Romance In Amish Country Series Boxed Set: 1-3 Naomi's Story; Miriam's Story; Ruth's Story

by Melanie Schmidt

  “Do you love Daniel?” Ruth asked softly, when Miriam had quieted.

  Miriam pulled away and reached for her handkerchief.

  “I do not know, Aenti Ruth. How can I? It is too soon for love. It would be wrong for me to love another man when Jacob has only been gone such a short time.” Miriam looked up at her aunt. “Would it not?” she added, desperately seeking an answer.

  Ruth sighed, rubbing Miriam’s back in comfort. “Would it, child?” she asked gently. “Can it be wrong, if it is love that you feel? Daniel obviously loves your children—anyone can see that in the way he is with them. And I have seen him watching you, too, Miriam.”

  “He watches me?”

  “Like a thirsty man in a desert,” Naomi answered definitively, laying her hand on her sister’s shoulder and giving it a firm squeeze. “Remember, it has been almost two years for him. And though it has been a lot less time for you, Miriam, how can loving a man who loves you be wrong?”

  “I do not know that he does love me, Naomi,” Miriam said, wiping her face with her handkerchief and blowing her nose. “I cannot even be certain I love him, the way my emotions are carrying on these days.”

  “Well, there must be a reason Seth found him among that mob of horsemen and trainers he met last spring,” Naomi insisted. “I have to believe Daniel was meant to come here.”

  Miriam smiled slightly. “Are you saying you believe he and I were fated to be together?”

  “Perhaps.”

  “But Seth met Daniel before Jacob died,” Ruth said. “I do not much like the sound of that.”

  “Nor do I,” Miriam agreed firmly.

  “I did not mean that,” Naomi said. “I merely meant that Daniel was fated to come here and be a part of this community. If Jacob had not died, then Daniel would have still become ‘Uncle Daniel’ to your children, since our families are so close, and we see so much of each another.”

  “But Jacob did die,” Miriam whispered, “and now Daniel…”

  “God stirs hearts in many ways and for many reasons,” Ruth said. “Perhaps Naomi is right. Daniel was meant to become a good friend to this family, only now God has made it possible for him to become more—especially to you, Miriam.”

  “Jacob would have liked Daniel,” Miriam said, feeling quite certain of that one point, at least.

  “I agree,” Ruth said.

  Miriam sighed then started when she heard male voices coming from outside.

  “Please do not tell anyone about this!” she said, grasping at their arms.

  “Do not worry, Miriam,” Naomi said.

  “Naomi, you take that big tray of food out onto the porch,” Ruth said, giving Miriam a reassuring pat on the back as she rose. “I will follow with the drinks, so they will have no need to come into the house at all.”

  “Good idea.” Naomi rose quickly, hefted the large platter, and headed for the door.

  “Wash your face, love,” Ruth suggested to Miriam. “Everything will be all right.”

  Miriam smiled up at her aunt as Ruth took up the tray with pitchers of cold tea and glasses and followed Naomi. She took a deep, steadying breath then headed for the bathroom. She had some very observant brothers-in-law to fool, and if Daniel was watching her as closely as Naomi and Ruth thought he was, she imagined that he would guess she had been crying as soon as he saw her,. Deciding that there was no sense in stirring his concern, Miriam determined to ensure that she left no trace of tears on her face.

  14

  A week later, Miriam heard the horse before she saw the man, and when she glanced out the kitchen window, she recognized Daniel’s new blood bay gelding right away.

  “Who is that coming, then?” Rachel asked, coming in from the pantry.

  “It is Daniel.”

  “Oh? Go find out what he needs—and ask if he would like to stay for supper.”

  Wondering if Rachel had some kind of ulterior motive concerning her and Daniel, Miriam took a deep breath and stepped out onto the porch. She watched Daniel pause long enough to greet Shem, who was walking up from the barn. He dismounted then walked to the house with the older man.

  “Welcome, Daniel!” Rachel greeted him, coming out of the house behind Miriam. “To what do we own this visit?”

