Huckleberry Hill (7 page)

Moses groaned inwardly while his lips twitched a fraction of an inch southward. “We can only hope.”

Rachel had already helped herself to the food. She sat at the kitchen table eating a slice of Mammi’s bread slathered in strawberry jam. When Moses and his grandparents entered the room, she stuffed the last bite into her mouth and shot from her seat. She smiled at Moses and tilted her head just so. He marveled that she could manage to flirt with him with her mouth full. She chewed and swallowed quickly. “Moses can show me to my room now.”

The minute Mammi walked into the kitchen, her sweet façade reappeared, and she showed nothing but delight at Rachel’s presence. “Rachel, we have been talking, and we have grown quite fond of Lia. Do you think she would come back and join you for the summer?”

Rachel cocked an eyebrow and gazed pointedly at Moses. “I don’t see that you’d need both of us.”

“Lia knows how I like my dishes washed, and she scrubs the stove till it shines. And the toilets. The toilets have got to be swabbed at least once a day. All that work doesn’t leave much time for anything else, like gatherings and buggy rides.” Mammi looked at Moses as if he were the topic of conversation.

He
was
the topic of conversation, but neither Rachel nor Mammi would come right out and say it. They must have forgotten he had ears.

A small line appeared between Rachel’s brows. She regarded Mammi, then Moses before a smile played at her lips. “Lia was always better with the chores. She’s sturdy, while Dat says I’m delicate.”

“Can your mamm spare both of you for the summer?” Mammi asked.

Rachel’s excitement seemed to grow the more she considered Mammi’s proposal. “Oh, Mamm and Dat won’t mind a bit once they understand the circumstances. I can always count on Lia to help me out.”

Mammi nodded in satisfaction. “Gute. Moses can show you where your room is, and I will write to your dat without delay.” She winked at Moses.

Rachel saw the gesture, and her face practically exploded into a smile.

Moses winked back at Mammi as they shared a private laugh. Moses could only imagine what his mammi would write in her letter.

Chapter Eight

Lia fed the wet clothes through the wringer, being careful not to pinch her fingers in the process. She could get going so fast that if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up with smashed fingers and blackish-blue fingernails. It had happened enough times to make her cautious. She worked with extra care today because she was trying to read her book and feed clothes at the same time.

The midwife book Sarah had given her sat open on the narrow counter with two cans of French-cut green beans holding the pages down so Lia could read. She wasn’t being very efficient with either the reading or the laundry, but she had to steal time to read when she could. She had already finished Sarah’s book twice and marked it thoroughly with penciled notes and questions in the margins.

Not that it mattered. Sarah Beachy and Moses Zimmerman lived in Bonduel, and Lia would probably be stuck in Wautoma for the rest of her life. Dat thought the book was a waste of time. Wautoma didn’t need a midwife, he said. There was one only twenty minutes away in Coloma.

Rachel had been gone four days. Were the Helmuths glad to have a petite, delicate girl for their grandson instead of a ridiculously tall girl of twenty-three? Had Moses fallen in love with Rachel yet? Lia didn’t expect to hear from Rachel for the rest of the summer unless she and Moses got engaged.

Ouch!
She snatched back her hand before the wringer pulled her index finger in and flattened it like a pancake.

Lia didn’t much like the thought of Moses as her brother-in-law. But one advantage of being stuck in Wautoma was she wouldn’t have to see Rachel and Moses often. Bonduel wasn’t far, but it was far enough that Lia could avoid seeing her sister most of the year. Lia’s relationship with the Helmuths was lost too. Moses would be at their house too often for Lia’s liking.

Finding it impossible to concentrate, Lia lifted the cans holding her pages and closed the book. She was usually such a cheerful person. Why did she stew over this?

Dat strolled into the washroom holding a torn envelope and a piece of stationery. “I have news from Bonduel.”

Lia’s heart fluttered irrationally. An engagement already?

She willed herself to remain calm.

Of course not. Not even Rachel could make a man lose his senses in less than a week—at least not a sensible man like Moses.

“It seems the Helmuths want you to go back to Bonduel.”

