Two Suitors for Anna Read online

  “Englisch life isn’t for me. I desire an Amish life with a man with my same upbringing and values.”

  The bishop leaned closer and put his elbows on his knees. “You’ve been an exceptional example of a kind and honest young woman from the time you moved to Berlin three years ago. No one has ever uttered a negative word about you to me. I can tell by the anguish in your face and tears flowing from your eyes, you have genuine repentance for your actions.”

  The bishop’s face had softened and his tone was even. Anna closed her eyes and prayed a silent prayer for mercy for Leah.

  “I won’t ask you to relay to the congregation what you’ve done. Nothing would be gained but gossip from sharing this story with anyone else. But if you are caught again in the act of disobedience to God and against the church and your transgression is brought to my attention, you will be shunned for a period of time. We don’t want to invite any trouble from the Englischers. If you had already joined the church, I would’ve asked the community to shun you. Do you understand?”

  Leah bobbed her head.

  “Stay on the path you know God and your family would have you take as you go through life.”

  Leah’s tortured expression was mixed with relief at his kind judgment.

  “I will, sir.” She choked on a wrenching sob.

  Mamm stood. “Danki, Bishop Weaver. I’m sorry to have troubled you. You’ve been generous and kind to us. I’m grateful for your leniency.”

  “Leah’s past is why I’ve been easy on her. She’s young and finding her way. I trust she’ll not stray again. Most importantly, don’t blame yourself. You’re a good mamm.”

  Anna got up with Leah and noticed Mamm’s shoulders had relaxed and color had returned to her cheeks. She’d respected the bishop before, but she admired him more now. He’d kept calm, listened, and advised Leah in a stern but loving manner. He was more compassionate than she’d anticipated.

  The bishop raised his palm. “Let’s pray before you leave. Dear Heavenly Father, forgive Leah for her bad decision. Guide and direct her path through Scripture. Heal the hurt her transgression has caused for the Plank family. Mend their broken bond and bring them close. Danki and Amen.”

  They bid the bishop farewell and went to the buggy. Anna untied the horse and got in. Mamm clucked at the horse, and they headed for home. “Leah, you will write out Psalms, Chapter Twenty-three fifty times. I want you to complete your homework by tomorrow night, and I expect you to recite these verses by memory to me at the same time you hand me your written pages.”

  “I’ll do as you ask. I promise. Again, I’m sorry.”

  Anna nodded. When would Mamm warm up to them again? She’d hoped the bishop’s prayer would soften her temper toward them. Her relaxed shoulders and moist eyes were encouraging. She wished her tone would change. Leah’s trembling had ceased, but her anguish remained.

  Arriving home, Mamm handed the reins to Leah. “You stow the horse and buggy.”

  Waiting with Leah, Anna watched Mamm and Beth go inside the haus.

  Leah wiped a tear from her cheek. “Danki for your support. The bishop was easier on me than I’d imagined or deserved. I’m glad our visit to him is over. I’m afraid Mamm will never forgive me.”

  “Give her time. You’re fortunate the bishop was kind and forgiving to you. Let’s bend over backward to help Mamm and show her we love her and want to regain her trust in us.”

  Anna and Leah took care of the horse and putting the buggy away and then went inside the haus.

  Beth sat in the maple chair and practiced her knitting skills.

  Anna glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll be in my room if anyone needs anything.”

  Beth smiled.

  Noah’s last night in Berlin was tonight. She would no longer run into him in town, he’d not visit her at the shop, and there would be no more walks together. Their future together had been shattered. Pain crept into her throat. She stepped into her room and froze. Mamm.

  Mamm pointed. “Shut the door.”

  Closing the door gently, Anna stared at the floor. “I’m sorry for not telling you in the first place.”

  “You must never hide anything from me again. You’ve been an excellent example of a fine Amish woman to your schweschders, and I’ve trusted you implicitly until now. Please tell me I can trust you, Anna. You’re my rock. I need your honesty and support. What were you thinking? Beth’s a child. You are teaching her to be deceitful!”

  Anna touched her arm. “I am your rock, Mamm. I feel horrible I’ve let you down.”

