The Secret of Fair Hill: A Refuge in Fair Hill Book 2

by Faith Cummings

  "What are they?"

  "She doesn't know what Quakers are, and she's pretty mad at God right now."

  "Why is she angry with God?"

  "I'll let her tell you that, but I thought you should know. She wouldn't even say grace with me this morning."

  "We all have times like that," Amy said unhappily. "Perhaps in time, she'll change her mind."

  Doc soon said goodbye and left the house. When I had unpacked my few belongings, I put the trunk against the wall by the wardrobe and surveyed my room. It was simply furnished, but I had everything I needed. There was something homelike and warm about it. The curtains at the windows were not lace trim as my curtains had been at home, but they were made of better cloth. There was a fireplace too, I noticed. I hoped I would be allowed to have a fire when I liked. Fires made a room so cozy and safe, I thought. The bed was covered with a quilt that looked as if it would be warm.

  I decided it might be interesting living here, in spite of their strange speech. I didn't know what other unusual things I might discover about them. I was intrigued a little by Amy Becker. There was something about her I liked, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was. Perhaps in time I would comprehend it. I went downstairs again to see if I could be of any help.

  "Has thee gotten settled in then?" Amy asked as I entered the kitchen.

  "Yes, everything's put away," I replied. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  "Thee can peel these apples if thee likes, I thought a pie might be nice for dessert this noon." I knew that, like all farming families, they ate their largest meal at noon so that they would have the energy to finish the day's work. There was no need for heavy eating after the day's work was done. I took a knife from a nearby rack and began to peel the already washed apples.

  "These are nice apples, where did you get them?" I asked.

  "We have an orchard," Amy answered. "The crop was good this year."

  "Do you make cider with them too?"

  "Yes, we've made a lot. Thee probably will get tired of apple cider before it's all gone."

  "Where's the rest of the family?" I asked after a silence.

  "They're all out and about the farm doing something or other. Lisbeth usually does my apple peeling for me, but she's busy helping with the last of the harvest."

  "I remember," I said. "It takes everyone during harvest time."

  "Thee lived on a farm then?"

  "Yes, a dairy farm. We raised hay and corn for the cattle and had a large garden for us. There was always much work for us."

  "How many of you were there?"

  "Just my folks and me," I told her.

  "We have sheep instead of cattle," Amy explained. "And we have the maples to tend and the orchard."

  "You must have much land then."

  "Yes, a good amount."

  "Do you always just take folks in like me?" I asked after another pause.

  "Whenever I'm led to, I do." Was the quiet answer.

  "Led by whom?"

  "By the Spirit. Hasn't thee ever had a leading?" My face showed my confusion. "Well, thee will some day, I expect," Amy said with a warm smile. "And thee will know when thee does, so there's no need to worry about it."

  "What Spirit?" I wanted to know.

  "The Holy Spirit."

  "I'm not sure about any of that," I said firmly. "I think it's just something someone made up."

  "Well, Doc said thee was a little uncertain now. It will come clear to thee in time," Amy assured me. I said nothing. I hoped they weren't going to force the issue of God and religion upon me. I finished peeling the apples then began to slice them for the pie. Amy had finished making the crust. I began to fill it with the slices.

  "Does thee know how much sugar and such goes into that?" Amy asked.

  "Yes, my mother taught me," was the reply.

  "Then thee can finish making that while I start dinner?"

  "Yes, I'll be glad to," I agreed. I remembered countless times when I had helped my mother like this. It was good to have a woman to confide in again. I finished filling the pie crust and put the other over it, making slits in the top for the steam to escape.

  "Thee can put it in the oven if thee likes," Amy said, seeing my work and smiling her approval. "It looks good already." I agreed that it did. It had been many weeks since I had eaten fresh apple pie. Amy fixed a large, hearty meal of meat and potatoes, topped off with a salad made from the last fresh vegetables from the garden. I was putting the steaming dishes on the table when the rest of the family boisterously arrived. They all washed the dirt from their hands and faces at the door, then came to the table, eager for the hot meal.

