Leave a Candle Burning

by Lori Wick

  “You’ve been busy,” Eli said, picking up each one and examining it closely.

  “Do you like any of them?”

  “I like all of them.”

  “But which one should I choose?”

  “One?” Eli teased her, knowing he would want her to have more than she did.

  “Yes, one. I’m sure I don’t need more.”

  Eli reached for her wrist. The fabric on her dress was frayed at the cuff, a tear threatening during any daily activity.

  “And all your dresses are doing this,” Eli said as though Scottie had argued. “I want you to choose three of these. I don’t care which.”

  Scottie opened her mouth to argue and then realized how unthankful that would seem.

  “I’ll do that,” she said, having trusted this man for a long time and seeing no reason to stop now.

  Eli nodded and smiled at her, already looking forward to seeing which fabrics she chose. Not many minutes later, Scottie said she had work to get done. Eli didn’t try to detain her.

  Reese frowned down at the recipe for veal soup, wondering why it didn’t taste the way she expected. She was getting ready to add more pepper when she wondered if it might be her. Many foods tasted differently right now, and she thought it might be wise to wait and hear what Conner thought. The only problem with that idea was that by the time he arrived home for dinner, the soup needed to be on the table.

  Reese suddenly sat down. Why did such small things make her feel like crying? Conner never complained about the food. He and Troy were always thankful for meals, and their praise never sounded hollow. So why did she feel almost sad? She was not a melancholy person to begin with, and since coming to Christ and understanding the way He died for her, she had learned on a regular basis how much she had to be thankful for.

  Reese pushed to her feet, telling herself she had better things to do than sit around and cry. She left the soup as it was and went to work on a dessert.

  “How is dinner coming?” Scottie asked of Iris, who was in the kitchen bent over the worktable.

  “I don’t have the biscuits cut yet. Do you have time?”

  “Indeed I do.” Scottie didn’t hesitate, uncovering the bowl on the table corner and going to work.

  “What did the doc say about Eli?”

  “He was just checking back in,” Scottie explained. “Eli was fine before he even got here yesterday.”

  “I didn’t meet him,” Iris noted, referring to the physician, “but Finn says he’s a decent sort.”

  “He certainly seems to be,” Scottie had to agree. “Eli liked him. He left here with a book.”

  Iris turned surprised eyes to her employer’s wife. Eli Peterson was a kind and giving man—extremely generous but ever so careful about his beloved book collection.

  “What book was it?” Iris asked out of curiosity.

  “I don’t think I noticed, but he said he’s looking forward to giving a report.”

  Iris smiled. She liked it when Eli had company. She went up every day to visit with him for at least a few minutes and had done so every day she’d worked for the family, moving onto 18 years now.

  “All set,” Scottie announced. Having cut the dough, she wiped her hands and laid out the biscuits in neat rows on the pan. “I’m headed into the garden for a bit. Call if I’m needed.”

  “Don’t you be filling that water bucket until it’s too heavy,” Iris warned, giving her standard caution as Scottie slipped outside. Scottie agreed, knowing that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t be long before Iris sent Finn to check on her.

  A corked jug dangling from one hand, Maddie walked across the field to where her husband worked. He wasn’t in the sawmill at this time of the year, but the fields and spring planting had a habit of eating up every available hour.

  She had left Valerie in Cathy’s care, wondering how Jace was feeling. Clara, a woman who worked for Jace and Maddie a few days a week, suggested apple water when she learned that Jace’s stomach had been acting up the night before. It was a relief to get close enough to call to him and see the way he smiled at the sight of her.

  “Apple water,” Maddie explained when he tipped the jug and took a huge drink. “How is it?”

  “It’s good.”

  “Clara suggested it when I mentioned your stomach.”

  “Leave it to Clara to know such things.”

  Maddie had no choice but to agree. She had learned plenty at the knee of her Aunt Cathy, but Clara sometimes knew things of which no one else seemed to be aware.

  “How do you feel?” Maddie asked when Jace drained the jug and used his handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his face.

  “Not bad. I won’t mind coming in for dinner, so I take that to be a good sign.”

  “Do you want to eat a little early?” Maddie asked, knowing how little he’d eaten the evening before.

  “That might not be a bad idea.”

  Jace handed the jug back and smiled down on her.

  “How’s it going with Cathy?”

  “I can tell she wants to be home. She’s over the moon about having Val to play with all day, but she misses her home.”

  “What does Dannan say about her healing?”

  “Nothing new that I know of. I think he might be out today. Cathy’s hoping he will be.”

  “And what of you?” Jace reached up and fingered the ties on her bonnet. “Are you weary of company?”

  “Not until evening,” Maddie admitted, “when I’d rather have you all to myself.”

  Jace’s hand closed around the bonnet ties. He bent his own head even as he pulled until Maddie’s face was close to his own. Making himself hold back, he kissed her once gently when all he wanted was to put his arms around her and keep right on kissing.

  “I was thinking,” Maddie whispered while their faces were still close. “I haven’t had a swimming lesson in a while. And it’s a warm day.”

