Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy (36 page)

Luke tucked the reins under a heavy rock, knowing Old Bess would stay wherever he put her without much fight. He ambled back out to where the accident took place. Absorbing how different the fields looked with their thick layer of snow and patches of tall brown grass sticking through, Luke climbed the fence on the far side of the road. The leaves had been green when he and Mary were here last. Somehow this past fall he’d missed autumn’s changing colors and the trees going bare. Stomping through the high snow to the area where he’d landed after being thrown from the buggy, he realized he’d sailed through the air quite a ways. But he had no memory of that.

What did happen that night?

As if waiting to be asked that question, memories of crying out to God came to him. When he’d prayed for help that night, he’d been engulfed in … something. Maybe compassion? The nightmare of trying to find Mary washed over Luke. The awful realization that he didn’t know how to use a cell phone and that Mary might die because of his helplessness had left him square in need of—

Chills ran up Luke’s arms. He looked skyward, watching billowy gray clouds roll and slide east.

Square in need of …

What was it that he needed so badly that night, the very thing that seemed to cover him with acceptance and strength at the same time?

He’d been injured and too weak to do anything on his own. What had taken place between him and God that night?

With questions churning inside him, Luke headed back to the buggy.

What was it, God?

Like an unexpected peal of thunder ripping across the sky, Luke knew. It hadn’t been one understanding. It was a lot of things, all parts of God, which had forgiveness, strength, and hope rolled into it. Once the feeling touched him, things he shouldn’t have been able to know, he knew. How to find Mary dawned on him instantly after he prayed. Strength he hadn’t had before entered him. He never figured out how to use the cell phone, but the car horn idea came to him, and he knew how to do that. He’d been told that constant noise had caused someone to call the police.

A bolt of energy ran through him.

Oh, God, I see
.

“There’s a part of You that talks to people sometimes. That tells us something that isn’t passed down by the church leaders … or
Daed.
”

Luke knelt on the cold snow, bowing his head. “Dear Father, thank You for saving Mary and me that night.” He saw Hannah in his mind’s eye. He lifted his face toward heaven. “God, what am I to think of her?”

No instantaneous ideas came to him. Luke remained on his knees, hoping wisdom would pour from heaven onto him. It didn’t. He started to shake as the snow melted under him, causing his pants to soak up cold water.

He rose and made his way back to the buggy. As the horse plodded toward his harness shop, thoughts of his sister over the past six months ran through his mind. When his harness shop came into view, Luke saw a car parked in front of it.

A customer on a Sunday?

As Luke pulled the buggy to a stop, their milkman, Mr. Carlisle, stepped out of his car. “Luke,”—Mr. Carlisle closed his car door—“Russ Braden came to see me about an hour ago. Something was weighing on his mind, and now it’s weighing on mine.”

Luke couldn’t imagine why Mr. Carlisle was telling him about Mr. Braden. “Yeah? What’s that?”

Hannah sat in the train station clutching her tickets and ID, feeling as if she held her future in her hands. She’d had a restless night, hoping Paul would return her call. He hadn’t. With fading hopes, she’d stayed at the hotel as long as possible, giving him time to change his mind and contact her.

Perhaps it was best that she not tell him goodbye. Temptation to reveal where she was going might have been too much if she’d spoken to him. It was important that no one know where she was heading. She wanted a fresh start, with no worry that someone might show up or send another horrid letter warning her of the wages of sin.

Drawing a deep breath, she gazed around the train depot. It wasn’t particularly large. But the building was interesting and looked to be centuries old. She couldn’t help but wonder how many people over the years had come through here to begin a new life elsewhere.

A thousand emotions vied for her attention: guilt over leaving, hope at what lay ahead, longing to find peace, desire to succeed, and overwhelming grief. She took a seat on a long wooden bench, waiting for Matthew to return. He’d gone to the ticket window to ask a few more questions concerning arrival times and such, but he’d promised that he wouldn’t pry about her destination.

The overriding emotion seemed to be the misery of feeling that her body, mind, and spirit were disconnected from one another. As if her body was here but her mind and heart were suspended in some distant, fog-covered world. Perhaps if she took her body to a new place, a clear mind and a mended heart would join her … someday.

Matthew put her lone suitcase on the floor beside her and sat down. “I upgraded your accommodations. The train from here to Pittsburgh is coach only. But once you get on the train in Pittsburgh to wherever your final destination is, you’ll ride first class in a roomette. Meals are free, and you’ll have a berth to sleep in, private bathroom facilities, and a door that can lock.”

Hannah crossed her arms over her waist. He shouldn’t have paid extra money to upgrade; riding coach all the way would have been fine. “Matthew …”

“You need the rest, Hannah.” Matthew was resolved, and he wasn’t going to apologize. “In a few minutes a redcap will come by. He’ll take you to the train platform by elevator to save you from clomping down a couple dozen fairly steep stairs.” Since Matthew had traveled by train a few times, he explained to her about tipping the redcaps and the basics of life on a passenger train. When he finished, they sat in silence.

To Hannah’s chagrin, he’d given her nearly two thousand dollars in cash, in addition to paying for her train tickets and everything else since they’d left Owl’s Perch. If he could work things out with Elle, he’d need that money to set up a home. It would take him years to recover.

