“Well, we must just make sure it doesn’t come to the law,” Geneva said, her voice brisk, maybe in an effort to cheer Leah. “We believe in you, and we’ll find some way of proving you didn’t steal that foolish woman’s ring.”
“Denke, Geneva.” Leah squared her shoulders, seeming to call up strength from inside herself. “That is ser kind of you. But I cannot involve you in my troubles.”
“We’re already involved.” Geneva Morgan would not be one to back off when someone she cared about was in trouble. Everyone knew that about her. The Morgans were people you could depend upon.
Leah shook her head, a defeated look in her eyes. Josiah understood, in a way that even Geneva, with all her knowledge of her Amish neighbors, could not. Leah saw her whole life shattering—not just her job, but her standing in the Amish community, her relationship with her family, her whole future. For an Amish girl to be accused of theft…well, it was just unheard-of.
“I know you’re overwhelmed just now.” Geneva’s tone was gentle. “But I believe in you. Josiah believes in you. And we’re going to help you find out the truth, aren’t we, Josiah?”
He hesitated for a second, reluctant to get involved in something controversial before he’d even gotten settled back in the community again.
But this was Leah. He couldn’t let her be hurt if there was anything he could do.
“That’s certain sure,” he said. “We will learn the truth, and everything will be put right again.”
Chapter Two
Leah managed a weak smile, shaking her head as Geneva pushed another jumble cookie toward her. Geneva was a good friend, but eating cookies at Geneva’s kitchen table wouldn’t cure the trouble she was in.
“Sugar is good for shock,” Geneva declared briskly. “And don’t bother telling me you’re not shaken by that woman’s accusation, because I won’t believe it.”
It was easier to give in than to argue with Geneva’s kindness. She accepted the cookie, giving a tentative sideways glance at Josiah. He had his hands wrapped around a glass of tea, his normally friendly, open face now looking solemn.
“Ja, I am feeling shaky inside,” she admitted. “But mostly I just can’t believe this is happening. Mrs. Grayson has never been friendly, exactly, but she didn’t find any fault with my work.”
“What about her husband?” Josiah asked. “He seemed to be on your side.”
Leah nodded. “Ja, he did, didn’t he?” She felt a sense of gratitude. “Maybe he’ll convince his wife that she is mistaken.”
But she doubted it even as she said the words.
Geneva gave the short little nod that was characteristic of her. “We’ll hope so. But to tell the truth, I’ve seldom met a more determined woman than Angela Grayson.”
Josiah’s frown lightened a little as he looked at Geneva. Small wonder. Most people in the township had reason to be grateful to the Morgans for their kindness. “I don’t remember them at all.”
“No, you wouldn’t,” Geneva said. “They haven’t lived in Springville for more than a few years. He opened a real estate office here, and they both threw themselves into civic work. He was elected to the school board two years ago, and Angela is involved in all sorts of civic committees.”
She sounded a little vague, and Leah hid a smile. Geneva’s kindnesses weren’t the kind that involved going to lunches and talking about helping people. She’d more likely be found washing dishes or holding a fussy baby. Maybe that was why she got along so well with the Amish.
“This ring the woman was talking about…” Josiah turned back to Leah. “Did you ever see it?”
“Ja, last Wednesday.” Leah frowned, trying to fix it in her mind. “Mrs. Grayson was a bit fussed in the morning, because she was entertaining one of her committees that afternoon. She wanted me to get on with the cleaning, but Mr. Grayson was still there, talking on the phone, and she said he was in the way.” Truth to tell, Leah hadn’t thought much of the way the woman talked to her husband. “Anyway, she had me start in the bedroom instead of the family room because he was on the phone, and she got out the ring and showed it to me.”
“Did she have it locked away?” Geneva asked.
Leah shook her head. “Just in the box on her dresser. She was going to wear it for her meeting. Show it off, she said.” That was so un-Amish an attitude that Leah had trouble understanding it. “It seemed like she wanted the other ladies to envy her.”
Josiah shook his head, as if he didn’t understand it, either. “Well, I don’t suppose one of them would take it. Most likely the woman lost the ring herself. One thing’s sure. We know Leah didn’t take it.”
The confidence in Josiah’s voice warmed her heart. He might never think of her as more than a little sister, but at least he trusted her.
