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

by Amy Clipston

  “Danki, but I’m fine. I’m happy here, and that’s what matters.” She glanced at the clock. “Let’s eat up our snack and then finish making supper. We’ll put it all together, and then you can surprise your dat with a nice meal. We need to add the tomato sauce to the meatballs. I’ll get the jar out of the pantry.”

  They finished their cookies and milk, and then Madeleine showed Emma how to cook spaghetti to go with the meatballs. By the time all the food was ready, it was close to five o’clock.

  “You’d better get going,” Madeleine said. “It’s almost five.”

  “Oh no,” Emma said. “I can’t be late.”

  “I’ll help you carry everything to your house.” Madeleine pulled out serving platters and bowls and loaded up the meatballs with tomato sauce, spaghetti, and apple pie, first slicing one piece of pie for herself. “You can take most of the pie. I just want one piece.” She pulled a gallon of vanilla ice cream out of the freezer. “Have you ever had apple pie with ice cream?”

  “No.” Emma’s eyes were wide with excitement. “That sounds appeditlich.”

  “It is.” Madeleine put a few scoops of ice cream into a refrigerator jar. “You can take some of this too.” She put the ice cream and container of spaghetti into Emma’s basket. “Let’s carry all this over to your house.”

  When Madeleine and Emma reached the large farmhouse at the end of the driveway, they climbed the back porch steps, entered the house through the mudroom, and stepped into the large kitchen.

  Madeleine placed her basket and bowl of meatballs on the counter and glanced around the room. She gasped as she ran her hands over the beautiful walnut cabinets.

  “Emma, these are gorgeous.” She opened a cabinet door and examined the craftsmanship. “Did your dat make these?”

  “Ya.” Emma bobbed her head up and down, causing the ribbons from her prayer covering to dance over her little shoulders. “He made the cabinets and the counters.” She pointed toward the long table in the middle of the room. “His best freind, Marcus, made the table and chairs a long time ago. It was a wedding gift for my parents. Marcus makes tables and chairs. His dochder, Esther, is my best freind. We go to school together. I think you met them at Carolyn’s wedding.”

  “Yes, I did. Wow.” Madeleine couldn’t take her eyes off the cabinets. “I’d love something like this for my kitchen.”

  “You should talk to my dat.”

  “No.” Madeleine shook her head. “I’m certain I couldn’t afford his work.”

  “I’m sure you could,” Emma insisted. “He does a lot of work for Englishers, and they can afford it.”

  “I’m certain they have more money than I do.” Madeleine looked at the table. “Your friend Marcus does nice work too.” She pointed toward the food on the counter. “Do you need help setting the table or anything?”

  “Oh no, danki. I can handle it. I do it every day.”

  Madeleine grinned. “You’re a very special little girl.”

  “I’m not little.” Emma shook her head. “I’m eleven.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Madeleine tried to suppress her smile. “You’re a young lady, and I’m glad you’re my friend.” She started for the door. “I better get home. Please tell your dat that I hope he enjoys his meal.”

  “I will.” Emma waved. “Danki, Maddie!”

  Madeleine’s smile widened when she heard her nickname. “Gern gschehne.”

  While she walked home, Madeleine felt the urge to pray. Lord, I know I went against Saul’s wishes today by cooking with Emma, but I couldn’t bring myself to break her sweet little heart. Please soften Saul’s heart toward me, and let him see that I only have the best intentions in mind. Don’t let him be angry with Emma. I hope this meal brings him happiness. I also pray that Saul will allow me to be both his friend and Emma’s. In your holy name, amen.

  Saul stepped into the mudroom and shucked his coat, hat, and boots. “Hello,” he called as the aroma of meatballs filled his senses. “What’s for supper?”

  “It’s a surprise.” Emma stood in the doorway and grinned. “Kumm! Dummle!”

  Saul lifted an eyebrow as he followed her into the kitchen. He found the table set with bowls of spaghetti, meatballs, salad, and carrots. He studied his daughter. “You did this by yourself?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “I had help.” She pointed toward the sink. “Wash up and we’ll eat. I can’t wait to try it.”

