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

by Faith Cummings

  "Make sure thee gets enough sleep," he warned.

  "I will. Thanks," I said and he left me to go and build a fire in the room across from mine.

  "I sure am glad she came up here," Jeremy said as Paul entered to find him working on the fire himself.

  "Yes, it's going to be good for Libby." Paul agreed.

  "I think it's going to be good for all of us."

  "Why does thee say that?"

  "Because it does us all good to have to think about what it means to be a Friend now and again. We get spoiled by being with only Quakers here. We get so we just do and say things without giving them much thought. But to explain everything to Barbara, we'll have to think about them."

  "Thee has a good point," Paul agreed thoughtfully. "It will be good for us all."

  * * *

  When I woke the next morning, my room was cold. I snuggled deeper in the warm covers for a moment, then remembered that I must help with the morning chores. I was in Fair Hill. I reflected for a time on how fast and how completely my life had changed. A few short weeks ago I had been at home with my parents on our farm. Suddenly, they were gone. It was up to me to make a life for myself. I had gone to my uncle as my father had requested me to do. He could not take me into his house. But these simple people, who were not relatives and didn't know anything about me, had opened their home and their lives to me without question. I knew now that they would learn only what I told them about myself. They wouldn't ask questions or pry into my life. Yet, I felt accepted, and something more. There had been love in Andrew's touch last night when he had put his arm about me. My father had done that often but this was different. Andrew had come in from a morning of work to find that his wife had taken in a stranger. And that very evening, he had made me feel like family. It was hard to understand. How could they give their love so freely to someone they didn't even know? I rose and dressed quickly because of the cold. When I entered the kitchen, Paul was just coming in from outside, stamping snow from his boots.

  "It's still snowing. Want to come and gather eggs?"

  "As soon as I get my coat," I answered. I followed him as he left and found it necessary to stick close and walk in his footprints. He had dug a path to the barn and it was only wide enough for one person to pass.

  "How long will it keep this up?" I asked as we entered the relatively warm barn.

  "No way of knowing," he answered breathlessly. "But I hope it stops soon."

  "So you can see Betsy?" I ventured.

  He laughed a little. "Yes, and so we can make it to First Day Meeting at the Meetinghouse."

  "Is that what you call a Church?"

  "It's not a Church like thee is used to."

  "What's different about it?" I asked, starting to collect the eggs in a basket.

  "Thee will see," he answered. He was feeding the horses in another part of the barn. There were sheep too, I noticed, their thick wool keeping them warm.

  "Does your mother use their wool for cloth?" I asked as I finished getting the eggs. "Yes, we shear them in the spring and use most of the wool. We sell the rest in Newport." "Shall I feed these chickens?" He pointed to the chicken feed on a shelf and nodded. "Thank thee."

  I fed them, thinking of other mornings back home where I had done this. But there, we had cows to milk. The Beckers had one milk cow, I noticed. That must be where the milk came from which we drank yesterday. When I finished feeding the chickens I went to see if the cow had been milked. She had not, so I went in search of a pail for the milk. I found one near the cow's stall and went to milk her, still thinking of mornings back home in Wisconsin. Andrew had come in then and was feeding the sheep.

  "Thee is keeping busy," Paul said, seeing me with the full milk pail.

  "Just doing what needs doing," I said absently.

  He took the milk from me and handed me the egg basket. ”Thanks for thy help."

  We met Lisbeth and Jeremy coming from the house as we emerged from the barn. "Everything's done. Thee can go back where it's warm," he told the two younger children. "Barbara did my work," Lisbeth said in surprise. "Thank thee, Barbara."

  "I'll let you do it this evening," I teased as I shivered. We all entered the warm kitchen and Amy took the eggs and milk from our numb hands.

  "Warm thy selves near the fire," she urged. "It's not a fit morning to be out I don't think. Where's thy father?"

  "He's coming," Paul replied. "He was just finishing when we left him." Andrew soon arrived, going quickly to the stove to warm himself.

  "Does thee think we can make it to Meeting?" Amy asked as we ate a hot breakfast. "No, not today. We'll have Meeting here." Andrew said between bites. "It's still snowing, Amy and blowing hard."

