipment?”
“For the most part, but we do use some gas-powered machinery we have adapted to be pulled by our horses. You are welcome to stop by anytime. I know your sister was interested in seeing our furniture shop and she wanted to take a look around my mother’s gift shop, too, when her foot has healed.”
Brandon looked impressed. “Seed corn, furniture, gift shop. It sounds as if your family has diversified past the simple farming I’ve always associated with the Amish.”
“I have four brothers. Two are married and have started families of their own. One more will marry in November. There is only so much land to farm. Not nearly enough to support all of us. My parents were wise enough to seek other ways to provide for their family now and in the future.”
“If you think they are only farmers and quilters, you don’t know the Amish,” Debra said with a wink for Timothy. She sobered and glanced at Lillian. “That was too forward, wasn’t it? I told you I wasn’t good at meek and humble.”
“You are trying, and that is the first step to overcoming any problem,” Lillian said gently, holding back a smile.
Debra held out her hand to her brother. “I think I have imposed on this family long enough. Lillian, I’ll be back to finish the hearing tests at your school as soon as I am able.”
Debra struggled to her feet with his help. Mary and Rebecca were beside her in an instant to help her out to her brother’s car. Timothy hung back with his mother, Emma and Lillian.
Brandon looked into the kitchen, where Amanda and Hannah were still sitting. He spoke quietly to Lillian. “My wife and I have adopted two children, both little people, and my daughter looks to be about your sister’s age. I would love to meet her.”
Had her father been at home, Timothy doubted that he would have permitted it, but Lillian surprised him when she said, “Of course.”
She gestured to Amanda. “Koom here, shveshtah.”
Amanda slipped down from her chair and came slowly into the room. She hid her face in Lillian’s skirt. Lillian patted her on the head and looked at Brandon. “My sister doesn’t speak English yet. I will translate for you.”
“Tell your sister I’m delighted to meet another little person. She is a very pretty little girl.”
Lillian relayed the message. Amanda gave him a shy smile, but whispered something to Lillian, making her chuckle. “Ja, you are.”
“What did she say?” Brandon asked.
�
�She said she is plain, isn’t she? I assured her that she is.”
He looked troubled. “I don’t understand.”
Emma said, “We do not place value on beauty, only on faithfulness to God, commitment to each other and hard work. To tell a girl she is pretty can lead to gross feelich, a big feeling. Another way of saying pride.”
“I see. Then please ask her if she is an obedient child and minds her sister.”
Lillian smiled and translated his question.
Amanda nodded vigorously.
He grinned. “Good. And now I must go and mind my sister or she’ll read me the riot act all the way home. Thank you again for taking care of her, Lillian. It was nice meeting all of you. Timothy, I look forward to visiting your farm.”
As his mother and Emma went outside with Brandon, Lillian leaned close and whispered in Timothy’s ear, “I need to talk to you.”
His heart missed a beat. Had Rebecca spoken even after he begged her not to? “Okay. What’s up?”
“Later, when we can be alone. Meet me down by the school after supper.” She waved goodbye to Brandon and Debra and then went back inside.
He couldn’t tell from her tone or her expression if this meeting was going to be a good thing or not.
Chapter Ten
Lillian sat on one of the chairs she had placed on the school porch and waited nervously for Timothy to arrive. Amanda was happily playing on the swings with two of her dolls. Lillian had hoped Jeremiah would watch their sister this evening, but he hadn’t come home. She was starting to worry about him.
Silas had made good on his promise to see about repairs to the school. He and several other men had been finishing the inspection when she and Amanda arrived. It was his feeling that the essential repairs could all be done on Monday, and she agreed.
The sun was hanging low in the sky, turning the bellies of the few clouds gold and red. A light breeze had replaced yesterday’s wild wind. It stirred the ashes in the field and carried the smoky smell to her. She marveled once again how merciful God had been toward her and all the children in her charge.
His Amish Teacher Page 8