  Saul washed his hands and then sat down at the table. After a silent prayer, he began to fill his plate. “This smells wonderful, Emma. How did you do this?”

  “A freind helped me.” She piled salad on her plate. “I went to visit Maddie, and we cooked together all afternoon.” Her expression was tentative.

  “Who’s Maddie?” he asked.

  “Madeleine Miller.” Emma’s voice was small and unsure.

  “You went to visit Madeleine Miller?” Saul snapped. “Emma Kate, I’ve told you time and again to stay away from her. It’s not right for you to barge into her home.” He slammed his fist on the table, and Emma jumped.

  Emma’s lip quivered, and regret coursed through him. He couldn’t stand it when Emma cried, but she had to learn to respect him.

  “I was home alone, and I decided to go see if I could make an apple pie with Maddie.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes with a napkin. “We had all of those schee apples, and I remembered that Mammi had an appeditlich recipe. Maddie had told me she had all of Mammi’s cookbooks, and I went over to see if she could help me make the pie. We decided to make you a nice meal too.” She made a sweeping gesture toward the spaghetti and meatballs. “Spaghetti and meatballs were Maddie’s idea.”

  Saul stared at the food. “Why would she want to make me a meal?”

  “Maybe she wants to be our freind.”

  Saul forked a meatball, put a bite in his mouth, and savored the taste.

  “Do you like it, Dat?” Emma leaned forward, her blue eyes filled with hope.

  Saul wiped his mouth and beard with a napkin. “It’s very gut.” Actually, it was outstanding. He’d never had such delicious meatballs before. He ate a few more forkfuls and then wiped his mouth again. “But I told you to stay away from her, and you defied me, Emma. If you don’t respect my wishes, then you’ll have to spend your afternoons at Esther’s haus. That would mean you’ll have all your chores still to do when you get home later in the day. I need to know I can trust you here alone. You’re supposed to do your chores, not visit with neighbors.”

  “But making supper is one of my chores.” She twisted spaghetti around her fork as she spoke. “Maddie said you told her not to spend time with me, but I convinced her to cook with me today. She was helping me out.”

  “Why do you keep calling her Maddie?” Saul asked before taking a sip of water.

  “That’s her nickname.” Emma was still winding spaghetti around her fork. “Her mamm calls her Maddie. Did you know she never knew her dat? He left before she was born. Oh, and she has her dat’s eyes and hair, like I have Mamm’s.” Emma began a long monologue about Madeleine’s life, including where she had lived and that she had a stepfather.

  Saul continued to eat while he listened. His fear was already coming true—his daughter was becoming attached to this Englisher, and he didn’t know what to do about it.

  “Maddie was wearing pants,” Emma continued. “They were lightweight with a stripe down the side. I think I’ve seen her running in those before. And she also had her hair in a ponytail. I wonder what my hair would look like in a ponytail.”

  Saul gritted his teeth. Was this Madeleine Miller making his Emma rebellious? “You’re not to try on any English clothes, Emma. You’re not going to change how you look.”

  “I know.” Emma nodded. “I was just saying that Maddie dresses so different from how I dress.” She pointed toward the meatballs. “Do you like the food, Dat? Did Maddie and I do a gut job?”

  He nodded. “Ya. Danki.”

  “Wait until you see dess
ert.” She sat up a little taller. “We have apple pie and vanilla ice cream. I can’t wait to try it.” She then talked on about Madeleine and how much fun they had together.

  When Emma brought out the pie and ice cream, Saul enjoyed them despite his frustration with Emma and Madeleine defying his wishes. He had to admit it was nice to enjoy a delicious meal that was different from what they normally ate.

  “What do you think of the pie?” Emma asked.

  “It’s appeditlich. It’s the best apple pie I’ve ever had.”

  Emma clapped her hands. “I’m glad you like it!”

  Saul saw the happiness in his daughter’s eyes, and he couldn’t bring himself to punish her. He was thankful that Madeleine had made her happy, but he prayed she wouldn’t break Emma’s heart. Maybe God had brought Madeleine into his daughter’s life for a reason, but Saul hoped the reason had nothing to do with stealing his daughter away from the community he loved.

