“Nothing at all. I just thought Jennifer might like to have a picnic.”
Jennifer greeted the ladies when she came closer and then sat down with them. “Lovely day.”
“We were just talking about how nice the weather is, weren't we, Elsa-May?”
“That's right.” Elsa-May offered Ettie a piercing look that Jennifer couldn’t have seen as she was sitting next to Elsa-May.
Ettie placed some sandwiches on a plate and pushed them toward Jennifer. “I'm glad that dreadful business is all over for your shweschder.”
Jennifer took a sandwich and nodded. “Me too. I never thought things would work out between her and Jedidiah.”
“You didn’t care for him?” Elsa-May asked.
“Nee, it wasn’t that, was it, Jennifer?” Ettie placed her sandwich down and looked at Jennifer.
She stared back at Ettie. “You know, don't you?”
“What would I possibly know?”
“Don't tell Nell. It’ll crush her that I didn’t tell her. I had to keep letting her think Jedidiah was no good for her.”
Elsa-May frowned. “Why's that?”
Ettie ignored Elsa-May, and said to Jennifer, “You knew he was still alive, didn't you?”
She nodded.
Elsa-May said, “Did he contact you?”
“Nee.” She sighed. “I saw Titus going into the general store that day that Jedidiah disappeared, and he came out with a bundle of clothing. I had asked him to do something for me earlier that day, and he’d said he was too busy. I said he shouldn't be too busy to do something for his oldest schweschder and he said it was very important. Naturally, I was curious when I saw him at the general store and I followed him when he left. He headed down an alleyway and met with Jedidiah. He handed over the clothes, Jedidiah gave him money and then they shook hands. I knew he was leaving. I thought he’d just run out on her, but I could never figure out why our brother was helping him. I never knew why until the other day at your haus.”
“Why did you never say anything to Nell over all those years?” Ettie was pleased Jennifer had a reason to have said all those things to Nell. It wasn’t that she was mean-spirited, after all.
“And what would I say? Titus was the one who knew something.”
“Why didn't you ask Titus about what you saw?”
“I learned a long time ago that no good comes from prying into things.”
Elsa-May then stared at Ettie and Ettie frowned at her sister.
Jennifer continued, “All I could do was be there for Nell and be her shoulder to cry on. If I could convince her that the man was never good for her and never really loved her, I hoped that would save her some pain. She was better off to think he was useless. And more so, never loved her the way he should’ve. I tried to get that into her brain the best I could. If I’d told her he was still alive she might never have married Abraham. She wouldn’t have had her boys or her grosskinner.”
Elsa-May said. “You did just what any older schweschder might've done.”
“I didn’t lie. I just kept quiet. I felt awful, but once I’d made the decision to keep my lips closed, I couldn’t go back on it.”
“Can't be helped,” Ettie said. “Now they’re going to have the happy ending they were always meant to have.”
“They will,” Jennifer said.
“And that's all an older schweschder can ask for her younger schweschder,” Elsa-May said with a smile before she bit into her sandwich.
Ettie smiled back at Elsa-May knowing she meant well, at times. A graceful black swan gliding along the water took Ettie’s attention and made her smile. As nice as the picnic was with the dappled sunlight on her skin and the gentle breeze on her face, Ettie’s mind soon drifted to the Charmers. When she was sitting by the window at home, she felt better because she could keep an eye on them.
Ettie tried to push the Charmers to the back of her mind and think about Nell and Jedidiah’s wedding next week. It would be a happy occasion and it was rare that two older people married.
Her mind didn’t stay on the wedding for long before it drifted back to those pesky neighbors. What were they doing right now? Knocking down the fence again to blame it on Snowy, or going through their mail once more?
“Ettie!”
Ettie stared at Elsa-May. “We were talking to you and you were staring blankly at nothing.”
“Oh. Was I?”
“I thought you were having a stroke.” Jennifer giggled. “What were you thinking about so deeply, Ettie?”
Ettie placed her fingertip on her chin. “That a wedding is a much pleasanter event than a funeral.”
Elsa-May and Jennifer looked at each other and started to giggle. Then they broke into all-out laughter. Ettie stared at them, wondering what it was they found so funny. And then she found herself laughing, too.
* * *
Thank you for reading Amish Mystery at Rose Cottage. I do hope you enjoyed it. To stay up to date with my new releases and special offers, add your email at my website in the newsletter section.
https://samanthapriceauthor.com/
Blessings,
Samantha Price
The next book in the series is:
Book 17 Amish Mystery: Plain Secrets
Selena Lehman inherits a house from her estranged Amish grandfather and visits to take a look. When she sees it's not being cared for, she confronts the caretaker, John Yoder. The condition of the house falls to a low priority when she learns her grandfather died in prison after admitting to murder. Convinced there's more to this story, she finds her way to Ettie Smith's doorstep. Soon, Selena finds everything she knows to be true about her life is a lie. Can Ettie help Selena unravel the secrets and clear her grandfather's name before her straight-laced lawyer fiance discovers her grandfather was a common criminal?
Amish Mystery: Plain Secrets
ETTIE SMITH AMISH MYSTERIES
Book 1 Secrets Come Home
Book 2 Amish Murder
Book 3 Murder in the Amish Bakery
Book 4 Amish Murder Too Close
Book 5 Amish Quilt Shop Mystery
Book 6 Amish Baby Mystery
Book 7 Betrayed
Book 8: Amish False Witness
Book 9: Amish Barn Murders
Book 10 Amish Christmas Mystery
Book 11 Who Killed Uncle Alfie?
Book 12 Lost: Amish Mystery
Book 13 Amish Cover-Up
Book 14 Amish Crossword Murder
Book 15 Old Promises
Book 16 Amish Mystery at Rose Cottage
Book 17 Amish Mystery: Plain Secrets
Book 18 Amish Mystery: Fear Thy Neighbor
Book 19 Amish Winter Murder Mystery
Book 20 Amish Scarecrow Murders
Book 21 Threadly Secret
About Samantha Price
USA Today Bestselling author, Samantha Price, wrote stories from a young age, but it wasn't until later in life that she took up writing full time. Formally an artist, she exchanged her paintbrush for the computer and, many best-selling book series later, has never looked back.
Samantha is happiest on her computer lost in the world of her characters. She is best known for the Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries series and the Expectant Amish Widows series.
www.SamanthaPriceAuthor.com
Samantha loves to hear from her readers. Connect with her at:
[email protected]
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