Hope Chest (9 page)

“Pauline doesn’t see me as anything more than a friend. When she came back to Pennsylvania after her time of living in Ohio, I’d thought maybe I might have a chance, but she doesn’t seem to know I’m alive.” He gave his right earlobe a quick tug. “I wonder if it’s our age difference that bothers her, or maybe she just doesn’t find me appealing.”

Rachel touched his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I wouldn’t take it personal if I was you. I’ve got a hunch that Pauline’s thinking about the age difference, same as Silas.”

Joseph’s eyebrows lifted. “That makes no sense, Rachel. Silas and Anna are the same age.”

Rachel could have bit her tongue. If she wasn’t careful, she would end up telling her big brother that she was crazy in love with Silas and wished like everything that he loved her, too.

“Speaking of Anna, has she ever told you that she’s in love with Silas?”

Joseph leaned over to stroke the cat’s head, for Whiskers was now rubbing against his leg. “She hasn’t said anything to me personally, but she’s been acting mighty strange here of late. I hear tell she got in pretty late last night; and some other times, Anna’s whereabouts haven’t been accounted for, either. What other reason could she have for acting so sneaky, unless she’s been seeing Silas in secret?”

Rachel remembered Silas saying he was going to Paradise yesterday and that he hoped to find Anna there. Could she possibly have spent the day with him? She really wanted to know.

Rachel grabbed the basket of eggs and jumped up. “I’ve got to get these back to the house. See you later, Joseph!” She tore out of the barn and dashed toward the hog pen, where she hoped to find Anna still feeding the sow and her brood of piglets. In her hurry, she tripped over a rock and nearly fell flat on her face. “Ach! The last thing I need this morning is to break all the eggs I’ve gathered.”

She walked a little slower, but disappointment flooded her soul when she saw that Anna wasn’t at the pigpen.

Back at the house, Rachel found Mom, Anna, and Elizabeth rolling out pie dough at the kitchen table. Each held a wooden rolling pin, and Rachel noticed that Elizabeth had more flour on her clothes than she did on the heavy piece of muslin they used as a rolling mat.

“You’re just in time,” Mom said with a nod of her head. “Why don’t you add some sugar to the bowl of raspberries on the cupboard over there?”

Rachel put the eggs in the refrigerator, then went to the sink to wash her hands. “Elizabeth, it sure didn’t take you and Perry long to pick those berries. How’d you get done so fast?”

“Mom helped.” Elizabeth gave Rachel a wide grin. “Her wheelchair fits fine between the rows, and she can pick faster’n anybody I know.”

Mom chuckled. “When you’ve had as many years’ practice as me, you’ll be plenty fast, too.”

Rachel glanced at Anna. She was rolling her piecrust real hard—like she was taking her frustrations out on that clump of sticky dough. Every once in a while, she glanced at the clock on the far wall and grimaced. Rachel figured this probably wasn’t a good time to be asking her sister any questions. Besides the fact that Anna seemed a might testy, Mom and Elizabeth were sitting right there. It didn’t take a genius to know Anna wasn’t about to bare her soul in front of them.

Rachel reached for a bag of sugar on the top shelf of the cupboard. She’d have to wait awhile yet ... until she had Anna all to herself.

The pie baking was finished a little before noon, and Anna, who seemed quite anxious to be on her way, asked if she could forgo lunch and head on over to Emma’s.

“I suppose that would be okay,” Mom said. “I could fix you a sandwich to eat on the way.”

Anna waved her hand. “Don’t trouble yourself. I’m sure Emma will have something for me to eat.”

Mom nodded but sent Anna off with a basket of fresh fruit and a jug of freshly made iced tea. “For Emma,” she stated.

Rachel finished wiping down the table, then excused herself to go outside, hoping her sister hadn’t left yet. She saw Anna hitching the horse to the buggy, but just when she was about to call out to her, Dad came running across the yard. “Not so late tonight, Anna!”

