A Dream of Home: Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel: Book Three

by Amy Clipston

  He’d told Emma her mother had died to shield her from the painful truth, and somehow the truth had never come out. But the truth continued to haunt him daily because Emma looked like her mother with her sweet smile and pale blue eyes.

  Emma turned and gave him a surprised look. “I didn’t see you there, Dat.”

  “Everything smells appeditlich.” He moved to a cabinet and pulled out two glasses.

  “Danki.” Emma slipped the eggs onto a platter. “I’m getting better at making the eggs. They aren’t brown at all.”

  “Gut, gut.” He put the glasses on the table and then took a pitcher of water from the refrigerator.

  Emma brought the platter of eggs to the table and then picked up a basket of rolls and a platter of bacon. “Breakfast is ready.”

  Saul sat at his usual spot at the head of the table, and Emma sat to his right. After a silent prayer, they began filling their plates.

  “The maedel in Mammi’s haus is obviously an Englisher. She doesn’t dress like us, and she drives a red pickup truck. Who is she?” Emma asked as she buttered a roll.

  “I told you I don’t know. Why are you asking now when she’s been there all these months? You’ve seen her before.” Saul grabbed a roll from the basket.

  “I didn’t like it at first when someone else moved into Mammi’s haus. But I’m curious now, I guess. That’s why I waved to her when I saw her looking at me. Why would an Englisher want that haus? Esther told me Englishers have houses with electricity. Mammi’s haus is just like ours, so there isn’t any electricity. And, like our haus, it’s heated with a coal stove. Esther says Englishers don’t know how to take care of a coal stove. They’ll think it’s too much work. So why would she want a house with coal heat and no electricity?” She bit into the roll.

  “Sometimes people buy houses and then change them.”

  Her eyes brightened with understanding. “Like when people have you make new cabinets for them?”

  “Ya, exactly.” He wiped his beard with a napkin. “Maybe she’s going to make some changes to the haus to make it an English haus.”

  Emma’s mouth formed a thin line. “She’s going to change mei mammi’s haus?”

  Saul forked his eggs. “I told you it’s none of our business. We can’t tell someone what they can and can’t do with their haus.”

  Emma was silent for a moment while she ate, but Saul braced himself for more questions. She’d been asking a lot of questions lately, and he knew soon she’d ask ones he wasn’t prepared to answer. Although he’d tried to be both mother and father to his daughter, he could never take the place of a real mother. He’d longed to find Emma a loving mother ever since he’d received word last year that Annie had passed away in an accident.

  “Why does that maedel put on those shorts and run?” Emma suddenly asked. “Aren’t those clothes uncomfortable? Wouldn’t she be cold in them this time of year?”

  “Some Englishers like to run to stay fit. It’s exercise to them.” Saul lifted a piece of bacon.

  “Huh.” Emma looked as if she were considering this. “I guess. Farmwork keeps you fit, right?”

  “Ya, it does.” He had seen the mysterious young woman running the other day. She was jogging on the street toward their properties when he returned from picking up supplies in town. Her dark hair bobbed behind her as her legs pounded the pavement, and she had determination in her eyes. She was in her own world, oblivious to his horse and buggy as it moved past her.

  “I hope she doesn’t change Mammi’s haus,” Emma continued. “I loved visiting her and helping in her garden. I miss her.”

  “I know you do.” Saul had been grateful for Martha’s interest in Emma; his daughter didn’t have the luxury of knowing his parents or Annie’s; they had all passed away. Martha accepted Emma as if she were her own granddaughter, which is why she let Emma call her Mammi.

  “Do you remember seeing Mammi’s dochder at her funeral?” Emma asked.

  “Ya, I do,” Saul said as he forked another bite of eggs.

  “She dressed liked an Englisher too. Mammi told me her dochder left the community when she was a teenager.” Saul kept from looking surprised. He hadn’t known Martha told Emma that.

