by Mary Ellis
“Goodness, girl, you move fast.”
“At my ripe old age, a woman should. Well, the lane was hard-packed dirt, not gravel, so Seth had no trouble pushing me, especially as he’s probably the strongest man in Missouri.”
Nora sprayed a mouthful of water onto the horse’s rump. “Is that so?”
“The river turned out to be more of a creek or stream, but I didn’t care. After all, Seth is one fine-looking man…if a person takes the time to notice such things.”
“And I believe you took the time.” Nora giggled as though they were schoolgirls on the playground. “How exactly did you get home Saturday night? I was worried until I saw you in church the next day.”
“You must learn to relax, Nora. I got home in Seth’s buggy…his courting buggy. My mamm almost dropped her dentures.”
Nora issued a sound halfway between a dog’s bark and an owl’s hoot. “He asked to drive you home in his courting buggy already? What else? Should I pick out fabric for a bridesmaid dress? Wedding season will be here before we know it.”
With Nora’s teasing, Violet sobered. “I hope he really likes me and doesn’t just feel sorry for me.”
“Don’t be a ninny. A person might fetch pie or lemonade out of pity, but nobody would take you home unless they were interested.”
Violet whistled through her teeth. “That’s what I thought, but it’s good to hear it from someone else. The whole idea seems too good to be true, like that last bizarre dream before dawn. Then you wake up and you’re still in the same old nightgown.”
“Trust me, my friend. You’re not dreaming.” She pinched Violet’s arm for good measure as a car honked its horn.
“We’re on the side of the road. What’s wrong with that guy?” Violet craned her neck to see out the side window.
Nora spoke soothingly to the nervous horse as the red car slowed and stopped up ahead. An odd sensation settled in her gut as a man climbed out and walked in their direction. “Elam Detweiler,” she moaned.
“What does he want?”
A shiver ran up Nora’s spine, despite the afternoon heat. “We shall see.” She pressed down hard on the brake.
“Hey there, Nora, Violet.” Elam swaggered toward them. “Lovely day, ain’t so?”
“What do you want, Elam? We’re both hot and tired and anxious to get home.”
“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” He grasped the mare’s harness. “I’d like a word with you—a private word, if you don’t mind.” Elam doffed his cap at Violet.
“You don’t have to, Nora. We can just be on our way.” Violet’s expression and tone of voice permitted no confusion regarding her opinion of him.
“It’s all right. This won’t take long.” Before she could reconsider, Nora jumped down onto the sticky blacktop. “Five minutes in the shade, no more.” She pointed at a cluster of trees by the fence.
Elam hopped the drainage ditch and trailed her through tall weeds. “It shouldn’t take longer than that,” he said, close on her heels.
Once she reached the ancient maple, Nora turned and crossed her arms. “Well, what is it?”
“For starters, why are you so nasty toward me? I’ve done nothing to deserve such un-Christian behavior from you.”
Nora glanced around, mildly ashamed. “I’m sorry if that’s how it seems, but I’ve made my feelings toward you clear.”
“You gave me the distinct impression you would date both Miller and me. Then all of a sudden I’m not getting my chance to make things right with you. That’s not fair.” He purred with deliberate sweetness, like a cat begging for a lap to curl up in.
“I don’t want to waste your time because I’ve already made up my mind.” She mimicked his saccharine tone.
“And you picked Miller over me? I would have thought you had more spirit than that.”
“Then you would have thought wrong, Elam. Lewis is better suited to my new Missouri temperament. I seem to have grown stodgy since turning twenty-one.” Nora flashed her prettiest grin.
“Oh, that smile. It does me in every time.” Elam reached out and took hold of her chin. He paused. Then without warning, he leaned forward and kissed her.
Nora stumbled back against the tree, shocked and frightened. “You’ve got no right to—”
Elam grabbed her face again and pressed her against the tree trunk with his body. His mouth covered hers in a searing, painful kiss.
Without hesitation, Nora reared back and slapped his cheek hard—an unfamiliar response she hoped never to repeat. “Don’t ever do that again!”
