“You really want to know what I think?” he asked between mouthfuls.
Jessie nodded her head vigorously.
“It’s clear your eyes are on an Englischer.” He gave his schweschder a knowing look, and then continued, “The closer you go to the edge of a cliff, the more chance you’ve got of falling off.” Mark took his last portion of food and handed her the plate. “Denke, little schweschder. Now I need to rest.” He laid his head back and closed his eyes.
Chapter 16
The church gatherings were held every second Sunday and Mark and their parents set off in their buggy toward the Fishers' haus where the meeting was being hosted. The services always started early and carried through until late in the day. The evenings were less formal and mainly for the young, with the singings afterward.
As always, when she arrived, Jessie left her familye and went in search of her four best friends. Olive caught her attention right away because she was waving a hand in the air. As Jessie got closer to her, she noticed a strange look on Olive’s face. Staring at her trying to work out what was going on, she followed her gaze as it momentarily flicked off to one side. Jessie looked over to see that Olive was looking at Elijah.
Immediately Jessie feared Olive had said something to him. She didn’t need these complications. “Olive, did you say something to Elijah about me?” she asked once she reached her friend.
“Not much really.”
Jessie rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to be my matchmaker. I’m perfectly all right as I am.”
“Don’t be so nervous and uptight. Everything always works out the way it’s supposed to.” Olive looked toward Elijah once more, so Jessie stood with her back to him. Olive then grabbed Jessie’s hand. “The girls are saving seats for us.”
They always sat on one of the back benches to get a good view of everyone. There was nothing the girls liked more than a good gossip especially when they could see the people they were whispering about. When the bishop got up to say a prayer, Jessie’s eyes gravitated to the men’s side of the room. It was always the men on one side and the women on the other.
Her eyes swept over all the men, and Jessie did not find one man who excited or intrigued her like Donovan did. He had the self-confidence that Elijah lacked.
Olive was right about Elijah being the logical choice of a husband for one of her friends. He was less appealing to Jessie because none of the other three friends considered him a potential suitor. In all of their conversations about men, no one had spoken of Elijah. That could be because he was Olive’s bruder, Jessie thought, as she studied him from across the room. A loudly emphasized word from the bishop brought Jessie’s attention back to his lengthy prayer.
Everyone sat down after the prayer, and the deacon, Amy’s vadder, stood at the front of the room to read passages of Scripture from the Gospel of John. The deacon went on to explain how people should close their minds to evil and set their minds on Gott. The talks at the gatherings were always inspirational to Jessie.
After another long prayer, the first part of the gathering was over. Now it was time for the meal and the socializing. Jessie and her friends often helped with the food preparation, but Mrs. Fisher had told them that she had plenty of ladies to help this time.
Just as the evening singing was to begin, Jessie noticed Elijah walking toward her. He knew that she saw him, so she couldn’t hurry away. She smiled at him.
“Hello, Jessie.”
Jessie knew Olive was looking at both of them. “Hello,” Jessie said.
“Jessie, I was wondering if I may take you home after the singing?”
A tiny spark of the interest she used to have in him was ignited. There was something warm about Elijah, and she heard herself say, “Jah.” She looked into his blue-green eyes and his face softened into a smile.
“Gut. I’ll see you after the singing.”
Jessie nodded, and Elijah walked away just as Olive caught her by the arm. “What did he say?”
“He’s taking me home after the singing.”
A smile spread over Olive’s face. “That’s all I’ve been hoping for.”
“You asked him to do this?”
“Perhaps I made a gentle suggestion, but he wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t want to.”
Throughout the singing, Jessie got more and more nervous. She hadn’t spoken to Elijah at any length for about two years. Back then, she had thought they were getting along fine, but he never did anything about it. Maybe she should have prompted him or dropped some hints that she liked him, but two years ago she considered that it was the man who should be the one to make the move. Now, it was a different story, but only because she was through with waiting. If she found a man she liked, she would do something about it.
The singing finished and Jessie hugged her friends goodbye, glad that Olive had kept quiet to her other friends about Elijah driving her home. Jessie looked around for Elijah and found him near his buggy.
“There you are. Set to go?” he asked.
“Jah.” Jessie nodded.
Once they were both in the buggy, he smiled sweetly before he took the reins and clicked his horse forward. Things felt easy and comfortable with Elijah, even before they spoke.
“Olive tells me you’ve just started a new job.”
“Jah, I’ve been there for a week now. It’s the guest house out on the old road that leads to Drummonds Creek.”
Elijah nodded. “Jah, I know the one. Enjoying it?”
“It’s early days, but I think I will like it. Mrs. Billings, my boss, is very exact in the ways she wants things done.”
He looked over at her and smiled again. “Lovely night, isn’t it?”
Jessie looked up at the stars. “A million stars lighting up the night sky.”
“Gott’s designed them just for us to admire,” Elijah said, looking upward from the topless buggy. He slowed his horse to a walk and looked over at her. “Denke for coming with me tonight, Jessie.”