Anna climbed into the buggy. “I’ll do my best to be back before dark.”

Dad stepped aside, and the horse moved forward.

Rachel’s heart sank.
Not again! Am I ever going to get the chance to speak with that sister of mine?
With a sigh of resignation, she turned and headed back to the house. Today was not going one bit as she’d planned.

CHAPTER 7

Rachel gripped the front porch railing, watching as Anna climbed out of the buggy and began to unhitch the horse. It was almost dark. She could hardly believe her sister would be so brazen as to disobey their parents two nights in a row.
What kind of shenanigan is Anna pulling now? Why is she acting so defiant all of a sudden?

Before Rachel had a chance to say anything to her sister, Dad was at Anna’s side, taking the reins from her. “Late again,” he grumbled. “You know right well we don’t like you out this late. You’d better have a good excuse for this. Something better than what you told us last night.”

Rachel wanted to holler, “What did you tell them last night?” Instead, she just stood like a statue, waiting to hear Anna’s reply.

Anna hung her head. “I ... uh ... need to have a little heart-to-heart talk with you and Mom.”

“Fine. I’ll do up the horse, then meet you inside.” Dad walked away, and Anna stepped onto the porch. She drew Rachel into her arms.

“What was that for?” A feeling of bewilderment mixed with mounting fear crept into Rachel’s soul.

Anna’s eyes glistened with tears. “No matter what happens, always remember that I love you.”

Rachel’s forehead wrinkled. “What’s going on, Anna? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

Anna’s only response was a deep sigh.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you all day—to see why you’ve been acting so strange and to find out how come you were late getting home last night.”

Anna drew in a shuddering breath. “Guess you’ll learn it soon enough, because I’m about to tell Dad and Mom the truth about where I was then and why I’m late again tonight.”

“Weren’t you running errands in Paradise yesterday?”

Anna shook her head.

“And today—didn’t you spend the day at Emma Troyer’s?”

“I went to Lancaster both times,” Anna admitted as she sank into one of the wicker chairs sitting on the front porch. “I know you probably won’t understand this, but I’m going to have to leave the Amish faith.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped open. “What? Oh, no ... that just can’t be!”

“It’s true.”

“But how can you even think of doing such a thing now that you’ve been baptized and joined the church? Don’t you know what it will mean if you leave now?”

A pathetic groan escaped Anna’s lips, and she began to cry.

Rachel knelt in front of the chair and grasped her sister’s trembling hand. “I’m guessing the folks don’t know,” she said, hoping this was some kind of a crazy mistake and that as soon as Anna was thinking straight again, she would say it was only a joke and that everything would be all right.

“I made up some story about why I was late last night.”

“What story was that?”

“I said I was with Silas all day, and the reason I wasn’t wearing my cape and apron was because I spilled ice cream all over me.”

“And the kapp? How come you weren’t wearing that last night?”

Anna winced as though she’d been slapped. “I lied about that, too. Said Silas wanted to see me with my hair down, so I took the kapp off and forgot to put it back on before I headed home.”

Rachel’s mind whirled like Mom’s gas-powered washing machine running at full speed. First Anna had said she wasn’t interested in Silas; then she’d lied and said she was. It made no sense. And why would her sister do something so bold as to let her hair down in front of Silas—or anyone else, for that matter?

The words Rachel wanted to speak stuck in her throat like a wad of chewing gum.

“You ... you ... really lied to the folks about all that?” she finally squeaked.

Anna nodded.

“And they believed you? I mean, you said the other day that you had no interest in Silas.”

“I know, but I wanted to throw them off track.” Anna swallowed so hard her Adam’s apple jiggled up and down. “I’ve got to tell them the truth now; there’s no other way.”

Rachel made little circles with her fingers across the bridge of her nose. This wasn’t good. Not good at all. Anna had been lying to Mom and Dad and saying things about leaving the Amish faith. How could she be so mixed-up? What in the world was happening to their family?