  "I doubt if anyone else will be there either," Paul agreed. When breakfast was finished and the housework was done, the family met as we had last night for an hour of worship. After this, there was time for relaxing around the fire. We all enjoyed a large dinner and then gathered again about the fire in the sitting room. Amy took out some mending to do. Lisbeth was working on a sampler. Jeremy sat beside her, trying to read what it would say when she had it finished. Andrew had chosen to do nothing just then but relax after a long week of hard work. Paul also was unoccupied. I went up and brought down the book I had been reading.

  "We could go out if we took the sleigh," Jeremy suggested after a while. He was getting bored with watching Lisbeth work with her needle.

  "It's blowing too hard. We might lose our way," Paul answered.

  "Lose our way in Fair Hill?"

  "The way that snow is blowing, we could lose our way right here on the farm if we weren't careful." Andrew said. "It's best to stay indoors this afternoon."

  "But there's nothing to do." Jeremy complained. He was twelve years old and wished he could have spent the afternoon with friends from the Meeting.

  "Thee should get used to it. Thee has a long winter ahead of thee," Amy said ruffling his fair hair. "Tomorrow thee can go to school if the weather clears."

  "Is there a school here in Fair Hill?" I asked, looking up from my book with interest. "Yes, in the village," Amy gave me one of her sunny smiles as she answered.

  "Do you still go, Lisbeth?"

  "Yes, is thee coming with me?"

  "Yes, I had to stop going when Ma and Pa got sick. It'd be good to get back."

  "Then thee shall go tomorrow if the snow stops blowing." Amy was glad I was taking an interest in things about me.

  "You're finished with school, aren't you?" I asked Paul.

  "Yes, now I work here with Father."

  "He's been finished for a couple years," Lisbeth put aside her work. "But it's going to be nice to have thee there with me."

  I was warmed by her interest and acceptance and smiled. "I've always liked school and missed it. I tried to keep up with my work while I was taking care of Ma and Pa but after a while, I had to stop. It was too hard to spend the whole day nursing and then do my home work. "

  Thy parents were sick for a long time then?" Paul asked with evident and real interest.

  "Yes, they had some kind of fever. I think Doc said it was scarlet fever, but I'm not sure."

  "How did thee ever keep from catching it then?" He had picked up a piece of wood as he asked the question and was taking a knife from his pocket.

  "I was always very careful about keeping clean and I burned their bedding and clothes when they got dirty."

  "Thee was still very lucky," he said musingly, beginning to carve the wood. "It must have been difficult for thee all alone."

  "It was hard, but we can't always have things easy, I guess,"

  "Perhaps not, Barbara," Andrew said gently, "But I'm glad the Lord brought thee here so we could help."

  "I think my Uncle was the one who brought me here." I said wryly.

  "Perhaps thy Uncle was the instrument of the Lord then," Andrew persisted.

  "I don't think so," was my quick reply. Andrew squeezed my hand but said no more. I had the feeling he und
erstood my desire not to talk about God. I was grateful to them all for being so understanding. The afternoon went by swiftly. Before anyone knew it, the hour had come to do the evening chores. Everyone went out except Amy, who fixed something to eat. We had worship that evening as usual, then went to bed in fire warmed rooms.

  Paul's voice called me out of sleep the next morning. "Barbara, thee must rise and get ready for school if thee intends not to be late!" He was speaking from the other side of my closed door.

  "Thanks, Paul," I said sleepily. "I'm awake now. I'll be down soon." I heard his footsteps going toward the stairs and sat up.

  * * *

  It was good to be a part of a family again. It would never have been this easy at the Larsens. It couldn't have been with Mark always trying to convince me we were meant for each other. I sighed and got up. My room was cold as usual and I hurried to dress. Lisbeth was just coming from her room when I emerged to go down to the kitchen. "Is thee ready for school?" She asked as we went down together.

  "I'm looking forward to it," I answered happily. "It's actually going to be good to have home work to do."

  She laughed and headed for the kitchen.

