The Teacher's Bride

by Kathleen Fuller

  She dropped the jar. Fortunately, it was plastic, so it bounced instead of shattered when it hit the floor. The last thing she wanted was for her brother to accompany her to Seth’s. He’d know what was going on in less than a minute after they got there. That would be worse than Patience knowing because he’d tease her mercilessly about it. “That’s okay,” she said, snatching the jar off the floor, grateful it hadn’t exploded and made the kitchen smell like an Italian eatery. “I’m sure he’d rather spend time with you and the kinner without his little schwester around. I’m fine going by myself.”

  Patience looked at her for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right. He’s been so tired lately when he finishes with work.”

  Ruby set the powder on the counter next to the metal bowl. “Are you worried about him?”

  Patience dumped the hamburger into the bowl. “Nee. Not too much. The farm is hard work. It always has been, but he enjoys it.” She glanced at Ruby. “Sometimes I wish he’d hire a helper, though. I think that would make things a little easier on him.”

  Ruby nodded and walked to the oven. She didn’t bother to tell Patience about her offering to help Timothy. Sometimes her brother could be so stubborn.

  She opened the oven door just a crack and peeked at the cake. It was starting to puff up a little. She straightened. Now, what kind of frosting should she make? Did Seth like all one flavor? If so, she should make chocolate frosting. Or perhaps he preferred the contrast of vanilla and chocolate. There was some cream cheese in the refrigerator, so she could add that to the frosting too. She spied some mint flavoring while she was getting the garlic powder from the spice cabinet. Mint and chocolate sounded good. Or maybe strawberry. She’d have to see if Patience had any strawberry flavoring—

  “Ruby?”

  She turned to Patience. “Ya?”

  “The cake will take longer to bake if you leave the oven door open.”

  Ruby looked down and saw the oven door was indeed still partway open. She frowned and shut it. She had to keep her concentration, or she’d ruin the cake and all her effort would be for nothing. She made a quick decision—Seth was getting cream cheese frosting.

  An hour later the cake was cooled and frosted, and the meat loaf was almost done. While Patience whipped up some potatoes and green beans, Ruby put Luke in his high chair again and started to set the table, letting Tobias help her. She lifted him up as he plopped a spoon near each place setting.

  “Gut job.” Ruby planted a kiss on his chubby cheek, and then she set him in his booster seat next to his brother. None of the spoons were straight, but that didn’t matter. Tobias picked up his own small spoon and grinned.

  Patience set a salad on the table. She’d used up the last of the fresh tomatoes from the garden. “Have you given any more thought to being mei midwife assistant?”

  “Um, nee.” She’d been so busy thinking about Seth and preparing for her lesson with Chris that she’d forgotten about Patience’s idea. Or rather shoved it out of her mind.

  “I hope I’m not pressuring you,” Patience said, taking the teething ring from Luke. “I think we really do work well together, though.”

  Patience was right about that, but Ruby liked helping out at home. She was comfortable with the boys and household chores. She’d even be comfortable working with the cows, but Timothy had made up his mind about that. She just wasn’t sure she’d be comfortable with midwife duties. She’d never seen a baby’s birth, and she didn’t know a lot about pregnancy. While she knew she could learn, she was also a little nervous about it. But she did feel obliged to give it serious thought and prayer, for Patience’s sake. “I promise I’ll think about it,” she said.

  “Danki.”

  Timothy walked into the kitchen wearing a fresh shirt and pants, his hair damp as if he’d just taken a shower, which he often did before supper. He sat down in his seat at the head of the table, looking drained. Patience put her hand on his shoulder as she set a glass of tea in front of him. He glanced up at her and gave her a weary smile.

  After they finished supper, Ruby had started to clear the table when Patience said, “I’ll take care of this. You geh on to the Yoders’.”

  “You’re going to the Yoders’?” Timothy lifted Luke from his high chair. “Why? Did something happen?”

  Ruby put her hands on her hips. “Why do you always assume something happened?”

  “Because it usually does when you have to see the bishop.”