  "It's feeling like November out there," Andrew Becker said as he greeted his wife with affection. "Thee is lucky to be in the warm house today, Amy."

  "And I had help too," Amy told him, putting a hand on my shoulder. "This is Barbara Scott. She's going to be staying with us."

  Andrew's handshake was welcoming as were his words. "We're glad thee is here, Barbara. And thank thee for helping with this wonderful meal."

  "Thank you for having me," I managed. "I was glad to help." They all took places around the table.

  "Thee can sit here across from Lisbeth," Amy said pointing to a chair. I took it and was greeted by a smile from the girl across from me. Lisbeth looked like a younger version of her mother.

  "Where is Barbara going to sleep, Mother?" Lisbeth asked with interest.

  "We'll talk about it after we pray," her father interrupted. We all joined hands around the table then. My hands were gently taken by Andrew on my right and one of the boys on my left. We all grew silent and remained so for at least a minute. There was something different about the silence. I noted it immediately and wondered what it was. Then, out of the silence, Andrew spoke, thanking God for the meal before us and for the work He had given us all to do. He then thanked God for bringing me to Fair Hill and asked His blessings upon us all. This was ended by a chorus of amen from the family. We then began to pass the hot dishes and fill our plates with the simple meal.

  "I should tell thee whom everyone is, I guess or would thee prefer they tell thee?" Amy asked me.

  "I'll just learn as I go," I said with a little laugh. "If you tell me, I'll forget."

  "Well, I'm Lisbeth," said the girl across the table. "And thee won't forget who I am, because I won't let thee. I've never had a sister and I'm glad thee is here."

  "I've never had a sister either or brothers," I said. "So I've got much learning to do." "Thee'll fit in just fine," Andrew assured me. "Where did thee come from?"

  "I came from Wisconsin. But it's a long story."

  "We've got plenty of time to learn it all," he said. "Go ahead and eat while it's hot." "Did thee get much done this morning?" Amy asked her husband.

  "Yes, we got all the garden in and the last of the apples stored."

  "Then Lisbeth won't be needed this afternoon?"

  "No, she can do as she likes," Andrew agreed. "There's not much more to do."

  "It's almost time for Thanksgiving," Lisbeth put in, passing the potatoes to her older brother who sat beside me.

  "Yes, and we're all getting together at the Hansens this year," Amy seemed relieved. "I'll just have a few things to take and won't have to do most of the work."

  "But Christmas will be here," her youngest son said. He sat beside Lisbeth, across from his elder brother.

  "Yes, as always," Andrew agreed. "We will have Christmas here." I sat quietly amid the chatter, glad that my Uncle had thought to bring me here to Fair Hill. How did he know the people would welcome me so completely?

  "Does thee want some of this bread and honey before they disappear?" A gentle voice asked from beside me, breaking my train of thought. I turned to see that the young man was holding a dish of bread and a honey pot for me.

  "I didn't see those," I said taking the dish and the pot from his hands. "Thanks for saving me some."

  "Thee has to watch," he warned with a teasing glan
ce at his brother. "Things go fast once Jeremy sees them."

  "Thee does thy share," his brother teased back.

  "Well, thanks anyway," I said. " Fresh bread is a treat for me after these past few weeks." When the meal was finished, Amy and I cleared the table and brought out the pie and a fresh pot of tea. There was more fresh milk too for anyone who wanted it.

  "That looks good," Andrew said as he took the pie to cut it.

  "Barbara made it," Amy told them. "I was finishing the bread when Doc Wilson brought Barbara here so I asked her to help me with the pie. She did a fine job."

  "She did," the others agreed, tasting it.

  "Lisbeth, thee should learn from her," Jeremy said nudging his sister playfully. "Lisbeth does all right," defended Amy loyally. "Thee shouldn't tease her so much, Jeremy." When the meal was over, I rose to help Amy and Lisbeth clear away the dishes. "No, thee can rest if thee likes," Amy told me. "Thee helped fix the meal so Lisbeth can help with the cleaning up."

