Lanie wasn’t going to get her hopes up just yet. Yes, they’d had a moment where it felt like they were the only two on Earth, but that meant nothing if he didn’t profess his love or give her some hope to cling to. What she needed was for him to promise he’d return, or for him to invite her to his own community in Holmes County. If he did that, she could be sure their relationship would develop quickly.
Her chance to talk to him again came at the late supper that night at the bishop’s house. The two of them slipped out onto the chilly porch so they could speak in private.
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you, Lanie.”
She felt the same, but the question had to be asked. “What about Jane?”
“Jane’s not interested in me. I can tell she’s in love with someone else.”
“Oh, are you certain?”
“I was going to go home tomorrow unless … if you want me to stay on a couple more days, I could.”
“Please stay, Isaac.”
“I will, then. Can you get to the main farmers market in town tomorrow by ten?”
“I’ll make sure I’m there.”
“Good. We should get back inside now, before we’re missed.”
“Okay,” she said as she went to walk in, but he suddenly pulled her back.
“Lanie, I came here to get myself a fraa and it seems that's what I'm doing, if you’ll do me the honor.”
“Isaac, do you really mean it?”
“Will you marry me, Lanie?”
She licked her lips. This was what she wanted. They didn’t really know each other, but somehow she felt that they did. Some might say that it was madness, but Lanie felt in her heart that it was right. “I will, Isaac, I will.”
He pulled her into his arms.
“Wait. I’m thinking about Jane.”
“If Jane and I had been right for one another, we would've got together a long time ago. I know that because I can see things clearly now. Now that I've met you.”
Lanie was smiling so much, her face ached. She felt like she hadn't stopped smiling since she’d first met him.
“Would you leave your life here, marry me, and move Mary-Lee to Holmes County with me?”
“You truly mean it?”
He laughed. “If I didn't mean it, I wouldn't have said it.”
Lanie didn’t want to hurt Jane if she really loved Isaac. She had to find out first. “I’m worried how Jane will take this. You came to see her and now you’ve proposed to me.”
“Jane’s not interested in me and it’s just as well she didn’t give me an answer.”
Lanie bit her lip. “Give me a couple of days, will you? I want to make sure Jane will be okay. I couldn’t bear to see her hurt over this.”
“You’re such a caring person, Lanie.”
Lanie was just being normal, she thought, but if he saw her as caring she wouldn’t disagree. “I’ll go see her tomorrow. I know that Sadie is going somewhere with the ladies, and I’m hoping Jane will be at Sadie’s home all by herself.”
“Then, will we be able to spend time together after that?”
“I’d love to, if all goes well. I’ll see her tomorrow morning and then meet you at eleven. That’ll give me plenty of time to talk with her woman-to-woman.”
He gave her a nod.
The next morning over breakfast, Sadie asked, “What are Matt’s plans for you today, Jane?”
“He's very busy doing something at work. He said he's got some important meetings on. Looks like I've got a free day.”
“Not any more. You can come with me to the charity meeting with the ladies.”
Jane had been looking forward to a quiet day doing nothing. Since she’d arrived, she felt like she hadn’t stopped. “Do you mind if I just stay home? I still haven't recovered from the trip over here.”
“I don't mind at all, but you might enjoy coming with me, that’s all.”
“Any other time I would, but today I’d like to rest.”
“If you feel the need to rest then that's what you should do. I know you're not a lazy woman and if your mind and your body are saying you need to rest then that's probably what you ought to do.”
“Denke for understanding.”
Just after nine, Sadie was collected by one of her friends, and Jane waved goodbye to them from the porch with Mr. Grover curled around her feet looking on. As soon as they drove away, Jane felt a great sense of relief.
She let out a deep breath. Then she relaxed onto the porch chair and wrapped her coat tighter around herself to keep out the chill of the morning air.
Mr. Grover wasted no time jumping onto her lap, helping to keep her warm. She patted him, burying her cold hands in his medium-length fur. “We have a whole day ahead of us, Mr. Grover. I'll have to make the evening meal, but I don't have to get started on that till around four. Sadie will be home at five. And all I want to do is ... nothing.” As the wind picked up, she added. “Maybe we should move to sit in front of the fire.”
She carried Mr. Grover inside and shut the door behind them. She stood the cat on the floor, walked a few steps to the fire in the living room and rearranged the logs so they would burn slower and hotter. Then, after she added another couple of small logs, she sat down on the couch admiring her handiwork. Mr. Grover had already made himself comfortable on the rug and was fast asleep.
Jane stared into the flames, and she couldn’t help thinking how funny life was. Life had taken various turns beyond her control and beyond anyone's control.
Here she was, back in the community where she’d grown up. Still, she couldn’t help feeling alone. The old feelings she remembered from when her siblings deserted her returned. She missed having her family around. All she had in Holmes County were her extended family—aunts, uncles and cousins—but she wasn’t that close with any of them.
Although, she realized, she did have a certain amount of control over her life. She had made the decision all those years ago to move to a different community.
After thirty minutes by herself, with the thought of the whole day stretched in front of her, she paced up and down in front of the fire wondering what to do with herself. She wasn't used to having free time apart from on Sundays.
Now she had nothing to do but think of Matt and what the outcome of his mission would be. Which woman would he marry and how much would he listen to her opinion?
After a full hour had dragged past, Jane was regretting her decision not to accompany Sadie. It might have been boring talking about their Christmas sewing projects, but it would've kept her mind off Matt.
Just as she was boiling the kettle to make herself a cup of coffee, she heard a horse and buggy. A spark of excitement fluttered inside her, and she hurried to look out the window hoping it was Matt. It was Lanie.
