His Amish Romance: Amish Romance (Seven Amish Bachelors Book 2)

by Samantha Price

  Levi pressed his lips tightly together as he remembered what the word said about a good wife in Proverbs 31. He wanted a woman who’d be kind and willing to help others. It baffled him why Lucy hadn’t jumped at the chance to help Hazel—a woman she should’ve thought of as someone who would be her sister-in-law one day.

  Seeing his brother marry a sweet girl such as Hazel reinforced to him the importance of making the right choice.

  Chapter 10

  Lucy walked into her house and, without looking at anybody, she hurried up the stairs to her room and closed the door behind her. She pulled off her prayer kapp, threw it on the bed and slumped her numb body beside it. Sighing loudly, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. When she heard her bedroom door open, she looked over and saw Adeline, her sister closest to her in age.

  "Are you okay, Lucy?"

  "Nee, I’m not. Come in and shut the door."

  Adeline slipped through the doorway, quietly closed the door and sat down beside her. Lucy rolled over and sat up with another loud sigh.

  "I was suspicious for a while, but now I know for certain that Mary Lou has been working against me. She's not my friend at all."

  Adeline opened her eyes wide. "Why, what happened?"

  “Where do I start?" Lucy rubbed her face in her hands. "Before she came back, I called her a couple of times and told her I'd had a bit of an argument with Levi and then she kept asking and asking me if we were over. Then she tried to convince me he wasn't very good for me, and then I found out she was saying untrue things about me to Levi."

  Adeline gasped. "She was trying to break up the two of you?"

  "We were kind of already having issues, but she was trying to see to it that we stayed that way."

  Adeline shook her head. "What are you going to do?"

  "I have no idea. I’m so upset. I didn’t even want to like Hazel because Mary Lou was my friend and I felt sorry for her, but now I feel bad for not liking Hazel immediately. What do you think I should do?"

  "Are you back together with him yet?"

  "Nee.”

  “Is he being swayed by what Mary Lou is saying?"

  "I don't know; I think he was, at first. I don’t know what he’s thinking now.” Lucy reached behind her head and took the pins out of her hair and let it fall down.

  "If he's stupid enough to believe her, just let her have him. You want someone who's smart enough to see past that woman's tricks. Anyway, she can’t make any more trouble for two more weeks."

  "I suppose you're right, but if he hasn't come across a woman like that before, how would he know how to deal with her?"

  Adeline clicked her tongue. "I can't believe she would do something like that."

  "Me either.” Lucy sighed. “I thought she was my very best friend and now I know she can’t care about me at all."

  "She's obviously not your friend, she’s your enemy. And you’re right, she doesn’t care about you. Mary Lou only cares about herself."

  "I know." Lucy was sad that she’d trusted Mary Lou for so long. “I know what she’s like now. I just hope she hasn’t ruined things completely with me and Levi.”

  “At least you know what she’s like now.”

  Lucy nodded.

  The next night, after a hectic day of work, Levi skipped dinner and instead took his horse and buggy out for a couple of hours to clear his head. He hoped time alone would make him feel better. After having enough time to think and pray, he returned home. While he was busy rubbing his horse down, he noticed Joshua walking into the barn with something in his hand.

  "Where have you been?" Joshua bit into the apple he was carrying.

  "Just out." Levi wasn’t in the mood to talk. All he wanted to do was think about Lucy and how they could make things better. He couldn’t let her go.

  "I’ve been wondering, why do you keep asking me questions and then talking about Nella?"

  "Can we talk later? I’m not in the mood right now."

  "Why? What's happened?” He walked closer, and by the light in the barn he had a good look at his brother. “You look dreadful."

  "Thanks a lot."

  "I didn't mean it like that."

  "Just go inside and give me a few minutes. Make me a cup of hot tea and I’ll talk to you in the kitchen.”

  "Okay, I’ll do that."

  As soon as Joshua walked away, Levi felt bad about sending him off. Joshua rarely wanted to talk, so he should’ve encouraged him rather than shutting him down. With so many brothers it was always hard to get time alone, but he didn't like being selfish when a younger brother wanted a little of his time.

  After he finished with his horse, he leaned against the stable door and closed his eyes. How did things go so wrong between him and Lucy? She had the wrong idea about his brother, probably from what Mary Lou had told her, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth about Mary Lou having been seen kissing an Englischer while she was still dating Isaac. He was fairly certain Lucy didn’t know, and if she didn’t know, he didn’t want to be the one to tell her.

  After he felt a little better, he headed into the house and found his brother in the kitchen. His mother was fussing around, making them hot tea.

  “We’re okay, Mamm,” Joshua insisted.

  “I’ll get out of your way in a minute.” She leaned down and picked something off the floor. “Oh dear. I’m still finding pieces of broken plate on the floor from when Hazel and Lucy dropped those plates on the morning of the wedding. I’ve washed the floor at least a dozen times since then, but I’m still finding pieces.”

  “I can make the tea, Mamm,” Levi said.

  “I’ll do it.”

