Chapter Nine
All through the following week, Sadie would catch Rachel watching her.
At first, Sadie wondered if she was imagining it. Perhaps she was just being paranoid? But sure as rain, every time Sadie looked over at her, Rachel had her eyes narrowed and trained on her, taking stock of her every move. The only time she seemed to be kind to Sadie was at mealtime when Jacob was present. Oh, how she wished her father could witness Rachel’s behavior firsthand.
Rachel never said anything out loud, but the sour expression on her face clearly stated her displeasure. In fact, the intensity with which Rachel scrutinized her from sunup to sunset became so uncomfortable, Sadie found herself grateful when Belle’s wedding day arrived. Despite her concern about her friend’s willingness to wed a man she barely knew and obviously didn’t love, Sadie welcomed the opportunity to be away for the entire day and, hopefully, well into the night.
She needed a break from Rachel, and Belle’s wedding afforded her the perfect excuse. And even though Rachel would be attending the service and reception along with Jacob, she would surely be on her best behavior. Sadie wouldn’t have to worry about being criticized in front of her father or the congregation. At least I’ll have one day of peace, she thought that morning as she prepared white butter cookies to bring to the wedding reception.
During the service, Sadie and Ella stood together, at one point clenching their hands as they watched their dear friend marry Adam Hershberger. The wide brim of his black hat covered most of his face, hiding the scars that disfigured the left side and added to his disrepute.
As soon as the ceremony was over, Adam turned his back to their guests and walked to the rear exit of the house, leaving his new bride standing alone. Anna Rose and Sadie stepped forward to give Belle their blessing, along with other members of their congregation, then joined the other women to help set out the tables of food.
“I can’t believe he left right after the ceremony!”
Sadie couldn’t, either, but she wasn’t about to say such a thing. Whether they liked it or not, Adam was now Belle’s husband.
“I wonder if everyone will stay for a singing afterward,” Drusilla said.
Sadie shrugged her shoulders, not caring either way. There was nothing that could bring joy to this day as far as she was concerned. Nothing except the love of God, who had blessed this marriage for whatever reasons He might have. Sadie just wished she knew what those reasons were. But it wasn’t her place to question the will of God.
“Well, if there is a singing, I want him to drive me home,” Drusilla added, gesturing with her head toward the other side of the room where the young men were gathered.
Ella, Anna Rose, and Sadie followed her gaze.
“Oh!” Anna Rose exclaimed when she realized who, exactly, Drusilla was referring to. “That’s my cousin Frederick!” She turned to Sadie. “I didn’t know he was invited.”
“Do you know him?” Drusilla asked Sadie, her question more pointed than casual.
Sadie swallowed, feeling exposed under the other girl’s scrutiny. “I met him at the singing the other week.” For some reason, she didn’t want to share with Drusilla that she had, in fact, met Frederick even earlier, while sitting by the stream. She justified the omission since, in truth, she had officially met Frederick when Anna Rose had introduced them at the singing.
“I didn’t see him at the singing.” Drusilla sounded disappointed.
Anna Rose ignored Drusilla’s comment but made sure to let her know that he was interested in Sadie. “And he drove Sadie home afterward,” she told her matter-of-factly.
Anna Rose’s announcement caused Drusilla to snap her head in Sadie’s direction. Sadie knew better than to make eye contact with her. Everyone in Echo Creek knew that Sadie had never ridden home from a singing with any young man, not even young men that she might consider just friends. Surely this little tidbit of news would soon have tongues wagging.
“I see,” Drusilla said, her tone dry and unforgiving.
But something about Drusilla’s previous comment struck a chord with Sadie. “He frequents your maem’s store, Drusilla. On Mondays, usually. Surely you’ve seen him there before?”
Drusilla made a face of disapproval. “On Mondays? I try to avoid the store on Mondays. It’s too busy. One can hardly think straight!”
Sadie fought the urge to roll her eyes. Ella wasn’t one to complain, but most people in Echo Creek knew that her stepsisters avoided work at all costs. Or at least, avoided it when it didn’t benefit them. Clearly, Mondays fell into that category.
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when Rachel neared, a smile on her face, which caught Sadie off guard. She hadn’t seen her stepmother look so happy and cheerful since she’d learned she wasn’t pregnant. Perhaps she’s beginning to feel more like her old self, Sadie thought with a glimmer of hope.
