An Amish Reunion

by Jo Ann Brown

  Instead of the vexation she’d expected, sorrow billowed through her. “I’m trying to leave the past in the past while we work together.”

  “I know, and you’re doing a better job than I am.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  The faint shadow of a grin played along his volatile lips. “Trust me, Hannah. You are. Will it be okay if I come to watch the little one’s first session with the physical therapist?”

  She appreciated him not using Shelby’s name. That might wake the toddler. “If you want to. You don’t have to feel obligated.”

  “Ouch!” He put his hand to the center of his chest and leaned against the side of the buggy. “I didn’t realize how painful it would be to have my own words thrown back at me.”

  “I didn’t mean—” She halted herself when he laughed quietly. Rolling her eyes, she smiled. “Let’s talk about something else.”

  “A wunderbaar idea! Are you planning to move the bees tomorrow?”

  “If it’s not raining.”

  “Gut. I’ll let my crew know they should plan to come to the bridge the following morning.” He rested his elbows on his knees. “What time do you plan to move them?”

  “Just before sunset. The air is chilly then, so the bees will be less active. However, I want to make sure I’ve got plenty of light so I can find the queen among the layers of honeycombs. Without her making the transfer, it’ll be for nothing. The rest of the bees will desert their new hive.”

  “How long should it take?”

  “If all goes well, I’ll be done by dark, but I don’t want to make promises. There can be complications moving any hive.”

  “What can I do to help?”

  “Watch Shelby and Grossmammi Ella while I’m at the bridge.”

  “I’d like to see the process of moving the bees. Not that I want to get close to them. You seem to trust them, but I don’t. So I’d like to watch from a safe distance.”

  She shook her head. “I need you to stay away and keep everyone else away. If the bees get spooked, they’ll go on the defensive. I don’t want to get stung any more than necessary.”

  He stiffened and looked at her. “You’ll get stung moving them?”

  “Getting stung is always a possibility when working with bees. Even with the precautions I take, I can’t be sure what might set them off. If I was afraid of being stung, I couldn’t be a beekeeper.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m accustomed to it.”

  “I don’t like the idea of you getting hurt.” His hands tightened on the reins. “I shouldn’t have asked you to move the bees.”

  “If I didn’t do it, you’d have to kill the hive. That would be a real tragedy.” She started to put her hand out to touch his arm to emphasize her point, but pretended she was adjusting her hold on Shelby. Touching him, even chastely, would be stupid. She needed to keep the barrier between them, the barrier made brick by brick by his betrayal and the indifference that followed.

  But it was becoming more difficult every day to reconcile the man he was now with the one he’d been then.

  Chapter Six

  The most recent rainstorm had stopped by the time Daniel got out of his buggy at the Lambrights’ house. Every day for the past week, except yesterday, there had been a downpour around midday or it’d rained all day. Not a heavy rain, but enough to make the air cold and clammy.

  Taffy shook his mane, scattering water in every direction.

  Patting the horse on the neck, Daniel said, “I know. I’m looking forward to a dry day, too.”

  The horse regarded him with a skeptical glance as if to remind Daniel that Taffy would remain out in the storm while Daniel went inside the dry house.

  “I’ll make it up to you, old boy,” he said with a chuckle. “Mamm has a few apples left in the cellar.”

  Pricking his ears forward at the mention of his favorite treat, Taffy bowed his head in a pose of acceptance.

  Again Daniel laughed as he lifted the new supers he’d built for Hannah out of the back of his buggy. The horse had a way of making himself understood without uttering a single word.

  He wished it was as easy to know what Hannah was thinking. Or maybe he was trying to ignore the truth in front of him. She didn’t hide that she cared about Shelby, though the toddler pulled away from her. He wished he could figure out why the little girl reacted that way. Hannah treated her with every kindness and made certain she had foods she liked.

  Taking the porch steps in two leaps, Daniel set the supers down before he walked toward the door. It opened as he reached it.

  Grossmammi Ella stood in the doorway, her black dress contrasting with her white kapp. “Komm in. Why are you standing on the porch, Earney?”

  Daniel glanced over his shoulder, wondering if someone else stood behind him. No, he was the only one on the porch. Whom was Grossmammi Ella talking to? Or to whom did she think she was talking? Reuben had said something about the old woman losing her way. Was this what the bishop had meant? She’d acted odd before, but nothing like this.

  Keeping his voice even, he began, “Grossmammi Ella—”

  She laughed. “Don’t you start calling me that, Earney. That’s for our kins-kinder, not for old folks like us.”

  What was going on? She spoke as if she and he were the same age. And Grossmammi Ella grinned at him in a way that brought Shelby to mind. Innocent and eager and filled with delight at seeing him. It was almost as if she’d become a kind again.

  When she urged him again to enter, he did. The hiss of a propane lamp could be heard beneath Shelby’s soft singsong words from where she was playing beside her great-grandmother’s chair. She had a cloth book open on her lap and was turning the pages. When Daniel moved closer to the kind, he realized the pictures were upside down.

  Where was Hannah? She must be close. She wouldn’t leave Grossmammi Ella and Shelby for long. But when he looked into the kitchen, he didn’t see her.