  While their mother was around, they couldn’t talk as freely as they wanted. After she poured the hot water into the teapot, she picked up a cloth and wiped down the kitchen countertop. “There, it should be ready now.” She placed the teapot in front of them. They already had their mugs.

  “Denke, Mamm,” Joshua said.

  “Jah, denke, Mamm.”

  “Do you want cookies?”

  Both men declined the offer of cookies. As their mother left the kitchen, Joshua poured the tea into the two mugs.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Joshua asked.

  “I’ve just had a hard day. Nothing I want to talk about.”

  “Okay. I just want to know why you keep talking to me about Nella. Do you like her better than Lucy now?”

  Levi straightened up. “Nee. It’s nothing like that.”

  “Why are you talking to Nella all the time?”

  “I just had some things to talk with her about, that’s all. It’s not about you.”

  “You’ve mentioned her once or twice to me and I wondered why.”

  Levi stared down into his drink and then looked back into his brother’s face. He had nothing to lose by giving his brother a few hints that Nella liked him. “I just thought Nella might suit you. So I guess it is sort of about you.”

  “Suit me?”

  “Jah. You. Not me.”

  Joshua chuckled. “You’re going into the matchmaking game now?”

  “Not particularly. That would be too hard a game. In fact, it wouldn’t be a game at all. That's serious stuff, arranging marriages.”

  Joshua leaned back and linked his fingers together as he placed them on the table. "Has she said anything to you about me?"

  "Who?”

  “Nella, of course.”

  Now Levi knew Joshua was trying to look like he wasn't interested in her. “She might have." He didn't want to let the cat out of the bag completely.

  "Come on, tell me what’s going on."

  "Do you like her?"

  "I really can't say."

  "The look on your face tells me everything I need to know."

  A smirk twitched at the corners of Joshua’s lips. "Well, you don't have to ask then, do you? I’m guessing she likes me, and she just wanted to know whether I like her?"

  "It could be so
mething like that.”

  “So, she likes me?" Joshua asked.

  "She might."

  Joshua smiled.

  "What do you think?" Levi asked, now becoming happy for Nella and his brother.

  The smile left Joshua’s face. "I think this is all childish if you don’t tell me what’s going on."

  Levi breathed out heavily. "Maybe people find you quiet and unapproachable."

  Joshua frowned. "'People'? People such as Nella?"

  "At the wedding dinner, she brought her plate over and sat down by you, and then you got right up and left the table. And now I've said as much as I'm going to say."

  Joshua looked thoughtful as he drank a careful swallow of hot tea.

  Chapter 11

  When Lucy came home from work, she helped her mother and younger sisters prepare the dinner. As her younger sisters talked about this and that, nothing in particular, all Lucy could think about was her tragic love life.

  “Lucy, you’re being so quiet,” her mother said.

  Lucy continued setting the table for dinner. “It’s hard to get a word in with Adeline and Catherine talking.”

  Adeline and Catherine both giggled.

  “Did you find out why Levi was talking to Nella so much?" her mother asked.

  She looked up in surprise. Her mother didn't normally talk about private things in front of her younger sisters. "Can't we talk about this later, Mamm?"

  "It's important, so I think we should talk about it now. And have you found out what Mary Lou is doing?"

  Lucy looked over at Adeline, wondering if she had mentioned something to their mother.

  Adeline had her back turned making gravy, so Lucy couldn't gauge whether Adeline had said something or not.

  Her mother continued, "Why don't you ask Levi over for dinner one night this week?"

  "Nee, Mamm."

  "Why not?"

  "It’s just that there've been too many dinners lately. We were just at Hazel’s for dinner the other night. How about I ask him in a few weeks’ time or something?"

  "Why wait that long? Everybody has to eat dinner."

  "That's true, but a big deal doesn't have to be made out of it."

  "It's not a big deal to have your boyfriend for dinner at your parents’ house. It’s only a normal thing to do to have him stop by for dinner. Unless … unless there’s something you’re not telling me. Is there?"

  Lucy didn’t look up. She kept placing the knives and the forks on the table. "I just don't want to have anyone for dinner at the moment. That's okay, isn't it?"

  "As long as there's nothing wrong."

  Her father walked into the kitchen. "Lucy said she doesn't like the idea of inviting him to dinner at the moment, so why don't we leave things at that?”

  Lucy’s father had to have overheard the conversation from the couch in the living room. As much as Lucy wanted to thank him, she didn’t want to annoy her mother. Instead, she looked over at him and smiled. He had his eyes firmly fixed on Lucy’s mother.

  Her mother said, “All right. I’m just trying to do the right thing.”

  He nodded. “We can wait until she wants to have him here."

  “Okay. We’ll do that. I was just trying to be helpful.”

  Throughout the evening meal that night, there was no further conversation about Levi, and Lucy was grateful.

  After dinner, when Lucy and her sisters were cleaning up the kitchen, Lucy took the opportunity to have a private talk with Adeline. "Did you say anything to Mamm about Mary Lou?"

  "I didn't."

  Catherine hurried over from wiping down the table, and asked, “What about Mary Lou?"

