Accused (Amish Romance Mystery) (Amish Secret Widows' Society #3) (8 page)

Chapter 13.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16

Bailey had already delivered the bad news to Silvie through Elsa-May and Ettie. He could not stay two days at the nearby B&B as he had hoped, but he would drive to see her. They only could have a few small hours together before he would have to leave.

Silvie waited by the window for him. He told her that his car was dark gray in color and she fixed her eyes on the road looking for his car. A dark gray car turned off the road and into her driveway. She opened the door and waited for him in the doorway. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched him walk toward her.

He walked quickly and reached out and held her tightly in his arms. “Oh, Silvie, I’ve missed you so much. So much.”

“Me too.” Silvie managed to say. He was holding her so tight she could barely speak. Silvie pulled him inside and shut the door.

“I need to say all that’s on my mind. I’ve been giving things a lot of thought. In particular you and me, and joining the community,” Bailey said.

Silvie raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

“I do want to come and join the community if the bishop will allow me. I’m hoping Wil will have me back to stay at his
haus.
He’s easy to get on with and I’d feel awkward with a
familye
I didn’t know. I might be ready in a year. How does that sound to you?” 

“I would like it very much, but the bishop would tell you that you must join the community because that’s what
Gott
has put on your heart to do, not because of us.”

Bailey nodded. “I know he would say that, but without you I wouldn’t be drawn here. Now that I’ve met you, I want to be with you forever.”

Silvie was pleased by his words, but disappointed she would have to wait for him. “Why must you wait a whole year?”

“My job.”

“Your job is still so important to you?”

“I feel a certain obligation toward the people who are depending on me. I’m so close to finding the stolen paintings I’ve been chasing.”

Silvie raised her eyebrows again as she remembered him saying that he had been chasing those stolen paintings for a number of years.

“Will you wait for me, Silvie? I want to marry you, when I learn all the Amish ways and get baptized.”

Silvie knew that she should have said
no
for two reasons. The first reason was that he was putting his job before
Gott
and herself, the second reason was that he should want to join the Amish whether she was there or not. Her head was conflicted with rights and wrongs, but her heart knew what it wanted. She heard herself say, “
Jah
, I’ll wait for you, Bailey.” The way she felt about him she had absolutely no choice.

“Thank you, Silvie. Thank you.” Bailey took hold of her wrist and pulled her body to himself. As he held her tightly again he said, “You are more beautiful than I remember.”

Their time together passed far too quickly for Silvie’s liking. She watched with tears in her eyes as Bailey drove away from her.

“So, that’s Bailey.”

Silvie swung around to see her
schweschder,
Sabrina, walk out of the downstairs bedroom. “Sabrina, I didn’t know that you were home.”

“That sounded all very lovely dovey.” Sabrina folded her arms as she walked towards Silvie.

Sabrina reminded Silvie of her
mudder
. That was exactly how her
mudder
would speak to her since she disapproved of everything Silvie did. “I love him, that’s why,” Silvie said, annoyed that Sabrina had overheard their private conversation.

“What would
mamm
think of you being in love with an
Englischer
? We’re not supposed to be entangled with the world.”

“Sabrina, you were obviously listening in on us so you would have heard him say that he’s thinking of joining us.”

Sabrina flung her arm in the air. “
Jah
, thinking not doing. There’s a big difference. You even said yourself that his job was too important to him. Just because a handsome
Englischer
shows you a small bit of attention you go weak at the knees and put him before
Gott
and the community. You sounded all wimpy and childish when you were speaking to him. It made me sick to my stomach.”

Silvie tipped her chin high. “I’m old enough to do what I wish and make my own decisions. I’m older than you, a lot older than you. Besides, you shouldn’t have been listening to us.”

Sabrina shook her head. “Older in years, but not in the head, it seems.”

“You’re staying here as my guest. I’ve a
gut
idea to pack you back off to
mamm
and
dat
,” Silvie frowned and mirrored Sabrina by also crossing her arms firmly in front of her chest.

A look of horror crossed Sabrina’s face. “You wouldn’t do that, would you? I’m only trying to protect you from getting hurt by an
Englischer
.”

“While you’re under my roof, you will show me respect.”

Sabrina pouted and stared at her
schweschder
. “All right, I won’t say anymore about him.”

“Are you sure? Not one word?” Silvie asked.

“I stayed away from Wil, didn’t I, even though I had so much in common with him? I can keep to my word.”

“I suppose that’s true enough. You can stay then, but no telling
mamm
or anyone of any of my private information.”