  He started to ask where Hannah was, but the old woman interrupted him. “Do you want some kaffi? I’ll brew it extra strong because I know how you like it dark, Earney.”

  Daniel struggled to hide his uneasiness. Grossmammi Ella thought he was someone else. Who was Earney?

  “Regular strength is fine,” he replied with care. He wasn’t sure which word might cause her to say something else strange. As much as the old woman’s hands shook, he doubted she should be handling the kaffi pot. She could scald herself. “I’ll get it.”

  “Making kaffi isn’t a man’s job. It’s his wife’s job and her joy,” she replied, turning toward the kitchen so fast she stumbled.

  He caught her arm before she could fall on Shelby. Urging her to stay where she was, he assured her that he’d changed his mind about the kaffi.

  Where was Hannah?

  The back door opened, and Hannah came in. He was astonished at the outfit she was wearing. A mesh screen beneath a broad white head cover protected her face but allowed her to see. Her loose, white coat reached over white trousers that covered her legs and vanished into boots closed with rubber bands. She carried leather gloves with extra long cuffs in one hand and her smoker in the other. Over her shoulder was a canvas bag with what looked like picture frames stuffed into it.

  A long sigh emerged from Grossmammi Ella when Hannah walked toward them, and she seemed to shrink as he watched. She hunched over as if the weight of her years had descended on her shoulders. When she teetered, he took her thin arm and guided her to the chair by the window. She looked away from him and out at the setting sun visible beneath the thick bank of clouds.

  Tiny arms grabbed his leg, and he saw Shelby grinning at him. She bounced on her bottom, every inch of her bristling with excitement.

  He bent and kissed her head. “What mischief are you up to today, liebling?” Scooping her up, he carried
her into the kitchen.

  He was amazed when Hannah didn’t take off the helmet as he spoke. He couldn’t see her face clearly beneath the veil as he asked, “Who’s Earney?”

  “Earney was Grossmammi Ella’s husband. Earnest Lambright. He died almost thirty years ago.” Puzzlement filled her voice. “Why are you asking about him?”

  “Your great-grandmother was talking to me as if she believed I was him.”

  “What?” Even with the hat and veil in place, he could hear her shock.

  “She called me by his name when I came to the door. At first, I thought she was mistaken because it’s cloudy and the light’s not gut. Now I’m not sure.”

  “She gets mixed up sometimes. The problem is her mind is so full of memories she gets them confused.”

  “What does the doktor say?”

  Instead of answering him, Hannah said, “I need to get started if I want to be done before it gets dark again.”

  “What can I do to help?” he asked, knowing that pressing her for more answers would be useless.

  “Like I told you before, you can help me best by staying here with Grossmammi Ella and keeping an eye on Shelby.”

  He frowned. “My horse Taffy is out front. Will he be in danger?”

  “Not if everything goes as it should. But if you want to bring him around back, go ahead.”

  He considered for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m sure you’ll keep the situation under control.”

  “Ja, because before the bees would have a chance to sting Taffy, they’d be stinging me.”

  “That’s incentive enough for anyone.”

  She chuckled, the sound distorted by the veiling. “Now you understand.”

  Though he was tempted to say he didn’t understand much of what was going on in the house, he asked, “Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do?”

  “Knowing someone is watching over Grossmammi Ella and Shelby will allow me to concentrate on moving the bees.” She pulled on one glove, making sure the long cuff was drawn up beneath the elastic at the hem of her sleeve. That way, he realized, no honeybee could crawl under her protective clothing. “Did you bring the supers?”

  “They’re on the porch. I also brought along a hand truck for you to use to get the boxes to the house once you’ve got the bees in them. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to bring them all at once or not, but I left the hand truck by the bridge.”

  “Let’s take it one step at a time.”

  “And the steps are...?”

  “First I’ll smoke the bees. When they’re dazed, I’ll cut each section of the comb out and attach it to a frame with rubber bands. The frames go into the supers, which I’ll put in the cellar. I’d better get started.”

  When she walked past him, he caught her arm as he had her great-grandmother. He was shocked when something that felt like the buzz from a thousand bees rushed from where his fingertips touched her. It’d never happened before, not even when he was taking her home in his buggy.

  He heard her sharp gasp. Had she felt the strange sensation, too?

  He wanted to ask her that...and so many other things, things he couldn’t put into words. Don’t be foolish again! came the warning from his conscience. To speak of unexplored feelings could lead to her believing his priorities had changed. They hadn’t. He had to focus on building his construction company.

  “Daniel?” she asked, her voice trembling.

  He lifted his hand off her arm. “I wanted to tell you to be careful.”

  “You don’t have to. I know to be careful.” She strode away.

  He started to put Shelby in her high chair so he could give her a cookie, but halted and turned to look at the closing door. Had she been talking about the bees when she spoke of being careful? A boulder dropped through his stomach as he wondered if she’d been talking about him instead. That thought bothered him more than it should.

  And that bothered him even more.