Rachel had every intention of questioning her sister further, but Dad stepped onto the porch just then. “Let’s go into the kitchen, Anna.” He pointed at Rachel. “You’d better go on up to bed.”

Obediently but regretfully, Rachel stood, offering Anna a feeble smile. At this rate, she would never find out the whole story.

When Rachel entered the kitchen, she discovered her mother working on a quilt. A variety of lush greens lay beside vivid red patches spread out on the table, making it look like a colorful jigsaw puzzle.

“Isn’t it nice?” Mom asked as she glanced up at Rachel. “This is going to be for Anna’s hope chest, seeing as to how she’s got herself an interested suitor and all. Why, did you know that she snuck off yesterday just to be with Silas Swartley? The little scamp told us she wasn’t interested in him, but it seems she’s changed her mind.”

Before Rachel could comment, Dad and Anna entered the room. “
Gut nacht,
Rachel,” Dad said, nodding toward the hallway door.

“Good night,” Rachel mumbled as she exited the room, only closing the door partway. She stopped on the stairwell, out of sight from those in the kitchen. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she simply couldn’t go to bed until she found out what was going on with her sister.

“Anna, you said you had something to say,” Dad’s voice boomed from the kitchen. “Seems as though you ought to start by explaining why you’re so late.”

“She was probably with Silas again,” Mom interjected. “Anna, we don’t have a problem with him courting you, but we just can’t have you out near dark by yourself. It’s much too dangerous.”

Rachel knew Anna was taking the time to think before she spoke, because there was a long pause and a shuffling of feet. Suddenly, her sister blurted out, “I lied about me and Silas. He’s not courting me, and I–I’m sorry to be telling you this, but I’ll be leaving the faith.”

Goose bumps erupted on Rachel’s arms as she peered through the crack in the doorway and saw Mom’s face blanch.

“You’re what?” Dad hollered.

“I–I’m leaving because I got married today.”

“You were supposed to be at Emma’s,” Mom said as though the word
married
had never been mentioned.

“What are you talkin’ about, girl?” Dad sputtered. “How can you possibly be married?”

“Reuben Yutzy and I got married today by a justice of the peace in Lancaster.” Anna’s voice sounded stronger by the minute. “We’ve been seeing each other secretly for some time now, and yesterday we went to get our marriage license.”

Rachel clasped her hand over her mouth as she stifled a gasp. This was worse than she had imagined, and it simply couldn’t be true.

“What caused you to do such a thing?” Dad’s back was to Rachel, and she could only imagine how red his face must be.

“If it’s Reuben you love and wanted to marry, why did you hide it?” Mom’s voice quavered like she was close to tears. “Why didn’t Reuben speak with one of the deacons about the two of you getting married? We could have had the wedding this fall, and—”

“I’m sure you must know that Reuben hasn’t been baptized or joined the church yet, and he doesn’t plan to, either.” There was a pause, and Anna cleared her throat a couple of times. “So that means I’ll have to leave the Amish faith in order to be with him.”

“You can’t be serious about this!”

“Daniel, you’ll wake the whole house.” Mom’s voice lowered to a near whisper, and Rachel had to strain to hear what was being said.

“I don’t care if I do wake everyone! This is most serious business our daughter has brought to us tonight.”

“Can’t we at least discuss this in a quiet manner?” Mom asked in a pleading tone.

Dad shuffled his feet a few times, the way he always did whenever he was trying to get himself calmed down. A chair scraped across the kitchen floor. “Sit down, daughter, and explain this rebellious act of yours.”

Rachel stood twisting the corners of her apron, too afraid to breathe. Nothing like this had ever happened in the Beachy home, and she couldn’t imagine how it would all turn out.

“Reuben and I have been in love for some time, and I was hoping he would decide to join the church, but he wants to go English, so if I’m to be with him, then—”

“You could have told him no—that you wouldn’t marry him unless he joined our church.”

“Dad, please try to understand. I love Reuben so much, and I feel that my place is with him no matter which world we must live in.”