Plain pursuit

by Beth Wiseman

  Noah looked toward the ceiling and rubbed his chin. “I knew something was up when I saw Mary Ellen. She didn’t even want me to meet her children.”

  “I’m sorry, Noah,” she repeated, “but we knew this might happen.”

  “I suppose they’re all going to go along with this?”

  “Yes.” She paused. “There’s more . . . They are insisting that I not spend any more time with you while I’m here, Noah.” She felt uncomfortable the minute she said it. Maybe it was presumptuous of her to assume he would even want to spend time with her. Perhaps she had exhausted her usefulness.

  “That doesn’t surprise me.”

  She waited for him to argue, to show remorse at not being able to see her. Something. He just stood there, staring at her.

  “Well, I guess I’d better get back to Lillian before the auction starts.”

  “Wait,” he said when she turned to leave.

  He studied her face. She felt the blood creep into her cheeks. “What is it?”

  “Carley”—the slow, steady way he said her name coaxed her eyes to his—“have dinner with me tonight.”

  A strange sense of relief that he wanted to see her again mixed with regret. “I can’t, Noah. I told you, I’m not to see you. I’m sorry, but I’m a guest in their home. I tried to help you, and it didn’t work. I sincerely hope things go well for you, but I think it’s time we say good-bye.” She started to turn away from him, but he gently grabbed her arm.

  “Hold up a minute. Just like that? I’ll never see you again?” She was flattered by the intensity of his response, but she shook her head. “I can’t go against Lillian’s wishes while I’m here, Noah. It wouldn’t be right.”

  “Okay, don’t run off just yet. Carley . . .” He hesitated, moving closer. “I want to see you again.” When she didn’t respond, he went on. “I’ll figure all this out, but first I have to find Samuel. It’s very important that I talk to him.”

  “He doesn’t want to see you, Noah. Give things some time. Maybe Samuel will come around. I don’t think today is the day, though. This place is crowded, and there’s a lot going on. Wait for a better time.”

  “It’s important that I talk to Samuel today, Carley. What I have to say, he needs to hear from me. David is a very sick kid. I confirmed David’s test results with Dr. Bolton. He wants David in his office tomorrow.”

  “On a Sunday?”

  Noah nodded.

  Carley’s heart was already aching for both Lillian and Samuel. “This is a big day for them. Can you wait until after the auction is over to talk with them?”

  “Yeah. Just make sure they don’t get away before I find them.”

  “Where’ve you been?” Lillian asked when Carley returned. “It took you forever.”

  “Noah’s here.”

  Carley watched Lillian’s face twist into a scowl. “Oh dear.” She motioned to a girl up front. The auctioneer was starting the bidding on the first quilt.

  “He said he must talk to Samuel today, Lillian.”

  Lillian let out a heavy sigh. “Did you tell him this is a bad time?”

  “It’s about David, Lillian.”

  Lillian turned toward her. “Did you tell him I made an appointment with Dr. Bolton?”

  “Yes, but he said two weeks is too long to wait. Noah talked to Dr. Bolton, and he said he has to talk to you and Samuel immediately.”

  “David seems fine. If it was anything serious, don’t you think he would be showing some symptoms?”

  “He’s awfully pale, Lillian.”

  Lillian folded her arms. “Samuel thinks Noah is exaggerating whatever might be wrong with David as a way to get close to the family.”

  “I don’t think so, Lillian.”

  Lillian’s expression grew solemn. “I’ll make sure we talk to Noah today.”

  “Where’s Anna?”

  “Samuel’s mother, Esther, is holding her. She’s outside. Said it’s too crowded in here for her.” Lillian pointed toward the front of the room. “Look, they’re starting.”

  “One hundred, one hundred, do I hear one hundred?” the auctioneer began.

  “One hundred!” Carley turned her attention to the bidder in the third row. A woman in a red blouse held up her paddle.

  “Do I hear one fifty? One fifty?”

