Three and a half hours later, the final notes of the last hymn died away. The bishop addressed the congregation. “As many of you know, our little sister Sophie Fisher was in the hospital with pneumonia for more than a week. We give thanks to Gott that she is making a recovery. Her mother, our sister Clara Fisher, is a widow and dependent on us to help her with the burdensome cost of Sophie’s hospital care. I ask that you give generously. Our deacons will now pass around baskets.”
When the collection was finished, the congregation filed out of the house. The young boys and girls darted outside as fast as they could to start a game of volleyball. The men rearranged the backless benches into tables for the noon meal. The limited seating meant the congregation ate in shifts, starting with elders and ministers. The unmarried boys had to wait until the married men and married women had taken their turns. The unmarried girls were the last to eat.
Clara waited impatiently until the bishop finished eating. Before she could approach him, he began what turned out to be a lengthy conversation with one of the church members, who had a grievance against another member. When the bishop was finally free, Clara quickly moved to his side. “May I speak to you for a few minutes?”
He smiled at her. “Of course. It is good to see you. I’m told we raised several thousand dollars for you today. I will see that the hospital gets paid and what is left will be sent to you. How are you managing without Eli?”
“Well enough except for a problem brought about by my cousin Ralph Hobson.”
“Ah, that one. Eli was always disappointed with his nephew. He felt that Ralph had great potential but that he chose a material path rather than a spiritual one.”
Clara explained Ralph’s claim to the farm and her doubts about the validity. “Did Eli ever mention the farm trust he had created?”
“We talked about it years ago. I believe he wanted the farm to go to his sisters.”
“That was the original arrangement but not long ago, he told me that he had changed the trust and left the farm to me so that I might care for my children. I take it he didn’t discuss this with you?”
“Nee, he did not, although it sounds like something he would do. He was extremely fond of you and of little Sophie. He wanted to do everything within his power to help her.”
“I believe Ralph’s claim is a fake but I can’t prove it unless I can locate the real trust.”
“I wish I could help you. The only thing Eli mentioned recently that was unusual was that some strangers wanted to buy the farm. They were making a nuisance of themselves because they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Do you know who they were? Do you have a name?”
“He was an Englisch fellow, that’s all Eli said about him.”
“Danki, Bishop Barkman.” She tried not to let her disappointment show.
“Let us know if you need anything, Clara. You have only to ask.”
Clara thanked the bishop and went to find her children. At the barn, she told the boy looking after the horses that she was ready to go. He brought up Frankly and proceeded to hitch him to her buggy.
“Isn’t that Paul Bowman’s horse?”
Clara looked over to see Beverly Stutzman getting into her father’s buggy. Clara had met the pretty young woman several times but they weren’t really friends. “Ja, this is Frankly. Paul was kind enough to loan the horse and buggy to me until Eli’s buggy can be fixed.”
“I hope you don’t mind a word to the wise. Paul Bowman is a fun, friendly fellow but he’s not husband material.”
“Since I’m not looking for a husband, perhaps that is a good thing,” Clara replied with a stiff smile. She wasn’t about to engage in gossip about Paul.
Her ride home was long and quiet. Sophie fell asleep for most of the way but woke with a start before they reached the house. “Mamm?”
“I’m here, sweetheart.”
Sophie leaned against her side. “Where are we going to live when Mr. Hobson makes us leave our house? Will we live in a hollow tree?”
“A hollow tree? Where did you get that idea?”
“Charlotte said Juliet lived in a hollow tree.”
“I’m not sure where we will go but it will be a lovely home because I will have my daughter and I will have my son and they will have their cat.”
“Maybe we could live with Paul,” Sophie said.
“That’s a great idea, Sophie.” Toby smiled from ear to ear. “Then maybe he could be our new daed.”
“We are not going to live with Paul, and I forbid you to mention such an idea to him. Do you understand me?” If her voice was too sharp, at least the children got the point.
“Ja, Mamm,” Toby said softly.
Sophie nodded but didn’t say anything. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Clara was sorry she hurt her child’s feelings but she would die of embarrassment if Paul heard the children plotting to make him their new father.
“Paul said he was going to take me fishing,” Toby said. “Can I still go with him?”
This was the first Clara had heard of the offer. Sophie scowled at her brother. “I’m not going to the fishpond anymore.”
“We’re not going to the fishpond. Those are tame fish. We’re going to go fishing in the river. Paul has a boat and everything. We might catch a fish as big as a hog.”
Sophie eyed him skeptically and then looked at Clara. “There aren’t fish as big as an old hog, are there, Mamm?”
“There are, too, fish that big. Bigger. Fish in the ocean can be as big as our house. Hannah told me so.”
“Who is Hannah?” Clara asked.
“My new friend. She’s going to be in the sixth grade. Her daed is Paul’s cousin. She has a baby brudder who is going to be one and they are having a party for him.” He leaned toward Sophie. “Her grandpa is a sheriff with real handcuffs and everything. He could throw me in jail if I didn’t mind Hannah. I was very good.”