  “I imagine that was hard for Mammi,” Emma went on, “just like it was hard for you when your bruder left after your parents died.”

  “Ya.” Saul swallowed a sigh as his thoughts turned to Annie once again. He’d never had the heart to tell Emma that her mother had left too; he didn’t want her to blame herself for her mother’s decision. Someday, he knew, he’d have to tell Emma the truth, but he refused to burden her with it now.

  “I want to meet that maedel.”

  “Emma, you should leave her alone. I’m certain she is very busy.” He glanced at the clock above the sink. “You need to get ready for school.”

  They finished their breakfast, and then they had a silent prayer before carrying their dishes to the sink.

  “You go on, and I’ll make your lunch,” Saul said.

  “Danki.” Emma rushed up the stairs.

  By the time she returned to the kitchen, Saul had her lunch pail packed. “Have a gut day.” He handed her the pail, and she smiled up at him.

  “You too, Dat.” He leaned down, and she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

  Saul followed Emma out to the front porch and then watched her rush to meet her friends, who were waiting on the corner at the bottom of the driveway. As she passed Martha Stoltzfus’s house, the young woman wearing a gray dress stepped onto the back porch. She and Emma exchanged waves again, and then Emma disappeared around the corner with her friends. The woman climbed into her red pickup truck and drove off.

  For a brief moment, Saul wondered, too, why the Englisher would want to live in Martha Stoltzfus’s modest house, but, as he had told Emma, it wasn’t any of his business. Yet, like Emma, he was curious, and the question still lingered in the back of his mind: Who was this mysterious woman?

  TWO

  Madeleine steered her pickup truck up the rock driveway leading to Carolyn Lapp’s house later that evening. She was excited when Carolyn had invited her to come for supper after work. After working her usual shift at the hotel, she headed toward Gordonville and the farm where Carolyn lived. She drove past the main house and parked in front of the smaller house out back. As Madeleine climbed out of the truck, Carolyn appeared on the porch.

  “I’m thrilled you made it,” Carolyn, a pretty blonde in her early thirties, said as she rushed over to the truck. “I just put the potpie in the oven.”

  “Thank you for inviting me.” Madeleine glanced around the property. “This is beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Carolyn nodded. “This is my brother’s dairy farm.” She pointed toward the large farmhouse. “Amos lives there with his family, and I live here in the daadi haus with my parents and my son, Benjamin.”

  “This is lovely, but you won’t be living here much longer.” Madeleine grinned. “Your wedding day will be here soon.”

  Carolyn’s smile broadened. “That’s true.” She motioned for Madeleine to come into the small house.

  Madeleine followed Carolyn inside and breathed in the aroma of the potpie. “It all smells delicious. Can I help you with anything?”

  “Oh no.” Carolyn pointed toward the kitchen table. “Have a seat. We can visit before I need to put the carrots and corn on the stove.” As Madeleine sat down, Carolyn poured two glasses of water, then brought them to the table.

  “Where are your parents and Benjamin?”

  Carolyn sank into a chair across from her. “My mom and my sister-in-law are working on a quilt project. My father is working with my brother, and Ben is working at Joshua’s farm in Paradise.”

  “You must be excited about the wedding. How are preparations coming along?”

  “They’re coming along well. And I’ve been thinking about the move to Joshua’s house after the wedding. I already have plans to expand his garden in the spring.�
�� Carolyn paused before going on. “I’m very thankful for Joshua. I’ve always dreamed of giving Benjamin a real family. I’ll finally be able to do that.”

  “I bet he’s excited too.” Madeleine sipped her water. “Does he like working with Joshua?”

  “He loves the horse farm. It’s all worked out so well for us. I didn’t think I deserved a real family because I wasn’t married when I had Benjamin. I’m thankful the Lord had other plans for me.” Carolyn tilted her head in question. “How are you adjusting to living here? Your grandparents’ house must be very different from what you’re used to.”