She wasn’t sure what she should say, so she smiled and gave a little nod.
After a moment of silence, he said, “I’ve wanted to ask you on a buggy ride for some time, but I didn’t know if you would. I mean, I guess I didn’t want you to see me as foolish, and I would’ve felt embarrassed if you’d said no.”
Nervousness forced Jessie’s fingers to fiddle with the strings of her prayer kapp. Why hadn’t he done this two years ago? “You’ve taken a girl out for a buggy ride before though, haven’t you?”
“Jah, of course; not you though.”
There was no doubt about it; from how he spoke and the way he looked at her, she knew he liked her and that was pleasing. After a few minutes of general conversation, they talked about their families. He ended up telling her funny stories about how forgetful his father was. His tales had her laughing more than she’d laughed in a long time. His sense of fun was one of the things she’d always liked about him. Not long after that, Elijah took her home—after she had agreed to go on another buggy ride with him.
When his horse and buggy were a distant sound, she ran up the stairs of the darkened house, grateful no one had waited up, and then she threw herself onto her bed and giggled. Olive might’ve been right; Elijah could be a match for her. But what about Donovan? One week ago, she'd had no prospect of a beau and today she had two.
Chapter 17
Jessie woke the next morning after a restless night’s sleep. She was taking a little longer to get ready for work making sure she wore her best dress and one of her best prayer kapps. As she drew a brush through her long wavy hair, she was mindful of what the bishop always said about a woman and her looks. A man should not look on the outside of a woman, but look within. Jessie was certain men were attracted by looks first, just as she and her friends talked about handsome men.
Her vadder drove her to work in the buggy, but she’d have to catch a taxi home. Just as Jessie said goodbye to her vadder and hurried down the long drive of the B&B, she noticed the buildi
ng of the B&B and the restaurant were joined together. She’d thought they were separate. The B&B was old, and the restaurant was added later; possibly at the same time the renovations were done on the guest house. It was a clever addition.
This was the start of her second week and today she was on her own cleaning the rooms. She hoped she could meet the standards of Mrs. Billings. Before she reached the front doors, Jessie couldn’t stop herself looking for Donovan’s car. There it was; his black sleek car was in the parking lot. A rush of excitement ran through her body. He was back.
Jessie pulled her mind away from Donovan to concentrate on work, otherwise, she might not have a job. She knew she’d be the only maid working this morning. Linda was on a scheduled day off, and it wasn’t Michelle’s day to work.
She stacked the cart while wondering how to get it up the stairs. There was no way she could do it without Linda’s help. Linda had been right; it was a silly place to have the cleaning room if they needed to drag the carts up and down the stairs every day. Jessie did not want to disturb Mrs. Billings, so she slipped into the restaurant to ask Donovan if she might borrow one of his workers to help lift the cart.
Being early, the front door of the restaurant was shut, so she went around to the back door. Just as she was about to knock, the door swung open, and Donovan walked out.
“Jessie.” He looked her up and down.
“Hello, Donovan, I was coming to ask you if one of your workers might help me with the cart.”
Donovan chuckled. “I was coming to do just that.”
“Thank you.”
“After you.” Donovan gestured with a sweep of his hand toward the B&B.
She couldn’t help but give a little giggle even though she felt silly straight away. She always did that when she was nervous. “I’m by myself today for the first time. I’m hoping I’ll do a good job.”
“You’ll be fine.”
“Do you have many people working for you in the restaurant?” She hoped she hadn’t asked him that before, or she’d feel stupid.
“I’ve got five full time and some part time workers. It varies as some leave and others arrive.”
“You don’t have the same people all the time?”
“My full-time staff are pretty stable, but I can’t offer everyone full time and that’s what most people around these parts want.”
Jessie thought him remarkably young to have such a business.
* * *
Once the cart was at the top of the stairs, Donovan said, “It’s not practical, I can’t keep coming over and helping with this every day. It’s ridiculous. I’ll call some people for quotes on building something adjacent to the back door.”
“Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to be a nuisance.”
Donovan smiled. “I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t mind helping, but I shouldn’t have to. Do you see what I mean?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll leave you to it.” Donovan gave her a smile, flashing a perfect set of white teeth.
Jessie found it hard not to smile when he was around. “Thanks again.”
“I might see you at lunchtime.”
“Okay.” She stood at the top of the stairs and watched Donovan walk away. “Snap out of it, Jessie,” she told herself in a whisper. She had to put all thoughts of him out of her mind and concentrate on being the best maid Mrs. Billings ever had. Just as she thought of her, Mrs. Billings appeared.
“There you are. I came to find you, and you weren’t here.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Billings, I had to ask for help with the cart. I can’t get it up the stairs by myself. I wasn’t gone long, and Donovan’s just gone.”
“That’s quite all right. I know it’s too hard for one person. I’ve been looking into locating the cleaning room to another part of the building.” Mrs. Billings glanced down the stairs. “I’ve been thinking of making another bedroom out of the cleaning room and building an annex outside.” Mrs. Billings tapped her chin. “Yes, that would work.” She looked at Jessie and clapped her hands. “Hop to it. Those rooms will not clean themselves.”