  “I have a favor to ask of your husband.”

  “Oh?”

  “It seems Herr Petershwim has a mare for sale, and Seth believes she would be a good purchase for us. The problem is that he does not think the man will sell her to a Miller.”

  “He is probably right about that,” Rachel said.

  Shem chuckled. “I do not think Seth Petershwim would sell horse manure to the Millers.”

  “Why is that?” Miriam asked, surprised that Shem would joke about her family this way.

  “Yes, why, Grandpapa?” little Rebecca asked.

  Shem settled into a rocking chair on the porch and welcomed his youngest granddaughter into his lap.

  “The Petershwims do not speak to the Millers, I am afraid.”

  “Why not, for heaven’s sake?” Miriam asked testily. She had never heard of such a thing.

  “Oh, it goes back a long way, daughter, before your parents were married.”

  “Even further,” Rachel said, “for as I remember, it all started in school.”

  “Yes, but it was later that Petershwim was really offended.”

  “By what?” Daniel asked, as curious as Miriam.

  “Why, Miriam’s mama, of course,” Rachel said. “Seth Petershwim courted Leah all through school and for years after, but Leah always had her eye on Ezra, so in spite of Ezra’s far more humble circumstances, she turned down Seth Petershwim’s proposal and went and asked Ezra to marry her.”

  “What!” Miriam was aghast, both shocked and pleased her mother would have done such a thing. “Why did I not know about this?”

  Shem laughed. “It happened long ago, my dear.”

  “I doubt anyone but Herr Petershwim and your father remember it,” Rachel added. “Except for us, of course, but then Shem and Ezra were neighbors, and Leah was a good friend of mine from the time we were children.”

  “Ezra was smart to tell Seth before he tried to buy Petershwim’s horse, though,” Shem said thoughtfully.

  “So, you are willing to go and introduce me to him?” Daniel asked.

  Shem chuckled. “I would be glad to. When?”

  “As early tomorrow as possible. Seth heard about the horse from Herr Lapp, the grocer, and it seems Petershwim is anxious to sell. Apparently the mare is of good breeding but is badly behaved.”

  “Then how will you be able to use her, Uncle Daniel?” Ezra asked.

  “Well, usually when a horse acts up, it is for a reason, Ezra. Without looking at her, I would say she might not have been trained right in the beginning, or she might have had a bad experience in traffic, or Petershwim might be a bad driver. It could even be a combination of all three.”

  “But you can fix her, right?” Ezra asked.

  Daniel laughed. “I can try. If she does not respond to my training all the way, we will still have obtained a quality brood mare—if Herr Petershwim did not exaggerate her qualities to Herr Lapp, that is. On the other hand, if I can ‘fix’ her, I would love to see your Grandfather Miller drive through town with her.”

  He winked at Rebecca, making everyone laugh.

  “Will you join us for supper, Daniel?” Rachel asked after a moment.

  “Thank you. I would like that, Frau Fisher,” he said, meeting Miriam’s eyes.

  Miriam blushed and glanced quickly away. “Come along, children,” she said. “We need to finish setting the table.”

  Miriam herded her brood into the kitchen and reminded them to wash their hands. They had already set the kitchen table rather than the dining room table, but Rachel only added another plate on one side, rather than moving to the more formal setting. She set Ruthie to putting out the flatware and Ezra to folding the napkins. Miriam transferred the boiled potatoes from the p
ot to a bowl, casting nervous glances toward the back door where Shem and Daniel had yet to appear. When the men finally did come in a few minutes later, Daniel only smiled at her briefly before interacting with her children in an easy manner by helping to settle the dispute over who would get to sit next to Uncle Daniel.

  After prayer, conversation ranged from horses to the weather to the upcoming school year. Rebecca was very disappointed that she was still not old enough to attend school, but Miriam and Rachel assured her they would do reading with her during the day while Ezra and Ruthie were in school. Daniel regaled the children with funny stories about growing up the youngest of nine children.

  “One older sister is not so much of a hardship,” he said to Ezra. “Believe me. As a man who grew up with five older sisters, I can tell you that you have had it very easy.”

