The Amish Millers Get Married BOXED SET Books 1-3 (Amish Romance Book Bundle: The Way Home, The Way Forward, The Narrow Way) (Boxed Set: Amish Millers Get Married)

by Ruth Hartzler

  Sadly, Mrs. Miller was still talking. "Jah, and Esther picked the celery herself. We still have plenty of celery growing, and there's still time to use it." Mrs. Miller winked at Amos before she signaled to Rebecca and Martha to help her clear the plates.

  It's going from bad to worse, Esther thought. Could Mamm be any more obvious? Esther knew that some communities had mason jars of cut celery on tables at the weddings. While her community didn't follow this practice, the fact that it was a well known tradition in other communities was enough to make her absolutely mortified that her mudder was alluding to the subject of marriage to Amos.

  Esther stole a glance at Amos and saw that he was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. I hope he doesn't think I'm attracted to him, she thought with growing alarm. What am I going to do?

  The dinner went downhill from there. Esther looked to her daed for help, but it appeared that he had given up trying to fight his fraa's matchmaking ways. Even Martha and Rebecca clearly were appalled at their mudder's efforts, shooting Esther sympathetic looks.

  After Amos finally left, none too soon for Esther, Mrs. Miller gave the girls mending to do, and then went out on the porch to talk to her husband. As it was a warm night, all the windows were open, and Esther figured that her parents had forgotten that one fact, as their voices carried freely into where Esther, Martha, and Rebecca sat.

  "You were no help tonight, Abraham," their mudder scolded.

  Their daed simply laughed. "Rachel, you will not make a match of Amos and Esther; you're wasting your time. Besides, isn't it time you forgave the Hostetlers? Hannah is already married to Noah."

  The three girls looked at each other while their mudder snorted. "Nee, I tell you. I will not have another of my dochders marry one of the Hostetler familye. Nee. Esther and Amos will be married, Abraham; you mark my words."

  As Abraham let out a well-worn and lengthy sigh of resignation, Martha whispered to Esther, "Mamm thinks you're going to marry Jacob. See, we all thought you were."

  * * *

  "What are you going to do?" Martha later asked her schweschder, when the three girls were playing scrabble and their parents were out of earshot, reading the Bible in the kitchen.

  Esther threw her hands in the air. "What can I do? There's nothing I can do. Mamm won't stop; she'll keep inviting Amos for dinner and trying to push me with him. Remember how she was with Hannah and David Yoder! The only thing that'll stop her is if Amos starts dating someone else."

  "There's one other thing that will stop her, Esther." Martha placed a letter tile at the bottom of a row. "Mamm will stop matchmaking if you start dating someone."

  "Don't be silly, Martha," Rebecca piped up. "Esther doesn't like anyone."

  Nevertheless, Martha's words planted a small seed of an idea in Esther's mind, and as she lay in bed that night thinking over her problem, that small seed grew.

  Daniel 2:47.

  The king answered and said to Daniel, "Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery."

  Chapter 4 .

  Esther drove the familye buggy through a heavy haze which was blocking the early morning sun from view. The shafts of sunlight found their way eerily through the mist, striking Esther with a lingering feeling of uneasiness. The air was heavy and still. The atmosphere sparkled with the promise of something about to happen. What could possibly happen? Esther thought. I'm just a Plain girl about to ask a friend a favor. Nevertheless, she could not shake the worrying feeling that, somehow, this day would change her life.

  Esther intended to arrive early to catch Jacob before he was heavily involved in his chores. She drove her horse along the road, past recently harvested, bare yellow fields, as well as past lush, green pastures with cattle grazing contently. The Hostetlers' farm was set amidst gently rolling hills, and the haus was flanked by a row of tall trees. There were so many barns that Esther didn't know quite which one to head for, but Jacob must have heard her coming as he waved to her from in front of one of the smaller white barns.

  "Hiya, Jacob," she said as he came over and held her horse's bridle.

  "Guten mayrie, Esther. What are you doing here?"

  Esther suddenly felt nervous and climbed down from the buggy to speak to Jacob. "I can't stay; I won't keep you from your work. I've just come to ask you for a favor."

  Jacob looked at her quizzically.

