Olivia moved closer to Leah’s chair, her hooped skirt swaying back and forth like the bell it was designed to imitate. “How do you do?”
“I am pleased to meet thee,” Leah answered in the same formal tone Olivia had used. “Thee looks lovely.”
“Thank you.” Olivia touched the long curls of her auburn hair. “Why do you wear a cap? Not even Aunt Rose still wears a cap.”
“Olivia,” Caleb said in a warning tone.
“It’s all right,” Leah said. “I don’t mind Olivia’s curiosity.” She turned her attention back to the child. “I am a member of the Society of Friends. Perhaps thee has heard our sect referred to as Quakers.”
“Oh.” Olivia’s mouth turned down in a sullen frown. “I know some Quaker girls who attend my school. They’re awfully plain.”
“They would be proud to hear thee describe them that way. We Friends believe plain dress is part of our testimony of equality. If we dress simply, all Friends can afford the clothing, and no one is tempted to be wasteful or self-seeking. We Friends focus on simplicity and the important things in life. Fashion isn’t nearly as important as seeking the Lord’s will in our life or giving our funds to worthy causes rather than for the latest fashions.”
Olivia pursed her lips as though deep in thought and then pivoted to return to her father’s side. “I made a cherry pie all by myself. I used the preserves Aunt Rose and I made last spring. I know cherry is your favorite.”
Caleb placed a hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Thank you, Olivia. But I think you should go upstairs and get ready for bed. We’ll have the pie before you and Stephen go to sleep.”
“But Papa—” Olivia glanced at Leah from the corner of her eye. “Very well, Papa. I’ll go and change now.”
After another curtsy, the girl strode from the room. The grown-ups listened to her footsteps as she made her way upstairs and closed a door.
Rose let out a noisy breath. “Oh my word, Caleb. I told you Olivia would be a problem.”
Caleb rubbed the back of his neck. “Olivia never has adjusted well to change.”
Rose shifted in her seat and addressed Leah. “You’ll have your hands full with that one, my dear. Olivia’s trying to show her father she’s old enough to be the lady of the house.”
Leah’s heart went out to the girl. Of course she’d see a new mother as a threat to her place in the family. “A way will open.” Caleb studied her. “A way will open?”
“It’s a saying we have in meeting when we’re faced with a problem,” Leah said. “The Lord’s way often starts with great difficulty but then eases as He shows us the right path.”
Rose looked at Caleb, and Caleb returned her gaze. Leah smiled and relaxed in the chair. Of course the Lord would open a way. He wouldn’t have blessed her with a husband, a home, and children unless He had a plan.
At last the pie was eaten and complimented, the dishes washed, and Stephen allowed to spend the night in the barn. Olivia bade them all a polite good night, and Rose retired to her room for the evening. Caleb and Leah were finally alone.
A balmy summer breeze fluttered the white lace curtains in the parlor, and the night sounds of insects and a nearby bullfrog filled the awkward silence.
Caleb cleared his throat. “It seems as though everyone has gone to bed except us and the crickets.”
Leah’s chest was tight with nerves. Should she take the lead, indicating to her new husband she was ready for her wedding night, or should she wait for him to direct her? She tucked her hands under her legs. “It has been a long day,” she said, forcing the words out of her constricted throat.
“You must be tired.” Caleb took an oil lamp from the table. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you the upstairs bedrooms.”
Leah’s heart raced as she followed Caleb up the narrow steps to the second floor. It wasn’t fear that made her breaths shallow or panic that made her stomach tighten. It was excitement. In a few minutes, she would finally know the joy of a man’s lips on hers. Before morning, she would be joined to a man in the manner God intended.
Caleb held the lamp higher to show her the layout of the upstairs rooms. “This is Stephen’s room,” he said, gesturing to a closed door in the middle of the hall. “Olivia’s is directly across. Because of her rheumatism, Aunt Rose’s room is on the ground floor. My room is at the end of the hall, and this will be your room.” He opened a door and set the lamp on a chest of drawers. “Feel free to make any changes. I’m leaving before sunup tomorrow. Rose will explain everything that needs to be done.”