Lia felt as if she could bounce around the house like a ball. She didn’t even try to contain her smile. “They do?”

Dat’s eyes scanned the letter. “Anna says, ‘Lia is a wonderful-gute worker and cook. She can help with the chores to give Moses and Rachel more time for courting.’”

Lia’s bouncy ball crashed to the floor like a mushy potato. “Oh, I see.”

Dat stroked his beard. “I suppose they still need the help, even with Rachel there.”

From the beginning, Lia had known that Rachel would be of no real service to the Helmuths. Her value was measured in what she could do for their grandson. Lia wanted to know if they were scheming with or without Moses’s approval.

It stung that the Helmuths had abandoned their plans for Lia and Moses and were encouraging Rachel instead. Lia couldn’t blame them for their choice. Dat always said, “Youth is beauty.”

Did she even want to go back?

The first time she went to Huckleberry Hill, Lia had expected to work hard, and she had never dreamed of meeting any interested boys. This time would be no different. She would work hard and not expect attention from any boy. If Sarah was obliging, Lia could still learn to be a midwife too, Lord willing.

Of course she wanted to go back.

She and Anna and Felty could take care of each other. The three of them could play Scrabble and Life on the Farm and knit pot holders while Moses and Rachel rode around Bonduel in Moses’s new buggy visiting auctions and stealing kisses at sunset.

Dat folded the letter and stuffed it back in the envelope. “I can see the wisdom in sending you back. You have always been more levelheaded than your sister. Make sure that Moses sees all her best qualities, not only that she is pretty, but that she loves children and is a gute cook. And see to it that she is wise and doesn’t make any marriage plans before consulting with your mother and me.”

Lia nodded. Like Mamm and Dat, Rachel depended on her, but this time, Lia didn’t think she could do what Dat asked. Moses was perfectly capable of falling in love with Rachel without Lia’s interference. “I’ll do my best, Dat.”

 

 

Dat did not waste any time. The Helmuths’ letter came on Saturday, and by Monday morning Lia caught her first glimpse of Huckleberry Hill in over a week. The trees were full to brimming with luxurious green leaves, and monarch butterflies floated lazily in the air everywhere she looked. Even the sky had the clear blue look of summer to it.

The gravel crunched under the tires of the car as it crept up the hill.

“Huckleberry Hill is a nice spot,” said Judy, her driver. “My aunt used to live not ten miles from here.”

Even though she knew they didn’t want her, Lia practically leaped out of the car with her bag tucked under her arm. “Thank you for the ride, Mrs. Pendleton. Here is the money for the trip.”

“Call me anytime. I come up every week to see my granny in Green Bay,” Judy said.

Lia watched as she turned the car around and headed down the hill.

Rachel came bounding down the porch steps like a child skipping home from school. “I had no idea you would be here this sudden.”

“Is Anna inside?” Lia asked.

“Jah, inspecting the toilets. I scrub them every day, but she is so fussy. You’ll help me with those, won’t you? The cleanser dries out my hands.”

Lia marched into the house with Rachel close behind. Sparky waddled to the door on her stubby legs and wagged her tail. She barked a greeting and stood earnestly while Lia fondled her ears and rubbed her head. When Lia stood and Sparky realized she wouldn’t get any more love, she pitter-pattered to the rug and plopped herself on her favorite corner.

After examining the floors, Lia deposited her bag on the table, hung her black bonnet on the hook, and rolled up her sleeves. “Have you mopped today?”

“Nae, not since I got here last week. The cleaner makes my fingernails peel. Anna said she could manage.”

Lia pursed her lips. Anna should not mop. The motion hurt her elbows, and she could easily slip on the wet floor and break a hip. Mopping the kitchen floor was no small task. Whoever had built Helmuths’ house had been generous with the room in the kitchen. The cookstove shared a wall with a long counter space while the fridge and sink and more counters stood against the adjacent wall. The round table that sat six could be expanded to fit twelve comfortably. An area rug spread over the wood floor at the other end of the room where sat Felty’s overstuffed chair, Anna’s rocker, and a plump blue davenport. A perfect room for playing with many grandchildren.

Lia popped the plug in the sink and turned on the water. “Sweep, would you, Rachel, and I’ll mop.”