  “Oh.” He was right about that. When she was younger Bishop Miller had stopped by a few times to give her what he called a bit of extra learning when it came to the Ordnung. The first time was when she was fifteen and at a salvage store, picking up a few bargains for Mamm. An English family had asked if they could have their picture taken in front of her horse and buggy, and they also wanted her to take it with their camera. She didn’t see the harm in it. She wasn’t in the picture, and the family seemed nice.

  Later she found out Judith Esh, a woman in her district who really needed to learn how to mind her own business, had seen what happened and told Bishop Miller. She had stepped outside the bounds of the rules a few other times, and each time the bishop had been kind but firm with her.

  “I realize you’re not breaking the rules on purpose,” he’d said on his last visit. She had just turned nineteen. “But they’re in place for a reason, and everyone is expected to follow them. You’re not a kinn anymore, and you said you want to join the church. That means knowing and respecting the Ordnung”

  And she had respected the Ordnung ever since she joined the church almost two years ago. But she shouldn’t be surprised that Timothy had jumped to his conclusion. “I’m not in trouble,” she said defiantly. “I’m just paying the familye a visit.”

  “That’s nice.” He pulled his head back as Luke reached for a tuft of his hair. “I’m glad you’re getting to know people here. Then again, I’m not surprised. You’ve always had a gift for being friendly.” He and Luke left the kitchen.

  Ruby was pleased and a bit surprised by the compliment. She’d never seen a reason not to be friendly, even to strangers who looked like they’d eaten a bag of lemons for breakfast.

  Feeling a little guilty that she was leaving the cleanup for Patience, she asked, “Are you sure you don’t need me to help?”

  “I’ll help,” Timothy said, coming back to the kitchen. He carried the playpen from the living room and a bag of toys in one hand, while his other arm supported Luke.

  “I can do it by myself,” Patience said, going to Timothy.

  He shook his head. “I don’t mind helping. Let me get the buwe settled.”

  Patience looked like she wanted to say something else, but instead she turned and picked up the glasses from the table and put them in the sink. Timothy put both boys in the playpen, and they immediately busied themselves with the small toys he’d dropped inside. They really were well-behaved children who took after their father, not their aunt.

  Ruby placed the cake in Patience’s plastic cake carrier before putting on a blue sweater and slipping on her tennis shoes. She told her family good-bye, picked up the cake, and walked to the barn. She set the cake in the buggy and hitched up Timothy’s horse, Harvey. Careful not to knock the cake as she got in the buggy, she moved it closer to her and away from the edge of the seat as she guided Harvey down the driveway. Reins in one hand and holding onto the cake with the other, she set out for Seth’s.

  A short while later she pulled into the Yoders’ driveway, her heart pounding a little faster. There was no turning back now. She parked the buggy and tied the horse to the hitching rail near the barn, and then she cradled the cake in both her arms as she made her way to the house. The lowing of cows reached her ears, a sound she was used to while living at Timothy’s. She breathed in the scent of freshly mown hay and saw several wire corn-cribs halfway full of field corncobs near a large barn. She had covertly learned from Patience that the Yoders lived near two other farms that belonged to the Bon
tragers and the Chupps. The three houses, fields, and barns looked like they belonged to one big compound.

  Ruby climbed the porch steps and stopped at the front door. She drew in a breath, put a smile on her face, clutched the cake tightly with one arm, and knocked. The sound of dull footsteps reached her ears, and the door opened. Seth stood there. “Oh, hi, Ruby. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

  She stumbled back a step. She’d assumed Mary would answer the door, not Seth. Which didn’t make sense now that she thought about it. Then she realized he’d remembered her name. That sent the butterflies in her stomach flapping. He remembered. Either he was interested in her or she’d made such a fool of herself with the hiccups that he remembered her for the wrong reason. She hoped it was the former, even though she suspected the latter.

  Anyway, she couldn’t stand here not saying anything to him, so she opened her mouth to say hello. Not a single sound came out. She tried again, moving her lips up and down. Nope, nothing.

  He squinted at her. “Are you okay?”

  “I . . .” The cake. She’d brought a cake. She held it up in front of her face. “I made this.”