Leah’s mind raced to understand what Caleb was saying. Her room? His room? Leaving tomorrow?
“Well,” Caleb said, “if that’s all, I’ll say good night.”
He was halfway through the door before Leah found her voice. “Wait Caleb, wait.”
He turned, his eyebrows raised in question.
“What— Where— I don’t understand, Caleb. I thought…” Leah swallowed hard. “We were married today. Are we not to act as man and wife?”
Leah knew the moment Caleb understood her question. His gaze dropped to the floor, and his weight shifted from one foot to another. “I thought your uncle… That is, I explained to him I wouldn’t take advantage of the situation. Didn’t either he or your aunt explain the arrangement?”
“I was told thee needed a wife and that thee found me to be a suitable candidate. Was there more?”
“No. Not exactly. But, Leah, I never intended to—to—”
A cold hand of disappointment wrapped around Leah’s heart as she absorbed the reality of the situation. Traitorous tears filled her eyes, and she turned her back to him. “I understand. Thee never intended to make me a real wife. I’m to keep thy house and care for thy family, but I shouldn’t expect more. Is that what thee meant when thee asked me if I agreed to thy bargain?”
She waited for him to deny it, to explain how she’d misunderstood, but all she heard was the click of the door and his footsteps as he walked down the hall to his room.
Leah sank onto the bed and gave in to tears. What a fool she’d been to think someone had wanted her for anything more than free labor. She was no better off in Caleb’s house than she’d been at her uncle’s. In fact, now that she was legally married, she was bound to stay.
She was a fool.
A silly, lonely fool.
Chapter 3
Leah awoke the next morning to the sight of Stephen sitting cross-legged on her bed.
“Finally,” the boy said. “Aunt Rose said I couldn’t disturb you, and I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to wake up!”
Leah raised a hand to her aching head, a result of her tear-filled night. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t tell time yet. But we’ve all had breakfast, and Rose is making meat pies for lunch. Do Quakers always sleep in their clothes?”
Leah sat up and realized she was still wearing her wedding dress. She’d cried herself to sleep, like some fussy baby, rather than undressing to her muslin shift. “Where’s thy sister?”
“In her room. Rose says she’s sulking. What does that mean?” Leah wasn’t up to a vocabulary lesson. She made her way to the washstand and poured water into the basin. “Does thee have a new foal?”
Stephen’s eyes shone. “Sure do! A filly. She doesn’t look like her momma though. She’s mostly black, but she’s got a few white spots.”
The cool water soothed Leah’s swollen eyes. “And how’s Snowdrop?”
“Joseph says she’s doing great. She was out in the pasture with her baby when I left.”
“Does thy foal have a name yet?”
“Nope. Olivia gets to name all the horses and dogs and cats on this farm.”
That didn’t sound fair, but perhaps Olivia had that privilege since she was older. Leah dried her face with a towel. “After I change my clothes and speak to Rose, I’ll come out to the barn to see the foal. All right?”
Stephen hopped off the bed. “Sure! Aunt Rose,
” he shouted as he ran through the doorway, “she’s awake!”
Leah listened to the boy’s footsteps as he tramped down the stairs. It didn’t take much to make Stephen happy. Olivia, however, presented a greater challenge. If Caleb had truly left before sunrise, no one had had a chance to say good-bye or to wish him a safe return. Perhaps Caleb had thought his departure would cause the children pain, but Olivia may have been hurt by what she considered her father’s disregard. Leah found a gray dress in her trunk, changed out of her wedding dress, pinned her hair into a bun, and tied her prayer cap into place. Then she donned a clean apron and made her way to the kitchen.
Rose sat at the table, rolling out small circles of piecrust. “Good morning, Leah. I hope you got some rest.”
“I’m sorry to be so late in rising. It’s not like me to sleep the day away.”
“New brides are allowed to sleep late after their wedding night.”
Warmth rushed into Leah’s cheeks, and she knew she was blushing. She covered her face with her hands and turned away from the older woman.
“I told Stephen to leave you alone,” Rose continued. “I hope he didn’t wake you.”