Elam rubbed his face gingerly, stunned by her action. “That hurt, you little varmint. All I wanted was a few kisses, nothing you haven’t already given Miller by the bucketful.”
“You and I are not courting, Elam, and we never will be. Leave me alone, or I’ll tell Jonas or the bishop or…or the sheriff if I have to.” Nora shook with fury.
Elam’s gaze narrowed into a glare as he rubbed his cheek. A red blotch rose where her palm had connected with skin. “I was wrong about you. You’re no different than the rest of these boring folks. Except you’re going to be sorry you ever crossed me.” His eyes held an evil glint.
“Get away from her, you creep!” Violet shrieked at the top of her lungs while waving the long-handled whip above her head. She helplessly stood in the buggy doorway, unable to get down into the roadside brush.
Elam glanced at Violet with contempt and then back at Nora. “You mark my words, Nora King.”
FOURTEEN
Thy flowing wounds supply
Because his first knock went unanswered, Solomon rapped again on the door, harder. “Violet, have you fallen in there? Did you pass out from all the steam?”
After a moment his daughter called out, “I’ll be out in a minute, Papa. I’m trying to hurry.”
“Trying to hurry,” Sol muttered, setting into a kitchen chair. “She’s been in there an hour, Rosanna. How long would it take if she proceeded at a leisurely pace?”
His fraa patted his back as she brought him a cup of coffee. “I think she’s en lieb, ehemann. A girl wants to look her best.”
He snorted. “If she walks out wearing cosmetics or smelly perfume, she will take another bath before leaving. Who is this young man worthy of our dochder’s attention?”
Before Rosanna could reply, the bathroom door opened and a blast of humid air wafted into the room. Violet limped to where he sat, shifting her weight from leg to leg with improved mobility. Her young face was free of makeup, and she smelled solely of Ivory soap. Violet leaned to kiss his cheek. “You know very well who’s picking me up for the singing—Seth Yoder. It’s been two weeks since our last social event and I’ve missed him terribly. I wanted to scrub my skin with the loofa sponge until it glowed.” She limped toward the window.
“And you know very well what Scripture says about a woman’s beauty. Don’t be vain and prideful about your appearance.” Sol drummed his fingers on the table, while Rosanna finished preparing their supper.
Violet parted the curtains to peek down the driveway. “Those verses refer to wives, not women who haven’t snagged a husband yet.” She tied her kapp ribbons behind her neck to get them out of the way.
Sol’s mouth dropped open. “Snagged a husband…you’re not fishing in a rowboat with a rod and reel. I expect you to behave in a demure, reserved manner.”
Violet glanced at her mamm. “Because Seth looks nothing like a trout, I’ll leave my net and bait at home. In fact, I’ll pretend I barely like him.”
“See that you do and come home early. Tomorrow is a workday at the bakery.”
“Jah, I know. We open at eight o’clock.” Violet peeked out the window again.
Sol’s irritation rose with her impertinence. “Remember not to sit too close in the buggy, so there will be no accidental touching. Don’t share the same snack plate. And don’t whisper private messages. Anything you have to say to Seth should be heard by everyone.” He leaned back in his chair. “
And the two of you should never be alone. Stay in a group of young people at all times. Don’t wander off and give folks something to wag their tongues about.”
For the briefest of moments, Violet glanced over her shoulder with a startled, anxious expression. Then she walked without her crutches to the sink.
“Sit down, daughter. Aren’t you having a bite to eat with us?” Rosanna stirred fresh tomatoes into a pot of chili.
“No, danki. I’ll eat after the singing.”
“Sweets aren’t food,” said Sol. “You’ll end up with a bellyache. What time are Lewis and Nora and Seth Yoder picking you up?”
Violet scrubbed her hands as though she just finished shoveling out the hog pen. “Seth will be here any minute, so I think I’ll wait on the porch with my wheelchair.”
Rosanna carried the pot to the table, setting it on an iron trivet. She ladled chili into bowls without paying much attention to their conversation.