Jessie clasped the handle of the cart and pushed it to the first room wondering if she should’ve told her about Donovan getting quotes. Nee, best not to mention a word.
She knocked on the door of the first room and went in when no one answered. Once she was satisfied with a job well done, careful to do everything just as Linda had shown her, she moved into the next room. By lunchtime, she had all five rooms cleaned and she hurried out to her favorite seat in the garden hoping Donovan would join her.
When she had been there only five minutes, Donovan walked toward her. “Mind if I join you?”
“Please do.”
“See.” He sat down and then lifted up his sandwiches. “I had someone make these for me so I could come sit with you.”
Jessie giggled.
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
With a raise of her eyebrows, she studied his face. He’d said it in a cheeky manner, so she found it hard to take offense at the prying question. “No, I don’t.”
“Why not? A pretty girl like you should have one.” He moved so his shoulder touched hers.
He was getting way too close. “There aren’t many men my age in the community.”
“So, you’ll have to look outside the community?”
She stared at the ground in front of her. “I’m not looking at all.”
He leaned over to look directly into her face. “Really?”
Jessie narrowed her green eyes. “Yes.”
Donovan straightened up and took a bite of his sandwich. When he finished his mouthful, he said, “I like a strong independent woman.”
She was pleased he wasn’t looking at her when he spoke because she knew her cheeks were burning. As soon as Jessie ate her lunch, she made the excuse she wanted to do some things she’d forgotten, and she left him there.
“Finished lunch already, Jessie?” Mrs. Billings was standing just outside the laundry when she raced in the back door.
“Yes, I want to check on everything before I polish the silver this afternoon.”
“No need; everything was adequate, but you should check as you go.” Mrs. Billings folded her arms. “The silver’s in the cleaning room and when you finish it you can go home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Billings.” Jessie walked down the steps thinking she was in for an early finish, but when she got there, she saw nearly a day’s worth of silver cleaning in front of her. She stifled a groan. She’d been warned Mrs. Billings expected a lot from her staff.
As Jessie polished the silver, she wondered whether Donovan was particularly interested in her or whether he was merely friendly. She ended up having to stay an hour beyond her finishing time to get all the silver cleaned.
* * *
When Jessie got home, she hurried up to her bruder’s room and sat on the end of his bed. “Can I ask you something, Mark?”
“Nee, not if it’s about a boy.”
She pulled a sad face. “I’ve no one else to ask.”
“Go on then.” Mark flicked his eyes toward the ceiling and muttered something under his breath.
“Donovan, the boss’ son, had lunch with me today in the garden. He said I was pretty and asked if I had a boyfriend.”
Mark pushed himself higher in his bed. “He what?”
“Calm down; it wasn’t as it sounds. I’ll tell you exactly what he said and what happened.” Jessie related the whole scene to Mark. “So, what do you think?”
“You should keep away from him. You need to make a decision. If you want to try the Englisch world then go on rumspringa, but you can’t have one foot in the community and the other foot out.”
Her eyebrows pinched together. “I’m asking you what you think that he’s thinking. I don’t want to go on rumspringa.”
“I know exactly what he’s thinking and you do too. Keep away from him.”
Jessie jumped to her feet. “You don’t even know him. How co
uld you know what he’s thinking or what he wants?”
Mark threw his hands in the air and stuck his chin out. “Why’d you ask me then? You asked me, and I told you. It’s as simple as that.”
“He seems nice.”
“He could be, Jessie, but you’ve got to protect yourself.” He heaved an exasperated sigh. “Can’t you find a man in the community?”
“Last night, Elijah brought me home from the singing. Did you know that?”
“Elijah Hesh?”
“Jah.” She studied his reaction, and it seemed as though he approved of Elijah.
“He’s a good man. He’d make a fine husband for you. Now forget about the Englischer. That is, if you want my advice.”
“I do; your advice means a lot. I have no one else to talk with. The thing I’ve been wondering is why don’t any of my friends like Elijah?”
“Would he be more appealing if one of them liked him?”
Jessie breathed out heavily. “It’s not like that, exactly. I just wonder if they see some flaw I don’t see.”
Mark shook his head. “Why don’t you talk with Mamm? You should speak to another woman about these things.”
“Nee and don’t you breathe a word to her! You know what she’s like; she’d be straight over to his mudder’s haus, and they’d be making wedding plans. You’re the perfect person for me to talk with because you know how men think.”
Mark lifted his leg slightly off the bed. “I should be able to get about on crutches soon now the swelling and the pain have eased.”
Selfishly, Jessie was a little disappointed; she liked having her bruder’s attention without him away working or tired from a full day’s work. “That’s good. When do you get the crutches?”
“Dat’s getting them for me tomorrow.”
“It’ll be a while before you can go back to work, won’t it?”
“Jah, I won’t be working for a few weeks, not 'til the leg mends.”
His Amish Nanny Page 13