“So you want to get me in trouble?”
“No, but I have no other choice. I have to talk to her. Do you want me to go down and do so on my own?”
“No,” Jake said. “I like both of you too much to let that happen.”
“I’ll go to your bishop if you want me to.”
Jake laughed. “And what makes you think he’ll tell you anything different from what I say?”
“It’ll probably be worse.”
“Probably.”
“Then you won’t help me?”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t.”
“But you didn’t say you would either.”
“Tell you what I’ll do,” Jake said. “I’ll send Hannah down tonight to speak with her. I don’t think it’s the best way, but coming from a woman, it might be better received.”
“That’ll be fine,” Mr. Brunson said, a broad smile on his face. “But let’s be sure about this. I won’t be getting you or Hannah in trouble, will I?”
“Not if you behave yourself,” Jake said. “Hannah will speak to Mary tonight, and I’ll let you know her response next week.”
“I knew you’d come through for an old friend.” Mr. Brunson beamed. “I can never thank you enough for this, Jake.”
“Just remember you said that—when and if you begin learning how to be Amish,” Jake said with a smile.
“It will be worth it,” Mr. Brunson said. “Trust me.”
Jake shook his head, turning back to his shop as Mr. Brunson went out the front door.
Mr. Brunson got into his truck and headed home. As he drove past Mary’s now empty roadside stand he smiled confidently. Jake had agreed to his proposal, and he would soon know what Mary’s feelings were for him. That would make things so much easier.
Turning onto the gravel lane toward home, he drove past Jake and Hannah’s cabin, slowing his truck to cut down on the dust. Then it occurred to him. Why couldn’t he make his own case to Hannah instead of having the words go through Jake’s mouth? He knew Hannah well enough, and she had always treated him with the utmost respect. The other night she had been very sympathetic to his story. Surely that all figured in his favor.
But it might not be wise. Better to let Jake tell her, as they had decided. The Amish faith was still a mystery, and there was no sense in stepping into any hidden traps along the way.
Continuing to his place, the truck bounced up to his house. He unloaded the groceries and hurried on his aching legs to get the now warm eggs into the refrigerator. If they spoiled before he finished the carton, the stop to see Mary had still been worth it. Finishing the last trip he walked back outside, standing on the front porch to look at the mountains in the east, his eyes following the long rise and fall of the majestic ridges.
What would it be like to join the Amish? Surely it would be fun, if nothing else. He had already experienced a life of seclusion in these mountains in the years after Bernice and Elsie’s deaths. Going Amish shouldn’t be that much different. And as close as the Amish community seemed, he would certainly no longer be so alone. It might be a good thing, this Amish conversion.
With Bernice he had dreamed of cruises and travel to exotic places. They had never gone, except for the trip to Guam on their honeymoon, always pushing the dates back until the day they would retire. Now Bernice was gone. Could another woman ever take her place?
No, but Mary was a different woman. She wouldn’t be taking Bernice’s place at all. In fact, with Mary it was obvious there still would be no cruises ahead or travel to exotic places. Perhaps it was just as well. He sighed and turned to go back inside.
Thirteen
Hannah turned Mosey into the gravel lane and drove up the hill toward the cabin. Miriam, impatient, pulled the storm front open and leaned out of the buggy front to look eagerly around her.
“You’ll fall out if you’re not careful,” Hannah warned, hanging onto the lines as Mosey lifted his feet high, almost prancing at the sight of the barn.
“I have to look around,” Miriam said. “This is such beautiful country. And look at your adorable little cabin.”
“It’s small,” Hannah said, “but we like it.”
“I can see why,” Miriam said. “I never dreamed it would be this nice—not even with all the descriptions Mom gave from her trip out here.”
“I suppose you have to see things before they’re real to you,” Hannah said, guiding Mosey up to the barn. Miriam was already on the ground before Hannah pulled to a stop, jumping out over the buggy wheels.