At that moment, Lanie was most welcome. She left the kitchen and opened the front door for her. “Hello, Lanie.”
“Hi, Jane. Care for some company for an hour or so?”
“Sure. I’d love that. Come inside.” When Jane saw Mary-Lee wasn’t with her, she said, “You’re fortunate to have your mudder look after Mary-Lee so often.”
“Hmm, I haven't worked out if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet. What if she grows up thinking that my mudder is her mamm?”
Jane laughed. “I don't think that will happen. She's already five, you said.”
“Jah, I suppose you're right. It is convenient sometimes.”
“I just got the kettle boiling. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“I brought chocolate cake, only I left it in the buggy.”
“You brought some with you?”
“Jah.”
“Quick, go and get it! I could do with a piece of chocolate cake.”
Lanie giggled at Jane, and hurried back out the door to the buggy.
Soon they were sitting down with a heavily frosted chocolate cake decorated with colored sprinkles, a sharp knife, plates and forks, and two cups of coffee.
“I’m glad you came here, Jane. I find you such an interesting person.”
Jane was surprised. “Who me?”
“Jah. You're so brave. You moved away to another community by yourself. I could never do that, all alone.”
“I don't think it was brave. There was nothing left for me here after my folks died. I was on my own and I guess I wanted to see what else was out there, what life was like in other communities.”
“And you had to start your life again.”
Jane nodded as she pushed the knife through the cake. “It was a bit daunting at first, but everybody was very friendly. I made friends in no time and I still wrote to my old friends.” Jane placed a slice of cake onto each of two plates.
“Denke,” Lanie said pulling her plate of cake toward her and picking up a fork. “So do you think you might move back here in the future?”
“I don't know, depends what Gott has planned for me.” She sipped her coffee. “Sometimes it’s hard to make decisions.”
“I think those are part of being human. We have to be sure to make the right ones, though, and some are life changing and some aren’t that important.”
“That's true. I’m glad you came today. I nearly went with Sadie to the ladies charity meeting.”
“Ach.” Lanie waved a hand through the air. “I never go to those things. I have my own sewing to do and I’m paid to do it. If I was old and didn’t need the money to live on, I’d do it to pass the time.”
“That's right, you're a seamstress.”
“Jah. I sew night and day and that's why I'm not very interested in doing it in my spare time, if you see what I mean.”
“I do. And I don't blame you. Otherwise, you’d be sewing all the time.”
“That's right.”
Mr. Grover walked into the kitchen and meowed loudly, then jumped into Lanie’s lap.
Lanie bolted to her feet, and Mr. Grover landed on the floor. “I'm sorry but I don't like cats. I didn't hurt him, did I?”
“Nee, he was able to land on his feet.” With a little smile, Jane watched Mr. Grover stalk out of the room, looking as though he was disgusted.
Lanie sat down and noticed Jane’s expression. “Don't tell me you like cats.”
“I love cats. I'm going to get one some day.”
“That's your goal in life, is it, Jane—to get a cat?”
Jane giggled. It did sound perfectly ridiculous. “It is one of my goals. I always think that pets make a house feel more like home.”
“I think children make a home. The laughter of children. I only wish that my husband and I had been able to have more than one.”
“I'm sure you'll marry again and have more, if that’s what you’d like.”
“That's what I'm hoping. And that's why I want to have a talk with you so you could put in a good word for me with Matt.” Lanie was fishing to see where Jane’s heart lay.
Jane broke off a piece of chocolate cake with her fork. “Would that be fair? Wouldn't that give you an unfair advantage?”
“Phooey, I don't care about that. I can't see Matt really being interested in the twins or either of the others.”
“I guess he just wants to get my opinion so he can assess things from a different viewpoint. The decision’s up to him, you know that, don't you?”
“I do. Of course you wouldn't have the final say-so, but I know he will put a lot of store on your opinion. He respects you.”
“That's good to know. Anyway, let’s not talk about men.”
Lanie was upset. That was all she was there to talk about.
“I should go soon anyway. Mamm has Mary-Lee with her while she hosts the charity thing at her house, and I know Mary-Lee will be non-stop with her chatter. I’ll need to rescue her.”
“Oh, the same one as Sadie’s going to?”
“Jah.”
“Won’t you stay for another cup of coffee?”
“Oh no. I should get going.”
“Would you like to take the rest of the chocolate cake with you? Sadie doesn't like chocolate and I'm sure Mary-Lee would like a piece.”
“Oh, if you don't mind I will take it with me, and I'm sure my mother wouldn't say no to a slice either.”
Jane reached for the box the cake had come in, and placed what was left back inside.
Then Lanie stood up. “I've enjoyed our talk, Jane. It’d be nice if you move back here. Do you think you ever will?”
“I have no idea. My life is so … up in the air. Sometimes I feel I have no roots anywhere.”
“I hope you move here. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
“I will, at least I'll try to.”
Lanie walked through the door. “Me too. I’ll try to.”
Jane leaned against the doorframe and watched Lanie leave.
Lanie got into her buggy, picked up the reins, and realized she was totally confused by Jane. She moved her horse forward, and gave a little wave to Jane before the horse headed down the driveway. Jane said she had no roots, and that sounded to Lanie like she wasn’t in love with anyone—not Isaac and not Matt.
Poor Matt, the feelings Jane once had for him were no more. Now all she could think about was Isaac. She wouldn’t let him get away, not when he felt the same about her.
Her next stop was to meet him at the farmers markets and tell him she would marry him. Now that she’d spoken to Jane, her conscience was totally clear.