Clara smothered a chuckle. It was an unusual babysitting technique but it sounded like an effective one. “I’m sure glad you didn’t end up in jail.”
He sat back and nodded. “Me, too.”
Paul will enjoy hearing this story. Clara sobered. Paul shouldn’t have been the first person she thought to share the story with. It should’ve been her mother or even one of the Bowman women. The sad fact was, she spent far too much time thinking about Paul Bowman. How could she change it when she was going to see him almost daily?
The answer was painful, too. She would have to leave the farm and find somewhere else to live. She didn’t want to do that but staying in the house was becoming pointless. It hadn’t deterred Ralph’s plans for the property. All she had accomplished was to fall for a handsome, smiling, smooth-talking fellow who liked her children and her cat. She wasn’t normally a foolish person but she was turning into one where Paul Bowman was concerned.
That needed to change.
Chapter Nine
Paul harnessed his mare before daybreak on Monday morning and was soon on the road. Clara and the children were at home, and he was excited to see them again. He hummed a happy tune as his horse’s rapid trot ate up the miles.
Clara was outside hanging her wash on the line. He pulled the horse to a stop in front of the house. “Did you finally get rid of the pond water smell?”
She laughed. “It took some scrubbing but I did. Go say hello to the children. They are looking forward to seeing you today.”
An intense joy filled him at the sight of her smile. He longed to see her happy and the fact that he had made her smile filled him with a sense of accomplishment. “Where are they?”
“Putting a puzzle together in the kitchen.”
He got out of his buggy and started for the front door but stopped when he heard the sound of car tires on the gravel lane. Ralph’s car came into view. Paul’s good mood faded.
&nb
sp; Clara moved closer to him. “Just when I was beginning to enjoy the day. I know Ralph. He’s going to start yelling about my still being here. That was his style even when he was a boy. Attack first.”
Ralph brought his car to a stop beside Paul’s buggy. There was no question that the man was angry as he stepped out of his vehicle. “I thought I told you to get her moved off my property. That was over a week ago. Why is she still here? If you can’t get the job done, I will find someone who can.”
Clara stepped forward. “You can’t have known that Sophie spent the last week and a half in the hospital. She had pneumonia. She had a seizure. She was very ill. I didn’t have time to look for somewhere new to live.”
Some of Ralph’s bluster faded away. “I’m sorry the girl was sick. That’s not my fault. You can’t keep staying here rent-free. And don’t tell me you’ll pay rent. I don’t want a renter.”
Paul tried to defuse the situation. “We have someone who has offered to let them live with her but there are no electric lines there and it would take some time to have them installed even if the bishop would give his permission.”
“Use a generator. I thought that’s what the Amish did.”
“They are expensive to purchase,” Clara said softly.
Ralph gestured toward the house. “You already have one.”
Clara stared at the ground with her hands clasped in front of her. “Eli purchased that generator so it actually belongs to you, cousin.”
Paul almost laughed at the honeyed meekness in her tone. Ralph threw his hands in the air. “Take the generator. I give it to you. Just get off this land. People will be coming to view the farm and I want them to be able to walk through the house without tripping over your kids or your cat.”
“That’s very generous of you.” Clara inclined her head slightly. “It would be even more generous to return the farm to me.”
Ralph ignored her and stepped up to Paul. “You have been dragging your feet, too. This place should be ready to auction today. Is it?”
“Advertising a sale this size takes time. The notices have gone to all our local papers. I have proofed the flyers and handbills with the printer in town. We are on schedule.”
“Cut that schedule by two weeks.”
Paul shook his head. “I can’t. Not if you want it done right. The more people who hear about it and can plan to attend, the better.”
“Plus it gives me more time to find my uncle’s legitimate trust documents,” Clara added, to Paul’s chagrin.
Ralph’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve made some inquiries about you, Bowman. You need this sale more than I do. Don’t let your sympathy for my conniving little cousin sink your new business. Did you know that your loan can be purchased from your bank by someone else? I’m friends with a few people who have enough capital to do just that. Once that happens, any chance of getting an extension or refinancing goes out the window. I want you to think about that.”
There was no mistaking the threat in Ralph’s words. “I told you it would take six to eight weeks to be ready. I am pushing things to have it done in six weeks as it is.”
“I’m not seeing the progress.”
Paul took a deep breath so he wouldn’t say something he’d regret. “I know you didn’t want a new survey done but I think the coal-mining company that owns the land east of here is encroaching on your property.”
“I don’t need a new survey and I sure don’t need you snooping into things that are none of your business. Don’t make me sorry I hired an Amish auction service.”
Paul regarded him steadily. “Given your obvious dislike of the Amish, I have to wonder why you did hire me.”