  * * *

  Hannah puffed smoke at the bees. Already they were quieting in the massive hive within the timbers beneath the bridge. Once they were dazed enough, she’d begin removing the layers of honeycomb and transfer them to the frames. Most of the bees would cling to the comb during the transfer. The rest would fall onto the white sheet she’d spread out next to one super. Seeing the entrance, they’d crawl in and join the rest of the members of the hive.

  Once she found the queen bee, she’d put her into the bee carrier along with a couple of her worker bee attendants. The queen was vital to making the transfer a success, so when Hannah saw the bee that was a giant in comparison with the others, she smiled...and then winced.

  Ach! Her left cheek ached from where Grossmammi Ella had struck her before breakfast. The shock of having her gentle, warmhearted great-grandmother lash out with abrupt fury hurt more than the impact of the old woman’s hand.

  Grossmammi Ella had been on edge since the bishop and Chief McMurray had come to the house a few days ago. She’d refused to sit at the table for meals, insisting she eat in her room where she felt safe, and she fussed every time Shelby did. Last night before bedtime, her eyes had flashed with the first sparks of a temper she’d never shown during the years Hannah was growing up. She’d been infuriated when Shelby woke in the middle of the night and had snarled at Hannah to make sure the boppli was quiet.

  Hannah had recognized the signs of an impending storm, but she hadn’t expected it to explode from her great-grandmother before they ate breakfast. Hannah had avoided the worst of the blow, but the impact had been enough to leave a red blotch on her face hours later.

  She’d seen Daniel’s curiosity about why she hadn’t removed her hat and veil. She didn’t want to answer the questions he was certain to ask if he saw the mark on her face. Those questions could lead to more, including if Hannah was capable of taking care of her great-grandmother.

  Capturing the queen bee and two other bees close to her, Hannah shut them into the small plastic box built for this purpose. She then continued moving comb into the frames and sliding them into the supers, but her thoughts weren’t on her work.

  Would her great-grandmother be taken away if others discovered the truth of their situation? Was it safe for Shelby to be in the house with the old woman? The Englisch police wouldn’t be willing to leave the little girl in what they deemed a dangerous place.

  Should she speak with Reuben? She didn’t want to think her bishop would insist she relinquish Shelby to another’s care.

  In spite of her determination not to, as she removed the last piece of comb and secured it, she glanced toward the house. Daniel stood by the front window with Shelby clinging again to him. His broad hand was around the kind, but his gaze was fixed on Hannah. Concern drew his mouth into a straight line.

  She wanted to believe he was anxious for her safety. Once upon a time, when Daniel had first walked out with her—or at least, she’d believed he was walking out with her—she would have been certain his trepidation was for her. She wasn’t sure what to think.

  Setting one super on top of another, she put a board on the upper one. She did the same with the other supers. Noticing no bees were visible on the sheet, she picked up one pair of supers and began walking up the hill toward the road. She set them on the hand truck before collecting the others. Within minutes, she’d gathered her equipment and the sheet.

  Hannah was glad, when she approached the house, that Daniel hadn’t brought Shelby outside. Gut! Going around the house, she opened the bulkhead doors. She checked the spot in the cellar where she wanted to set the supers before hurrying up the kitchen stairs to stuff the sheet into the crack beneath the door. There mustn’t be any chance of bees sneaking into the house.

  With care, she carried the supers to the pair of two-by-fours that would allow for air circulation into the bottom of the hive.
She brought the other two and set them beside the first set. She shut the bulkhead doors and switched on the lantern to spread light across the stone floor.

  “Can I watch while you put the queen in?” Daniel asked from the top of the kitchen stairs. He stepped onto the first step without waiting for her answer.

  “There’s not much to see, but come ahead. Make sure you close the door and stuff that fabric under it.”

  Daniel did as she requested.

  “There’s a flashlight on the shelf up there,” Hannah called. “You’d better use it so you don’t fall and break your neck.”

  “I appreciate you worrying about me taking a tumble. I’m glad you’re not still angry with me.”

  “If I was, all I needed to do was let you help me move the bees.”

  He chuckled. “You’ve got plenty of bees down here. You aren’t going to sic them on me, are you?”

  Hoping she wasn’t being a fool, she put her hand on his arm. “The past is the past, Daniel. Didn’t you say that the day Shelby arrived?” She stood straighter, though she was more than six inches shorter than he was. “If you’ve changed your mind and want to linger in the past, fine. Just don’t expect me to.”

  He opened his mouth to retort, but closed it. Did he want to avoid an argument, or was he unwilling to admit he agreed with her?

  Knowing she couldn’t keep the queen from her anxious hive, Hannah picked up the small plastic container. She set the lantern on a nearby shelf and adjusted it so the light shone on the pair of supers she’d set on top of the screen spanning the two by fours. As she stepped closer, she could hear the rapid buzzing from the uneasy bees. She lifted one corner of the uppermost super’s lid and slipped the end of the plastic container under it.

  She tapped the queen and other bees out and watched them crawl among the combs lashed to the frames with rubber bands. As she lowered the lid, she saw bees moving toward their queen. Nothing would calm them more than her presence.

  “Will you hand me the piece of mesh over there?” Hannah asked.