  "Let me know if you need me," I said. "I'll be in the sitting room. I left the kitchen then and entered the sitting room, going to the bookshelf to see what I could find for reading.

  "What does thee like to read?" The oldest boy was standing near the window.

  "I didn't see you there," I said turning from the books.

  "It's all right. Help thyself to anything there. They're there for anyone who wants to read them."

  "You didn't tell me your name," I said coming to stand before him.

  "I'm sorry," he said self-consciously. "I'm Paul."

  "Well, what do you recommend?" I asked, glancing again at the books.

  "That depends on what thee is looking for."

  "I'm looking for something light to read," I answered. "Nothing that's hard to understand or very serious."

  "Does thee like poetry?" He asked after a moment's thought.

  "Yes, that's a good idea." He went to the shelf and took down a well-read volume, handing it to me.

  "John Greenleaf Whittier," he said. "I hope thee likes it."

  "Thank you," I said sitting in a comfortable chair. "Will it bother you if I sit here and read?"

  "No, of course not. "I'm going to do the same, once I decide what book I want," he told me. I noted a few minutes later that he had chosen the well-worn Bible and was deeply engrossed in its pages. I watched him for a moment, wondering what this Quaker stuff was. Evidently it had something to do with their speech. I had never heard people talk like this. I wished I could ask a few questions without getting more than I wanted all at once. I read the poetry and found it interesting. The foreword in the front of the book said that John Greenleaf Whittier was a Quaker. I couldn't tell from his writings just what that meant. After finishing the poem I had decided to read, I went back to the bookshelf to see what else there was. Maybe there would be something here that would answer my questions. Finally, not finding anything that looked helpful, I decided to risk asking Paul. "Could I talk to you a minute?" I began hesitantly. He put aside his book and looked up. "Yes, what is it?"

  "I want to know what a Quaker is," I said simply. "I don't want to know everything all at once and I'm not promising I'm going to become one but. . . ."

  He interrupted me with a light hand on mine. "No sermons, no lectures. I'll answer any question I can."

  I smiled with relief. "Thanks."

  He put the Bible back on the shelf. "If I don't answer thy questions well enough, all the answers are in there," he said, indicating the Bible. "Thee can read them for thyself." "I don't know where to begin. I'm not even sure what I want to ask."

  "Thee wants to know what a Friend is?"

  "Yes. Are you Christians?"

  "Yes. At least the ones here in Fair Hill are."

  "What do you believe then?"

  "Let's do this another way," he said after a pause. "In what Church was thee raised?" "My parents were Lutherans." I told him. "What does that matter?"

  "When thee went to the Lutheran Church, what did they teach thee?"

  "We had to learn catechism."

  "Yes, I know about that. And thee was taught certain written prayers, from a book. Thee took Communion with bread and wine and thee has been baptized in water."

  "Yes, when I was a baby."

  He seated himself beside me on the sofa and began slowly. "In the 1600's there was a man in England named George Fox who was led by the Spirit to preach against all that." "And this George Fox was the first Quaker?"

  "Yes. He had an experience with Jesus Christ that taught him that all those trappings weren't necessary."

  "Did he write anything? If I could read it, then we could talk about it after that." "Yes, he kept a journal and wrote many other things. Perhaps thee should start with the journal first. He took another book down from the shelf and gave it to me. "Try reading some of this and then we'll talk." I thanked him and asked if I could take the book to my room.

  "Yes, if thee likes, keep it."I sat again in the chair I had left and began to read the book. Something about it immediately caught my interest. Soon I was so wrapped in what I was reading that the opening of the sitting room door startled me.

  "I didn't mean to scare thee," it was Paul again. "Supper's ready." The whole afternoon was gone! I had spent the entire time reading. I slowly put down the book as if coming back to myself.

  "I should have helped with the chores or something," I said guiltily.

  "I think it's all right this once," he said with a brief smile. "Come and eat."

  I followed him into the kitchen where the family was assembled.

  "Barbara, I know thee isn't a Friend," Andrew said as we ate. "But thee is welcome to join us in worship after supper."