  "Mamm's trying to match me with Amos Troyer," she began.

  "Amos?" Jacob interrupted her. "That good looking mann?"

  Esther nodded. "Jah."

  Jacob frowned. "So, you think he's good looking?"

  "Well, jah, but that's not the point." Esther wondered why Jacob was looking a little annoyed.

  Jacob let go of the horse's bridle and crossed his arms over his chest. "Have you come to tell me that you're dating Amos Troyer?"

  "Nee, Jacob. I came to tell you that my mudder wants me to date Amos, but I don't want to." Esther noted that Jacob looked relieved; he was sure acting weird. Perhaps he doesn't think Amos is suited to me, she thought. "Anyway," she continued, "Mamm has her heart set on me dating Amos, so last night I came up with an idea. Would you mind if we pretended that we were dating?"

  Jacob looked thunderstruck. "What, what," he stammered. "You want me to pretend that the two of us are dating? Each other?"

  Suddenly the idea didn't seem such a good one to Esther. "Oh it sounds so silly when you say it, Jacob. I just thought it was the only way to stop Mamm. You have no idea how bad she was, when she tried to push Hannah and David Yoder together. Forget it; it's a silly idea." Esther made to get back into the buggy, but Jacob put his hand on her arm.

  "Wait a moment. Let me get this straight. You want me to pretend that I'm dating you, to keep Amos Troyer away from you and to prevent your mudder trying to match up the two of you?"

  Esther nodded. "Jacob, I'm really desperate."

  "Oh denki, Esther!" His tone was highly offended.

  Esther shook her head with irritation. "Nee, Jacob, why do you have to be so difficult? You know what I mean."

  Jacob appeared to be thinking things over. "All right, I'll pretend that we're dating. Who will know the truth?"

  "You, me, and Gott." Esther smiled. "Denki so much, Jacob; that's really gut of you. I don't know what I'd do without you. You're a gut friend." A thought occurred to Esther. "Oh, but I don't want to get in the way if you're interested in a girl."

  Jacob rubbed his chin.

  Esther fought the urge to stomp her foot. "Well, are you?"

  "Am I what?"

  Esther let out a loud sigh of frustration. "I don't want to pretend I'm dating you if you're interested in a girl. Are you?'

  Jacob leaned back against the old, wooden fence post. "No need to worry, Esther. My love life won't suffer from pretending I'm dating you."

  Esther looked at Jacob though narrowed eyes. Not only had he not directly answered her question, he appeared to be having a private joke with himself. Was there something he wasn't telling her?

  "Anyway," she continued, "when you find a girl you want to date, we can break off our pretend dating."

  "And we'll stop pretending if you want to date someone too, obviously," Jacob said.

  "Don't be silly, Jacob; I don't want to date anyone."

  Jacob simply raised his eyebrows. "Have you really thought this through, Esther? I don't know if we'll convince anyone, not after a while. And don't forget all secrets come to light. 'For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.'"

  "Oh, don't be so Scripture smart, Jacob." She gave him a playful tap on the arm. "Denki so much for helping me."

  On the drive back to her haus, Esther worried about her plan. Sure, Jacob had agreed, but would people believe them? Her younger sisters would think it strange. Her mudder was the one she had to convince; she was the matchmaker. Nevertheless, Esther had made up her mind to tell Hannah.<
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  * * *

  Jacob thought Esther's plan was a little unusual, and he wondered about her motivation. A large part of him hoped it was because Esther had feelings for him, although he was sure that she wasn't aware of those feelings. At least, she had never shown any indication that she was. Jacob feared that Esther would always see him just as her gut friend.

  Still, this plan of Esther's afforded Jacob a window of opportunity. In fact, it was likely a blessing from Gott. Goodness knows that Jacob had often prayed to Gott about his feelings for Esther. If Esther enjoyed their time together, pretending to be a dating couple, perhaps she would finally start to see Jacob as more than just a gut friend.

  He was also concerned about Amos Troyer. Jacob was only too well aware that Amos, despite his young age, already owned his own successful construction business. What's more, he was handsome, and the all girls flocked around him. Jacob sighed. Sure, Esther had said she wasn't interested in Amos, but then again, she didn't seem much interested in him, either. How could he compete with the accomplished Amos Troyer?