“Sadie, come with me. I want to introduce you to someone,” Rachel told her as she turned back around and started to walk away.
Curious, Sadie left her friends and followed her stepmother toward the middle of the room, where Jacob was talking to an older man. Sadie could hear snippets of conversations as she followed Rachel. People were talking in hushed voices while glancing at Belle, and Sadie didn’t have to guess as to what they were talking about: Adam’s departure from his own wedding reception.
“Have you met John Rabor?” Rachel asked when they reached Jacob and the elderly man.
Sadie looked at the old man and smiled, then shook her head, perplexed as to why Rachel had come to fetch her at all. She had heard of John Rabor, who lived south of Echo Creek, almost three miles from the Whitakers’ farm. Normally he attended worship service at the smaller neighboring church district, but on a few special occasions, he traveled the distance to worship in Echo Creek.
Sadie had never met him.
Now, standing before him, she only saw an older man with thinning gray hair and a long, wiry beard. Clearly, he was married, and if Sadie had to guess, she figured he was well into his forties.
The old man studied Sadie with such intensity that, for a moment, she couldn’t help but wonder if this was how livestock might feel when put to auction. He pressed his lips together and made a noise that sounded a bit like approval.
“You like farming, then?” he asked, his voice gruff and direct.
The question caught her off guard. What on earth was Rachel up to?
“I do,” Sadie responded warily. “Although I’m more often to be found helping Rachel in the haus.”
Another noise. “That’s gut,” he mumbled.
Sadie glanced at her father and noticed that he was watching the exchange, his expression bored and uninterested.
Rachel, however, appeared oblivious to her husband’s lack of interest and Sadie’s confusion. “John Rabor lives near the forest, you know.”
Sadie had not known that and, frankly, didn’t much care. But she feigned interest. “Oh?”
“He’s quite the hunter.”
Somehow Sadie hid her aversion to that announcement. She knew that the food she ate came from the farm: the vegetables from the garden, the eggs from the chickens, and the meat from a neighboring farm that raised Hereford cows. But that didn’t mean that she liked it.
As for hunting, she deplored the thought of anyone shooting a wild animal, be it a deer, pheasant, or wild hare.
“I just took down a nice buck this week,” John said, his muddy-colored eyes staring at Sadie from behind round wire-rimmed glasses. “I’ll bring some meat to you.”
Nothing could have turned Sadie’s stomach more. “I’m not much of a venison eater,” she confessed and glanced over her shoulder toward where her friends were still standing. She tried to think of a polite way to escape, but before she could feign an excuse, she was interrupted.
“Oh, such nonsense.” Rachel gave a nervous little laugh. “That would be wunderbarr, wouldn’t it, Jacob?”
“Ja, right gut.”
“I haven’t had venison in ages,” Rachel said.
Sadie frowned. The thought of eating meat from a beautiful deer repulsed her. But she knew it would be rude to say so. So instead of speaking her mind, she merely forced a weak smile.
The old man turned toward Jacob. “In fact, I shot that deer right near your farm.”
Immediately, the smile vanished from Sadie’s face and she started to feel nauseous.
“A nice six-pointer,” he continued, oblivious to the change in Sadie’s demeanor. “Why, it was standing quiet as could be near that little stream. Just minding its business and drinking some water. One shot in the neck and it went down right in the very spot it was standing. One of the easiest kills I’ve had in a long while. Didn’t have to track it none this time.”
Sadie felt light-headed and faint. She could clearly envision the majestic buck she’d had the privilege of watching just two weeks ago. Another wave of nausea washed over her, and she knew that the color had all but drained from her face.
“If you’ll excuse me,” she said in a hushed voice, “I need some fresh air.” She didn’t wait for anyone to say anything before she quickly slipped away.
Outside, Sadie stood on the front stoop, leaning against the beadboard of the house. She shut her eyes and took deep breaths, willing herself not to cry over the buck. Surely it had to be the same one. And her heart broke even further at the thought that it might have trusted the presence of John Rabor, because she had caused it no harm when she had observed it.
Oh, the cruelty of man, she thought bitterly. When there was so much food readily available, why did men like John Rabor insist on killing such beautiful creatures? There wasn’t an abundance of deer in the area and now, to her dismay, there was one less.
“We meet again,” a voice whispered behind her.