She heard Anna before she saw her. “Oh, bless my soul, our Lia is back.”

Lia turned to see Anna with her arms thrown wide. Lia accepted the invitation and walked into Anna’s embrace. “I am so glad to see you,” Anna said. She pulled Lia’s shoulders downward so she could whisper in Lia’s ear. “We were afraid your dat would not let you come back.”

Lia’s heart thawed to above freezing. Anna seemed sincerely glad to have Lia back. Even if Anna didn’t think Lia was good enough for her grandson, at least she saw Lia’s value as a hard worker.

“I thought I would mop first thing,” Lia said. “Rachel says it hasn’t been done yet.”

Anna smiled in satisfaction. “I will sweep for you right quick.”

Rachel failed to mention that Lia had asked her to do the job already.

Moses told Lia she was blunt. Rachel called her bossy. Lia poured some wood soap in the sink. “No need, Anna. Rachel will sweep.”

Anna sprouted a crooked smile. “Rachel says she has a headache. Why don’t you take your bag to your room while I sweep, and Rachel can show you the scarf I knitted for her.”

Lia turned off the water and glanced at Rachel. “Jah, okay.”

She picked up her bag and marched down the hall with Rachel following close behind. Her room was situated on the south side of the house with a big window looking out onto the lane that came up the hill. Lia loved the sunny room with its lemon yellow and forest green quilt. The walls were bare except for a cross-stitch hanging above the bed that read, “Sing unto the Lord a new song. Sing unto the Lord, all the earth.”

Rachel’s mouth dropped open in indignation. “This is your room?”

“You don’t mind if we share? The bed is big enough.”

Rachel narrowed her eyes. “Share? They gave me the one at the back of the house as small as a broom closet.” She sank to the bed. “They hate me.”

“Of course they don’t hate you. They barely know you.”

Rachel’s eyes glistened with tears. Lia always admired how quickly Rachel could turn on the water. “Anna keeps asking me to do things like I am her maid.”

Lia lifted her brows. “You are her maid.”

“But does she want me to work myself to death? That dog hates me too. Why do I have to give her a bath? And I only saw Moses for a few minutes on the day I arrived, and he hasn’t shown his face since.”

“What did he say?”

“Not much. At first he looked very annoyed like I had done something to offend him.”

“He is often annoyed. You’ll get used to it.”

“I think he warmed up to me because he offered to carry my bag, but Anna wouldn’t let him. How can Anna expect us to court if she never invites him to come over?”

Lia pretended her bag urgently needed to be unpacked. “Do you want him to court you?”

“Oh, yes. You were right, Lia. He is so-good-look-ing. And tall. When I stand next to him I feel safe, like he is protecting me just by being so tall. We are so naturally suited for each other.”

Lia hadn’t expected anything different, but a cavern opened up in the pit of her stomach. “Show me what Anna knitted for you.”

“It’s an ugly old gray scarf. And I can’t wear it now. It’s too warm outside for a scarf.” Rachel leaned back, spread herself on Lia’s bed, and sighed in obvious comfort. “Anna says Moses will come tomorrow for supper. I hope he does. I am so bored. They haven’t taken me to one singeon or gathering or anything. All we do is scrub toilets and weed the garden and polish lamps.”

Lia slid the empty overnight bag under her bed and tried to sound as indifferent as possible. “Maybe you would be happier back in Wautoma.”

“Nae, I am patient. Once Moses comes for dinner tomorrow, things will move fast. I wouldn’t be surprised if we were engaged by the end of July.”

“Three weeks?”

“Well, I’m not going to wait forever.” Rachel rolled onto her stomach. “I feel like I’m sleeping on a board in that little room at the back of the house. My back is so sensitive. You don’t mind trading bedrooms, do you? I’ll work so much better if my spine isn’t going into spasms all day long.”

Lia gave Rachel a half smile and shook her head. “I’ll share my bed with you.”

“It won’t do any good to share. I’ve got to be able to spread out. You know how I am.”

Jah, Lia knew how Rachel was.

Dat had said to take care of Rachel. Lia would be selfish not to give up her bed.