“This is where I will find love, and I will always remember this as the moment when I first knew for sure. The sight of your little cabin will be forever burned in my mind as the place I finally knew that love had come knocking on my door.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little silly?” Hannah asked, climbing down from the buggy and loosening the tugs.
“And this statement comes from the girl who used to dream herself!” Miriam said, turning to loosen the tugs on her side of the buggy.
“You don’t sound like it’s a dream,” Hannah said, leading Mosey forward while Miriam held the shafts. “You sound certain of it.”
“I am certain of it,” Miriam said. “And you will let me use the cabin on Sunday nights, won’t you? I don’t think I can risk having him take me over to Betty’s place. She would be up to her usual sabotage, like she was with you and Jake.”
“Don’t be hard on Betty. She had her reasons.”
“But you will let me use the living room, won’t you, Hannah? Please? Do I have to get down on my knees and beg?”
Hannah laughed, “He has to ask you first. Have you thought of that?”
“This Dennis will swoon at my charms,” Miriam said, rolling her eyes skyward.
“I’m glad Mom’s not around to hear you talk like this. She would scold you to no end—and rightly so.”
“Ah, but she’s not here.”
“No, but don’t forget that I’m here to watch over you on her behalf,” Hannah said leading Mosey into the barn. “You can go on inside if you want.”
Pulling the harness off the horse, Hannah turned Mosey into his stall. Making sure his door to the field was open, she left the barn. Jake would see to the horse’s feed and hay when he arrived home from work and took care of Joel, his driving horse.
Hannah entered the cabin to find Miriam standing in the middle of the living room, her suitcase beside her.
“This is where it will happen,” Miriam said, swinging her arms wide. “My future husband and I will have our first long talk right here.”
“I still haven’t said you could use the living room.”
“Come on, Hannah,” Miriam said. “Please let me.”
“But I don’t approve of the boy—if you’re still thinking of Dennis. I’m sorry now I even mentioned him.”
“Hannah, Dennis is a church member in good standing, isn’t he?”
“Jah, but I still don’t like it,” Hannah said and then quickly changed the subject. “We’d better get you unpacked. Let me show you where the spare bedroom is.”
“This is so wonderful,” Miriam said, following with her suitcase. “And this is where Mom and Dad stayed when they visited last year. It’s exactly like Mom described it.”
“It was a great blessing that they were here over Jake’s ordination,” Hannah said. “None of us could have timed it any better.”
“A log bed! Oh, Hannah!” Miriam shrieked. “Did Jake make this?”
“Jah, a month or so ago.”
“So it wasn’t here when Mom and Dad visited?”
“No, we just had an old mattress frame then, since money was kind of tight.”
“I remember Mom saying that,” Miriam said, lifting her suitcase up on the bed. She turned and gave Hannah another hug. “I am so happy, Hannah. Happier than I’ve been in years. And to think my little sister had so much to do with it.”
“I’m glad,” Hannah said, returning the hug. “I’ll let you unpack w
hile I start supper. Take as much time as you need.”
Hannah went into the kitchen and placed wood in the stove. It caught fire easily on the embers from the morning, the flame leaping to life, the smoke curling toward the back of the firebox and then up the chimney.
Supper would be simple tonight, even with Miriam here. There would be time later for more elaborate meal making. For tonight Miriam needed time to relax and get used to her surroundings after all the exuberance she was expending. Perhaps especially because of all the exuberance…
Starting work on a meat casserole, Hannah went out to the springhouse and, upon returning, found Miriam in the kitchen.
“Are you unpacked already?”
“Not quite,” Miriam said. “But I can’t stay cooped up in there while the sun is shining. I can finish unpacking after supper.”
“Then why don’t you go outside and look around? I can handle the supper preparations.”
“I have a better idea,” Miriam said. “Why don’t I help you get your casserole in the oven, and then we both can go outside. You can give me a guided tour.”
“I’m afraid there’s not much to give a tour of,” Hannah said with a laugh. “But it does sound like a good idea.”