“No. I didn’t even know he was there until I opened my eyes.”
“Thank goodness. That boy has the patience of a chicken at feeding time.” Rose took her cane and struggled to stand. “Would you like something to eat?”
“Don’t trouble thyself. It’s time I learned the layout of this kitchen. What can I do to help thee finish lunch?”
“The pastry is finished. Just spoon in the meat mixture, and I’ll seal the pies.”
Leah retrieved an iron pot from the stove. “What time did Caleb leave?”
“Before dawn. I heard the horses, but he was gone by the time I got outside. Deciding to leave almost tore Caleb in two. No wonder he didn’t want any tearful good-byes.”
Her new husband was such a puzzle. If he hadn’t wanted to leave, why had he volunteered? “Why did Caleb join the militia?”
“He felt it was his duty. I tried to talk him out of it, but Caleb said he couldn’t sit by and do nothing. Especially after his friend, Conrad Baker, recruited him. Caleb signed on for six months. He’ll be home soon enough.”
And then what? Would her new husband return and take up where they’d left off? He in one room and she in another? Leah filled the last meat pie and returned the pot to the stove. “It seems as though Olivia is taking it hard.”
Rose clucked her tongue and shook her head. “That girl’s got a lot of growing up to do. One day she acts like the queen of the castle, and the next she’s pouting like a two-year-old. My advice is to leave her alone until she comes out of her bad temper.”
Maybe Rose was right. Leah had learned that leaving a beehive alone was often the best strategy when the colony was under stress, and Olivia’s sting was probably worse than a bee’s.
“Leah! Where are you?” Stephen ran into the kitchen, his face red from the exertion. “Are you coming or not?”
“I promised to see the new foal,” she explained to Rose. “Then off you go,” the older woman said. “Lunch will keep until you get back.”
Stephen pulled Leah’s hand. “Come on.”
If she’d a fraction of the boy’s enthusiasm, it’d be easier to get through the day. Leah allowed Stephen to lead her through the side door.
“There she is!” Stephen said.
The gray mare browsed placidly in knee-high grass, and insects flitted around her new foal, causing it to flick its tail and twitch its ears.
Leah smiled at the sight. “She’s lovely, Stephen. All fresh and new and ready to discover the world. Thee didn’t tell me she had a white spot under her ear. It looks like she’s wearing a pearl earring.”
Stephen perched on top of the split rail fence. “Pearl. That’d be a good name, don’t you think?”
Olivia wouldn’t like that. Leah was already treading on thin ice, and usurping the girl’s naming rights would send her straight into frigid water. “I think thee should ask thy sister before settling on a name.”
A man’s deep voice sounded behind her. “Morning, ma’am.” Leah turned to see Joseph’s kind face smiling at her. “Good morning, Joseph.”
“Look Joseph,” Stephen said. “The baby’s drinking milk from Snowdrop.”
Joseph leaned against the fence and looked at the horses. “That’s right. Snowdrop’s going to need extra feed for the next few months. Got to keep the momma healthy so the baby will grow up to be strong.”
“I’ll get it!” Stephen ran into the barn.
Leah glanced at Joseph, and they both chuckled. “Did Stephen keep thee up all night?”
“No, ma’am. I made him a pallet on the straw, and he fell asleep right away. I woke him shortly after the foal was born.”
“He slept through the birth?”
“Sure did. I thought about waking him, but I decided things would be calmer for both Snowdrop and me if I let the boy sleep.”
From what she’d seen of Stephen, Joseph had made the right choice. “Is it possible for me to use a wagon today?”
“Sure. What did you have in mind?”
“I’d like to find a good spot to set up my bee hives. Caleb told me there were fruit trees nearby. That would probably be the best site, but I also need a way to keep the hives dry.” “Why not let me show you around this afternoon? I’ll take you to the orchard, and we’ll scout a good location.”
“That would be wonderful, Joseph.”
“Joseph!” Stephen called from the barn’s open doorway. “What is it, Stephen?”
“Should I bring some grain out to Pearl?”