  Jace’s eyes lit with little flames before he kissed her again.

  “Tonight,” he promised, watching his wife smile.

  Maddie was still smiling when she turned and started back for the farmhouse.

  “How is the soup?” Reese asked, and both men assured her it was delicious. Reese still thought it tasted off but kept her opinion to herself.

  “I’ve heard from my daughter,” Troy said, his soup bowl half empty.

  “Which one?” Conner asked.

  “Eliza. She wants to know if they can all come to visit.”

  “Of course,” Conner said with no hesitation.

  Troy looked to Reese and then back to Conner. “You agreed rather swiftly. Are you sure Reese is up to it? It’s three adults and two small children.”

  “I’m up to it,” Reese put in. “I’ve wanted them to visit for a long time.”

  “I’ll write back and tell them. It will probably be for a weekend, Reese. I don’t know if Harris,” Troy spoke of his son-in-law, “can be away during the week.”

  “Anytime is fine.”

  Not until she said this did Conner catch something in her face and voice. She sounded almost tired or discouraged. He watched her during the rest of the meal and didn’t hear it again, but when dinner was over, he told Troy he would catch up with him.

  “Are you all right?” Conner wasted no time asking.

  Reese had already started to work in the kitchen. She stopped and looked at her husband.

  “I’m fine, why?”

  “Is it the family’s coming?” Conner asked, ignoring her declaration of fine. “Troy would understand if you don’t want a houseful right now.”

  “I want them to come. I was quite sincere about that.”

  Conner studied her. Something was wrong, but he could not put his finger on it. Reese was not one to evade questions, so he knew better than to accuse her of keeping something from him, but he could hear in her voice and see in her face that all was not well.

  “Conner, what is it?” his wife asked.

  “I’m not sure.
You just seem a bit low, as though you’re upset about something.”

  “I have been feeling like I could cry,” Reese admitted, thinking she was the only one to know this. “But when I can’t figure out what’s bothering me, I just go back to work.”

  Conner had to smile. It was such a Reese thing to say. She had such amazing energy and drive that it was hard to imagine her being brought low over anything.

  “But something is bothering you?”

  Reese thought about this. Earlier when she had wanted to cry, she would have said yes, but right now she didn’t know.

  “I’m not going to press you,” Conner said when she stayed quiet, but he moved until he could touch her. “I’ll finish early at the bank.”

  “I don’t know if I’ll understand my feelings later, Conner. I just can’t tell.”

  “Well, either way, I’ll be home early to check on you.”

  Reese nodded as Conner put his arms around her. He held her for a moment before bending to kiss her. Not until he was ready to leave did he realize Dannan had never made an appearance for dinner.

  “No word from Dannan?” Conner asked from the doorway.

  “Not today.”

  Conner only nodded and left. Reese went back to work.

  “You have something on your mind,” Finn said to Eli as soon as dinner was over and the two were alone.

  “What makes you think that?” Eli asked but didn’t deny the statement.

  Finn’s brows rose. They both knew that the only person who knew Eli better than himself was Finn.

  “Is it something Pastor Muldoon said today, something from his sermon?” Finn asked, not willing to be put off quite yet.

  “No,” Eli said but didn’t elaborate.

  Finn debated pressing him. He knew he would find out in time, but sometimes his curious nature got the better of him. Eli enjoyed stringing him along, but at the moment Finn realized his employer’s eyes were too serious to tease.

  “Let me know when you want to talk about it” were Finn’s parting words, having settled Eli for the night and ready to seek the privacy of his own room.

  “Thank you, Finn,” Eli said, his gratitude sincere. He did want to talk about what was on his mind, but not tonight. It had been a full day, and at the moment he was simply too weary.

  Sitting on the edge of his bed that night, Dannan thought back on the day. His last stop had been the Randall farm, where he found Cathy Shephard in good shape. He told her to give her wrist a few more days and to ease back into her duties, favoring her wrist until it was completely comfortable. He had seen that she was delighted with this news and also witnessed the same pleasure on Maddie’s face. He knew she got along well with her aunt and wondered what might have been going through her mind.

  Before the visit to the farm, Dannan had been at a house on the outskirts of town, a location that kept him from joining the folks at the big house for dinner, seeing to the needs of a young girl. She had a rash on the backs of her legs that made walking very painful. Her mother had tried several poultices with no relief. Dannan suspected poison sumac, but when he questioned the mother, she said the little girl had not been out.

  Dannan had stood still for a moment, his mind at work. He was almost certain of the diagnosis, but he couldn’t very well argue with the mother when she said the child had been indoors. In Dannan’s favor, the family dog had chosen that moment to come into the room. Dannan had looked down at the big animal as he came to stand by the bed. In obvious affection, the dog had laid his head on the mattress, and the little girl had reached to touch him.

  An explanation of where the exposure might have come from was easy to make. The mother hadn’t looked delighted with the idea but took Dannan at his word, and she listened carefully to his suggestions to make her daughter more comfortable.