  "Eat something hot before thee goes outside," Amy warned, handing me a glass of milk. "It's still very cold." I looked out the kitchen window. It had stopped snowing and blowing but it looked very cold.

  "Can we take the sleigh?" Lisbeth asked as we ate.

  "I'll take thee," Paul offered, handing Amy his empty plate.

  "In the sleigh?" Lisbeth asked as she finished too.

  "In the sleigh if thee likes," he agreed, taking his last swallow of tea. "Come on, let's go if we're going." We followed him, bundled warmly against the cold. He had already hitched the sleigh and it waited for us.

  "Thee already planned to take it," Lisbeth said as he helped us in under the robes.

  "I thought thee might like it," he said smiling as he climbed up beside me.

  "And there are sleigh bells," I said excitedly as we started out. Their merry sound filled the cold still air.

  "Yes, my one concession to frivolity," he said laughing. "Does thee like them?"

  "I like them very much," I answered looking around us at the snow covered farms. When we reached the village, he stopped before a plain wooden building. "This is the Meetinghouse on First Day and the schoolhouse every other day except seventh day," he said, helping me. "Does thee want me to go with thee?" I nodded and he walked with us inside the warm room. There were desks situated around the wood stove, each occupied by two students. A fresh faced woman stood in front of the class and smiled a greeting to us when we entered. "Thee has a new student, Maria," Paul said to her. "This is Barbara Scott."

  The woman's smile was warm. "I've heard about thee from my father," she said pointing to a desk. "Thee can sit with Lisbeth if thee likes."

  "Her father is Doc Wilson," Paul added quietly to me as Lisbeth and I seated ourselves. "I'll come for thee after school, Libs," he added to his sister who thanked him. When the teacher had the other students busy at their work, she came to me and asked me what grade I had been in back home. I answered all her questions and she gave me some books to use. I was soon pouring over them, doing the work she had assigned. We ate lunch around the stove with the other girls our age. The boys went outside to play in the snow.

  "Is thee comfortable here?" Maria asked me as I ate the lunch Amy had given us. "I'm very happy here," I said, warmed again by the honest concern these people showed me. "Your father was very kind to me and I like the Beckers very much."

  "I'm glad to hear it," she said. "If thee ever needs anything, just ask."

  "Your father is not a Quaker," I said after a pause, noticing that she used the same strange speech as the Beckers.

  "No, but I was convinced. That means I have taken the lifestyle of a Friend. It's not just what we believe, it's how we live, or try to live." She instructed me. "Thee will understand more as time goes on." The afternoon went fast. All too soon, school was ending for the day. I gathered my books and followed Lisbeth from the warm schoolroom. It was snowing again when we emerged into the cold. Paul was waiting for us in the sleigh and leaned out to help us.

  "Barbara's fitting in well, just as I knew she would," Lisbeth informed her brother as we started home.

  "I'm glad to hear thee had a good day," he said "Does either of thee have anything thee would like to do while we're still in the village? Does thee need anything at the store?" Lisbeth said she didn't

  I was a little surprised he would be willing to stop when it was snowing. "Shouldn't we try and get home before it snows much more?" I asked.

  "Yes, unless thee needs anything. I don't know if thee can go to school tomorrow if this keeps up so I thought I'd give thee the chance while we were here."

  "That was very thoughtful," I said "But I'm fine."

  "Then we're on our way home," he said and turned the team toward the outskirts of the village. When we reached the farm, Amy waited for us with hot cider and fresh cookies. It was good to be back in the welcoming house, I thought as I sat at the kitchen table, a steaming mug in my cold hands. I told Amy about school over the cider and cookies, remembering how I used to do the same thing at home. I was very grateful as I finished the snack and rose to help with the chores, that this wonderful family had accepted me. It was more than I had ever expected when I left Wisconsin. It snowed the rest of the week and we were kept at home.

  * * *

  The week went by quickly for me. There was work to do in the mornings. I helped Amy and Lisbeth tidy the house and fix the noon meal while the men and Jeremy worked outside or in the barns. The afternoons were usually mine to use as I liked. There were books to read or handwork to do. I persuaded Amy to accept my help with the family mending. Lisbeth and I started a quilt from old pieces of material which Amy had saved. Amy related to us that some scraps she had collected had belonged to her mother-in-law and had been intended for a quilt.