  2 Kings 19:27.

  But I know your sitting down and your going out and coming in, and your raging against me.

  Chapter 5 .

  Esther sat at the kitchen table, wringing her hands. She didn't want to lie; it was against her nature, and she hoped Gott would not be angry with her. Yet surely Gott could see how difficult her mudder was making her life, by trying to drive her to be Amos Troyer's fraa. The ministers were always telling people at church to hand their burdens over to Gott. Perhaps she should have prayed and let Gott sort it out for her, but pretending that she and Jacob were dating seemed like a gut idea at the time. What could go wrong?

  Esther studied the grain in the old, white oak table. People thought wood was simply plain, she thought absently, but she always marveled at the different patterns and the textures. Oak was somewhat rough to the touch. This table, which had belonged to her Grossdawdi and Grossmammi, had prominent rays of silver grain. Other woods, such as maple, had tight, strong curls in the grain, and her favorite, the elm, often had patterns of fascinating swirls. Esther smiled to herself. That's what comes from being the dochder of a woodworker, she thought.

  Esther's parents joined her at the table. She could see they were puzzled as to what she had to say. Esther had no doubt that Martha and Rebecca would be able to overhear the upcoming conversation as they were in the living room, but she thought it would be better this way. It would save her having to tell the same lie to two sets of people. Esther winced as she remembered the minister's words that all sins would be found out. But is pretending that I'm dating Jacob a sin? Esther wondered. She thought some more. Nee, but telling lies about it likely is. She sent up a silent prayer to Gott to ask His forgiveness for what she felt was a necessary deception.

  "Datt, Mamm, it's likely that Jacob and I will be going on a buggy ride together." She looked down at her hands, happy that her words, at least, were truth, if not her intention.

  Her vadder beamed. "Wunderbaar!" Mr. Miller had never held resentment against the Hostetler familye; in fact, Noah Hostetler worked for him in his furniture making business, the workshop of which was behind the Millers' haus.

  Her mudder did not share his enthusiasm. "Ach, not another Hostetler boy! And what's wrong with Amos Troyer? Such a nice boy, and such a nice familye."

  Her daed came to her rescue. "Now, Rachel, Hannah's very happy with Noah."

  "Jah, that she is." Her mother's words agreed, but her expression didn't. Her face was as black as a thundercloud.

  Esther figured that her mudder had come to terms with one of her dochders marrying a Hostetler, but wasn't so happy with the possibility of another, to say the least. Her mudder still held resentment in her heart for Noah Hostetler accidentally causing the injuries to her and her schweschders.

  The next morning, after Esther fed the chickens and prepared pancakes, eggs, and fried potatoes for everyone's breakfast, she headed to Hannah's haus. Hannah's husband, Noah, was already at her daed's furniture workshop, so she knew they would have privacy.

  Esther was looking forward to having a good talk to her older schweschder, Hannah. The two of them were close and, before Hannah married Noah, they would talk for hours most nights. Esther missed their talks.

  It was a beautiful day, and Esther marveled at Gott's creation. Walking seemed to help her back, too, as it ached less after a walk. The rising sun cast a golden glow over the fields, and colorful wildflowers swayed gently in the breeze, dispersing scents of cinnamon and lemon.

  Esther smiled as Hannah's little haus came into view. It was white with a gray roof, and no front garden to speak of, but Hannah would soon have the front garden as well established as the existing back garden. She had already made a good start on the vegetable garden to the side of the haus. The haus had a large garage that Noah had already converted to a workshop, as well as a large field for their buggy horse.

  "Esther, wilkom!" Hannah ushered her into her little haus. "Kaffi?"

  "Jah, that would be gut, denki." Esther wished it were winter; in winter, kaffi was warm and cheering, as were wood fries. No matter what happened in winter, one could always be comforted by a pot of kaffi and a welcome fire. Still, the highly polished wooden floors in the haus were welcoming. Esther loved timber. If she had been a mann, she would have worked for her daed making fine, wooden furniture.

  Hannah's voice broke into Esther's daydreaming. "Are you hungry? I was about to eat some scrapple."