  TWELVE

  Madeleine couldn’t stop thinking about Saul’s kitchen as she cleaned hotel rooms. The memory of the beautifully crafted cabinets floated through her mind. Although she adored her grandparents’ house, the kitchen had needed attention for quite some time. Her grandmother had loved her little house just as it was and seemed set in her ways, but Madeleine suspected she also wanted to keep the house the way it had been when her mother was growing up and her grandfather was still alive.

  Although her grandmother never discussed how heartbreaking it was for her when Madeleine’s mother left the Amish community, Madeleine knew she missed the days when her daughter was home. She’d kept all of her clothes, which Madeleine wore when she visited as a little girl.

  She was still thinking about her small kitchen when she returned her cart to the supply closet.

  “Hi, Madeleine,” Linda Zook said while pushing her own cart toward the closet. “How did your morning go?”

  “It went fine, thanks. I finished the second floor. How about you?” Madeleine asked.

  “I finished my rooms too.”

  Madeleine thought of her kitchen ideas. “Linda, do you know of an affordable cabinetmaker?”

  “A cabinetmaker?” Linda shook her head. “I know of a few around the community, but I don’t know them personally. What do you want a cabinetmaker for?”

  “I want to do some renovations in my grandparents’ house. It’s needed some upgrades for a while.” Madeleine leaned against a shelf that held paper products. “I want to keep the spirit of my grandparents’ house, but the cabinets are falling apart. Last night I was in my neighbor’s house, and I was really astounded by the cabinets in his kitchen. He makes cabinets for a living, but I’m certain I can’t afford his work.”

  “What’s his name?” Linda asked.

  “Saul Beiler.”

  “Oh.” Linda nodded. “He’s one of the best in the area, from what I’ve heard.”

  Madeleine smiled. “That’s all the more reason I can’t afford him.”

  “You don’t know that unless you ask.”

  “But we don’t make that much money here. My grandmother left me some money, but I need it to last as long as possible. I’m actually working to earn extra money for home projects.”

  “That’s true. We don’t earn a lot here.” Linda pointed toward the office. “You might want to talk to Gregg. He can give you some names, or you can look them up on his computer.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Madeleine stood up straighter. “Thank you, Linda.”

  Linda shrugged. “You’re welcome. I really didn’t do much.”

  Madeleine headed to her boss’s office and found him squinting at his computer screen. Gregg Larson was a short, plump, balding man in his midfifties, with thick glasses and small, dark eyes.

  She knocked on the door frame, and Gregg peered at her over his computer. “Hi, Gregg.” She gave him a little wave. “I was wondering if you could give me a recommendation for kitchen remodelers. I want to replace my kitchen cabinets.”

  “Sure thing.” Gregg nodded. “I’ll see what I can find. I can also ask my wife to put a list together for you and then get it to you before the end of the day. She knows the contractors in the area because she works at a store in town.”

  “That would be fantastic. Thank you.” Madeleine headed back to the supply closet with a smile on her face.

  Later that evening, Madeleine sat on the sofa in the family room and sipped a can of Diet Coke while she examined the list of contractors she’d called. She’d set up times for representatives from three different companies to stop by and give her estimates during the next couple of days.

  She finished the soda and then walked into the kitchen. She stared at the cabinets. Two were missing the metal knobs on the doors, which had fallen off before Madeleine came to live in the house. Another was missing a door that had fallen off with a loud clatter just yesterday.

  As she made her way to the bedroom, Madeleine imagined how pretty the house could be if she renovated it the way she wanted to. She prayed she could make that a reality in memory of her precious grandparents.

  Madeleine stood in the driveway as she watched the last contractor drive away. She stared down at the estimate and shook her head. After meeting with the three contractors, she didn’t know which company to choose. She had thought she’d know whom to hire by the end of the week, but she was still as confused as she had been on Tuesday when she’d called the first contractor.

