Chapter Thirty-Six

It’s too early.” Monique rolled over and pulled the quilt tighter over her shoulder. She had no interest in chores, and now that the curiosity was gone, she was stubbornly difficult to get out the door. Emma worried that she was unhappy, that she wanted to go back to Philly. As much as Emma would hate to see her go, keeping her there against her will for Emma’s sake wasn’t right.

“I’ll be down in a minute.” Monique’s eyes still hadn’t opened.

Emma looked over at Martha’s empty bed, a sign of how late they were getting started. She pulled off the quilt and stood with her hands on her hips. “Up and at ’em.”

Monique lifted herself up onto her elbows and frowned. “Does that really mean something?” She rubbed her face, turned and put her feet on the wood floor. “What are you gonna make me do today?” Emma started to speak, but Monique held up her hands in protest. “No, don’t tell me. I might not get up.”

She dragged herself to the closet where her dress and shoes were. It had taken a while to get her into a dress, but they’d compromised, and let her trade off days when she could wear her city clothes.

“You haven’t been here long enough to be tired of the chores,” Emma teased, but knew she spoke the truth.

They’d done the bare minimum of what was usually a much more vigorous day of work, and it would only grow more difficult as time went on. Emma wondered how long she would stay. She wanted her to for as long as Monique felt comfortable, but she didn’t know whether Monique would ever feel this was her home.

“Stop thinking,” Monique ordered as she let the dress fall down over her arms and to her knees. It was difficult to find one long enough for her. Emma planned to get some material in town to add on to the bottom.

“Why…what do you mean?”

“That brain of yours is in overdrive.” She went over to the dresser and took a brush to her long, dark locks. Emma had never been envious of someone’s hair before—everyone wore theirs up in a bun—but Monique wore hers in a long ponytail. The dark strands shimmered in the morning sun that was just beginning to peek up over the fields.

Emma sat at the end of her bed, picking at a piece of thread. “Are you happy here, Monique?”

She shrugged. “Better than being on the run from Abe.”

Emma’s worry lightened a bit. Maybe she would consider staying for a while, maybe longer.

Monique’s hair flipped down across her chest. “But it’s not where I belong.”

Emma’s heart sank just a little. She was realistic enough to know this was about as opposite as it could be for Monique. But she still, in her selfish way, wanted her friend to like it here enough not to leave any time soon. Monique’s tension and rude behavior were slowly melting away, making her a much better person to spend time with. Before, it was an obligation Emma felt Gott was calling her to. Now, they seemed to be more like friends, able to enjoy each other’s company instead of the constant worry they’d had before.

Emma’s thoughts went to Caleb, as they did every day. Many moments were taken up with the time she had with him, although she knew she would be with Zeb, and she had to come to terms with that and let Caleb go.

They made their way to the kitchen in thoughtful silence. “Morning.” Mamm gave them a tight smile, cautioning their tardiness.

“Sorry we’re behind. What can we do to help?” Emma scanned the kitchen and beelined to the potatoes Maria was cutting up. “I’ll do this.”

“Gut. I’ll check in on Martha.” Maria wiped her hands on a towel and turned to Monique. “Morning.”

Maria had become Martha’s sole babysitter since Emma had been spending so much time teaching Monique the daily routine. She didn’t seem to mind, but then Maria wasn’t one to complain.

After a fine breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes, bacon, toast, milk, and fresh-squeezed orange juice, they were finally out of the kitchen and on to the first chore of the day.

They went to check on the garden first. The rains had come down steadily throughout the night, so they would have to wait for the soil to dry before they could work in it.

“What will you plant?” Monique reached down to feel the moist dirt.

“Cabbage and broccoli for now and maybe some peas in a few weeks. Daed loves cabbage. I think he’d eat it every day if we let him.”

“So get some at the store,” Monique scoffed, and then looked at Emma’s confused expression. “Guess you probably don’t buy stuff you can grow.”

“Nee, that would be silly.” Emma tucked some wisps of hair under her kapp and headed for the barn. A wringer washer and baskets of clothes sat waiting for them. She knew Monique didn’t like to use the washer, so she started gathering the clothes, submerging them into the sudsy water.

Once they got into the rhythm, Emma ran the clothes through the wringer and placed them in the basket for Monique to hang on the line. By the time they’d finished, it was time to start lunch.

“That’s a lot of clothes.” Monique shook her head like she did every time after they finished. “There are too many people in this family.” She chuckled.