  Seth peered at her around the cake container. “That’s, uh, nice. What is it?”

  “Cake!” She shoved it at him. “I made cake. Chocolate cake. With frosting. Cream cheese frosting. Do you like chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting?” Her heart sank. She sounded like a babbling fool. A loud, babbling fool.

  “I like any kind of cake and frosting.” He took the cake from her, smiling slightly. “Who’s the cake for?”

  “Definitely not for you.” She bent over and laughed like she had told the funniest joke ever uttered. “Why would I bake a cake for you? It’s for yer familye, silly.” She froze, her giggles stuck in her throat. Oh no. She did not just call him silly.

  His faint smile faded, and he took a step away from her. “Ah, well, that’s really nice of you. I’m sure we’ll all enjoy it.”

  She nodded and grinned, her cheeks stretching. She rocked back and forth on her heels, unable to speak or stop grinning or stop feeling like a fool. Right now, hiccups might be preferable.

  Seth tilted his head, frowning slightly. “Would you like to come in? Mamm and Daed are in the kitchen. Mei bruders are over at the Bontragers’.”

  Wow, he was so polite. Few men would let someone acting as seltsam as she was in their house. As a bonus she might have Seth all to herself after she spent a few minutes visiting with his parents. Not that she would do anything untoward, but she needed to show him she wasn’t ab im kopp. She felt her grin widen more than she thought possible. “I’d love to come in!” She started to step inside, reminding herself to keep her voice down.

  At the same moment he pushed on the screen door. The wooden frame slammed into her face, and the blow made her stagger backward.

  “Oh nee.” He set down the cake and went to her. “Are you okay?”

  She held her throbbing nose. Good grief, that hurt. Were those stars she saw twinkling over Seth’s head? Or just spots dancing around. “I . . . think so.”

  “Let me see.” He moved her hands away from her nose. “Great, it’s bleeding. Mamm!”

  Without thinking she looked at the blood on her fingers. Uh-oh. That was a mistake. She never could stand the sight of blood. The world suddenly tilted, and her vision filled with dark dots. “Oops,” she said before everything went black.

  Ruby looked at her bruised nose in the bathroom mirror. She’d hoped the swelling would have gone down by now, almost twenty-four hours since Seth had accidentally banged her face with the door. She winced, remembering how she had passed out in a lump at his feet. She came to right away, making sure she didn’t look at the blood again. Then Seth lifted her in his strong arms, took her inside the house, and set her on the Yoders’ living room couch.

  That entire happenstance would have been amazing, except then Seth had disappeared and his mother, Mary, had taken care of her. She gently wiped off the blood and pressed a cold washcloth to Ruby’s tender nose. “I don’t think it’s broken,” she said. “I’m sure it hurts, though.”

  Ruby nodded. Mary was nice, and Ruby liked her a lot. But she had hoped Seth would return, thinking she might be able to salvage the evening with him. He never did, and Freemont had driven her home in Timothy’s buggy, insisting he didn’t mind walking back to his place. Project Impress Seth Yoder was in ruins—again—and her dignity was in shambles. Hopefully the cake had tasted good.

  She shook her head at her reflection, but she stopped when her nose started to ache again. Patience had looked at it this morning and agreed with Mary that it wasn’t broken. “I didn’t realize you were so sensitive to seeing blood, Ruby,” she said, handing her a few ice cubes wrapped in a clean washcloth.

  “Ya.” She carefully touched the washcloth to her nose. “I don’t know why. I see it, and then I faint.”

  “That would be a problem if you were a midwife.”

  Ruby looked at her. She hadn’t thought about that. While she wasn’t knowledgeable about childbirth, she did know it involved blood.

  “I think I have mei answer about you becoming mei assistant.”

  Setting down the washcloth, Ruby said, “I’m sorry, Patience.”

  Patience waved her hand. “It’s all right. I do think I’ll have to find someone else, though. I’ll make sure they don’t mind blood.”