Ralph took a step back and held his hands wide. “Did you think I picked the first auctioneer I ran across? I did my homework. You’re young and your business is new. You’ve invested a good chunk of capital in getting it up and running. You stand to lose a lot if you can’t get some money flowing in. I thought you’d be eager to do a great job for me as fast as possible. Don’t jeopardize your future to impress my cousin.”
Coming closer, Ralph smiled but it didn’t reach his cold eyes. “There’s an old Amish saying that goes something like this—‘a man’s good reputation is easy to lose and hard to recover.’ What if I told folks things have been sold under the table or important items have come up missing? It would be your word against mine. Some of the Amish will believe you but not all your customers are going to be Amish, are they? Do you get my meaning?”
Paul understood but he didn’t say anything.
“I see that you do.” Ralph got in his car and drove off.
* * *
Clara moved closer to Paul as she watched her cousin drive away. She felt a chill in the air that hadn’t been there before. “What did he mean?”
“He believes he has leverage he can hold over me to ensure I won’t back out of our deal. If I try, he’ll ruin my career.”
“Can he?”
“A word here or word there about how I failed to carry off my first big auction, or how I took advantage of his lack of knowledge about farming to cheat him, and people will think twice about hiring me. All he needs to do is tell a few people I sold some of the best items before the auction even got started and my reputation will be in shreds. A man’s reputation is everything in this business. In any business.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “Are you in financial trouble?”
He lifted his straw hat and raked a hand through his hair. “Not yet but if I don’t earn a hefty commission on this auction, I will be. I made some poor choices because I had too much confidence in myself and now I may have to pay for it.”
She admired his honesty. “What are you going to do?”
He settled his hat low on his brow. “What can I do except hold the best possible auction and pray he lives up to his part of our bargain.”
“I told you he wasn’t trustworthy. You have seen how he conducts business. Do you still think the papers he holds are legitimate?”
He reached out to brush back a loose strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. The gesture was oddly tender and endearing. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed into his eyes. A hint of a smile curved his lips. “You are brave to confront him. I admire your tenacity, Clara.”
“I’m sorry I suspected you were helping my cousin rob me. Ralph has taken advantage of your honesty the way he has always taken advantage of Amish people in the past.”
He grew somber as he stared at her. “Clara, I hope you know that you can count me as a friend.”
“It’s heartening to know I have a true friend at my side. I shall give thanks for that no matter how this turns out.”
“It doesn’t feel good knowing Ralph picked me to be his dupe but he is underestimating me because I’m Amish. It’s true the Amish forgive those who have wronged us instead of reporting them to the authorities. I think he is counting on the fact that we won’t report his actions to the law.”
“You aren’t suggesting we do that, are you? My bishop would not sanction such action.”
“If you won’t consider it, I understand, but you should know that Ralph Hobson isn’t the only one with influential friends.”
“Do you think your friends will help me?”
“I’m sure of it.”
She closed her eyes and breathed a prayer that it might be true.
“Clara, my family is giving a birthday party for my cousin Joshua’s son, Nicky, on Saturday. I thought perhaps you would enjoy spending the afternoon with us.”
His abrupt change of subject puzzled her. “You are inviting me to a party? Like a date?”
Toby and Sophie came rushing out of the house. “Hi, Paul. When did you get here?” Toby was grinning from ear to ear.
Sophie took hold of Paul’s hand. “You promised I could ride Gracie soon.”
He picked up her daughter. “I don’t have Gracie here today.”
“Then can I have a piggyback ride?”
Paul lifted Sophie over his head and settled her on his shoulders. She squealed and knocked off his hat in the process.
“Just a little bit ago, I was asking your mother to come to a birthday party. There will be games and other kinder to play with. I’m pretty sure there will be cake and ice cream. It should be a fun day. Do you think we can convince her to come?”
Toby looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please, can we?”
“It’s very kind of you to offer, Paul, but I don’t think we should. We aren’t members of the family. It would be awkward.”
“You already know my aunt, my sister-in-law and the wives of all my cousins. The men of the family are barely of any importance. Just ask their wives.”
She smiled. “I think my time would be better spent looking for somewhere to live. I’m sure Ralph will have me evicted if I delay much longer.”
“I thought you were considering moving in with Charlotte Zook?”
“She asked but I’m not sure she was serious.”
“That’s how most conversations with Charlotte go. If you are serious about looking for somewhere to live, then that is the perfect reason to come for a day. My aunt knows everyone. She’ll help you find a place.”
Clara nodded. “Okay, tell me how to get there, what time does the party start and what should I bring?”
“You don’t need to bring anything.”
“I am not showing up empty-handed.”
“Then bring some treats that your own children enjoy and I’m sure the other children will, as well.”
“Okay. We’ll come.”
The kids hopped up and down and clapped their hands. Paul favored Clara with a beaming smile. She felt a little bit like a kid herself. It was exciting to think about going to a party when her life had been bouncing from one crisis to another. It was exciting to think Paul would be there, too.
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