  "We have Meeting for Worship every evening before bed," Amy explained when she saw my confusion.

  "I'll be there," I agreed, somehow knowing that my participation would not be forced. Then too, a part of me was still wondering what these people were like. George Fox had evidently been a devout Christian. I had discovered that in my reading.

  "How did thee spend thy afternoon?" Lisbeth asked.

  "I spent it reading."

  "We'll all have more time for such things now," Andrew said pouring himself some tea. "It's getting more and more wintry out there."

  "It's snowing," said Paul looking out the window. There was sadness in his voice. "That means thee can't go and see Betsy tomorrow," teased Jeremy.

  "I can if it stops," his brother informed him. "And I hope it does."

  "Who's Betsy? "I ventured to ask.

  "She's going to be his wife in the spring," Lisbeth put in. "They're going to be married when Mike and Lyddy are."

  "Thee will meet Mike and Lyddy soon," Paul added. "And Betsy too."

  "Will you have your own land after you marry?" I asked with interest.

  "No, land is scarce in Fair Hill." He said unhappily. "But we may decide to go west somewhere and homestead."

  "Many folks are still doing that," I agreed. "Lots of them left Wisconsin to go west. “My parents were dairy farmers out there,"

  "We have sheep," Andrew said.

  "Yes, that's what I hear," I began. "By the way, what should I call you?" I was speaking now to Amy and Andrew. I didn't feel right calling them by their first name. They were older than I was. It was different with their children. They were close enough to my age for first names to be all right.

  "Thee can call us by our first names, Amy and Andrew," he answered.

  "That seems strange to me," I admitted.

  "Then thee can call us whatever thee feels at ease with," Amy rose as she spoke and began to clear the table.

  "Tonight Lisbeth and I will do that," I hurried to add, rising myself to help.

  "Yes, Mother, we'll do it. Thee can rest this time." Lisbeth joined me in the work and the dishes were soon done. When we were finished, we joined the family in the sitting room. Andrew had lit a fire in the fireplace. There were a couple of kerosene lamps lit and the rest of the family waite
d.

  "Time for worship," Lisbeth explained as we entered. She took down her Bible from the shelf and seated herself beside Amy. I took the remaining empty chair and folded my hands in my lap as I saw Lisbeth do. The room grew still. The only sounds were the fire's crackle and the ticking of a grandfather clock near the stairs. I entered the silence with the rest, wondering what would happen next. For fifteen minutes, nothing happened. The silence deepened about us all and a stillness came over my mind. I felt some tension lifting from my body as I sat there. It was good not to have to do anything. Then, out of the stillness, Andrew spoke, reading a passage from the family Bible he held. When he was finished, the silence resumed. Before we broke Meeting, there were prayers said and other passages read. I noticed that a thread of meaning ran through it all and was further intrigued. When we all shook hands with one another, I felt that some soreness had been taken from my soul.

  "I imagine thee is tired," Amy said as I rose from my chair.

  "I am, a little. A lot has happened in the past few weeks."

  "Does thee need anything?" Andrew asked, putting an arm about my slender shoulders. "If thee does, please don't hesitate to ask. Whatever we have is here for thee as well."

  "I could light a fire in thy room for thee if thee likes," Paul said from the stairs.

  I was pleased that someone else had thought of it. "Yes, I'd like that very much." He came down the two steps he had ascended and went to get some wood.

  "I think we all could use some extra fires tonight,"

  Andrew said, noting that the snow still fell hard outside.

  "Yes," Amy agreed, following his glance. "We could be snowed in by morning." So Andrew and his sons worked together to build a fire in each bedroom fireplace. When I entered my room, Paul was just finishing with the laying of the fire. He lit the kindling on top and watched to make sure it would catch.

  "I think that'll do it." He turned from the fireplace to face me. "It's going to take a few minutes, but thee'll be warm soon."

  "Thank you very much," I said, extending my hand.

  He took it in a firm grasp. "Thee is welcome. Does thee have all thee needs then?" He asked, looking around him for a moment.

  "I brought the book up to read," I said, holding it up in my other hand.