“What’s your family like?” Emma hadn’t heard her talk about them, but didn’t want to pry. If Monique didn’t want to tell her something, Emma had learned, she wouldn’t tell her.

She didn’t respond right away, so Emma dismissed the question. They were almost to the haus when she finally answered. “You know how Abe is?”

“Jah.”

“It’s like that.”

Monique hadn’t lifted her head during the long walk from the barn to the haus. Emma’s question must have taken Monique to a place she didn’t want to revisit, and Emma was sorry she’d said anything. That might explain why she kept going back to Abe. If she’d grown up with such upheaval, it may appear to be more acceptable. It made Emma sad to think Monique felt she couldn’t leave that kind of environment.

They had a light lunch of ham sandwiches with some of the leftovers from breakfast. Then they made rhubarb custard pie for dessert after dinner. While they swept and mopped the floors, Daed and Mark trimmed the yard and shrubs around the haus. Then they started training Stormy, a two-year-old miniature pony.

“Can I try, Daed?” Martha tugged on Daed’s shirt. He lifted her up as gently as if she were made of glass. Emma watched Monique. Her large eyes followed their every movement as he placed her over the little horse but didn’t set her down on the animal’s back. Martha didn’t seem to mind, giggling as if she were on a carnival ride.

Daed glanced over, smiling, and then kept a steady eye on Monique. She was never one to hide her feelings. Her expression alone told a story of its own, not to mention the body language, and all of that was before she opened her mouth.

“Are you all right, Monique?” Emma couldn’t keep from asking. Maybe it wasn’t her concern, but she knew what it was like now, being away from home or from people who loved you. After her visit to Philly, she felt even more fortunate to have such a family.

“Being here makes me think of home. You’re lucky, Emma.” Monique shrugged, as if wasn’t an issue. But Emma could tell by the look in her eyes that she was hurting, missing her own home, maybe one she couldn’t return to.

“Where’s your mamm and daed?” Emma guided her away from her family and sat on a swinging bench under a large cottonwood tree.

“Not far from where Abe lives.” She glanced over to see Emma’s face, but Emma had seen enough not to be too surprised.

“It would be hard to stay away from him with him so close.” It seemed like an obvious thing to say. But Monique shook her head.

“My dad lived farther away, but he drank too much, and he was a mean drunk.” She crossed her arms over her stomach and squeezed so hard, Emma thought she’d squeal with pain.

“I’m sorry, Monique.” She put a hand on hers, and Monique jumped. “I didn’t mean to bring things up that hurt you. I just want to help.”

She scoffed. “How? You have a perfect world.” She spread out one hand, leaving the other on her stomach. “You don’t know what it’s like.”

Emma kicked herself, but then thought back to her time in the city and discovered she did know. She’d learned a lot while she was gone, enough to know to some extent how things were for her. “Jah, in a way.”

Monique turned to her and studied her face, staring at her long enough to make Emma uncomfortable. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

Daed and Mark started cutting the grass, bringing Emma’s mind back to the laundry they needed to get off the line. “I’m glad you’re here.”

She stood, not expecting a reply, and none was given.

“Emma.” Daed waved her over and started walking to the barn. She followed and found him leaning against his workbench. “We need to talk about what your plans are now that you’re home.”

“The same as they were before, I guess.”

He slapped the top of the workbench. “There’s no guessing. You have two men who you might end up with from what I can tell. Do you know what you’re getting into?”

This conversation was awkward. Daeds didn’t usually have this discussion, but he obviously had a reason.

“Zeb is the only one.”

He scoffed and rolled his head. “Caleb. It was always Caleb until he pulled that stunt moving to the city.”

“So why consider him in this conversation, Daed?” She almost resented his pulling Caleb into this. She was at an age when she needed to settle down, not continue to wait for someone who wasn’t there for her.

“Because I won’t give you my blessing to marry Zeb.” He kept his eyes on her, waiting for her to digest the shocking words he’d just said.

“But Zeb came to you and asked your permission…you agreed.” She stumbled over her thoughts, not knowing what to say to fix this. Would she be an old hen who never married or had children of her own?

“When he talked to me about his plans, I had some doubts. Since then I’ve found out some things he’s done that the deacons are looking into. I have my own suspicions about his reason for marrying into our family. I don’t trust him, Emma. And neither should you.” He’d made his decision, without giving her a say, but she had to know why without making him mad.

“A lot happened while I was gone.” As soon as she said it, she started thinking about her own concerns about Zeb and where her heart was. But Emma didn’t see that she had a choice like her daed did.