  “Remember that the next time you want to complain,” Rachel said, and everyone laughed.

  “Would you like some more strudel, Daniel?” Rachel asked

  Daniel pushed back his empty plate and held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Thank you, but no,” he said on a laugh. “It was delicious, as was the entire meal, but my new horse has to be able to carry me home tonight, and if I eat another bite, I may need to carry him .”

  “As my mama always said, ‘A man alone can always use another helping of strudel!’”

  Daniel laughed but pushed back his chair. “I need to get back,” he said, regret clear in his voice. He had moved into the apartment at the stable a few days before and was now spending most of his time there. “I am not certain enough of the way to ride after dark.”

  “Take the path across the fields,” Shem told him. “It is much safer than the road this time of day. You will probably meet Seth walking back this way.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  “Will we see you again soon?” Ezra asked.

  “Tomorrow morning, bright and early,” he promised. “I will come help your grandfather with his morning chores, so we can get to Petershwim about his horse well before noon.”

  “Say goodnight to Uncle Daniel, now,” Miriam said. “You all need to get ready for bed soon.”

  “Goodnight, Uncle Daniel!” the three children said, crowding around him for goodnight hugs.

  “Goodnight,” he said, kissing the girls on their cheeks and offering Ezra a manly handshake.

  “Thank you again for supper,” he said to Rachel as he collected his hat. “I will see you at first light, Shem.”

  “Goodnight,” Shem said.

  When Shem did not escort Daniel out, Miriam looked at him in surprise. Their eyes met for a long moment then he nodded and gestured for her to follow their guest. Surprised by Shem’s encouragement, Miriam swallowed hard, and calling herself five kinds of fool, she hurried out to find Daniel adjusting the bridle on his horse.

  He looked up when she rushed out onto the porch. “Miriam?”

  She hesitated before she walked down the steps to join him Daniel in the yard. Thinking of her mother’s courage forty years before, she still hesitated, unable to say the things she wanted—needed—to say to him.

  “Miriam?” Daniel asked once more.

  She shook her head, unable to meet his eyes. “I am so confused, Daniel,” she whispered. “I have come to care for you so much in such a short time, it confuses me.”

  He smiled and turned to face her fully. “If it makes you feel any better, you confuse me, too.”

  “Do I?” Miriam was both surprised and pleased by his confession.

  “Oh, yes.” He returned his mount’s reins to the railing and reached out to cup her cheek with one palm. “I think I may be falling in love with you, Miriam.”

  Miriam closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

  “I cannot…”

  “Shhh,” he said, silencing her words with a gentle touch. “You do not need to say the words back to me.”

  She looked into his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. “I want to say the words to you, Daniel, but I…”

  Daniel smiled and took her face tenderly with both hands. “Then let us start here,” he murmured, lowering his lips to hers.

  He paused a breath away, and it was Miriam who closed the final distance between them. It was a chaste kiss, but Miriam felt it to her toes, and her heart melted. When they parted, both were short of breath, and Miriam licked her lips, tasting him.

  “Goodnight, Miriam,” he said softly, caressing her cheek one last time before he turned to mount his horse. He looked down on her for a long moment then smiled. “You will dream of me tonight.”

  Miriam snorted softly at his understatement. “As you will dream of me.”

  Daniel grinned, urging his horse to step back. “Oh, yes.”

  Miriam managed a frustrated laugh as he pulled his horse around and set off toward the trail leading to the Miller farm. He whirled back around once, and when he saw her still standing there, he grinned and waved before turning away once more.

  Miriam hugged herself tightly as she watched him ride away. She could still taste him on her lips and felt her heart break.

  “Oh, Jacob,” she whispered. “Did you ask God to send him to me?”

  When she lost track of him in the growing gloom of dusk, she turned back to the house, praying it was so.

  15

  September turned into October, the change of calendar bringing the end of the harvest and the fall Communion service. Sunday’s service had been to meet at the Fishers’, as the rotation of the service location between families came around to their home for the first time this year. It had been quite crowded, as usual, but there had been plenty of food at the dinner following the service, and everyone had gone home satisfied, both physically and spiritually.