  "Do you have any pictures of Grandmother Becker?" I asked one afternoon as Lisbeth and I stitched the pieces together.

  "I think perhaps Andrew has some sketches he made once," Amy said. "I'll ask him this evening if he still has them."

  "I think he gave them to Paul," Lisbeth put in. "Thee knows how Paul loves those old sketches."

  "Yes, in fact Lisbeth's probably right about that. Why doesn't thee ask Paul after supper?" That evening I didn't get the chance. It was Saturday evening and as we were finishing the meal, a firm knock was heard on the kitchen door.

  "I wonder who that is," Amy said. "No one ever bothers to knock up here." She went to the door and opened it to a tall, well-dressed man. "Are you Amy Becker?" He asked. "Yes. What can I do for thee?"

  "You have my niece here, Barbara Scott."

  "We do, come in, is it Alan?"

  "Yes, she's told you about me?"

  "Yes, she said that thee brought her to Doc Wilson. They entered the sitting-room then, where the family was gathered.

  "Uncle Alan!" I hurriedly rose from my chair and came to greet him with affection. "You look like Fair Hill's been good for you." He said hugging me and kissing my cheek. "I feel very well, Uncle," I said, glad to see him.

  "I went to Doc today and asked him where he had taken you. He said he'd found a good family for you and it seems he has. Will you introduce me?"

  "Well, you've already met Amy," I began. "This is her husband Andrew, their eldest son Paul, their daughter Lisbeth and Jeremy, the youngest." Alan shook their hands in turn and thanked them all for allowing me to live with them.

  "She's been very helpful to Amy and Lisbeth," Andrew said. "It's no problem for us to have her here if she's happy."

  "And there's no doubt of that. Have you become a Quaker yet?" Alan asked. There was no hint of scorn or teasing in his voice or face.

  "No, but I've been reading about Quakers. Paul is my teacher."

  "I only showed her which books to read," Paul said simply. "Whether she becomes a F
riend is between her and God."

  "I just want you to know that I won't object if she does," Alan confided. "I've come close to it myself."

  "Is that why thee brought her to Fair Hill?" Lisbeth asked.

  "Yes. I knew she'd be well taken care of here and near by so I could see her often." "Thee is welcome anytime," Andrew said. "Barbara needs her family as much as she needs us." Alan had a cup of tea and a piece of apple pie before he left us, promising to return soon.

  "Is there anything you need from Newport?" He asked as he said goodbye to me on the front porch.

  "I have everything I need, Uncle Alan," I said, serious for a moment. "How is Aunt Sheila?"

  "She's well," he replied. "But she's not very happy that you're in Fair Hill."

  "If I'm not there in Newport, what difference does it make to her where I am?"

  "She's not as tolerant of Quakers as I am, I'm afraid."

  "So it's because the Beckers are Quakers that she doesn't want me here?"

  "Yes."

  "Well you can tell her I'm not a Quaker yet."

  "But you're interested?"

  "Yes, I am. There's something here that I want. I don't know what it is yet but I want it. There's a peace about these people that I wish I had."

  "I know what you mean. I've felt it too. Let me know if you find out what it is.

  I promised I would and gave him a quick kiss as he left the farm. When I returned to the family in the sitting-room, they were preparing for worship. I quietly took my place, this time near Paul, and folded my hands, preparing for whatever might happen. I had come to feel the expectancy in these silent moments. Sometimes, nothing was said for the entire hour. But most of the time, there were prayers and Scripture readings. Sometimes, there were songs sung. They were not the hymns I had known back home, but usually Scripture put to some melody I had never heard. I had begun to look forward to these worship times in the evenings. They prepared me for restful sleep. When worship was over that evening, Paul stopped me with a light hand on my arm as I was going upstairs. "Is thee coming to the Meetinghouse tomorrow for worship?" He asked.

  "Yes, I planned to. Why?"

  "No reason, I just thought if thee has any questions, thee might ask them now."