Geneva’s face grew thoughtful. “Do you think she lost it, Leah?”
She nodded, the warmth seeping away too quickly. “I guess so. But if she did lose it, how could I ever prove I didn’t take it?”
“They might find it,” Josiah said, but she could tell that he didn’t really believe that would happen.
“Maybe.” Geneva’s face was thoughtful. “But there have been some break-ins lately, mostly at isolated farmhouses. The thieves might be getting braver.”
“Isaiah Stoltzfus’s house was broken into a few weeks ago while the family was away visiting. But the thieves ransacked the whole house.” Much as she’d like to believe in that solution, she couldn’t quite manage it. “Would they just take a ring?”
“Ja, how would they know where it was kept?” Josiah saw the flaws in that as well as she did.
“Someone might have told them.” Geneva obviously didn’t want to give up on her idea. “Maybe someone mentioned it in all innocence, and the thieves overheard the conversation.”
“Really?” That seemed unlikely.
Geneva smiled suddenly, as if laughing at herself. “I know that sounds silly. But there has to be some way of figuring out what happened. You know, maybe it would be for the best if she did go to the police.”
“Ach, no!” Panic grabbed at Leah’s heart. “The police—what would my parents say, and the bishop, and the ministers? That would be terrible.”
Geneva reached across the worn pine tabletop to grasp her hand. “I know the idea of the police sounds scary. But Chief Adam Byler is a fair, sensible person. And if he were involved, Angela Grayson would have to answer his questions about the ring.”
“There must be another way.” Leah knew she sounded desperate, but she couldn’t help it. “I can’t have the whole church community know I’ve been called a thief.”
“It won’t come to that.” Josiah clasped her other hand, holding it warmly in his. “You are innocent, and God will protect you.”
“Of course He will,” Geneva said. “But it won’t hurt for us to take some action, too.”
“But what?” It was gut of Geneva to want to help, but the more Leah thought of it, the fewer options she saw. “Mrs. Grayson would never talk about it to me. That’s certain sure.”
“No, but she might talk to me once she calms down.” Geneva’s blue eyes sparkled, as if she’d thought of something that amused her. “I imagine Angela might already be regretting bursting into my house that way. She may be looking for an opportunity to apologize to me, so I could give her one.”
Leah mulled that over. Even though Geneva acted just like anyone else, the Morgans had been the most important family in the township for as long as anyone could remember. It was true that Mrs. Grayson might regret antagonizing her.
“Even if she wants to apologize, how will that help?”
“I’ll get her talking,” Geneva waved her hands in the air, as if about to produce an answer there. “Maybe she’ll let something slip that will help.” Her voice grew more enthusiastic as she talked. “Tomorrow morning is the Library Friends meeting. She’s sure to be there. Are you working tomorrow?”
“I’m supposed to work at the Reynolds house. But if Mrs. Reynolds hears…” She didn’t want to finish that, as she seemed to see all her jobs disappearing.
“If there’s a problem, you just come here instead,” Geneva said briskly. “And if not, come after work. You, too, Josiah. We’ll talk it over then.” She jumped up and came around the table to hug Leah. “In the meantime, try not to worry. Okay?”
“I will try.” That was easy to say. Leah had a feeling it would not be so easy to do.
Josiah spent the first part of the drive to the Miller farm trying to reassure Leah, but eventually he had to admit to himself that he couldn’t think of anything else to say. Leah didn’t seem inclined to talk, and soon the only sound was the clop of the mare’s hooves and the gentle creak of the buggy.
He stole a sideways glance at Leah’s face. Under the brim of her bonnet her expression was pensive, the corners of her soft lips drooping. She looked as if she’d given up already, and that made his heart hurt. Little Leah’s sorrows should be easily fixed, but this one… Despite Geneva Morgan’s optimism, he didn’t see a simple solution.
Leah’s lashes swept up, and she met his gaze. “Will you promise me something, Josiah?”
“If I can,” he said. Promises weren’t to be given unless he could be sure of keeping them.
Her lips firmed, as if she prepared to battle him over this, whatever it was. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone about this. Not right away, anyway.”
What was in her mind? “What about your mamm and daad? And Abe?”
“Not yet,” she said, her gaze suddenly pleading. “They will be so upset. And maybe by tomorrow, Geneva will have found something out.”