“All right, I won’t. Can I stay?”

Silvie nodded and Sabrina turned around and hurried back into her room.

Silvie sank into the couch hoping she finally had Sabrina under control. Otherwise she surely would send her packing.

* * *

Angela did not have to wait long for Robert to come to Emma’s
haus.
The detective had visited him and told him all that had happened. Robert was shocked to find out that the woman who had spoken against his
bruder,
Ross, was Jacob’s biological
mudder
and even more shocked that she admitted to killing the man and tying him to a cross so it would be more believable to blame an Amish man.

While Robert was at Emma’s
haus
, he asked Angela to stay on in the community so they could see more of each other with a view to things becoming serious between them. Angela happily agreed. They drove away from Emma’s
haus
to have a little time to themselves.

“You there, Emma?” Wil called out from Emma’s front door.

Emma came to the door wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “Wil, come in.”

“Robert and Angela just passed me in the buggy.”

“
Jah
, they’re getting along fine. Come into the kitchen; I’m baking cookies.”

“Mmm, I thought I smelled something nice.” Wil followed Emma to the kitchen and sat down. “I’ve been thinking about our
haus
.”

“Our new one that you’re doing the plans for?”

“Well, I don’t know if that’s the best way to go about things. With Bob leasing both of our farms, it’s difficult to find the perfect spot for the
haus
that won’t interfere with the land.”

“Okay, so what have you been thinking?” Emma opened the oven door and peeked inside.

“I’ve got a couple of ideas. We could buy a house somewhere else, not too far from here, or we could buy land somewhere and build.”

Emma pulled the cookie tray out of the oven. “I’ll leave it up to you.”

Wil leaped to his feet and took one of the hot cookies off the tray and tossed it in the air then from one hand to the other. “I’ll start looking straight away.” He leaned forward and gave Emma a quick kiss on the cheek then grabbed another cookie before he rushed out the door.

Emma giggled at how silly he was. He reminded her of a lively child who flitted from one project to another. She knew that when they were finally living together as
mann
and
fraa
that her life would never be dull or boring.

Chapter 14.

The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me:

and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

Job 29:13

A week later, the five widows were gathered again at Elsa-May and Ettie’s
haus
for one of their regular widows’ meetings.

“Awful that Robert wanted to clear Jacob’s
daed’s
name and then it turns out that Jacob’s biological
mudder
was the one who did the murder,” Silvie said.

“
Nee
, it was self defense that’s a very different thing to murder,” Maureen said.

“
Jah
, that’s true,” Silvie said.

“Angela tells me that Robert was very happy with the outcome and he sent his thanks to all of us,” Emma said. “He’s also pleased how it ended up with Angela coming to visit him. He’s not too angry with Jacob anymore.”

“I told them both they would suit each other well before they met,” Elsa-May said. “I think that they’ll get married.”

“I think they will too,” Emma said. “Robert as
gut
as said so to Angela. They’re courting now. I don’t think she’d mind me telling you that.”

“Is she staying with you for a while longer, Emma?” Maureen asked.

“
Jah
, she’s staying on with me. She can’t very well go back to Bloomfield now that she’s in love with Robert.”

“And I’ve got my
schweschder,
Sabrina, still living with me. I hope she finds a
mann
soon or goes back home,” Silvie said. “I’m glad that she turned her attentions away from your Wil, Emma.”

“Is she giving you trouble?” Ettie asked Silvie.

Silvie gave an embarrassed laugh. “
Nee
, it’s just that I’d grown used to my own company.”

Emma knew what Silvie meant. She knew that she could live by herself if she absolutely had to, but was glad that she didn’t have to. With Wil as her husband she would be able to have
kinner
and create a proper
familye.
She hoped that being in her late twenties she would not have trouble conceiving a child when the time came. She was glad that Wil had waited for her until enough time had passed to marry another man. Emma was confident that no one would whisper or point fingers at Wil and her for marrying in a few months time. By that time, it would be well over a year since Levi went to be with the Lord. “If Wil and I marry soon, will I still be welcome at these meetings?”

“
Jah,
of course,” Elsa-May said.

“You were once widowed so that’s enough to qualify,” Ettie said with a grin on her face.

Emma smiled; she was happy that
Gott
had blessed her with
gut
friends and a
wunderbaar mann
with whom she would spend many fun-filled days. She would wait until Angela moved out and then she could concentrate on getting ready to marry Wil at last.

*** The End ***

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