  “It’s very peaceful here. I was tired of living on military bases.” Madeleine thought back to her apartment in California. “The most noise I’ve heard so far was made by a rooster. It’s heaven. I’m certain that’s why the town is named Paradise.”

  “You spent a lot of time with your grandparents when you were little, right?”

  “That’s right. My mother served in the military, and we moved around a lot. I went to school near the base where she was stationed, and I was in daycare when my mom was working. It wasn’t always easy, but my mom did the best she could. We managed. She would bring me to Paradise, especially for summers. I loved it. I would help my mammi work in the garden and bake, help my daadi care for the animals, and play with the neighborhood children. It was a wonderful break from living on military bases.”

  Carolyn grinned.

  “Why are you smiling like that?”

  “You said those words correctly. Do you speak Dietsch?”

  “I remember a little bit.” Madeleine thought back to her childhood. “I loved pretending I was Amish. It was a lot of fun. But it was a difficult transition when I went back home. I remember one year I begged my mother to let me stay and go to school with the neighborhood kids.”

  “Did you really?” Carolyn looked intrigued. “How did your parents feel about that?”

  Madeleine shook her head. “I never knew my father, and I have no idea what he would say. My mother looked sad when I told her.”

  “Why did she leave the community?”

  “She had met my father, and she told me she fell hopelessly in love with him. She hadn’t joined the church, so she wasn’t shunned. But, at the same time, her parents were devastated. They never got over it. They were even more upset when she joined the military, but they grew to accept it after I was born.” Madeleine ran her fingers over the cool glass of water and thought back to her childhood. “The farm has changed quite a bit since I was little. My grandparents sold most of the land to an Amish cabinetmaker.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Your property backs up to Saul Beiler’s land.” Carolyn’s expression became a little embarrassed. “He’s good friends with mei bruder. He wanted to date me, but then I got to know Josh.”

  “I remember you telling me that.” Madeleine nodded slowly while wondering what had happened to Saul’s wife. “Saul has one child, right?”

  “Ya. His wife died when his daughter was little. I believe she was four.”

  “Oh. That’s sad.” Madeleine shook her head. “That poor little girl. She must’ve been heartbroken.”

  “Ya,” Carolyn said. “Emma is a sweet little girl. I connected with her right away. Saul’s a really good father, though.”

  “That’s nice. I haven’t met them yet, but Emma always waves to me now.”

  “She’s very friendly.” Carolyn nodded. “I hope Saul finds a mother for her someday.”

  “Ya.” Madeleine thought about her grandparents. “I was devastated when I got back from overseas and found out my mammi had passed away. Apparently I was on my way home when she died, and somehow my mother’s messages didn’t get to me. I was even too late for the service here.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I’m certain that was a tremendous loss for you.”

  “It was. My mother was very upset too. She and my grandmother always talked at least once a week.”

  “Do you think you’ll stay in that house?” Carolyn asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I stay?” Madeleine was confused by the question. “I love that house. It has many wonderful memories in it.”

  “Well, it’s like this one.” Carolyn gestured around the kitchen. “No electricity and no modern conveniences like the microwave we have in the break room at the hotel.”

  “I don’t mind. Right now I’m enjoying the quiet.”

  “You’re not going to change the house at all?”

  Madeleine shrugged. “I’m not sure yet about modernizing it, but I want to update it a little. The house hasn’t been cared for in a while. I’m working at the hotel, and I have some extra money to do a few projects on the house. I want to paint the rooms, replace the cabinets, and maybe replace the bathtub too. I’m going to do a little at a time.”

  “That sounds nice.” Carolyn stood. “I’m going to start making the vegetables.”

  “Can I help?” Madeleine followed her to the counter.

  “Would you like to cut up the fruit for the fruit salad?” Carolyn asked.

  “Sure.” Madeleine gathered apples, pears, and oranges from the refrigerator and began cutting and slicing.

  Carolyn worked on getting corn and carrots into pots. She looked over at Madeleine and frowned. “Josh doesn’t want me to keep working at the hotel. He said he wants me at the farm with him.”