Startled, Sadie turned around and saw Frederick standing in the open doorway. The color rose to her cheeks and she took a small step backward. “You frightened me.”
He pressed his hand against his chest. “For that, I apologize. I didn’t intend to catch you off guard.” But no sooner had the words left his lips than she noticed a little sparkle in his eyes that told her otherwise.
“I wasn’t aware that you knew Belle or Adam Hershberger.” At first, Sadie hadn’t thought that Frederick would be attending the service and ceremony, as he lived outside their district. But over three hundred people had filled the small house, so she hadn’t been that surprised to see him across the room earlier. Secretly, she’d wished that he might talk with her. And now, her wish had been answered. He looked most attractive in his Sunday best, and she was certain that Drusilla would feel the same. Frederick gave a little shrug of his shoulder. “Anna Rose mentioned there was a wedding today. I’ve met Belle’s daed once or twice, and when I stopped in to visit him last week, he invited me. He tried to sell my own daed a grill that he made.”
“Did he buy it?”
“The grill?” Frederick shook his head. “Nee, he did not. We already have one, although it’s not as fancy as what Melvin created.”
Sadie knew that had been part of the problem with Melvin Beiler. No one wanted to buy his inventions, not just because they already owned similar devices but because most Amish people avoided fancy things. That was one of the reasons Melvin hadn’t been able to keep up with the mortgage payments and Belle had been forced to marry Adam.
She sighed and glanced around the room, looking for Belle.
“I’d like to ask you a question, Sadie.”
She returned her attention to Frederick, wondering what he could possibly want to ask her.
He leaned down and lowered his voice. “I’ve concluded that this is a most unconventional wedding.”
Though Sadie couldn’t agree more, her curiosity was piqued. “That’s not really a question,” she observed, “but I am curious as to why you would say that.”
His eyes sparkled. “The groom left, and the bride remains.”
She was glad he hadn’t brought up the fact that Belle hardly knew Adam and wasn’t in love with him. “So what’s your question then?”
“Because it is an unconventional wedding, I thought I, too, would do something out of the ordinary.”
“Oh?”
With a very serious expression, he nodded. “Indeed.”
“And what is that?” she asked, genuinely curious.
“I would like your permission to take you home, and, from the looks of things, perhaps sooner rather than later.”
He had, once again, caught her off guard.
Most weddings went on for hours, well into the evening. However, she suspected that this would not be the case today. While the tables seemed plentiful—Sadie couldn’t help but wonder where all the food had come from—there was a heaviness in the air that suffocated the typical joy of most wedding celebrations.
“Why sooner rather than later?” she heard herself ask, realizing too late that she hadn’t answered his question.
He gestured toward where Belle sat alone at the eck table; the place beside her, where her groom was supposed to sit, remained empty. She also noticed that the young unmarried adults, who were supposed to be partnered up, were not following custom. No one was certain what to do or how to behave.
It was, indeed, unconventional.
“I imagine once everyone is finished eating, they will quietly leave,” Frederick said in a soft voice. “So, I thought we might go up and say a kind word to Belle, then slip out the back door. No one would be the wiser and . . .” His voice trailed off, his sentence unfinished.
“And what?” Sadie asked.
He took a deep breath and studied her face, his gaze soft and gentle. “To be truthful, I would not have come except that I wanted to see you again. So, given the current mood in the room, I’d much prefer taking a nice, leisurely buggy ride rather than staying here among so many morose people on what should’ve been a day of enormous joy.”
His words touched her. It was true that the guests seemed to be milling about, uncertain of what traditions to follow when so many had already been broken. But the food looked wonderful and Sadie had intended to offer her help cleaning up.
“I haven’t eaten yet,” she said. “Have you?”
Frederick’s lips twitched, and he smiled in a secretive sort of way. “I have not,” he admitted. “But Anna Rose made two plates and put them in a basket for us. We can have a picnic.”
Sadie caught her breath. Us? Had he been so convinced that she would agree to sneak out with him? And yet, one look at those sparkling blue eyes convinced Sadie that there was no possible response but to say yes. Frederick might be clever and shrewd, but he was not at all malicious. Of that, she was sure and certain. No, he was being a perfect gentleman and his intentions seemed pure.
“A picnic sounds like a fine way to spend the rest of the afternoon,” Sadie said with a lighthearted feeling she hadn’t experienced in a great while.