by Sarah Price
“Rachel!”
“I can assure you that it would be a burden, at least on me.”
Jacob glowered. “I suggest you think carefully about your next words. This conversation is not fit to have in front of Sadie.”
Suddenly, Rachel’s demeanor changed. Her expression softened and Sadie thought she saw the hint of tears in her stepmother’s eyes. Tears always melted her father, and Sadie knew that Rachel was more than aware of that.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
Rachel wiped at her cheeks. “How could I not cry? You favor her so much that it stresses me, Jacob. Perhaps that is why I cannot have a boppli of my own.”
At this, Jacob took a long, deep breath and exhaled. “I’m sure that has nothing to do with it.”
“A stress-free home environment is very important!”
Sadie couldn’t listen to any more of this conversation. She stood up and grabbed her plate and silverware.
Immediately, Rachel’s tears vanished and she glared at Sadie, venom returning to her words. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Sadie could hardly look at her stepmother. She felt angered by the accusation Rachel had just made. How could Rachel possibly think that her presence was the reason behind her stepmother’s inability to have a baby?
“I’ve laundry to gather,” she managed to reply.
“Sit back down!”
But Jacob waved his hand at Rachel. “Let her go. No sense upsetting the girl. She’s done nothing to deserve this.”
Quickly, Sadie carried her plate to the sink, then hurried upstairs. As she ascended, she could hear Rachel berating Jacob, insisting that it was high time for her to enjoy her own family—and, clearly, that did not include Sadie.
In her bedroom, Sadie flung herself onto the bed and covered her head with her pillow, trying to drown out the voices from downstairs. She didn’t want to hear another word from that woman, even though Rachel’s words would be forever etched in her memory. How her father could tolerate such ugliness was beyond her comprehension. Even more confounding was the fact that her stepmother seemed intent on using Sadie as the scapegoat.
Where had this mean, self-serving side of Rachel been hiding for the past three years?
Chapter Fourteen
On the outskirts of town, Sadie stood next to Ella, looking across the grassy knoll that bordered the creek. At least sixty young men and women stood around, some playing volleyball, others fishing, and still more lingering in smaller groups, talking and gossiping.
As Sadie had told Rachel the previous morning, it was one of the rare occasions when other youth groups from nearby towns joined them. From the looks of it, at least three other towns had joined up with the Echo Creek sect.
Sadie suspected that Frederick’s youth group would be joining them, too.
“I like your dress,” Ella said when Sadie removed her crocheted shawl.
Despite its being the time of year when the days were rapidly growing shorter and the air increasingly cooler, God had blessed the young people with a gorgeous autumn day for their picnic, no matter her father’s prediction the previous day.
Folding the shawl, Sadie hung it over her arm.
“Danke, Ella.” Sadie looked down and brushed off an imaginary piece of lint. The red dress was new. Sadie had purchased the fabric when the bishop approved the new color for the young women of Echo Creek to wear. For a long time, she hadn’t wanted to don it, too afraid that someone might think she was being worldly. But now that a few other girls were wearing the red color, she felt a little more confident.
And she wanted to look nice, just in case Frederick did show up.
She hadn’t seen him since Belle’s wedding and she worried that he might have changed his mind about her. She hoped not. In their short time together, Sadie had learned a lot from Frederick, and for the first time in her life, she found herself eager to learn more from a young man.
Anna Rose appeared, a smile on her face. “I thought you’d never get here!”
“There’s a lot of new faces today,” Ella said, looking around.
But Anna Rose reserved her biggest smile for Sadie. “And a few familiar ones.” She pointed toward a crowd of young men who were already practicing their volleys on the grass near the volleyball net. “Frederick’s over there.”
Despite the rapid increase in her heart rate, Sadie tried to appear nonchalant. It would do no good to have anyone suspect that she might have an interest in getting to know him better. “Oh? That’s nice.”
Anna Rose tried to hide her smile, but her blue eyes twinkled at the secret she shared with Sadie.
* * *
After an hour had passed and Frederick had not approached her, Sadie began to fret that she might have offended him. Perhaps, over the past week, he had reflected upon her comments that revealed she had judged Adam without even knowing him. Perhaps he regretted having asked to come court her. After all, she hadn’t seen him since the wedding. Suddenly, fear overtook her thoughts and she began to panic.
Several times, Sadie glanced in the direction where Frederick stood. Not once did he look her way.
“What’s wrong, Sadie?”
“Nothing.” She tried to smile at Ella, but she knew that it came across as insincere.
Ella frowned at her. “Surely you realize I know you much better than that, Sadie Whitaker. Something is definitely bothering you.”
Sadie shook her head. She couldn’t confide in her friend; her shame was far too great. “It’s nothing, Ella,” she said, her voice soft and wavering.
She felt a warm hand on her arm and turned to see Anna Rose. “Sadie!” She gave Sadie a mischievous smile. “Come with me to greet my cousin.” Without waiting, Anna Rose grabbed her hand and pulled her across the picnic area to where Frederick sat at a table with two other men.
“Frederick!” Anna Rose practically bounced over to him, her face alight and her eyes blazing with joy at seeing her cousin. “I suspected you’d be here today.” Her gaze darted in Sadie’s direction. “And look who is with me!”