Solomon mused on his daughter’s response with growing bewilderment. “Seth? Are you saying the young man is picking you up first and then your friends?”
Violet’s hand turned the doorknob. “Papa, your supper is ready. Don’t fret about me. We’ll be very careful and home early.” She sang her reply more melodically than a nightingale.
“Sit down this instant!” he thundered. “How dare you try to keep the truth from me? Why isn’t Seth stopping by the Gingerichs’ first?”
She limped back to the table and lowered herself into a chair. “Lewis must help Jonas’s brothers harvest the hay because they’re shorthanded.”
“And Miss King?” Sol crumbled crackers into his bowl.
“She’s been fighting a migraine for days. She plans to take a couple of ibuprofen and go to bed early.” Violet kept glancing at her mother, perhaps hoping for intervention.
“In that case, dochder, you’re spending the evening with us, rocking on the front porch.”
Her large brown eyes rounded into saucers. “You can’t be serious! Courting couples have been coming and going alone for years in this district.”
“Only those who have announced their intention to marry in the fall and have received approval from the bishop.”
Alarm contorted Violet’s features. “I do believe he’s serious about me,” she said softly.
Solomon burned his mouth on his first taste of supper. “Bah, too soon to tell. If Nora isn’t going, you’re not going either.”
“But, Papa…” Two tears slipped from the corners of her eyes.
“Enough. I refuse to discuss this further.” Solomon straightened in his chair. “Have you paid no attention in church whatsoever? These could be the end-times we’re living in. Our community is being tested, and so far we’ve not covered ourselves in glory. My family should set an example of proper Christian behavior, not stretch the Ordnung to fit their own will. Our rules need to be more rigid, not less, if we hope to stem the tide of horrible events.” Spittle collected at the corners of his mouth as fury got the better of the minister.
Violet sobbed, the way she had done as a child. “I don’t believe…this area is cursed…like you say.” Her words came in fits and starts. “It can’t be true…God loves us and forgives…our transgressions.”
Sol shook his head as though his hearing must be faulty. “You question my understanding of Scripture? Or my authority in the church? In this family?”
“Nein. I don’t question your knowledge or your authority, but I disagree with your opinion.” She wiped her face with her sleeve.
Rosanna approached Violet’s chair with a cold, wet washcloth. “Calm yourself, dochder.” She placed the washcloth on the table and a hand on her shoulder.
“My insight isn’t my opinion. It’s based on studying the Bible and the signs for years. Did you not see the plague of locusts that covered the sky like an enormous black cloud, devouring acre after acre of grain in the fields?”
“Jah, I did, but I also saw the giant flock of crows that ate enough locusts to save part of the harvest.” Regaining her composure, Violet met Sol’s gaze. “If God sent the locusts, then He also sent the crows. It doesn’t seem as though He’s unhappy with us to me.”
Sol stared, stunned speechless by her effrontery.
Rosanna reached for both of their hands. “We’re losing our tempers, something we never should do. Let’s bow our heads in prayer that peace and cooler heads would be restored to our family.”
Solomon complied with his fraa’s advice, as did Violet.
Two or three minutes elapsed before the Trasks lifted their chins. Sol was about to speak to his daughter when they heard a knock on the porch.
Violet pressed the cold cloth to her streaky face and puffy eyes while Rosanna opened the door. Seth Yoder stepped inside the warm kitchen and swept off his hat. “Guder nachmittag, Minister and Mrs. Trask. Hi, Violet. Are you ready to go?”
With both palms flat on the table, Violet pushed herself to her feet. “I can’t go with you tonight, Seth. My daed feels it’s not proper.” She wiped her neck with the rag.
He peered at Solomon. “Have I done something to appear untrustworthy?”
“Nein, it’s not personal, young man. If Miss King were attending, then Violet could accompany you, but she cannot go unchaperoned.”
The two young people exchanged a glance. “Maybe Nora feels better by now,” said Violet. “Could I ride with Seth to the Gingerichs’?” Her voice lifted with hope.