  “Maddie!” Emma hurried up the driveway with a piece of paper in her hand. “Do you want to cook? I have mei mamm’s recipe for chicken and dumplings.”

  “How did your dat like the food we made on Monday?” Madeleine asked, shivering in the cold November air. “I’ve been wondering if you were in trouble for cooking with me.”

  “He loved the food. He said it was the best apple pie he’d ever had.” Emma held out her paper. “He would love this too.”

  Madeleine examined the recipe, which looked easy enough. She would have to go to the grocery store for most of the supplies, but she always did her grocery shopping on Fridays, so it wasn’t really a problem. Yet, at the same time, she couldn’t keep the voice in the back of her mind from warning her not to go against Saul’s wishes again. Would cooking with Emma cause more problems between her and her neighbor, who lived in such close proximity?

  “How would your dat feel about you coming over to my house again?” She studied Emma’s pretty face. “Are you certain you’re allowed to spend time with me?”

  Emma shrugged and then shivered. “I think he’d be happy to have another delicious meal.” She smiled, and Madeleine felt her worries evaporate.

  “When will your dat be home?” Madeleine asked.

  “His note said he’d be home around five thirty.”

  “We’ll have to go to the grocery store before we start cooking.” She nodded toward the house. “Let me go in and get my purse and keys. Come inside for a minute.” Madeleine hoped it would also be acceptable to Saul for her to take Emma along to the store.

  “Okay.” Emma skipped ahead of Madeleine and opened the back door. “Who was that man in the truck?”

  “He gave me an estimate on my cabinets.” Madeleine followed Emma into the kitchen and placed the estimate on the counter next to the other two.

  “He has a cabinet company?” Emma asked.

  “That’s right.” Madeleine grabbed her purse and keys from the kitchen table. “He told me how much it would cost to replace my cabinets.”

  “You should talk to mei dat.” Emma folded her arms over her cloak. “He’s the best.”

  “I might talk to him. Maybe he can give me some guidance.” Madeleine jingled the keys in her hands. “Let’s head to the store, and then we’ll start cooking.”

  “Yay.” Emma clapped her hands. “I love cooking with you.”

  Madeleine smiled. “I love cooking with you too.”

  “I think it turned out well.” Madeleine closed the lid on the last of the chicken and dumplin
gs after she’d put most of it into a large refrigerator jar. The delicious aroma caused her stomach to growl. “Hopefully your dat will enjoy this as much as he enjoyed our creation on Monday.”

  A knock sounded at the door, and Madeleine glanced at Emma. “Would you please see who that is?”

  Emma went through the mudroom and looked out the window. “Oh, it’s my dat,” she called back. “We can ask him what he thinks of the meal.”

  Madeleine’s smile faded as she walked in behind Emma. She hoped he wasn’t angry.

  Emma wrenched the door open. “Hi, Dat! We were finishing up—” She backed up as Saul quickly opened the storm door and stepped inside.

  “I have been worried sick about you.” Saul wagged a large finger millimeters from Emma’s nose while the girl’s eyes widened. “I told you to stay home today, but you still came over here. I explicitly told you not to come over here and bother Madeleine.”

  “But you said you liked the meal we made you on Monday. I thought it would be okay if we made you another one.” Emma’s voice was tiny, as if she were five instead of eleven.

  “You still insist on breaking the rules. I don’t know what to do to make you realize that I want you at home, not here with this maedel.” He looked over at Madeleine and then back at his daughter. “You are supposed to come home from school and take care of your chores.”

  Madeleine felt like an intruder watching Saul reprimand his daughter. Should she leave? But that was a silly notion. After all, they were in her house.

  “We made you chicken and dumplings,” Emma offered. “It’s your favorite recipe.”

  Saul shook his head. “You’re avoiding the issue here. You disobeyed me. It’s your job to follow my rules.” He pointed to his wide chest. “I’m the daed, and you’re the kind.” His voice was gruff, and his face was full of frustration.

  Madeleine scowled. He was overreacting. After all, the girl only wanted to cook for her father. What was so wrong about that?

  “Let’s go!” Saul bellowed as he pointed toward the door.