Frederick barely glanced in Sadie’s direction. His expression remained stoic and stern as if masking some emotion, one that Sadie couldn’t identify.
Anna Rose, too, noticed the difference in the usually jovial Frederick. “Wie gehts?” she asked, staring first at Sadie and then Frederick. “Why are you not greeting her?”
He straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin, turning in Sadie’s direction at last. There was no emotion in his eyes as he said, “Congratulations, Sadie Whitaker.”
“Congratulations?” Sadie winced. “For what?”
“On your engagement.”
Anna Rose’s eyes widened and Sadie’s mouth opened to protest. For a moment, though, she could not speak, her shock was so great.
“My engagement?” she repeated after she finally regained her composure. “I can assure you that I’ve no idea what you’re speaking about.”
Frederick gave her a hard, cold stare. “I understand that you’re to wed John Rabor.”
She blinked her eyes. What on earth was he talking about? “John Rabor?” She could hardly believe that anyone would think such a partnership was even possible!
But Frederick nodded just once. “It’s the talk of our church district.”
Sadie moistened her lips. How had such a rumor been started? And why would Frederick, of all people, believe it? She gave a slight shake of her head. “I imagine it would be,” she said slowly, “if it were true. But I can assure you that it is another instance of the Amish grapevine growing weeds instead of bearing fruit.”
She thought she saw him catch his breath. Had he truly thought she would agree for him to come calling and then immediately promise to marry another? Did he think so little of her? And to sincerely believe that she might agree to marry John Rabor, of all people? The thought was preposterous.
But, then again, Sadie had found it hard to believe Belle was to marry Adam. And she had. Perhaps
that unlikely marriage had prompted Frederick to believe his ears instead of his heart.
She found herself feeling disturbed that anyone would credit such a story, much less spread it. If the unspoken accusation hadn’t been so serious, she might have laughed out loud.
Anna Rose, however, did laugh. “Oh, Frederick,” she said, her voice light and full of mirth. “I believe you’ll be confessing to jealousy when your church congregates for October’s Council Meeting.”
The color rushed to his cheeks and Sadie made herself look away. It gave her no pleasure to see him so uncomfortable. And yet, she felt sad that he thought so little of her.
Anna Rose must have felt the uncomfortable undercurrent that passed between them and quietly excused herself.
Once they were alone, Frederick shuffled his feet and cleared his throat, clearly uncertain how to address his blunder.
Sadie saved him the trouble. “Is that why I haven’t seen you all week?”
He swallowed. “I have been busy.”
“I see.”
“And I . . .” He took a quick breath and exhaled it. “I . . . I admit that I listened to gossip.”
“Apparently.”
He pursed his lips. “One of the boys bragged at school that his daed was getting married. And then I heard you were helping at his haus with the kinner so I—”
Sadie gave him a look of disbelief as she interrupted him. “Oh, Frederick, how could you make such an assumption?”
“I’m so sorry.”
And he looked it, too. Sadie took pity on him and placed her hand on his arm. “I’m sure it was upsetting to you to think that I’d betray our special friendship,” she said. “I can assure you, however, that betraying you—or anyone else, for that matter—is not something I would do.”
He glanced around, as if making certain no one else could overhear. Then, when he saw some young people too close for his comfort, he gently led her farther away from the crowd.
“Sadie,” he whispered, “I can only beg your forgiveness. I’m not one to listen to gossip, but when I heard your name associated with John Rabor, I was”—in the momentary pause, he pressed his lips together and took a deep breath—“stricken with grief at the thought. And rather than maintain hope that the gossip was not true only to be disappointed later, I accepted it so that I would not be hurt later on.”
She tried to imagine how she would have felt if she had walked in Frederick’s shoes. Their relationship had only just begun, and she knew just enough about him to want to learn more. What if she had heard that he was to marry another woman? Sadie knew she’d have been overcome with grief.
She managed to give him a small smile. “I understand, Frederick, and I forgive you.”
He didn’t look as if he believed her.
“Honest,” she reassured him. “Truly I do.”
He sighed, a long exhaling of breath, as if he had been holding it for far too long.
“My stepmother arranged it, Frederick,” Sadie began to explain. “My helping with his kinner. It was only for the final week of hunting season. I’m not certain why she volunteered my help, but I could hardly refuse once she did.”
Frederick contemplated this before he nodded. “I understand now.”
“And as far as I have heard, John Rabor isn’t engaged to anyone, so I’ve no idea why any of his kinner would say such a thing.” She imagined it was Owen, with his dark eyes and sassy attitude. “Mayhaps to have something of interest to say for once. They truly lead a sad and lonely life, those children of John’s.” She lifted her gaze to meet Frederick’s eyes. “Now, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer never to mention this again. The week is over, and I’d just as soon forget it.”
This time, Frederick smiled, clearly relieved at her words. “I agree to that wholeheartedly.”
“Gut!” She graced him with a cheerful smile. “I’ve heard there are wunderbarr hiking paths toward the forest. Mayhaps we could go walking a spell and look out for birds. I just love hearing them sing and seeing their bright, colorful feathers.”