  "Jah, denki. Where's your new puppy?"

  Hannah laughed. "Annie's asleep in Noah's workshop. Don't wake her up; she's just like a boppli. I'm always relieved when she's asleep. I didn't know beagles were so energetic."

  Esther laughed too, glad that Hannah finally had her own puppy. Their mudder had forbidden them to have pets, as she said that all animals must earn their keep.

  Esther looked around the little room. The table was in the middle of the kitchen. Esther once again found herself looking at timber, this time, the cabinet doors, which were of a rich, red oak. The aroma of kaffi and cornmeal filled the air. The room was small, but welcoming and happy. Esther saw that Hannah was glowing, and wondered if she would ever find happiness with a mann.

  Hannah nodded to the back door. "Let's eat outside, on such a beautiful day."

  Esther followed Hannah outside and sat down on a green metal seat, at a small, plain metal table. The haus, while white timber at the front, was brick at the back, with shutters on each of the windows. English roses infused the air with their heady fragrance, and an old, white vinyl arbor next to where Esther was sitting was almost collapsing with the weight of the abundant orange flowers of an old trumpet vine.

  Hannah followed Esther's gaze. "Noah will have to prune that soon," she said, before placing a steaming mug of kaffi and a bowl of scrapple in front of Esther. "What's up? You're very quiet today. Is everything all right?"

  Esther took a sip of kaffi and shrugged. "Nee, jah, oh I don't know. Mamm's trying to do her matchmaking thing with me and Amos Troyer."

  Hannah laughed. "Amos? He's good looking, and seems nice."

  Esther snorted rudely. "You didn't think it was so funny when you were on the receiving end of Mamm's matchmaking efforts, Hannah." Esther's tone held accusation.

  Hannah sobered somewhat. "True, I see what you mean. I take it you don't like Amos then?"

  Esther shook her head. "Nee. He's nice enough and all, it's just that - well, there's no spark. Do you know what I mean?"

  Hannah nodded.

  "I know what the bishop and the ministers say," Esther continued, "that we need a husband who has humility, is a hard worker and a gut provider, but they never say anything about attraction. I'm not going to marry a mann I'm not attracted to."

  "Fair enough." Hannah shrugged. "Look, do you want to help me with the laundry? I was just about to finish washing the whites."

  Esther nodded and they both stood up. Esther followed Hannah to the
laundry room. "Do you feel the leading of Der Herr for any young man in particular?" Hannah asked.

  "Well, I hadn't actually thought about getting married at all. It's just when Mamm invited Amos for dinner that I…" Esther's words were cut off by Hannah pulling the cord to start the little diesel motor on the old Maytag wringer washer.

  "It's very loud."

  Hannah turned to Esther. "What did you say?"

  Esther moved closer to Hannah and nearly tripped over the exhaust pipe running out the window. "It's loud!" she yelled.

  Both girls laughed.

  Hannah poured buckets of hot water into the tub and added soap, and then bent down to turn on the knob at the front to activate the agitator. Once the water was swirling, she added the clothes.

  Esther stood by, watching. She wanted to talk to Hannah but there was no point trying to speak over the sound of the motor. The sight of the wringer reminded her that she had better hurry home and help her mudder with the laundry.

  Hannah turned off the agitator, activated the safety release on the wringer, turned on the wringer, and then fed one item of clothing though the wringer at a time. All the while Esther stood silently by. She wanted Hannah's undivided attention when she told her about the plot she had hatched with Jacob, or rather, the plan she had forced on Jacob. He did seem quite willing though, she thought.

  When the machine pumped the dirty water out into a tall, fiberglass laundry tub, Esther exclaimed in surprise. "I didn't know this old model had a pump, Hannah; that's gut."

  Hannah laughed, and yelled back, "Jah. It works better than it looks."

  "That'll be gut when you're washing piles of diapers."

  "Ach!" Hannah playfully hit Esther with a wrung-out shirt.

  "I'm all wet now!" Esther said in mock horror, shaking droplets of water from her dress.

  "Serves you right." Hannah laughed and went back to wringing clothes.

  Esther watched as Hannah poured more buckets of hot water into the tub for the rinse. "Do you want me to help?"