Miriam's Story: Part 2 Romance in Amish Country (7 page)

Miriam blushed and glanced quickly away. “Come along, children,” she said. “We need to finish setting the table.”

Miriam herded her brood into the kitchen and reminded them to wash their hands. They had already set the kitchen table rather than the dining room table, but Rachel only added another plate on one side, rather than moving to the more formal setting. She set Ruthie to putting out the flatware and Ezra to folding the napkins. Miriam transferred the boiled potatoes from the pot to a bowl, casting nervous glances toward the back door where Shem and Daniel had yet to appear. When the men finally did come in a few minutes later, Daniel only smiled at her briefly before interacting with her children in an easy manner by helping to settle the dispute over who would get to sit next to Uncle Daniel.

After prayer, conversation ranged from horses to the weather to the upcoming school year. Rebecca was very disappointed that she was still not old enough to attend school, but Miriam and Rachel assured her they would do reading with her during the day while Ezra and Ruthie were in school. Daniel regaled the children with funny stories about growing up the youngest of nine children.

“One older sister is not so much of a hardship,” he said to Ezra. “Believe me. As a man who grew up with five older sisters, I can tell you that you have had it very easy.”

“Remember that the next time you want to complain,” Rachel said, and everyone laughed.

“Would you like some more strudel, Daniel?” Rachel asked

Daniel pushed back his empty plate and held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “Thank you, but no,” he said on a laugh. “It was delicious, as was the entire meal, but my new horse has to be able to carry me home tonight, and if I eat another bite, I may need to carry
him
.”

“As my mama always said, ‘A man alone can always use another helping of strudel!’”

Daniel laughed but pushed back his chair. “I need to get back,” he said, regret clear in his voice. He had moved into the apartment at the stable a few days before and was now spending most of his time there. “I am not certain enough of the way to ride after dark.”

“Take the path across the fields,” Shem told him. “It is much safer than the road this time of day. You will probably meet Seth walking back this way.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Will we see you again soon?” Ezra asked.

“Tomorrow morning, bright and early,” he promised. “I will come help your grandfather with his morning chores, so we can get to Petershwim about his horse well before noon.”

“Say goodnight to Uncle Daniel, now,” Miriam said. “You all need to get ready for bed soon.”

“Goodnight, Uncle Daniel!” the three children said, crowding around him for goodnight hugs.

“Goodnight,” he said, kissing the girls on their cheeks and offering Ezra a manly handshake.

“Thank you again for supper,” he said to Rachel as he collected his hat. “I will see you at first light, Shem.”

“Goodnight,” Shem said.

When Shem did not escort Daniel out, Miriam looked at him in surprise. Their eyes met for a long moment then he nodded and gestured for her to follow their guest. Surprised by Shem’s encouragement, Miriam swallowed hard, and calling herself five kinds of fool, she hurried out to find Daniel adjusting the bridle on his horse.

He looked up when she rushed out onto the porch. “Miriam?”

She hesitated before she walked down the steps to join him Daniel in the yard. Thinking of her mother’s courage forty years before, she still hesitated, unable to say the things she wanted—needed—to say to him.

“Miriam?” Daniel asked once more.

She shook her head, unable to meet his eyes. “I am so confused, Daniel,” she whispered. “I have come to care for you so much in such a short time, it confuses me.”

He smiled and turned to face her fully. “If it makes you feel any better, you confuse me, too.”

“Do I?” Miriam was both surprised and pleased by his confession.

“Oh, yes.” He returned his mount’s reins to the railing and reached out to cup her cheek with one palm. “I think I may be falling in love with you, Miriam.”

Miriam closed her eyes tightly and shook her head.

“I cannot…”

“Shhh,” he said, silencing her words with a gentle touch. “You do not need to say the words back to me.”

She looked into his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. “I want to say the words to you, Daniel, but I…”

Daniel smiled and took her face tenderly with both hands. “Then let us start here,” he murmured, lowering his lips to hers.

He paused a breath away, and it was Miriam who closed the final distance between them. It was a chaste kiss, but Miriam felt it to her toes, and her heart melted. When they parted, both were short of breath, and Miriam licked her lips, tasting him.

“Goodnight, Miriam,” he said softly, caressing her cheek one last time before he turned to mount his horse. He looked down on her for a long moment then smiled. “You will dream of me tonight.”

Miriam snorted softly at his understatement. “As you will dream of me.”

Daniel grinned, urging his horse to step back. “Oh, yes.”

Miriam managed a frustrated laugh as he pulled his horse around and set off toward the trail leading to the Miller farm. He whirled back around once, and when he saw her still standing there, he grinned and waved before turning away once more.

Miriam hugged herself tightly as she watched him ride away. She could still taste him on her lips and felt her heart break.

“Oh, Jacob,” she whispered. “Did you ask God to send him to me?”

When she lost track of him in the growing gloom of dusk, she turned back to the house, praying it was so.

Chapter Eight

S
eptember turned into October, the change of calendar bringing the end of the harvest and the fall Communion service. Sunday’s service had been to meet at the Fishers’, as the rotation of the service location between families came around to their home for the first time this year. It had been quite crowded, as usual, but there had been plenty of food at the dinner following the service, and everyone had gone home satisfied, both physically and spiritually.

Only the family—Fishers and Millers—remained, the adults gathered in the parlor, and the children playing together upstairs over the kitchen, with the older ones keeping an eye on the younger ones. Among the adults, there was little conversation, as one of the first fires of the year crackled cheerfully in the big fireplace, leaving most content to simply relax in each other’s company, though some of the women knitted or crocheted to pass the time.