“Surely you want to tell Abe. He’s your big brother.” Abe had always been especially close to Leah. “He’d want to know.”
“He’d want to fix it,” she corrected with a slight smile. “And he can’t. Besides, he has enough on his hands now with a brand-new boppli. I don’t want him worrying about me.”
The determination in her voice surprised him a bit, but Leah was growing up, wasn’t she? And she knew her brother. Abe would want to make her problem better.
“All right,” he said finally. “But you’ll have to tell them soon, before they hear it from someone else.”
“Ja. I know.”
He didn’t have the heart to push her further. But he didn’t really see a way this would be cleared up without folks knowing.
He concentrated on the turn into the farm lane, trying not to think what Abe would say if he knew Josiah had held this back from him.
The farmhouse came into view, as well as the barns and outbuildings beyond. No one was in sight.
“Mamm and Daad and the little ones went over to the sale at New Holland today,” Leah said, interpreting his look. “They should be back soon.”
He pulled the buggy to a stop at the back door, and Leah jumped down.
“Denke, Josiah. For being such a gut friend.” She scurried toward the door before he could answer.
He clucked to the mare, driving ahead to the turnaround space in front of the barn. But when he reached the back door again, Leah came flying out of the house as if someone were chasing her, her face white.
“Josiah, komm. Schnell. Someone has broken in.”
He dropped the lines and jumped down in an instant, grabbing her arm. “Stay here.” He pushed her toward the buggy, ran to the house and bolted into the kitchen. And stopped, shocked.
The cabinet doors hung open, pans pulled out onto the floor, a few cups broken on the counter. The flour bin had been tipped over, and spilled flour drifted over the cups like snow.
He stepped over a kettle and moved quickly through the rest of the downstairs, finding a similar mess in each room. By the time he’d looked through the first floor, Leah reappeared at the kitchen door.
“You’d best stay outside,” he said, but he doubted she’d listen.
Sure enough, she came in, shaking her head at the mess. “Is the rest as bad?”
“I haven’t checked upstairs yet. I’ll do that now. You stay here.”
“I’m coming.”
At least she stayed behind him as they went up the steps. Clearly the intruders were long gone. With everyone out at the sale, they hadn’t run into any trouble breaking in, but their boldness wondered him. Broad daylight, and they’d come right in.
The upstairs was a similar mess, with even the mattresses pulled off the beds. Looking for money, no doubt. Amish used banks, of course, but some of them did like to keep a substantial sum in cash in the house.
He stood in the doorway of the room that Leah must share with her little sister, Sarah. Leah bent to pick up a faceless rag doll, its stuffing spilling out.
“Why would they do something like this?” She gestured with the doll, and tears glistened on her lashes. “It’s just mean. Sarah will be so upset.”
“Ja.” He had no answer for that. “Do you know if your daad had any money tucked away?”
That must be what the thieves had been after. There wasn’t much else they’d want to steal in an Amish household.
“He keeps a cash box under the dresser in Mamm and Daad’s room.” She hurried into the larger bedroom, and he followed her. The box lay on the floor half-under a quilt, open and empty.
“Ach, that’s bad.” He couldn’t imagine what Harvey Miller would say to this. He’d accept it as God’s will, but it wouldn’t be easy for him.
“He took out money for the sale, I think,” Leah said. “I hope there wasn’t too much left here.”
His ears caught the sound of a buggy. “They must be home. We’d better go down and try to prepare them.”
Maybe it was as well that Leah was so determined not to tell her folks about her troubles. It seemed they already had plenty of ills to deal with today.
He’d reached the bottom of the stairs when Leah spoke his name. He stopped, turning. She stood up a step, putting their faces on a level so that he looked right into the deep green of her eyes…like looking into the depths of a lake, it was.
“Do you think…” She hesitated, as if reluctant to say the words on her mind. “Do you think the break-in could have anything to do with what happened with Mrs. Grayson today?”
Josiah was silent for a moment, finding Leah’s nearness and her intent gaze oddly disturbing. “I don’t know. It’s odd, the two things happening in the same day, ain’t so?”
“Ja.” Her voice was soft, almost breathless. “Odd.”
He forced himself to concentrate on the facts, not on a sweet face and green eyes. “But can you picture Mrs. Grayson rummaging through your house, even if she thinks her ring is here?”