Matthew removed his hat and set it on the bench beside him. He rubbed his forehead. “Hannah, promise me you’ll take care of yourself.” He sighed. “You’ll have no one to make sure you’re eating or anything.”

Hannah wrapped her hand over his. “I promise, Matthew. I’ll eat whether I’m hungry or not. I’ll rest and take good care of myself.”

Mr. Carlisle turned down another narrow street. “When we get to the train station, you want me to wait in the truck or go with you?”

“I don’t know.” Luke’s laced fingers tightened. “What if she’s gone already?”

Stopping at a red light, Mr. Carlisle turned to his passenger, concern clouding his eyes. “We’re cutting it close. Russ wasn’t sure what time her train was leaving. He only knows what he overheard in the car after the train tickets had been purchased.”

Luke tried to remember what Mr. Carlisle had told him less than an hour ago. All he could recall was that Carlisle’s friend Russ, who worked as a driver for many of the Amish, had taken Matthew, his mother, and Hannah to the train station late yesterday, waited for them while they went inside, and then taken them to a hotel. Russ had heard them say that Hannah had purchased a one-way ticket, but he didn’t know her destination. He did hear them plan to use the hotel’s shuttle service to get Hannah back to the depot today around twelve thirty.

Mr. Carlisle checked his watch. “It’s one fifteen now, so that was forty-five minutes ago. Russ thought they were planning to get to the station about an hour before their train leaves.” He tapped the steering wheel. “If I got it figured right, that gives us a ten-to fifteen-minute window to catch her.”

“If I hadn’t been out riding this morning …”

The light changed, and Mr. Carlisle made a right turn. “And if Russ had told me what was going on yesterday after he dropped them off at the hotel rather than waiting until this morning to come see me, we wouldn’t be in this fix.”

“I’m glad ya came to tell me. I just hope we get there in time.”

“When your father finds out I kept this from him, well, it won’t go over too well. But I figure Hannah got a bad shake in this deal, and I’m not tattling on her. I’m just givin’ you a chance to intervene. Maybe you can talk her into not leaving.”

“I hope so.”

Shifting gears, Mr. Carlisle turned left. “I don’t know what’s really going on with Hannah, but I’ve been hearing stuff for months. One thing I do know: Hannah doesn’t deserve what’s been happening to her. I don’t give a rip how many of those rumors are true.”

Luke nodded, realizing the full truth. If Mr. Carlisle could see it, why, as Hannah’s brother, couldn’t he have seen it sooner? He just hoped he wasn’t too late to talk her into staying. With a few people on her side, she could weather this storm. He had to convince her of that.

When Mr. Carlisle pulled up in front of the train station, he nodded toward the depot. “I’ll park and meet you out front. You go find your sister. When you’re ready to leave, just come outside.”

Luke opened the truck door and climbed out. “Thank you, Mr. Carlisle.”

“You’re welcome. Now, hurry.”

Walking through the two sets of doors, Luke took in the large open area in a single glance. Hannah wasn’t there. To his left was a small store. Through the shop windows, he saw a few people milling about; none of them was Hannah. In the far corner to his right, a small line of people waited at the ticket window. She wasn’t there either.

He jogged through the next set of open doors, which led to another large room with wooden benches sitting end to end and back to back. Still no sign of Hannah.

God, please let me find my sister and take her home
.

Suddenly he saw her and Matthew sitting on one of the benches. A small suitcase sat at his sister’s feet. “Hannah!”

When she turned and saw Luke, shock covered her face. She rose from the bench.

Luke rushed to her. He studied her pale face. Only one thought filled his mind. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry.” Without waiting for her to respond, he hugged her tight. She didn’t push him away, but she didn’t return the hug. “Please come home, Hannah. What happened to you is awful, and you ain’t been done right, but don’t leave.”

Hannah took a step back. “That’s what you say today. What about tomorrow?”

Luke took her hands in his. “I’ve been mean and difficult, and I’m really sorry for all of it. Give me a chance to make it up to you.”

She eased back onto the bench and stared at her lap.

Luke bent closer. “Mary and I will take care of you. You can live in the apartment over my harness shop.”

Hannah lifted her chin and looked at him. “
Ach
, Luke, you’re not thinking. With the bishop set against me like he is, you could get shunned for such a thing. And for sure it’d ruin your good standing with the church.” Hannah took a deep breath. “I’ve been branded, Luke, and that will never go away.”

“But what about that … guy?”

“Paul? He fled the moment he discovered I was pregnant. I knew he would.”

“You ain’t exactly given him time to adjust.”

She rose. “I’m not living every day of my life hoping he’ll come back. I couldn’t stand that. Even if he comes to realize I’m innocent, what’s he going to do—still want to marry me? Besides, he’s not coming back, and I don’t want to live in a lonely world with no hope of a future, barely being tolerated among our community, while Paul finds a new love, gets married, and has children.” Her body trembled, but her eyes blazed with determination. She’d obviously thought this through.

A uniformed man strode by. “Train for Pittsburgh will begin boarding in two minutes,” he called out. “Please have your tickets ready.”

Luke felt panicky. He had to change her mind. “So you have some things to work through. It’s the hand you were dealt, Hannah, but Mary and Matthew and I will help you. We’ll set things right with the church. It may take some time, but …”

A man wearing a red cap stopped in front of them. “If you wish to ride the elevator to the platform, I’m heading that way in just a minute.”