“Decided then,” Miriam said, glancing at the recipe. Hannah showed her where the bowls were under the counter, and together they quickly finished the casserole.
“We’ll have to time the oven,” Hannah said, sliding the dish in. “What does the recipe say?”
“An hour and a half at three-fifty.”
“Then we have plenty of time,” Hannah said, shutting the oven door. “Come, we’ll start with the garden.”
“So you don’t have problems with deer?” Miriam asked as Hannah pointed out the sprouting rows of vegetables and corn.
“Not really,” Hannah said. “The deer stay mostly in the mountains. I guess they must have plenty of other things to eat. We did have a bear problem. Did Mom tell you about that?”
Miriam laughed. “They talked about it for months. That and this neighbor of yours who shot the grizzly. Mom and Dad seemed to think he was quite the decent man.”
“That’s Mr. Brunson. You’ll get to meet him while you’re here.”
“I think I’d rather meet this Dennis fellow you don’t want me to meet,” Miriam teased.
“If you do meet him, don’t ever say I didn’t warn you.”
“I won’t,” Miriam said as she bent over to pick a tiny flower from the edge of the pasture. “Now isn’t this cute?”
“It’s a purple geranium. I’ve noticed them in the pasture before.”
“Take a long sniff,” Miriam said, holding the flower up to Hannah’s face. “Isn’t that just the best perfume anyone could buy? I think I’ll rub my face with them on Sunday night when Dennis brings me here for our first date.”
“Don’t be silly,” Hannah said.
Both women glanced back toward the house at the sound of rattling buggy wheels.
“Is that Jake coming up the lane?” Miriam asked.
“That’s him!” Hannah said, a big smile spreading over her face.
“Oh my, he’s a minister now,” Miriam said with a shiver. “I haven’t seen him since he’s a minister. And here I was making plans to have my dates in a minister’s house. Maybe I’ll have to rethink that.”
“I think Jake approves of Dennis,” Hannah said, leading the way toward the barn. “At least a lot more than I do.”
“Then bless his shirt buttons,” Miriam said. “He’ll be a good minister then.”
“Stop your prattling and come tell Jake hello,” Hannah said.
As the two approached Jake, he spoke first as he pulled the horse to a stop by the barn. “Howdy! I see you’ve made it, Miriam. Has Hannah been keeping you entertained?”
“More than entertained I would say,” Miriam said. “She took me on a horseback ride at Betty’s place and showed me around your place. It’s so lovely here, and the countryside is absolutely awesome.”
“That’s gut,” Jake said, as Hannah helped him unhitch. “Is supper ready?”
“Almost,” Hannah said. “Are you hungry?”
“No more than normal,” Jake said with a laugh. “Let me get Joel into the barn and taken care of and I’ll explain.”
Hannah turned toward the house to see that Miriam had gone ahead of her and was already entering the kitchen door. When she arrived inside, Miriam had the casserole out on top of the stove, a slightly worried look on her face.
“Did we miss the time by that much?” Hannah asked. “Did I burn it to a crisp?”
Miriam shook her head, “I don’t think so. It might be browned a little extra, but nothing serious.” Her smile returned. “These woodstoves have got to be hard to regulate.”
“They are,” Hannah said. “But I usually succeed in not burning anything.”
“Well, your record is still intact, so you can breathe a sigh of relief.”
“That’s gut because Jake wants supper early for some reason.”
“Then let’s get it on the table for him,” Miriam said, as the front door of the cabin opened.
“Hannah, may I talk with you for a minute?” Jake called from the living room.
“Go!” Miriam said, motioning with her hand. “I’ll get supper on the table.”
“I’ll be right back to help with the salad,” Hannah said over her shoulder. “The bread, butter, and jam are in the lower cupboard.”
Jake was sitting on the couch, his face deep in thought when she came up to him.
“Please sit down,” he said. “I have something to ask of you. Mr. Brunson stopped by today, and I told him you’d pay a visit to Mary Keim tonight.”
