––––––––
After Jacob left, Jenny paced back and forth in the quilting room, wondering how she would repair the rift she had unintentionally caused. She pulled several quilting patters out and looked through them, trying to find inner peace. Her thoughts went to Hannah Lapp and she felt uncomfortable, remembering what Hannah had done to Annie Fisher, her best friend. Oh, girl, you made a bad mistake. Jacob’s only concerned about you. He only wants to protect you. He’s lived with the kind of “me-first” attitude he was accusing Mr. Carey of. His schweschder decided she would act only in her own interests, rather than in the greater interest of the Order. Now, she’s excommunicated, and who knows what’s going to happen with her?
Seeking her mother out in another part of the house, she sat down next to her, looping her arm through her mother’s arm and resting her head on her mother’s shoulder.
“Mamm, Jacob just left, angry. I told him about Mr. Carey’s offer and he told me he knows of him – that he’s not an honest businessman and will try to cheat me. I only wanted to give him good news, and he got upset. I told him that you’ve given me permission to make two quilts for Mr. Carey. I realize he’s right, mamm. He’s only looking out for me.”
“Jenny, I agree with Jacob – I don’t get a good, honest feeling from Mr. Carey. I looked into his eyes. The whole time he was talking to you, his smile never reached his eyes. He’s a hard, cold businessman first, then he’s a man with feelings. Those kinds of men are dangerous to people who are innocent of the world around them – like you. I’m not saying that it’s bad that you’re innocent. I’m only saying that people like Mr. Carey prey on people like you, who trust easily.”
Jenny realized her mamm was right. She did have a lot to learn about the world outside Peace Landing. She also realized she needed to apologize to Jacob.
Her mother’s voice broke into her troubled thoughts.
“Jenny, continue with your plans to work with Mr. Carey, but make it harder for him to cheat you. Write up a simple contract that lays out your responsibilities as well as his. Write up two copies and send them both to him, requesting his signature on both. Then, have him send both copies back so you can sign them and send one copy to him. It doesn’t have to be a difficult contract, just one that makes it clear to him that you know what his responsibilities are as well as yours.”
Jenny was surprised. Her mother had never before revealed this side of herself.
“Ya. Okay. It’s a good idea, mamm. I’ll write something up now,” said Jenny. Going to the hutch in one corner of the living room, she pulled out a pad of writing paper and a pen. She sat down and thought for several minutes. When she was done, she read over what she had written.
“Mamm, is this good?” she asked.
Rebecca read the contract carefully.
“Ya, this is good. It’s simple and to the point. He can’t help but understand that you know what you’re doing. Write up a second copy and mail them to him tomorrow, first thing. When you get them back, you’ll know you’re safe to start working on the quilts. Oh, before you send these, have Jacob read them – go see him tomorrow. You can also apologize to him then,” Rebecca said with a gentle smile on her slender face.
***
After breakfast and cleaning the next morning, Jenny hitched the horse to the buggy and drove to the Lapp farm. His mother answered the knock at the door, looking downcast.
“Mrs. Lapp, what’s wrong? You look so . . . sad,” Jenny said with concern.
“Hannah left Peace Landing yesterday morning, early. She’s not coming back,” said Mrs. Lapp.
“Oh, no! You mean she doesn’t want to repent so she can be a full member of our community?”
“Nee. She made that clear in her goodbye note yesterday. She doesn’t understand that what she did was wrong and violated another member here. I will be all right, Jenny, never fear. I always knew this day would come. I comfort myself, praying for her spiritual and physical safety.”
Jenny gave the older woman a fierce, heartfelt hug. “Still, I am sorry. I will add my prayers for her to yours.”
Mrs. Lapp gave Jenny a shaky smile. “Jacob is in the barn. Shall I call him in?”
“Please. I have something I need to say to him,” Jenny said.
“Wait here. When he comes in, I will be in the kitchen so you can talk in some privacy,” said Mrs. Lapp.
Several minutes later, Jacob came in with a solemn look on his face.
“Jacob, I owe you an apology. You were right. My mamm and I talked. She shares your concerns about Mr. Carey. She suggested that I write up a contract and get his signature so he, at least, finds it harder to cheat me. I wanted to show it to you before I mail it to him,” Jenny said quietly. If you have any suggestions, I would appreciate hearing them.”
Jacob silently took the proffered contract and began reading it. Knowing that she wasn’t aware of the bad intent of others, he read the contract carefully, nodding in approval.
“I would only add one thing. Sit down while I write it in,” Jacob said. Sitting near Jenny, he quickly wrote in a clause that specified that Jenny would be paid 50 percent of the proceeds from each quilt sold. “I’m glad your mamm talked to you. She is a very intelligent and wise woman. She knows of the evil outside our communities and she wants to protect you, just as I do.”
“Ya. I realized that right after you left the other night. That’s why I wanted to apologize. Denki, Jacob. For understanding and forgiving me, and for adding this change to my contract. I’ll be calling Mr. Carey so he can pick this up and sign it. I was going to mail it, but that would take too long,” Jenny said.
