6

Maggie was relieved when Cousin Lila returned after a few minutes.

But Lila was not alone. She was accompanied by a wavy-haired blond man who introduced himself simply as Glenn. “I’m glad you came to the crusade,” he said, offering to shake her hand. “What’s your name?” He smiled broadly, his broad, sharp shoulders evident beneath his crisp navy suit coat.

Maggie suddenly felt shy as the good-looking young man took the chair next to her, where Lila had been sitting. “I’m Maggie Esh,” she replied.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Maggie.” He paused. “I hope you’ll come again.”

She thanked him quietly.

“Is this your first time at one of these meetings?” His green eyes twinkled.

She admitted it was as Cousin Lila lowered herself onto the chair opposite Glenn, not looking Maggie’s way. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap.

Glenn smiled, his gaze not wavering from Maggie. “Well, I’ll be happy to talk with you anytime, if you have questions,” he said, his smooth hand resting on his brown leather Bible.

“I appreciate that,” Maggie said to be polite. After all, the preacher’s own son was here seeking her out, and yet, if Glenn hadn’t been so convincingly sincere—and strikingly handsome—she might have said that wasn’t necessary. She was that ready to return to the comfort and security of her father’s house.

The sun was close to setting when Rachel looked at the day clock high on the kitchen shelf. She had already written a circle letter that would be read by her older sisters in Myerstown. She had also read from the King James Bible that Joseph used for his personal devotions. Her own Mamm preferred the English Bible, as well, and Rachel remembered being read to from its version of Genesis, back when she was just seven years old and learning to speak English in the public schools. Mamm was determined for me and my sisters to be able to read both German and English, she thought with a smile.

At times, Rachel felt downright homesick for Myerstown, and with the house so quiet, this evening was one of those. Grace and Miriam were outdoors catching lightning bugs. While helping them poke holes in the lids of two Mason jars earlier, Rachel had recalled chasing the twinkling bugs all over her father’s meadow with her own sisters. Those days were long past, but flickers of happy remembrances like that had a tendency to catch her off guard. It wasn’t like she could just go on foot to visit her parents and sisters, like most married Amishwomen. Being this far away from home had its drawbacks, but it was worth it to be with Joseph, the answer to her many heartfelt prayers.

Glancing at the clock again, she realized that she’d looked at it quite often in the past couple of hours, wondering about Maggie.

At that moment, Rachel heard the screen door open. And even before she saw Joseph’s aunt Nellie appear with her cat, Siegfried, in her arms, Rachel wondered if she might be coming to visit.

“Kumme in, Nellie!”

“I thought you might be over here twiddlin’ your thumbs, so here I be,” Nellie said, smiling as she came in and sat down at the table, keeping Siegfried low on her lap. Her cheeks were rosier than usual.

“Nice to see ya,” Rachel said. “Joseph and the children cut through the knee-high field grass to go an’ see some of Joseph’s Esh cousins. They should be back before too long.”

One hand still on Siggy, Nellie seemed to study Rachel. Her pure white hair was pulled tightly into a bun, her white organdy Kapp over the top. “And you stayed behind?”

“Thought someone oughta be home when Maggie returns.”

“Well now, are ya frettin’?”

Rachel shrugged. She wasn’t worried as much as she was curious and hoping to talk privately with Maggie upon her arrival.

As she was known to do, Nellie kept the conversation moving. Settled onto the wooden bench, she brought up the fact that she’d gone to visit Ruth Zook this afternoon. “Ruth was eager to tell me ’bout her cousin who went to a tent meeting last week.”

Now Nellie really had Rachel’s attention. “Is that right?”

Nellie was nodding her head. “I guess the cousin was a bit nervous about possibly being spotted in a crowd of all those Englischers an’ all.”

“Why’d she go, then?”

Nellie’s features came alive. “She went with her husband to see what all the hoopla was about.”

Rachel traced her finger along the edge of the closed Bible still in front of her, remembering her own encounter with revival meetings as a teenager. “So, do ya think many Amish folk are goin’?”

Nellie shook her head. “It’s mostly Mennonites—two Mennonite churches are sponsoring the meetings. More than a thousand people are expected tonight, Ruth said.”

“Joseph says baptized Amish have no business goin’.” Rachel sighed and thought that Maggie ought to be home fairly soon.

“Ya don’t sound so sure.”

This was the thing about Joseph’s widowed aunt—she sensed things, even when a body tried to conceal them. “Oh, you don’t have to wonder, Nellie. I was real surprised Joseph didn’t keep Maggie from goin’ tonight, even though she hasn’t joined church just yet . . . still in Rumschpringe, ya know.”

Nellie glanced toward the window. “Well, she’ll be eighteen soon, but even so, an unmarried woman oughtn’t go against her father’s wishes while she’s still under his roof.”

“Well, Maggie did ask his permission,” Rachel reminded her, “but he’d rather it didn’t get around that Maggie went, all the same.”

Nellie nodded her head. “I’ll keep it mum.”

Rachel smiled. “I know ya will.” She glanced at the cookie jar on the counter. “By the way, I have some sweets, if you’re interested.”

Nellie smiled a toothy grin. “You know me, I’m always ready for goodies. But let me get them; looks like you’re all in.”

Rachel had to keep from laughing. Here was Nellie, five decades older, wanting her to take it easy! “For goodness’ sake, you just sit there with Siggy.”

But Nellie put her cat down and rose to walk to the side door to stare out, talking to herself.

She’s restless till Maggie’s home, too, thought Rachel, going to get the cookies and some meadow tea.