  Carley was standing to the side of those seated. She glanced up front toward Linda, who was beaming from ear to ear. She was holding on to the chain that would lower the quilt when it sold, with another quilt ready to heave upward. Carley waved at her. Linda’s smile widened as she waved back. She quickly returned her hand to her side and attempted to stay composed, but her enthusiasm was hard to squelch.

  “I’ve got one fifty. Do I hear two hundred? Do I hear two hundred?”

  Carley glanced at the people who were sitting down. They all had pads of paper, pens, calculators, the list with the quilt names and numbers, and the same expressions of concentration on their faces.

  A woman further back held up her paddle, indicating she would bid two hundred dollars.

  “I’ve got two hundred, two hundred, two hundred . . .”

  No one was bidding. Impossible. According to Lillian, the quilt was worth at least five or six hundred dollars. Carley looked at Linda, who was horror-struck.

  Please, someone bid.

  The auctioneer and two helpers, all Amish men, continued to scan the room, hoping to see a paddle. They gave ample time for anyone else to bid.

  “Sold! Autumn Mist for two hundred dollars to the lady in the blue shirt.”

  “What?” Carley whispered.

  The woman in the blue shirt turned in her chair, winked at a woman behind her, and looked forward again.

  The next four quilts, each more elaborate than the first, sold for two hundred dollars apiece. Carley could tell that Linda, along with the rest of the girls up front, were fighting tears. The adult women were also visibly disappointed.

  “We have over two hundred more quilts to auction,” Lillian said in a panic. “Each one represent countless hours of work. This is just wrong!”

  Linda and the other girls secured the next two quilts on the hooks and lifted them up. Pointing to the quilt on the left, the auctioneer began. Once again, the bidding stopped at two hundred dollars, with another woman smiling gleefully at her steal.

  Sadie walked up to Carley and Lillian. “You see what’s going on, don’t you?”

  Carley and Lillian looked at each other, and Lillian shook her head.

  “The quilts are being stolen,” Sadie cried, “by shop owners. And I would reckon to venture they will turn around and sell the quilts at much higher prices in their stores.”

  “The girls are so disappointed,” Lillian said. “So am I.”

  “This is terrible,” Carley added. “I’d try to up the bids, Lillian, but honestly, I can only afford one quilt, and I’d need to get one of the less elaborate ones. I’m afraid I’d up the bid and be stuck with a quilt I couldn’t pay for.”

  “Don’t you do that,” Lillian said. “Because that could happen.”

  “I’ll just wait until the Lone Star quilt comes up for auction. I want that one anyway.”

  The three women held their breath as the next quilt hit two hundred.

  “Two hundred, going once, going— In the back! I have three hundred. Three hundred, three hundred. Do I hear three fifty?”

  A woman in the front row groaned at being outbid but raised her paddle just the same,

  “Three fifty. Do I hear four? Four hundred?” Only a moment later, the auctioneer yelled, “Five hundred! I’ve got five hundred in the back.”

  Another woman seated near the front hesitated, then lifted her paddle.

  “We’ve got six hundred, six hundred, six hundred . . . Sold for six hundred dollars to the lady in the baseball cap midways back.”

  The next three quilts went for six hundred dollars, all thanks to bidder number 742 in the back, who continued to outbid the shopkeepers—even win
ning the bid on one of the quilts.

  The bidding slowly began to edge upward. Carley knew she would be outbid on the Lone Star quilt.

  “Here’s your quilt,” Lillian said excitedly. “Bid on it!”

  “I can’t afford over six hundred dollars, Lillian,” she whispered, “as much as I’d love to have it. But I’ll try.”

  “Just see. You might get lucky!” Sadie chimed in.

  Carley went head-to-head with two different women, carrying her bid all the way to six hundred dollars, knowing she really couldn’t afford even that much. But, suspended in all its glory, it was one of the most beautiful quilts she had ever seen. She wanted it more than ever.

  “Six fifty!” the auctioneer yelled as he pointed at the woman in the blue blouse.

  “I’m out.” Carley sighed. Lillian patted Carley on the back but was focused on the continued bidding.