“Jenny? Would you let me be at your farm when he comes to sign and pick up the contract? I know you can handle the situation – I just want him to know you have . . . someone behind you, protecting you,” Jacob said.
Jenny looked at Jacob seriously. She realized that he cared more than he could say.
“Ya, that’s fine. I appreciate it,” she said with a beaming smile.
***
Back at her parents’ house, she quickly added Jacob’s change to the second copy of the contract. Walking quickly through the cold, still air to her daed’s shop, she called Ken Carey.
“Mr. Carey, this is Jenny King. I thought it would be better for both of us if we had a contract that spells everything out. I’ve written something up, and I need to have a day and time when you can come to read and sign it. I have two copies, one for you and one for me.”
“A . . . contract? Don’t you trust me?” Ken asked.
“Ya, I do, Mr. Carey. My only aim with this contract is so that we both know what the other is supposed to do. It protects you, just as it protects me.”
“Oh, well . . . in that case . . . I guess that’s okay. Let’s see here . . . I can’t leave Philly until sometime this Thursday or Friday. Would morning or afternoon work for you? Afternoon’s better for me, frankly,” said Ken.
“That will be fine for me, as well. So, would Thursday or Friday work better for you?”
“Friday, say, around mid-afternoon. That gives me time to get back to the city and close up for the day,” Ken decided.
“Denki. I will see you then,” Jenny said with a smile in her voice. After hanging up, she saw her father gazing at her.
“You handled that very well, Jenny. I will be here in the barn when he arrives . . .”
“Denki, daed. Jacob has also asked if he can be here. I’ll tell him tonight when Mr. Carey will be here. Mamm will be in the house as well,” Jenny said.
“Good. The more protection you have behind you, the better,” said John decisively.
That evening, while Jacob and Jenny were visiting, she told him that Ken would be at the house on Friday afternoon.
“Good. I’ll be here a little early and, when you take him into the kitchen, I’ll come in as well,” said Jacob. He took Jenny’s hand, saying, “I just want to protect you. You’re becoming . . . very important to me.”
Jenny blushed, smiling tenderly at her beau. “You’re becoming important to me, too, Jacob.” She wrapped her fingers around his, her heart pounding.
***
On Friday afternoon, Jenny peeked through the sheer curtains in the living room. Seeing a vehicle approaching quickly, she dropped the sheer and walked back to the kitchen, forcing herself to stay calm.
Jacob, standing behind the pantry door, sent Jenny a silent question.
“He’s coming. He’ll be knocking at the door any minute,” she told him quietly.
Hearing this, Jacob pulled the pantry door nearly closed just as Ken Carey knocked loudly at the front door.
Jenny moved quickly through the living room and answered the door.
“Hello, Mr. Carey. I hope your drive was good,” she greeted him.
“It was fine. Not too much traffic. Say, do you have that contract handy? I’d like to get back before it starts to snow,” Ken said.
“Right in here. I wrote two copies. One for you and one will be mine. Here you go – they’re identical, but you can check if you’d like.”
Jacob stepped out quietly from the pantry, giving Ken a level look from under his dark-brown eyebrows.
Ken’s jaw dropped as he saw the young man dressed in Plain attire. His eyebrows lowered and he frowned heavily, then wiped his expression clean of all emotion. Turning his attention to Jenny’s contract, he read it. He only skimmed through the 50 percent clause. Dropping the first contract, he grabbed the second and verified that it was, indeed identical to the first.
The entire time, Jacob watched Ken with his arms crossed.
“Mr. Carey, I have spent time outside my community, when I was on my ‘running-about time.’ I lived and worked among the Englishers. I’ve seen them treat others well . . . and not so well. I’ve seen other Amish being taken advantage of – and that won’t happen with Miss King – or Mrs. King. I hope we understand each other,” said Jacob.
Ken, listening to Jacob’s low, well-modulated voice, sat back with his own arms crossed. He regarded Jacob through narrowed eyes, realizing he had a formidable adversary. The question of whether Jacob was seeing Jenny romantically entered his head – after all, Jenny was a good-looking young woman, no matter that she wore a white bonnet on her head and a dark blue, long and unadorned dress with a sparkling-white apron.
Rebecca King entered the kitchen at this point. Her face was solemn, as though she recognized the significance of Ken’s presence in her home.
Ken looked from Jacob to Rebecca and Jenny. Sighing heavily, because he wanted those quilts he had been promised, he pulled a pen from his shirt pocket. He quickly scrawled his signature and the date on both contracts, then pushed them to Jenny, who neatly signed both copies. Ken grabbed a copy of the contract, folded it and stashed it in his computer bag.
Jacob watched every one of Ken’s moves. He read the contract and signed it, but that means nothing. I’m taking a trip to Philadelphia and I’m going to drop into his shop. I want to see what his intentions for Jenny really are.