  While Dannan was still sitting on the edge of the bed, his mind finally wandered backward to the beginning of the day. He could easily see Eli Peterson sitting against the headboard of his bed, slightly bent to the side, his face too thin but redeemed by the short, neatly combed beard he wore. Remembering Eli’s eyes as being dark in color and keen with intelligence, Dannan doubted they missed a thing.

  He had felt instant warmth from Eli, not just that morning but the day before as well. Dannan didn’t know how much company he had, but he clearly knew how to make visitors feel welcome. And Dannan had been serious in his compliments about the full bookshelves. He’d not seen such a fine collection in many years.

  For a moment, Dannan thought about some of the other titles, but without warning, he saw Scottie entering the room. Dannan’s heart did the strangest things when that woman was in view. Dannan had thought he’d prepared his mind to see her, but then there she was, smiling in delight. Her beautiful face had been completely distracting with those light red curls peeking out from the brim of her bonnet.

  For several minutes Dannan let his mind slip away. He thought about what his new life in Tucker Mills might have been like if she hadn’t been married. He pictured her smiling up at him and not Eli and felt his pulse quicken.

  Dannan shook his head and stood up, knowing that thinking about her was the worst thing he could do; it was also wrong in the eyes of his Savior. He couldn’t remember if he’d left the book he’d borrowed from Eli in the parlor or the kitchen, but it was time to find it. And he did just that, right after he confessed to the Lord yet again that he’d been dreaming about another man’s wife.

  “When do your boys come home, Alison?” Reese asked on Tuesday afternoon.

  “This Friday.”

  “Have you missed them?”

  “I can’t tell you how much,” Alison confessed, and every woman in the room smiled at her in understanding.

  It happened once a month, sometimes more often. The women of the church family gathered in Alison’s parlor at the time of Jeffrey Muldoon’s nap to visit and share for whatever time their schedules would allow.

  Today Maddie was there, the baby in tow. Reese had come, as had Beth Peternell and Ora Weber. Maddie and Beth were regulars, but the other ladies came only when they could. They had been doing this for the past few months, and each time the women grew a little closer.

  “How is Cathy doing?” Ora asked of Maddie.

  “Physically, very well. I think when Doyle comes tonight for tea, he’ll be taking her home. Dannan gave her leave to return to her life, albeit carefully.”

  “Why did you specify physically?” Reese asked, having caught this.

  “Because I can’t tell how she’s doing spiritually,” Maddie admitted. “She does a lot of listening, and she does ask the occasional question, but I can’t tell what she’s thinking.”

  “She attends services nearly every week,” Beth pointed out.

  “And she enjoys them,” Maddie added. “I can tell by the things she says and the way she interacts with everyone, but that’s the way she was at Commons Meetinghouse, so I’m not sure there’s much to hang my hope on.”

  “You mean outside of Christ?” Alison asked, smiling graciously.

  Maddie’s own mouth stretched into a smile before saying, “I do now.”

  The women all laughed together before the next topic of conversation came up. Ora wanted to talk about a verse she’d been learning, and Alison was encouraged to learn that all of these women had been memorizing Scripture. She had been struggling with that herself, admitted as much to the women, and was challenged to get back to work.

  The time raced by, and almost at the same time all the women departed, everyone save Reese. That woman hung back a bit and asked Alison if she had any extra time.

  “Certainly, Reese,” she invited. “I just need to run up and check on Jeff.”

  Reese stayed in the parlor, wondering how she would explain. As she sat still, her last conversation with Conner came rushing back.

  “How did the rest of your day go?”

  “It was fine.”

  “You feel okay?”

  “I th
ink so,” she had said, a bit helplessly, and then, “Conner, what exactly do you see in me right now?”

  He had picked up her hand. “The Reese I know is a ball of energy. She radiates strength and stamina.”

  “And now?”

  “You’re just a little bit on the quiet side, almost sad.”

  She had nodded, wondering what to think.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” Conner had pressed.

  “Yes, and how much God loves me. I spent all day thinking about the blessings and promises I have in Him, and yet I still feel a bit off, and you see that too.”

  Even at that, her eyes had filled. Conner had reached up and put his large hand against her cheek. His thumb had stroked over her cheekbone, his touch light.

  “It must be the changes in your body due to your pregnancy. Things might be a little thrown off during this time.”

  She had only nodded in agreement.

  “Why don’t you talk to Alison? She’s had enough children to know how to advise you.”

  “That’s a good idea.”

  “You go there tomorrow, don’t you?”

  “Yes, but there will be other women there.”

  “Then go early or stay late. You know that you’re always welcome.”

  She was still remembering what Conner had said when Alison arrived back. When she did, the older woman found Reese looking very thoughtful.

  “You have something on your mind,” Alison began, her voice kind. “I can see it in your eyes.”

  “I’m just trying to figure out where to begin. Conner suggested I talk to you, and it seemed easy at the time, but now I’m not sure.”

  “What does he want you to talk to me about?”

  “About how you felt when you were expecting. We talked about it for a while last night, and when Conner realized I was going to see you today, he said to ask you about it.”

  “How I felt emotionally or physically?”