“Why?” Hannah asked, sitting down beside him.
“Because Mr. Brunson talked me into this. He wants to speak with Mary about their possible future relationship.”
“But Jake, you can’t do that. You know you can’t. It’s not fitting.”
He laughed nervously, “Perhaps I made this sound worse than what it is. Mr. Brunson seems to think he wants to join the Amish, but he’d like to speak with Mary first. To know her feelings…if she has any for him.”
“If any of this comes back to Bishop John—and it surely will—think of how it will sound. You giving an Englisha man permission to speak of marriage to one of our women. That will get you in so much trouble—more trouble than you’ve ever been in before.”
“But I promised Mr. Brunson.”
“I’m sorry, dear,” Hannah said, stroking his face. “But you have a very soft heart, and I think Mr. Brunson took advantage of you. Come, we have supper almost ready, and you can still eat early.”
“So you won’t go?” he asked, getting to his feet.
“I don’t think that would be for the best,” Hannah said. “Not for your sake, or my sake, or for the sake of the baby.”
“The baby,” he said, taking her gently in his arms. “I had forgotten about the baby.”
“We must think of him…or her. Your reputation—and mine and the baby’s—is at stake here.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he said, kissing her gently on top of the head.
Fourteen
Jake walked up the gravel lane toward Mr. Brunson’s place, squinting from the early morning sun in his eyes. The matter could have waited until Monday morning when Mr. Brunson came by the furniture shop, but he wanted it off his mind. He had promised the man something he couldn’t deliver, and he needed to make it right.
Hannah was correct in her objection. He did need to protect his family as much as possible from any fallout his actions might produce. And this could have been avoided if he had simply held his ground. He had no right to give Mr. Brunson access to Mary Keim. Bishop John would be the first one to tell him so. Thankfully Hannah had caught his mistake before it had borne any bitter fruit. She was a gut wife for him, and truly the kind of helpmeet the Scriptures spoke of.
He stroked his beard, quickening
his pace. If he hurried he might be able to get into town this afternoon and work a few hours in the shop. Not that he had to, but it might settle his restless nerves. Bishop John had the main sermon tomorrow, and Mose would likely preach the beginning sermon, so he would have no responsibilities other than reading the Scriptures. Those could be read through this evening to make sure he knew how to pronounce the German words.
A lazy stream of smoke came out of Mr. Brunson’s chimney, so he must have lit a fire to take off the early morning chill. Hannah had their stove going around six, which was early for them on a Saturday morning, but she had wanted to surprise Miriam. The two had talked in the living room last night until long after he had gone to bed. They were both sleepy-eyed over breakfast, but it didn’t slow down their plans for the day. Something about a trip over to Betty’s and then a trek further back into the mountains on Betty’s horses.
Stepping up on the porch, Jake knocked, waiting for sounds of footsteps before he knocked again.
“Coming!” Mr. Brunson hollered from the back of the house.
“I didn’t get you up, did I?” Jake asked when the door opened.
“Nope,” Mr. Brunson said with a big smile on his face. “I see you couldn’t wait though. You had to come up with the good news this morning. So what did she say?”
“Ah,” Jake said, clearing his throat. “I have to make something right, Mr. Brunson. I shouldn’t have made that promise to you regarding Hannah visiting Mary.”
“Oh,” Mr. Brunson said, his face falling. “And why not?”
Jake cleared his throat again, “Hannah pointed out to me that it will make trouble for our family if I allow you to talk with Mary Keim. Bishop John won’t appreciate that at all. So I’m sorry, but Hannah didn’t go down last night.”
“I see,” Mr. Brunson said. “So Hannah told you she wouldn’t go?”
“Jah,” Jake said.
“Then I’ll have to think of some other way, young man,” Mr. Brunson said, slapping Jake gently on the shoulder. “We wouldn’t want the missus upset now, would we? When mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”
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