Sol looked at Rosanna and sighed wearily. “Because it’s less than two miles, you may go. But if Nora’s headache isn’t gone, Seth must bring you straight back.”
Seth nodded his agreement and retrieved Violet’s crutches from the corner. “I will. You have my word.”
“See to it she uses the chair and doesn’t take a tumble on uneven ground.”
“I will, and she won’t.”
“And don’t forget tomorrow is a workday for my daughter.”
“It is for me too, Minister Trask.” Seth opened the door for Violet, who ambled through on crutches with amazing speed and dexterity.
As she passed him, Violet brushed a kiss across his cheek. “Gut nacht, Papa, and danki.”
“Don’t forget what I said,” he murmured.
“I couldn’t. Not in a million years.”
“Nora, time to get up.”
Nora buried her head beneath the pillow. How can it be five thirty already? She’d barely slept a wink since her headache returned with a vengeance. How she wanted to stay home last night, curled up on the sofa with a cup of peppermint tea. She hadn’t seen Lewis at all yesterday because he had eaten both lunch and supper with Jonas’s brother. But after one look at Violet’s desperate face, Nora knew she couldn’t refuse her request. So she had swallowed two ibuprofen tablets, grabbed a bottle of water, and accompanied Violet and Seth to the singing, where voices sounded even more off-key than usual.
Seth truly liked Violet, despite her friend’s skepticism. Any man willing to chance Solomon Trask becoming his father-in-law must be serious about a woman. But getting up before dawn with the dull malaise of a lingering migraine, Nora wished she wasn’t such a loyal friend.
“Nora, are you up?” Emily’s impatient voice carried up the steps.
“Jah, I’m coming.” She washed her face and hands, dressed, and bound her hair into a tight coil beneath her kapp.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Emily bustled around like a hummingbird. “There you are. You must hurry and eat something. It’s late.”
“What’s the rush? It’s not even six o’clock.” Nora poured a cup of coffee, savoring the aroma as much as her first sip.
Emily loaded the cooler bag with water, fruit, and sandwiches. “It’s almost seven. Your clock must be wrong. Lewis hung around hoping to see you, but he finally had to leave for work.” Emily handed Nora a blueberry muffin wrapped in a paper towel. “Eat this on the road. We still need to pick up Violet.”
“I must have forgotten to wind the alarm.” Nora downed th
e coffee, practically scalding her throat. Her hand shook as she refilled the travel mug. “Did Lewis say anything else?”
Emily grabbed her purse, sweater, and their lunch, double-checked that the stove burners were off, and marched swiftly out the door. She said over her shoulder, “He asked if it was custom in Missouri for courting women to attend singings alone.”
Nora picked up her bag and pulled the door closed behind them. She hurried to catch up. “What did you say?”
“I told him not usually.”
Nora’s face flamed. “Didn’t you explain about Violet and Seth?”
“No, I didn’t. You’ll have to straighten that out by yourself. You shouldn’t have gone if you didn’t feel good.” Emily climbed into the waiting buggy and released the brake.
Nora jumped up as the wheels began to roll. “Violet really wanted to go.”
“She should have waited for a singing when you all could attend. Young people act as though social events are the most important things in the world.”
Nora slumped on the seat, silent on the ride to the Trasks. What could she say? Don’t you remember being young once? Couldn’t you have smoothed things out with Lewis?
This wasn’t a good day to oversleep.
Unfortunately, Violet didn’t notice Emily’s mood as they drove to work. The girl rattled on about who baked what desserts, who was or wasn’t courting whom, and just about everything Seth uttered throughout the evening, whether particularly witty or normal banal conversation.
“Goodness, Violet,” moaned Emily, several minutes into the narrative. “Don’t you know any topic other than Seth Yoder? You’ve only been courting three weeks.”
Nonplussed, Violet gazed at their boss. “We could talk about registered Standardbreds or the horse auction they have outside of Columbia. I plan to go later this summer with a man who shall remain unnamed.” She burst into peals of laughter.
From the backseat, Nora tried to contain Violet by placing a hand over her mouth.