  “It’s up to nine hundred dollars!” Sadie yelped.

  They watched the bid jump to twelve hundred then thirteen hundred.

  “I knew it was a great quilt.” Carley sighed again, shaking her head. She smiled up at Linda, who looked like she might burst at the seams.

  “Fifteen hundred dollars! I have fifteen hundred dollars from the man in the back! Do I hear sixteen, sixteen, sixteen?” Pausing for a final look, the auctioneer yelled, “Sold! To the man in the back of the room. Number 742.”

  The bidding conspiracy had come to an end and the more elaborate quilts began to sell, the highest price hitting twenty-three hundred dollars.

  Carley was bushed. They’d spent a busy few hours at the auction, followed by a check-in at housewares before picking up Samuel near the farm equipment. All around them, families carted wares toward buggies and cars.

  Carley hefted her small box of affordable trinkets and smiled at Lillian. “Did you see Linda’s face when the quilts started to sell for what they’re worth?”

  Lillian’s face lit up. “Ya, I did. What a great day it turned out to be. A wunderbaar day!”

  Carley glanced behind her where Samuel and David trailed, deep in conversation about farm machinery. “Did you talk to Samuel about speaking with Noah?” she whispered.

  “No, I haven’t had a chance.” Lillian repositioned Anna in her arms. “I’m scared to hear what Noah will say.”

  Carley glanced back again. “I guess we’re about to find out. Look who’s following us.”

  Lillian spun around and stopped in her tracks. Samuel and David caught up with her.

  “Why are you stopping?” Samuel asked.

  Lillian pointed behind Samuel toward Noah.

  When Noah caught up with them, Carley noticed the two quilts he had draped across his arm. One of them was her quilt. So he was the man in the back—number 742. The one who had saved the auction from bombing. She looked at him in wonder.

  Noah stared hard at his brother. “Samuel, I have to talk to you.”

  “We have no business, Noah.” Samuel turned toward his son. “David, go get yourself a soda.”

  “But I’m not thirsty, Pop.”

  Samuel fired David a stern look.

  Once David was out of earshot, Noah said, “It’s probably a good thing you sent him away, Samuel. I need to explain to you about—”

  “You have no place in our family, Noah. It has been decided by Bishop Ebersol that—”

  Noah interrupted, waving Samuel to silence. “I know all about that. Listen to me, Samuel. David is sick. Very sick. I reviewed his lab work with Dr. Bolton, and David has something called renal dysplasia. What you think about me had better take a backseat for now, because you need to hear me out.”

  There was no questioning the urgency in Noah’s statement.

  Samuel leaned toward Noah. “What?” His voice trembled. “What’s wrong with my boy?”

  10

  THEY ALL HUNG ON NOAH’SEVERY WORD AS HE EXPLAINED that David had been born with kidneys that were too small.

  “During puberty, the body grows. When a person has renal dysplasia, the kidneys remain small and can’t keep up with the growth and eventually stop functioning. Since David is so pale and has been vomiting, we ran kidney function tests. David’s kidneys are barely working, and he’s severely anemic. I’m amazed he’s getting around so well.”

  “What does this mean?” Samuel watched David returning with a soda.

  “It means you need to meet with Dr. Bolton tomorrow. Even though it’s a Sunday, he has agreed to see you and explain your options.”

  Samuel placed one hand on his hip and rubbed his forehead with the other. “Could he—?” His voice broke.

  “We will get him well, Samuel.”

  Samuel looked intently at Noah. “Do not speak of this in front of the boy.”

  “All right.”

  When David rejoined them, Samuel motioned for his family to continue toward the car. Noah caught Carley’s eye.

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” Carley said to Lillian.

  “Listen, I know it’s taboo for us to be spending time together,” Noah said once the family was out of earshot, “but please call me this evening. And, Carley, if David has any problems, take him straight to the emergency room.”

  “I will. I’d better go. I’ll call you later.”

  “Oh, wait.” He separated the two quilts. “One for you, one for me.” He offered her the Lone Star quilt.