  Only the family—Fishers and Millers—remained, the adults gathered in the parlor, and the children playing together upstairs over the kitchen, with the older ones keeping an eye on the younger ones. Among the adults, there was little conversation, as one of the first fires of the year crackled cheerfully in the big fireplace, leaving most content to simply relax in each other’s company, though some of the women knitted or crocheted to pass the time.

  “Only two weeks to go,” Naomi said, leaning against Seth with a sigh.

  “Yes, only two weeks, and you can announce your intentions to marry to the whole world,” Ruth said, her eyes sparkling as she looked up from the baby blanket she was crocheting.

  “As though the entire world had not already guessed your intentions,” Adam teased.

  “And were we any better?” his wife, Hadessah asked, eyeing him over her reading glasses which helped her to see the fine thread of her needlepoint.

  “Do not answer that question, brother,” Benjamin warned. “There is no right answer to such a question.”

  Everyone chuckled good-naturedly and with not a little empathy. The Old Amish tradition was to have all weddings sometime after the harvest and before Christmas, which made November and December very busy months. That most were not even announced until the Sunday service following fall Communion left many couples extremely impatient to get on with their lives together, and it was no different for Seth and Naomi.

  “You will survive the wait, little brother,” Saul said. “All of us did.”

  Miriam glanced toward Daniel but could not tell what he was thinking. Neither Fisher nor Miller, he was nevertheless welcome in this company because of his close ties to Seth and her father, but if this conversation was difficult for her, it must be even more so for him. What must it be like to be so alone? she wondered. When Daniel slipped out a moment later, Miriam did not hesitate but made to follow, praying none of her brothers would attempt to interfere.

  A cold draft in the front hall told her Daniel had gone straight out the front door. She pulled her heavy black cape from its peg and wrapped it around herself as she stepped outside. October had brought colder temperatures,and overcast skies made it dark and cold already, though it was early evening. Afraid of w
hat Daniel would do, she headed straight for the barn where the horses of their guests were waiting to take their people home. Miriam stepped inside, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw Daniel saddling his horse.

  “Daniel, no! Please!” she said, uncertain whether he would listen to her.

  He paused and leaned his head against his horse.

  “I cannot do this anymore, Miriam.”

  “Do what?” she asked, encouraged that he was willing to listen to her, though she feared his response.

  “Keep my distance.” He refused to look at her. “I thought it would be easier, once school started, because Ezra would not spend as much time at the stables, but it has not really helped at all. Your families are simply too close, too intertwined.”

  “Daniel…”

  “I love you Miriam, and I can no longer pretend that I do not.”

  Miriam shook her head. “I do not want you to pretend, Daniel. I love you, too.”

  His head snapped up, and she could see him struggling to see her clearly.

  “Do you mean it?” he whispered, as though afraid to believe.

  “Yes. With all my heart.”

  He let out a huff of breath and stepped toward her, but she held her hand out to prevent him from touching her.

  “There is something you need to know.”

  “Tell me,” he said impatiently.

  Miriam took a very deep breath and forced herself to meet his eyes in the dim light. “I am with child, Daniel.”

  He looked stunned at first, but his shock quickly turned to wonder. “A babe?”

  She nodded, still unable in the dim light to tell what secrets his face concealed.

  Before Miriam could say another word, Daniel stepped close and enfolded her in his arms.

  “Miriam,” he murmured.

  Miriam hugged him back with all her strength, and she could feel him trembling as much as she. “Please do not leave me, too,” she whispered. “I could not stand it.”

  He pulled back then, and framed her face with his hands. “Then marry me, Miriam. Now. Please do not make me wait until next year. Let us announce our intentions at the next meeting, alongside Naomi and Seth. I love you, Miriam. I love your children.” He stared at her in wonder, brushing a stray curl back from her face. “I also love the babe you carry. Please love me enough to let me be the father of your children.”