He let out a long breath. “He’s not an honest man. I’m leery of him. And I won’t be giving anyone any of my land unless I know they have my daughter’s best interest in mind. I’ll be telling him as much the next time I see him. And that’s the end of it.” He walked out without another word.

So that’s it? No other explanation? What am I supposed to say to Zeb? He’s on his way.

She went to the haus in a daze.

“Who’s that?” Monique pointed to a buggy coming down the dirt road to their haus. “You always have somebody coming over. I can’t keep track.”

Emma groaned, not wanting to sort this out with relatives around. “It’s some of my aunts and uncles.”

Emma started to walk over, but Monique hadn’t moved. Emma turned around. “You coming?”

Monique shook her head.

Emma didn’t blame her. They were strangers to her, and she wasn’t very hospitable to start with, let alone to people she didn’t know. Emma only looked back once to see her slowly swaying in the swing. Emma sat on the porch with the extended family and had a nice chat. Then her mamm and two aunts went to the kitchen to start dinner.

The men stayed outside making chicken on the grill. Emma heard Daed introducing Monique to her uncles and knew it was uncomfortable. She eventually wandered in while the women finished with the side dishes—potato salad, corn, cheese, and rhubarb pie for dessert. Emma set out the utensils. Monique was placing the napkins when she suddenly stopped, her body stiff and eyes peeled out the screen door.

“What is it?” Emma looked around the room and then followed to where her eyes were set and heard Zeb’s voice. “It’s just Zeb.” For the first time Emma understood her stiff disposition as she mechanically moved to the side of the long oak table. Her stare was so hypnotizing, Emma took her by the arm and moved her away. When he came in, Monique’s face changed from tense to angry—the same expression as when Abe was near.

“Hallo, Emma.” Zeb slowly turned toward Monique, eyes set directly in hers, as if looking for something. “And…Monique.”

Monique didn’t respond, just stared until he looked back at Emma. Then Monique walked out of the room and kept going until she got to the cottonwood tree, leaning against it with her back to the house.

Emma wiped off her hands with a towel, looking from Zeb to Monique, with a new understanding of what was happening between them—something she needed to know so she could put the pieces together. She knew they could both have sharp tongues and had obviously tangled over something, and now she had a good idea why. “We need to talk,” she told Zeb, but kept her eyes on Monique.

Zeb’s boots hit the wooden porch, crunching bits of dirt that rang in her ears. “Maybe she doesn’t like company.”

“I don’t think that’s what’s bothering her.” She moved her head over his way. This wasn’t the time to make a scene, but she had a lot to say when they were alone. “She was doing fine until you came.”

“I simply said hallo.” He put his arm around her and urged her forward to join the group who were gathering in the kitchen to eat. She moved away, letting his arm drop beside him.

“Do you want to fetch her or should I?” Emma asked.

He paused as if sensing something was wrong. When he didn’t answer, Emma started to leave, but felt him pull on her hand.

“I’ll go get her.” He tried to tap her under the chin, but she stepped back. His confident smile disappeared as he descended the wooden stairs, taking great strides to reach Monique. Monique leaned forward, almost into his face, before turning to walk to the haus.

Emma was beginning to realize that a lot had happened while she was gone. It was all Gott’s plan. Zeb’s character may not have been exposed had she stayed. Judging from Monique’s behavior and her daed’s words, it seemed Zeb had taken advantage of her time away to make plans that would benefit him by using her.

As Monique stomped by Emma, Zeb shook his head and made his way back to the haus. “She’ll be fine, Emma.”

Back in the house Emma watched her mamm introduce Monique to the rest of the family and take a seat next to her. “I finally understand why you two can’t get along,” Emma said.

Zeb crossed his arms over his chest. “Have you thought about her being homesick?” He sat down against the arm of a chair. “Her home isn’t something we’d miss, but it would be to her.” He peered into the room as they handed around the food. “She isn’t happy here.”

He took Emma’s hand. “I’ll take her back when she’s ready to go.” He pulled her into his chest as if expecting her to need to be comforted. But Emma now knew what was going on.

When Emma pulled away from Zeb, she saw Monique grinning and talking to one of her uncles. Emma moved closer and stood in the doorway with Zeb close behind her. She wished he wasn’t there, that he’d disappear. But she’d hold her tongue until their guests left. She prayed for strength.

Monique looked up with a smile. “Emma, good news.”

“Ach.” She took a seat across from her, and Zeb pulled out a chair to sit next to her. “What’s that?”

Monique smiled so wide, Emma’s curiosity piqued. “Caleb is back.”