  “Oh.” Madeleine wasn’t sure what to make of Carolyn’s expression. “I guess that makes sense. Most Amish wives don’t work away from the home, do they?”

  “It depends.” Carolyn added water to the pots. “Sometimes they do, but there’s also a lot to do at the house. I just can’t imagine not working, though. I’ve done it for so long that it’s become part of who I am.”

  “Are you saying you’ll miss the job?”

  “Ya, I will.” Carolyn placed the pot of carrots on the burner and turned it on. “I’ll miss seeing my friends too. This is really becoming an issue between Josh and me. We had an argument about it the other night.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Madeleine wasn’t quite sure what to say, but she offered some advice that made sense to her. “Maybe you should compromise. Maybe you can cut your hours and only work one day per week or something?”

  “No, I’m certain he won’t agree with that, even though it’s a gut idea. He is really adamant that I don’t work there.”

  “Why is he against it?”

  “I think he’s concerned because of what happened to Hannah.”

  “Oh, I heard about this. Hannah met Trey at the hotel and they fell in love. Is he afraid you’ll decide to become English and break off your engagement?”

  “I think so.” Carolyn put the pot of corn on the burner next to the carrots. “I’ve tried to tell him I’m not going to leave the community, but he still seems very insecure about it. I’m not sure what I can do to convince him I’m not going to allow the hotel to influence me, but I guess we’ll see what God has in store for us.”

  “That sounds reasonable.” Madeleine nodded.

  Madeleine and Carolyn continued to talk while they finished preparing the meal. Soon Carolyn’s parents came in, and then Benjamin arrived home from working at Joshua Glick’s horse farm. Madeleine felt at home while they ate supper. She enjoyed hearing about their day. They talked and laughed while they enjoyed the delicious homemade chicken potpie and vegetables and finished off the meal with fruit salad and apple pie.

  After supper and dessert, Madeleine helped Carolyn and her mother clean up the kitchen before heading to the porch with Carolyn. They sat and talked while they sipped hot cups of coffee.

  “Everything was delicious,” Madeleine said as she moved the porch swing back and forth. “I really had a lovely time. Your family is wonderful.”

  “I’m glad you could come.” Carolyn cradled her mug in her hands. “I could tell my parents really liked you.”

  “Oh good.” Madeleine’s thoughts turned to her grandparents. “Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve
been like if I’d grown up here.”

  “What do you mean?” Carolyn looked curious.

  “I used to wonder what it would’ve been like to have grown up here instead of in a city.”

  Carolyn studied Madeleine. “Are you saying you wondered what it would be like to grow up Amish?”

  “Yeah.” Madeleine nodded. “It’s peaceful here. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to be English?”

  “No, not really. This is all I’ve ever known.”

  “Do you ever crave more?”

  “No, I’ve always felt like I have all that I need, but I’ll finally have a home of my own. Joshua and I will build our own life on his farm.”

  “I remember that my grandparents hosted church twice a year. Before they sold part of their property, they had a big barn they used for church services. They always had services every other Sunday at someone’s farm. My mammi loved the off Sundays from church when they went visiting. It was fun to ride around in their buggy and see all their friends. I’ve visited a few churches around the area, but I haven’t felt a real connection to them.”

  “You should come to an Amish service sometime.”

  Madeleine couldn’t stop her smile. “Really?”

  “Ya, you should. Everyone would love to see you. I’m sure some of the members of the community would remember you from when you visited as a child. Many of my relatives remember your daadi and mammi.”

  “That would be fun. I’d love to come to a service.”

  “And you’d better come to my wedding.”

  “I definitely will.” Madeleine sipped her coffee and thought about Hannah. “Did you say Hannah is running a bed-and-breakfast now, in Paradise?”

  “Ya, I think it’s called the Heart of Paradise Bed-and-Breakfast.”

  “That’s right near my house,” Madeleine said.