  Ruby washed her hands in the bathroom sink, dried them on the hand towel hanging nearby, and then glanced at her reflection one more time. Her nose was also a little scabbed up. Not enough for her to miss going over to Selah’s, though, and she looked forward to the distraction. Only Selah and Martha would be there tonight, and she could put yesterday’s embarrassing moment out of her mind for a little while. She’d decided to walk to Selah’s just in case she had another mishap. She didn’t want to depend on someone else for a ride home. Freemont had said he didn’t mind taking her home, but she didn’t like that she had to put him out.

  She passed through the living room as she made her way to the front door. “I’ll see you later,” she said.

  Patience paused in the middle of her game of patty-cake with Tobias. “Have a gut time.”

  “I will.” She glanced at her brother and Luke, who were both dozing in a chair on the other side of the room. She put her hand up to her mouth. “I didn’t realize they were sleeping,” she whispered.

  Patience chuckled. “You know yer bruder. He can sleep through anything. Luke takes after him.”

  Ruby nodded, but she made sure to open and close the front door quietly anyway. As she headed for Selah’s, she touched the pocket of her light jacket where she kept her flashlight. She’d need it when she walked home later in the evening.

  The day had been cool, and she anticipated it would be colder after the sun went down, but Patience told Ruby the walk to the Ropps’ wasn’t too far. It took her only half an hour to get there. The house was a little smaller than Patience and Timothy’s. The yard was neat and trim, and the scent of freshly mown grass hung in the air. A gray barn stood on the other side of the driveway, a small fenced-in pasture behind it.

  She knocked on the door, and a few moments later Selah answered it. “Hi, Ruby . . .” Her mouth dropped open. “My goodness, what happened to you?”

  Ruby’s cheeks heated, and she resisted the urge to touch her sore nose. Maybe it was worse than she’d thought. “I had a small accident, but I’m fine. Nee real harm done.”

  Selah’s small, perfectly shaped, and bruise-free nose scrunched. “It looks awful.”

  Gee, thanks.

  Selah took a step back. “Come on in.”

  Ruby cautiously waited until Selah held the door open for her, and then she crossed the threshold. She wasn’t taking any chances when it came to doors. Suddenly she was having second thoughts. Did she really look that bad? Maybe I should have stayed home tonight.

  “I’ve got some kafee brewing,” Selah said, motioning for Ruby to follow
her. “Or would you rather have tea?”

  “Kaffee is fine. Can I help you with anything?”

  “Nee” She set a plate of cookies on the kitchen table—peanut butter, and they were huge.

  “Those look appeditlich.”

  “Have one. Make yerself at home.”

  Ruby couldn’t wait to taste them, and she reached for one.

  “Martha and Chris should be here soon,” Selah added.

  Surprised, Ruby pulled back her hand. “Chris is coming?”

  “Of course.”

  “You didn’t mention him.”

  Selah looked at her. “He lives here. I didn’t think I needed to.”

  “Oh.” She was right, of course. Ruby shouldn’t have questioned it in the first place. What did it matter that Chris was here? Knowing him, he probably wouldn’t join them for something as fun as a game. He’d probably raise those skeptical eyebrows of his, scoff accordingly, and then go find a book to shove his nose into.

  Still, she couldn’t resist touching the tip of her own nose, wishing she looked a little bit better.

  At the sound of someone knocking on the front door, Selah said, “That must be Martha. I’ll be right back.”

  Ruby nodded and remained by the table. The percolator on the stove started to bubble. She looked over her shoulder, wondering if she should turn off the gas burner. Probably not, since Selah and Martha would be there any minute. She waited, the sound of coffee percolating behind her and filling the room with its rich aroma. Which made her want a cup. Surely Selah wouldn’t mind if she helped herself to one. She’d told Ruby to make herself at home.

  Next to the stove were four coffee cups, ready to be filled. Ruby turned off the stove, and then she glanced at the cups. She picked up the pot and started to pour.

  The kitchen door opened, startling her. She turned and looked over her shoulder, thinking Selah and Martha must have gone outside for some reason. Oh, it was only Chris. “Hi,” she said as he walked inside.

  As she’d predicted, his eyebrows shot up. But what he said next surprised her. “Why are you pouring kaffee on the counter?”