Saloma heard it from the kitchen. She rushed toward Mamm’s room to find her mother kneeling beside her bed. Loud sobbing escaped Mamm’s lips, and her body heaved in sorrow. Saloma knelt next to her mother and wrapped her arms around her.
“Mamm?”
“Why? Why would he do this?”
“I don’t know.” A tear trailed down Saloma’s cheek. She could only imagine the pain her mother felt.
“I had no idea, Saloma. No idea at all.”
“About Dat being married before?”
“About any of it. The will. His former marriage. You think he would have told me something. Why would he hide these secrets?”
“Maybe he thought you wouldn’t marry him if you knew.”
“I never kept any secrets from your vatter. Never.” She brushed away a tear. “How could he do this to me? To us?”
“I don’t know. Do you think maybe he forgot that he signed a will? I cannot see Dat leaving us with nothing. He wouldn’t have done that.”
“I don’t know. I’m beginning to think I did not know your father at all.”
“That’s not true, Mamm. You did know Dat.”
“We’d been married for twenty-two years, Saloma. You’d think that it would have come up in conversation. I’m certain he hadn’t forgotten about a wife! And, what if…” Her mother frowned. “What if they had children?”
“You don’t think Dat would abandon his own kinner.”
“I don’t know what to think anymore, Saloma.”
“Mamm, Dat loved you. He loved all of us,” Saloma reassured. “You have to believe that.”
<><><>
William carried a tray with two tall glasses of iced tea. He set it down on the small side table beside the couch in his uncle’s library.
“Mm, those look refreshing.” Sally’s appreciative smile concreted one of the reasons he adored her.
“I was unsure if you wanted sugar, so I had Marita put some in a dish for us.” He handed a glass to Sally and took a sip of his own. He made a face. “Yikes, this does need sugar.”
“You shouldn’t need any sugar; you’re already sweet enough.”
“You need to get to know me better,” he teased.
“Ach, I already know it’s true.” Sally spooned two heaps into her own drink. “This is gut.”
He rounded the sofa and sat down next to Sally. Will remembered his phone conversation yesterday. “Hey, guess what? I have news for you.”
“Did you talk to your uncle about my house?” Sally’s face brightened.
“Yes, but that’s not what this is about. Guess again.”
“Uh…” She shrugged.
“I got us a job!”
“Us?”
He nodded. “I asked my pastor if they had any openings, and he said that they needed someone to clean the church twice a week.”
“Only twice a week?”
“I know it’s not much, but it’s something, right? And we can pretty much work on our own schedule, so whenever it’s convenient.”
“You – you did this for me?” Sally’s eyes widened.
“Yeah. I mean, I guess there might be some selfish motives in there; I’ll get to see you more often. What do you think?”
“I think it’s wonderful. But I’ll have to talk to my mamm about it.”
“Okay.”
“She doesn’t know about you.” She bit her fingernail. “I don’t know what she would do if she knew we were courting.”
He quirked a brow. “Courting?”
Sally nodded.
He lifted his hand to caress her earlobe. “You’re so cute.”
Beautiful color blushed her cheeks.
“Come here,” he beckoned, pulling her close.
Sally did as requested.
His lips moved just inches from hers, and he detected longing in her eyes. “You know, I’ve never seen your hair down. Will you show me?”
She nodded reservedly then began removing the pins that held her prayer kapp in place. As she removed the pins that held her bun in place, her locks tumbled down around her shoulders and back. Her hesitant mien begged for affirmation.
“Oh, Sally.” His gaze smoldered. “You’re even more beautiful than I imagined. And I have a pretty good imagination.”
“I – I’ve never uncovered my head for someone.”
Did she mean that he was the first man who had the privilege of seeing her with her hair down? What a wonderful gift she’d given him. He lightly stroked her soft tresses and drew her mouth to his. Her lips tasted of the sweet tea they’d enjoyed just moments ago.
Sally pulled back momentarily for a breath then resumed contact once again. Will pulled her even closer until there was no distance left between them. His hands wove through her hair and down her back. Will leaned forward onto the sofa with Sally beside him. He soon realized that he might not be able to stop if they went any further. But stopping was so difficult when it seemed neither of them had the desire to.
“William!” Uncle George’s voice shouted from the library’s entrance.
Will and Sally both shot up.
Oh, no.
“Get that tramp out of my house!” His uncle’s blazing glare pierced Sally’s guilt-ridden eyes. “Now!”
Sally looked at Will helplessly, and tears immediately pooled in their depths.
William chided himself. How could I be so stupid!
“Uncle George–”
“Get her out,” he thrust his finger toward the door, “and don’t ever bring her back again!”
Will’s apologetic gaze met Sally’s and he mouthed the words I’m sorry. He grabbed her hand and they both fled past Uncle George. The sooner they left the house, the better. Hopefully, Uncle George will have calmed down by the time he returned.
<><><>
Sally’s hands shook nervously as they jogged to Will’s Jeep. “Oh, no; I forgot my hair pins and kapp! I can’t go home without them.”
Will grasped her hand reassuringly. “I’ll get it.” He turned to look at her. “It’ll be all right, Sally. Don’t worry.”
“Are – are you sure?”
“I’m not afraid of my uncle.”
“He doesn’t sound like a kind man.”
“He has his moments. Don’t worry about it. I’ll deal with him.” He lightly caressed her shoulder. “Will you be okay out here?”
Sally nodded.
Will turned from the vehicle and headed back toward the house. He hesitated and turned back toward her. “It’ll be okay, Sally.”
Did he say that to reassure her or himself?
<><><>
William took a cleansing breath and whispered a brief prayer before re-entering his uncle’s home. He hurried toward the library, hoping to avoid another confrontation with his uncle. However, fate would have it another way, it seemed.
“What on earth are you doing, William?” Uncle George’s scowl was evident in his tone.
“I’m getting Sally’s kapp” Will kept his voice even and calmly walked to the sofa.
His uncle sneered, “That’s not what I was referring to and you know it.”
William clenched his fist and turned to his uncle. “You may not approve of Sally, but you have no right to call her derogatory names!”
“I’ll say and do whatever I please in my own home. And if you intend on bringing that trash onto my property again–”
Uncle George’s words halted when his mouth was met with William’s fist. Blood trickled from his lip, onto his freshly-pressed shirt.
“Get out now, before I do something we’ll both regret!” his uncle demanded.
William said nothing, turned an about face, and walked out the door.