  “You exercised bad judgment keeping this from me.”

  “My wanting to protect you from being angry and wanting to shield Leah from being scarred by her indiscretion clouded my judgment.” She put her hand on Mamm’s. “Please, please, forgive me, Mamm. Leah longs to have your forgiveness too. She’s really sorry.”

  “She knew better than to go alone with a man to the woods, Amish or Englisch. Her doing such a thing infuriates and scares me. Butch could’ve forced himself on her, and she could be with child or worse, he could’ve killed her. We don’t know him.” She slumped on the bed and wept.

  Stroking her cheek, Anna whispered, “She’s safe, and he didn’t harm her. She’s learned a hard lesson. Can we put this behind us and move forward?”

  Mamm straightened and wiped her eyes. “Of course, with prayer and time. I’m afraid Butch might kumme to the shop again. Some men can’t take no for an answer. I’m thankful Daniel was there to ask him to leave. I can’t imagine what might have happened if he’d found the two of you alone.”

  “Daniel was so brave and didn’t blink when he stood up to Butch. I’m glad he was there too. He’ll not say a word to anyone about this. We can trust him. I’m baking oatmeal cookies for him in the morning and taking them to the shop to show our appreciation. He’s been hired to repair the leak in the roof.”

  “I’m relieved he’ll be there. We should invite him to supper to show our appreciation.”

  Mamm might be joining Leah in matching her and Daniel. No, don’t be silly. The supper invitation was payment to a friend who’d stepped in to help and protect them. Nothing more. “I’ll ask him when he’s free.”

  Chapter Four

  Anna lifted the oatmeal cookies off the much-used metal sheet and arranged them in a cotton-lined basket Saturday morning. Chewing the last bite of her cookie, she grinned. The extra teaspoon of sugar had worked to sweeten the flavor more than usual.

  Beth padded into the kitchen dressed in her traditional blue dress and white kapp. Wide-eyed, she peeked in the basket. “May I have one?”

  “You can have one. These are for Daniel.” Anna handed her a cookie.

  Mouth full, Beth put a hand to her lips. “I could eat the whole batch. They’re scrumptious.”

  Leah joined them. “Is there enough for me to steal one?”

  “Jah, but like I told Beth, only one.”

  She bit into the cookie and cupped a hand to her chin to catch the crumbs. “Daniel’s going to enjoy his oatmeal cookies. They’re mouth-watering good.”

  Mamm ignored Leah’s comment and walked into the cozy kitchen. “The horse is hitched to the buggy. We’d better get going.”

  “Do you want a cookie, Mamm?” Anna presented the basket. She hoped the tension would disappear today.

  “None for me, danki.” Waving a dismissive hand, Mamm turned to her. “Anna, don’t forget to ask Daniel to supper. We don’t want to wait long to show our gratitude.”

  Anna nodded. “Beth, have a good day.”

  Snatching her puzzle, Beth grinned. “You too. Have a good day!” She went out and skipped toward Mrs. Hochstetler’s haus.

  Her younger schweschder hadn’t let the awkwardness looming over their family alter her usual happy mood. Anna wished she could push the tension hovering over them out of her mind. She passed the basket to Leah. “Hold this for me, please.” She thanked her, clicked the reins, and drove to town. The sun warmed their cheeks and
brilliant honeysuckle patches along the way scented the air with a heavy, soothing sweetness. She breathed deep and waited for Mamm or Leah to speak. Nothing. “Isn’t the weather beautiful?” She pointed to a stretch of pasture. “Mr. Beiler’s coal-black horse is grazing. He’s got the shiniest coat I’ve ever seen.” The rides to and from work would be awkward if these long silences kept up. They had to have more than one-word conversations sometime. Mamm and Leah had said little to each other. She and Beth had tiptoed around both of them this morning.

  Arriving at the General Store, Mamm got out, gave a curt nod, and went inside.

  Mamm’s stern expression wasn’t lost on Anna, or on Leah either, she suspected. She drove to the livery and left the horse. Her heart ached at the breach within their tight-knit family. Mamm or Leah had to give in. “Leah, you should’ve spoken to Mamm on the way here.”