“Only two weeks to go,” Naomi said, leaning against Seth with a sigh.

“Yes, only two weeks, and you can announce your intentions to marry to the whole world,” Ruth said, her eyes sparkling as she looked up from the baby blanket she was crocheting.

“As though the entire world had not already guessed your intentions,” Adam teased.

“And were we any better?” his wife, Hadessah asked, eyeing him over her reading glasses which helped her to see the fine thread of her needlepoint.

“Do not answer that question, brother,” Benjamin warned. “There is no right answer to such a question.”

Everyone chuckled good-naturedly and with not a little empathy. The Old Amish tradition was to have all weddings sometime after the harvest and before Christmas, which made November and December very busy months. That most were not even announced until the Sunday service following fall Communion left many couples extremely impatient to get on with their lives together, and it was no different for Seth and Naomi.

“You will survive the wait, little brother,” Saul said. “All of us did.”

Miriam glanced toward Daniel but could not tell what he was thinking. Neither Fisher nor Miller, he was nevertheless welcome in this company because of his close ties to Seth and her father, but if this conversation was difficult for her, it must be even more so for him.
What must it be like to be so alone?
she wondered. When Daniel slipped out a moment later, Miriam did not hesitate but made to follow, praying none of her brothers would attempt to interfere.

A cold draft in the front hall told her Daniel had gone straight out the front door. She pulled her heavy black cape from its peg and wrapped it around herself as she stepped outside. October had brought colder temperatures,and overcast skies made it dark and cold already, though it was early evening. Afraid of what Daniel would do, she headed straight for the barn where the horses of their guests were waiting to take their people home. Miriam stepped inside, and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw Daniel saddling his horse.

“Daniel, no! Please!” she said, uncertain whether he would listen to her.

He paused and leaned his head against his horse.

“I cannot do this anymore, Miriam.”

“Do what?” she asked, encouraged that he was willing to listen to her, though she feared his response.

“Keep my distance.” He refused to look at her. “I thought it would be easier, once school started, because Ezra would not spend as much time at the stables, but it has not really helped at all. Your families are simply too close, too intertwined.”

“Daniel…”

“I love you Miriam, and I can no longer pretend that I do not.”

Miriam shook her head. “I do not want you to pretend, Daniel. I love you, too.”

His head snapped up, and she could see him struggling to see her clearly.

“Do you mean it?” he whispered, as though afraid to believe.

“Yes. With all my heart.”

He let out a huff of breath and stepped toward her, but she held her hand out to prevent him from touching her.

“There is something you need to know.”

“Tell me,” he said impatiently.

Miriam took a very deep breath and forced herself to meet his eyes in the dim light. “I am with child, Daniel.”

He looked stunned at first, but his shock quickly turned to wonder. “A babe?”

She nodded, still unable in the dim light to tell what secrets his face concealed.

Before Miriam could say another word, Daniel stepped close and enfolded her in his arms.

“Miriam,” he murmured.

Miriam hugged him back with all her strength, and she could feel him trembling as much as she. “Please do not leave me, too,” she whispered. “I could not stand it.”

He pulled back then, and framed her face with his hands. “Then marry me, Miriam. Now. Please do not make me wait until next year. Let us announce our intentions at the next meeting, alongside Naomi and Seth. I love you, Miriam. I love your children.” He stared at her in wonder, brushing a stray curl back from her face. “I also love the babe you carry. Please love me enough to let me be the father of your children.”

“Oh, Daniel…!”

She pulled him close and his lips met hers. Their kiss deepened, and Miriam felt the whole world fall away. This man who had appeared in her life only a few short months before was her life, now. He loved her. He wanted to be the father of her children, of her unborn baby.

“Let her go!”

The sharp command echoed through the barn, causing the horses to stir restlessly.

Miriam jumped back, glancing over her shoulder but retaining her hold on Daniel’s arms.

“Caleb!”

“I said let her go!”

“Caleb, no!”

Miriam whirled to keep herself between the two men, though she felt Daniel’s grasp on her arms and knew he would push her behind him, if Caleb came too close.

“We trusted you!” Caleb snarled, glaring at Daniel in the dim light. “And now this!”

“Caleb, please!” Miriam pleaded. “You do not understand.”

“I said let her go!”

Caleb would have pulled her away, but Daniel blocked him.

“Leave her alone, Daniel commanded, ensuring that Miriam remained beyond Caleb’s reach.

Caleb glared at Daniel, fury evident in his gaze. “How dare you?”

Daniel took a step back from Caleb and extended his hand in an attempt to calm the man down. “Caleb, you have walked in on a private moment. This is between Miriam and me, and is none of your concern.”

“As my brother’s widow, Miriam is my sister, and I have every right and every intention to protect her!”

“Stop it! Both of you!” Miriam cried.

“She was my sister before she was yours, Caleb,” said another voice out of the darkness.

“Abram?” Miriam’s head was swimming.

“So why don’t you do something to stop this man?” Caleb snarled.

Abram’s voice was calm and even in the darkness. “Because I trust him.”

“How can you after finding them like this!”

“Because I trust her, too.”

Caleb threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “Then you are a fool!”

“I allowed her to marry Jacob, Caleb. Are you now going to question my judgment where my sister is concerned?”

Caleb glowered at Abram, and Miriam held her breath. Then the moment passed and Caleb let out a great huff of breath.

“No,” he said softly. “No, I am not. But Abram…”

“Daniel is a good man, Caleb,” Miriam said, breaking in, her voice calm once more, “and he loves me. He loves my children. He loves the child I am carrying.”