  “No way,” she argued. “You paid fifteen hundred dollars for that quilt. I’m not taking it. I can’t afford to pay you—”

  He shoved the quilt toward her, enough so that she had to accept it. Then he smiled. “What am I going to do with two quilts? I only have one bed.” Continuing to grin, he turned away while she rambled on about how she couldn’t accept it.

  She gave up. Not that she minded. To the contrary—the thought of sleeping beneath Noah’s quilt warmed Carley’s insides.

  They all watched Carley stow the quilt in the trunk. It was awkward, but no one said anything about it. Actually, no one said much of anything on the way home.

  Lillian always made a grand meal, but for supper that evening she went the extra mile—baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, a broccoli and cauliflower salad, and raisin puffs for dessert.

  “Raisin puffs are David’s favorite,” she had told Carley as she rolled the cookies in cinnamon and sugar before putting them in the oven.

  But everyone just picked at the food. Even David, who didn’t know what was going on yet, pushed the food around on his plate.

  Carley discreetly cut her eyes toward David, aware of the dark cloud hovering over all of them. He was paler than he had been, and how had she not noticed the dark circles under his eyes?

  After they had picked at their food for long enough, Carley helped Lillian clean the supper dishes while Samuel and David retired to the den. Samuel carried Anna with him. Carley noticed he was staying particularly close to both his children.

  “I need to go make some phone calls,” Carley told Lillian when they finished cleaning. “I need to call my editor and my brother.”

  “And Noah, I suspect,” Lillian said softly.

  Carley watched as Lillian rested her hands on the edge of the sink and leaned over. As Lillian’s shoulders began to gently rise and fall, Carley went to her side.

  “Lillian, are you okay?”

  Lillian was crying. The day’s events had caught up with her friend. Carley knew Lillian had tried to hide her emotions from her family, but she was struggling to keep herself together.

  It had been clear to Carley from the beginning that Lillian loved David as if he were her biological son, and she was reacting accordingly. Carley turned Lillian around and wrapped her arms around her friend. “I’m sure everything is going to be fine, Lillian.”

  “I’m sure it will be too.” Lillian eased out of the embrace, wiped a tear, and stared hard into Carley’s eyes. “It has to be.”

  Carley decided to wait to call Matt until business hours and dialed her brother’s nu
mber instead. She stretched out on the Lone Star quilt she had spread across the bed and ran her hand along the intricate stitching.

  Noah.

  She couldn’t help but smile as she recalled the way he forced the quilt on her.

  “Hello, it’s me,” she said when Adam answered the phone.

  “Carley, I was going to call you tonight if I didn’t hear from you. How’s everything going in Pennsylvania Dutch Country? Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. It’s Samuel and Lillian’s son. He’s really sick. They just found out there’s something seriously wrong with his kidneys. We’re taking him to a specialist tomorrow.” She paused. “And if that isn’t enough, a long-lost shunned brother has entered the picture.”

  Adam listened as Carley went into further detail.

  “You must be getting some good information for your article,” he commented finally.

  “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” The story had been the last thing on Carley’s mind.

  “You’re sure you’re okay, though?”

  “Adam, I’m fine.” She let out a sigh of frustration.

  “Okay,” Adam said as if he understood he didn’t need to keep asking her. “So what’s with the shunned brother?”

  Noah’s face kept flashing before her as she filled Adam in.

  “Sounds like you’ve taken a keen interest in this man.” Carley could tell that this concerned Adam.

  “He’s an interesting person,” she said, choosing her words carefully. No need to fuel Adam’s concern by discussing feelings she wasn’t even sure about. “And he wants to have a relationship with his family. It’s all very sad.”

  “Carley, it sounds like Lillian and her family have a lot of personal stuff going on. Maybe you should come home.”

  “No, I’m not coming home.” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, I want to be here in case Lillian needs me.”

  “So you don’t know yet if they’ll put Lillian’s son in the hospital?”

  Carley took a deep breath. “No, I don’t.”