  “She’s not happy with me. I’m staying out of her way.”

  Pausing in front of the shop door, Anna squared her shoulders and squinted. “You are the one at fault. Open up conversations with her. Show you want to build the broken bridge between you.”

  Lips quivering, Leah blinked back tears. “I will.”

  The newspaper boy shouted, “Jack Morrissey talks about his time with the Cincinnati Reds and retirement. Read the full story here!”

  Anna glanced at the boy and her lips parted in surprise. Daniel was behind him kumming toward her. She smiled.

  He crossed the boardwalk and joined them. “Good morning.”

  “Coffee?” She lifted her bag. “We brought some from home. It should still be warm.” She unlocked the door and noticed Leah relax. She was certain her schweschder was relieved Daniel showed up and halted her earlier lecture.

  Handing him the basket, Leah grinned. “Anna baked oatmeal cookies for you.”

  Blushing, Anna cleared her throat. “We wanted to show our appreciation to you for speaking to Butch on our behalf, and for charging us such a fair price to fix the shop roof.” She pulled out a container. “I brought a serving of Mamm’s chicken stew for you. I’ll put it in our icebox until you’re ready to take it home. The cookies are under the counter. You can snack on them whenever you like and take the rest home.”

  He lifted up the covering, sniffed favorably, and removed a cookie. He took a bite of the cookie and closed his eyes for a moment. “These cookies are delicious. I’ll savor them. The chicken stew will be perfect for my supper tonight. Danki.”

  The twinkle in his eye and the way he cocked his head a little each time he met her gaze had become pleasantly familiar. “Are you interested in kumming to our haus for supper? We told Mamm you stood up to Butch, and she’d like to have you over. You can save your chicken stew for another time.”

  “I was happy to help.” He shuffled his feet. “Jah, danki. I’d love to kumme.”

  Leah reached for his empty cup. “Kumme around six. More coffee?”

  He shook his head. “Danki, but I’ve had enough coffee.”

  Tonight. She was thinking later in the week or next. She had wanted to wait until she’d had a few more days to quit her heavy brooding over Noah and until Mamm was at ease talking to Leah. She couldn’t recant the invitation. It would be rude. Leah had been too quick for her. She would have to be cordial and put her hurt aside. “I’d be pleased if you’d join us for supper.”

  He grinned and cocked his head a little. “What can I bring?”

  Anna shifted her eyes from his gaze to the floor. “Please don’t bring anything. Kumme and enjoy Mamm’s excellent cooking.”

  “I’m looking forward to it.” He shifted the tool belt around his waist. “I should let you get to work. I’ll go next door and fetch and hang the sign. Next, I’ll repair the roof.”

  She waited until the door closed behind him and whirled around to Leah. “Why did you invite him to join us tonight? Mamm is barely speaking to you, and I’m not in the frame of mind for company yet. Noah’s leaving has been painful for me. Entertaining is the last thing I want to do. I could’ve used at least a few more days.”

  “All good reasons why Daniel should kumme to our haus after work. Mamm will be hospitable and not let on a thing is wrong between us. You’ll be forced to engage in conversation with him and it will take your mind off Noah. First and foremost, Mamm and I don’t want to let too much time pass to show our thanks for his goodwill gesture.”

  Anna clutched her apron. How selfish of me. Leah’s words of wisdom pricked her heart. They should wilkom Daniel with open arms and learn more about their new friend. She had caught his big brown eyes gazing at her and his mouth drawn in a sweet smile. He wore his emotions on his sleeve. Leah had been observant. He showed interest in her, but she was far from ready to open her heart to someone new.

  Daniel could be a man she would consider if her heart was free. He had a calm and strong demeanor. The tragedies in his life hadn’t left him bitter or hard. She would put her troubles aside and be friendly to him tonight. He needed friends, and she hoped he would enjoy her family and a good home-cooked meal. “I stand corrected. I will put on a smile and be a good hostess.”