“That,” Frederick said, returning her smile, “sounds like the perfect plan!”
Together, they strolled toward the edge of the woods, Frederick helping her climb over a fallen log that blocked the dirt path leading to the trail. To Sadie’s delight, a red cardinal alighted on a nearby branch as they neared.
“Look, Frederick, isn’t he beautiful?” But when she turned toward her companion, she saw that he was staring not at the bird but at something else farther down the path: a six-point buck.
Sadie gasped and stepped away from Frederick. “Oh!” Slowly she moved toward the buck, who stood partially hidden in the brush, its large brown eyes watching her. “I pray that you are my buck,” she whispered. “I had thought you were killed by the old man.”
To both their surprise, the buck remained still, making no attempt to flee.
When Sadie stood on the other side of the brush, she stopped moving and faced the buck.
“Such a glorious creature,” she cooed, and then, as slowly as she could manage, she reached out her hand. On the branch overhead, the red cardinal appeared, landing on the narrow part that hung over the deer’s antlers. For a moment, she felt as if the forest fell silent and there was no one else nearby. Just her, the cardinal, and the buck.
Slowly and with great caution, Sadie raised her hand and reached toward the buck’s face. Her fingers paused just shy of touching its fur. The buck snorted, the warm breath escaping its nostrils and caressing her fingertips.
Smiling to herself, Sadie withdrew her hand and then, as slowly as she had approached the buck, she backed away.
It wasn’t until she was back at Frederick’s side that the buck lifted its head, sniffed the air, and then turned to amble away, disappearing through the trees and undergrowth.
“Oh, Frederick,” she gushed, her cheeks pink with excitement. “Wasn’t that special?”
“Special, ja,” he murmured. But when she glanced at him, she realized that he wasn’t watching the place where the deer had vanished, but was staring directly at her, instead. “So very special indeed.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Someone’s here to see you,” Rachel called up the stairs the next morning.
Sadie had been lying down. Even though she hadn’t returned home from the youth picnic until almost ten o’clock at night, she was far from tired. Instead, her mind whirled with thoughts of Frederick.
The previous afternoon, after she had cleared the air about the gossip regarding her and John Rabor, Frederick had barely left her side.
To Sadie, it had felt as if no one else was even there at the picnic. True to her word, she had forgiven—and forgotten—the incident about Frederick believing the idle gossip that she was to marry John Rabor. After all, stranger things sometimes happened. She had only to remind herself once again about her friend Belle marrying Adam Hershberger so suddenly.
Toward the evening, some of the young men had started a bonfire. With the flames stretching to the heavens, several young women began to sing. Sadie joined them, lifting up her voice to praise God. She had many things to be thankful for, Frederick being one of them.
When the embers began to die down, Frederick had whispered to her that he’d like to take her home. She was only too willing to leave the picnic with him.
As Frederick had done after the youth singing two weeks before, he took the longest route, just so they could spend more time together.
And when she finally said goodbye to him on the porch of her father’s house, he had held her hand and stared into her face in silence.
No words were needed.
Now, the following morning, when she heard Rachel call upstairs to her with eagerness in her voice, Sadie knew that Frederick must have come calling! He had said that he wouldn’t be able to see her until the end of the week. He needed to bale hay with his father and then stack it in the barn for the winter. With so much acreage, he wouldn’t finish until
Thursday or Friday at the latest.
But today was Sunday. No one worked on Sunday. Surely Frederick had decided that he couldn’t wait that long and had come to visit before his week of hard work began.
Sadie jumped up and immediately straightened her prayer kapp. She didn’t want to appear too excited, so she tried to catch her breath. If Frederick had come calling at the house, her father and stepmother would know of his intentions. And then it was only a matter of time . . .
But she didn’t want to jump too far ahead. For now, she needed to focus on the moment. She pinched her cheeks, hoping she didn’t look pale from not having slept all night. It would do no good for Frederick to realize how much of an effect he had on her.
Satisfied that enough time had passed so that she wouldn’t appear overly anxious, Sadie took a deep breath and exited her room. Slowly she descended the staircase.
But, to Sadie’s surprise, when she emerged at the bottom of the stairs and glanced over to the sitting area near the windows, the man seated on the sofa, talking with Jacob, was not Frederick Keim but John Rabor.
Rachel must be mistaken, Sadie thought and stopped on the last step. Why would John be there to see her?
“There you are!” Rachel was the perfect picture of a happy stepmother. She bustled over to where Sadie stood, frozen in place on the bottom step, and gestured toward the sofa. “Go sit and visit a spell while I fetch some water and pretzels for your guest.”
Visit? With John Rabor? And why had Rachel referred to him as her guest? Sadie had nothing in common with the man and even less to talk about with him. Besides, wasn’t he engaged to someone? That was what had started all the gossip.
Hesitantly, she took a few steps toward the sitting area.
“Sadie.”
That was all John said when he saw her. In fact, he barely looked in her direction as she approached.
Uncertain what to say, she merely sat down in the wooden rocking chair near the sofa.
To her further surprise, her father only acknowledged her presence with an abrupt nod and avoided meeting her eyes.