Joseph turned to Leah. “Pearl? Did he name the foal?” What had Leah stumbled into? “I told him he’d best talk it over with Olivia.”
Joseph nodded solemnly. “Yes, ma’am. Olivia will be mighty put out if she’s not consulted first.”
Leah sat beside Joseph as he maneuvered the wagon along a dirt trail. The fruit trees stood in straight ranks. Many years ago, one of Caleb’s ancestors had planted saplings that had grown into a beautiful and productive orchard. Leah gestured to a stand of tall, leafy trees. “Those are pear trees, aren’t they?”
“That’s right. See the tiny green fruit growing amid the leaves?”
“Oh yes. Now I do.”
“Cherries in April, pears in September, and apples after that. Yes, ma’am, you’ve arrived just in time for picking season.”
“The orchard would be a wonderful site for my hives. But the skeps will be ruined if they get too wet. Uncle Abram built a small shelter for them. Would it be all right if I asked him to build one here?”
“I’m sure it would be fine, ma’am, but I’ll be happy to take care of it for you. Just tell me how big you want it, and I’ll get to building.”
“Would it be possible to go to my uncle’s farm now? Thee could see the shelter and the skeps.”
“This is as good a time as any.” Joseph turned the wagon in a broad arc and headed it toward the road.
“I thank thee, Joseph. My hives are important to me.”
“No need for thanks, ma’am. Not after what you and the other Quakers did for me.”
Leah smiled to hear the Friends complimented. “Will thee tell me thy story?”
“It’ll be ten years come September. Ten years since I made my way from Kentucky to Ohio, and then to Newport. Quakers helped me every step of the way. I love to hear you speak, ma’am.
Thee and thy—every time I hear somebody talking like that, I remember the safe hands that led me from slavery to freedom. There’s no finer people than the Quakers. I put my very life in their hands and they delivered me.”
Slavery. One of the world’s worst evils. How awful for Joseph and for all the other human beings held in bondage. “Does thee have any family?”
“No, ma’am.” Joseph smiled broadly and cut his gaze to Leah. “But I’ve been thinking about taking a wife.”
“A wife? T
hee has plans to marry?”
“I’m thinking on it. There’s a fine lady in Henry County I’d like to court, but… Well, it’ll have to wait until Mr. Caleb gets home. I have to ask his permission.”
“Permission? Why should thee need Caleb’s permission to marry?”
“He’s my boss, ma’am. Don’t you think it’d be a good idea to get his consent before I bring a woman to live on the farm?”
“I see thy point. But don’t put off thy own happiness until Caleb returns. Couldn’t Rose give her consent? Or me?”
“I hadn’t thought about that, ma’am. I suppose it’d be all right.”
Joseph’s tone didn’t sound as though he believed his own words. But in Caleb’s absence, surely Rose would be the person to ask. Yet something made Joseph hesitate. “Would thee like me to speak to Rose?”
Joseph turned toward her. “Would you?” His voice was ripe with excitement. “That’d be mighty kind of you.”
Leah had guessed right. “Of course I will. Perhaps thee would like to bring thy lady to see the farm and to meet us.” Joseph tilted his head back and laughed loudly. “I’ll do that, ma’am. You talk to Rose, and I’ll talk to Delia.”
Matthew was in the barnyard when Joseph stopped the wagon at the Walls’ farm. “And who’s this come to call?” Matthew asked, smiling broadly. “I do believe it’s Mrs. Whitaker.”
Leah stopped her descent from the wagon and looked at her cousin. “If thee calls me by that name, I’m not likely to answer.”
Matthew reached up to help her. “Fair enough. Thee will always be Leah, my cousin who knows how to charm delicious honey out of bees.”
Leah smiled at his good-natured teasing. “Speaking of bees, Joseph has agreed to build a bee shelter. Will thee show him the one thy father built while I visit Aunt Cynthia?”
“Of course. Hello, Joseph,” Matthew said as he shook hands with the man. “Nice to see thee again.”
“Nice to see you, too,” Joseph replied. “Hope you won’t mind Miss Leah taking the hives to her new home. Sounds as though you’re a might partial to the honey.”
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