  “I don’t mean to diminish your hurt over Noah, but Daniel has no family and Berlin is unfamiliar to him. I’ll go to the General Store and tell Mamm he’s kumming to supper tonight. I’m taking your advice and starting a conversation with her. I worked hard on my writing and memorization assignment, and I’m through with both. I’ll have plenty of time today to work on my assignment between customers. I’ll hand her my pages and recite the verses this evening. I’m hoping it will help mend her deep disappointment in me and bring us a step closer to restoring our once-close relationship.”

  “Telling her about Daniel accepting our invitation is a perfect way to begin bridging the gap between you and Mamm. Go. I’ll mind the shop.”

  * * *

  Daniel entered Mark King’s furniture store. He approached the tall man behind the counter. “Good morning, I’m Daniel Bontrager.”

  “I’m Mark King. Grace told me she and Anna spoke about you the other day. I understand you offered to repair the roof. Danki. I was friends with your bruder and his fraa. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Daniel bowed his head and nodded. “Danki.” He glanced at Mark’s display of products. “You’ve handcrafted beautiful pieces to sell. I admire your talent.” He ran his hand over an oak headboard. “What a beautiful piece of furniture.”

  “You’re kind. Woodworking relaxes me.”

  Daniel pointed to the sign leaning against the back wall. “I came to fetch the new sign for the dry goods shop. I’ll hang it for you. The new name will stand out in town. You did a wonderful job carving out the letters.”

  “Danki.”

  “I’ve got the time, and I’m pleased to help out. It’s been a pleasure to meet you, but I better get to work. Have a nice day.”

  Mark opened the door for him. “Good to see you. Stop by anytime.”

  Nodding, he left. Mark was wilkoming and humble. He looked forward to meeting more people in the community. He was glad he’d moved to Berlin.

  He propped the sign in front of the dry goods shop, fetched the ladder, and removed the existing sign and replaced it with the new one. How did the new marker measure up to the rest of the signs in town? He went across the street and studied it. GRACE’S DRY GOODS SHOP had oak letters big enough for everyone to notice. The marker was the best-constructed one in town.

  He returned to the ladder, tightened his tool belt around his hips, moved the ladder to the back of the building, and set about repairing the roof. He couldn’t stop thinking of Anna. Noah had left for Lancaster, and Anna and Leah had invited him to supper. Praying last night before bed, he’d asked God to have him meet the Amish woman meant for him. Every time he looked into Anna’s eyes, his heart raced.

  He wished Noah the best. The man had been wilkoming to him. He would’ve liked getting better acquainted, but he’d gladly forfeit Noah’s acquaintance to have a chance to win Ann
a’s heart. How could Noah leave her? Daniel didn’t understand Noah’s determination to relocate. Was God paving the way for Daniel? He shook his head. He shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

  Anna’s eyes were swollen and puffy this morning. Was she grieving Noah and having trouble sleeping? He longed to tell her how beautiful she was and how she’d captured his interest. It was out of the question. He had to wait. She would need time to adjust to Noah’s being gone. In the meantime, he would befriend her and her family. They could use a man to chop and stockpile wood and do repairs. Helping them would be a pleasure.

  He went inside. Anna was helping two women. They were Englischers with their noses in the air and pinched lips. Her cheery voice and warm smile emphasized her natural charm and beauty. She treated them like they were her friends. Her heart-shaped face and dainty features painted a beautiful portrait. Leah was helping a patron peppering her with questions. He’d bide his time until they were finished. She was worth the wait.

  He unhooked the pinwheel and patchwork quilts the patrons had chosen and carried them to Anna at the counter for her to fold and wrap.

  She smiled at him. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  Returning her attention to the customer, she accepted payment from the women and registered the sales in the shop journal, then wrapped and handed them their packages. “Enjoy your quilts and have a nice day.”

  She reopened the cashbox and paid him for his work. “Danki. What a relief to have the roof fixed. I can’t wait to take a look at the new sign.”

  “It’s the best sign in town.” He opened the door for her.

  They went outside. She stepped back and studied the sign. “Mark did a wonderful job, didn’t he?”

  “He’s talented and a perfectionist. A good combination of traits to have for a carpenter.”

  “Danki for hanging it.”

  He opened the door for her. “I’ll return in a few minutes and load my supplies. I put the ladder in the back.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”