  "Nothing,"

  "Does she like Levi or something?" Catherine asked.

  While Lucy put another plate on the drying rack, she wondered why Catherine would say such a thing. "Just dry the plates."

  “I’m wiping down the table.”

  “Well, do that then.”

  Adeline held up her tea towel. “I’m drying the plates.”

  Catherine said, "I'm sick of always being left out of things just because I'm the youngest. You tell Adeline things, so why don’t you tell me?”

  As she washed the plates, she considered telling Catherine. Is she old enough to understand, and to be trusted with this? she wondered silently. She looked back over at her. "Okay, but don't say anything to anyone.”

  “Of course I wouldn’t. Who would I tell? I’d only tell Adeline and she already knows, but I’m a bit upset because she didn’t tell me.” Catherine hurried over to Lucy.

  Lucy took a deep breath. “It's just that Mary Lou’s been mean and she's been trying to turn me off Levi and then I found out that she’s said things to Levi about me.”

  “Tell her the rest,” Adeline urged.

  “Make sure you don't tell this to anyone, Catherine. Levi and I are kind of not together anymore."

  Catherine gasped. "Does Mamm know?"

  "Of course not. Nee, she doesn't," Adeline said.

  "Well she knows something because of what she said before.”

  Lucy knew Catherine was right. Or had she just seen Levi talking to Mary Lou, or perhaps Nella, a lot? “I just think Mamm’s been watching everyone. I don’t think she knows anything.”

  "That can't be good," Catherine said.

  "That's just the way it is. And Levi and I have to work things out with each other, but inviting him to dinner is the last thing I want to do.” Lucy shook her head. “That won't help anything."

  "You should tell me things like that. Why do you leave me out all the time?" Catherine asked.

  "I’ve told you now. I didn't really want to tell anybody.”

  “It’s a private thing for Lucy,” Adeline explained to Catherine.

  Lucy sighed. “I used to tell Mary Lou everything and then she turned against me."

  "At least you know your sisters won't turn against you," Adeline said.

  "That's true. When I say it out loud it makes me sad about Mary Lou. I thought she would always be a good friend. Now I wonder if she ever was."

  Chapter 12

  It was two weeks later on Sunday and Lucy's parents had gone out visiting friends. Lucy and her two sisters stayed home, having a quiet Sunday afternoon.

  "A buggy," Adeline called out.

  Lucy sat frozen stiff on the couch as her heart pounded. She hoped the buggy they heard was Levi’s and he’d come to apologize.

  Catherine got up and looked out the window. "It's Mary Lou."

  Adeline and Lucy immediately looked at one another. The last person Lucy wanted to visit her was Mary Lou.

  “What does that troublemaker want?” Catherine grumbled.

  "Do you want us to say you're not home?" Adeline asked.

  Lucy shook her head. "I'd like to do that, but I can't have you lie for me."

  “Catherine and I will go upstairs while you talk to her."

  “That's not necessary."

  “Is she still shunned? I don’t want to get into trouble,” Adeline said.

  Lucy said, “Her shunning finished about an hour ago.”

  “Come on, Catherine.”

  Catherine got off the couch and, together with Adeline, walked up the stairs.

  Lucy walked outside to talk with Mary Lou as though nothing had changed between them. She knew that if she confronted Mary Lou about the things she’d said, she'd either deny them or tell Lucy she had gotten it all wrong.

  Fixing a smile on her face, she said, "Hi, Mary Lou."

  "Hello. My shunning’s finally over and I’m officially back. It was harder than I thought it would be, and it taught me a few things.”

  "Good. Come on inside and I’ll make you some hot chocolate."

  "Okay. I need something to warm me up."

  When they got inside the house, Lucy was surprised to see her sisters back on the couch. They greeted Mary Lou nicely enough, as though nothing was wrong.

  "Come through into the kitchen, Mary Lou." Lucy looke
d back at her sisters. "Do you both want some hot chocolate?"

  "Jah, please," they chorused.

  “Okay, coming up.”

  Mary Lou sat down at the kitchen table while Lucy poured milk into a saucepan, placed it on a hot plate, and then lit the gas stove.

  "What have you been doing today?" Mary Lou asked.

  "Nothing much. Mamm and Dat have gone out visiting."

  "I thought you mightn’t be home. When I got here, it looked like no one was home except for the smoke coming from the chimney. Everything was closed up.”

  “We’re just trying to keep out the cold.”

  “It’s warm in here.”

  “It must be working then.”

  “Why are you home and not out somewhere?” Mary Lou asked.

  "I didn't feel like it today. My sisters and I just wanted a quiet day. I get so tired after work sometimes I just like to have a quiet day doing nothing."

  "I thought you'd be doing something with Levi today. Have you patched up your differences?"

  There was no point telling Mary Lou anything other than the truth. "Nee."

  "So, what's going on with you two?"

  "Everything's okay, I guess. It will be okay."

  "But you had that big argument and I thought you said you weren’t together anymore."

  "Nothing’s been said about us not being together."

  “You told me you weren’t together.” Mary Lou scrunched her nose just as Adeline walked into the kitchen.