A Sister's Secret (34 page)

“Since this is an off-Sunday from church, I thought it would be a good chance to drop over and say hello to the folks.” Cleon removed his hat and fanned his face with the brim. “Wanted to speak with you about something, too.”

“What’s that?”

“Why don’t you come down here, and we can talk about it. It’s kind of hard to carry on a conversation when you have to yell.”

“You’ve got a point.” Ivan crawled out of the hay and scrambled down the ladder. When his feet hit the bottom, he shook like a dog, sending pieces of hay flying.

“Hey, watch it!” Cleon jumped back, but not before a couple of stubbles landed on his shirt. He flicked them off and sat on a nearby bale of straw.

“What’d ya want to talk to me about?” Ivan asked as he plunked down on the bale next to Cleon’s.

“Bees and honey.”

Ivan reached up to pick a chunk of hay out of his hair. “What about bees and honey?”

Cleon pulled out a length of straw and chewed on the end of it as he contemplated the best way to ask his question. “I’m wanting to start up my bee business again, and as you know, I don’t have enough cash yet to buy more bees, boxes, and the supplies I’ll need.”

Ivan nodded. “I still feel bad about you losin’ ’em that way.”

“I’m making pretty good money working for Roman, but it’s gonna be a while before I have enough saved up to start the business again.” Cleon reached up to rub his bearded chin. “The thing is, I read an ad in
The Budget
the other day from someone in Pennsylvania who’s selling off his beekeeping supplies. So I was wondering if you might be able to loan me enough money to get a start on things. Or maybe you’d like to go halves on the business with me this time around.”

Ivan’s dark eyebrows drew together. “I do have some money laid aside, but I was plannin’ to use it to buy a new buggy horse.”

“What’s wrong with the one you’ve got now?”

“Nothing, really. He’s just gettin’ kind of old and isn’t as fast I’d like him to be.”

“Ah, I see.”

Ivan stroked his clean-shaven chin. “Guess buyin’ a new buggy horse can wait awhile, though.” He nodded at Cleon. “Don’t really want to be your business partner, but I’m willing to loan you whatever you need.”

Cleon sighed with relief. If he could get his bee business going again, he’d be earning money from that as well as from working for Roman. Then he not only could pay Ivan back what he’d borrowed, but he’d have enough to pay Roman back for all the lumber and other supplies he’d bought in order to finish Cleon’s house. Besides, working with the bees again would give him a good excuse to be away from home when he wasn’t at work in Roman’s shop. He thumped his brother on the back. “I appreciate the loan, and if Roman doesn’t mind me missing a few days’ work, I’ll head out soon and see about buying what I need.”

***

Martha led the way for Ruth and Anna as they tromped through the woods. Birds warbled from the trees overhead, insects buzzed noisily, and leaves rustled in the breeze. It had turned into such a warm day, but being in the shaded forest made it seem much cooler.

“Should we play hide-and-seek?” Ruth suggested, remembering how the childhood game had always made her laugh whenever she’d felt melancholy.

“That’s a good idea.” Martha halted and turned around. “I’ll close my eyes and count to one hundred while you two hide. Then the first one I find has to hide her eyes next time around.”

Anna looked up at Ruth with a hesitant expression. “What happens if I get lost?”

Ruth bent to give Anna a hug. “You won’t get lost, because the two of us will be staying close together.”

Martha leaned into the nearest tree and closed her eyes. “One ... two ... three ... four...”

Ruth grabbed Anna’s hand and dashed away in search of a good hiding place. They halted behind a clump of bushes, and Ruth motioned Anna to get down. “Be real quiet. Martha won’t find us so easily if she can’t hear us.”

Anna giggled and covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. Ruth crouched behind her. If Martha found them, she would spot Ruth first. Then Ruth would have to count to one hundred while Martha took Anna off to look for a place to hide. If they kept going like that, Anna would never have to be the one to go looking, and they would know she was safe and couldn’t get lost in the woods.

“One hundred!” she heard Martha shout. “You’d better have found a really good hiding place, because here I come!”

Ruth held her breath and squeezed Anna’s hand. This reminded her of when she was little, and she and her sisters had run through the woods behind their home playing hide-and-seek. So many times she’d been caught because she’d given herself away by making too much noise. She was determined that wouldn’t happen now.

“Anna? Ruth? Where are you?” Martha’s voice sounded farther and farther away, and Ruth figured they were safe—at least for the moment. She relaxed a bit and was about to whisper something in Anna’s ear, when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She whirled around. Martin Gingerich was staring at her.

“What are you doing down there?” he asked with a crooked grin. “Looking for bugs, are you?”

Anna giggled, and Ruth snickered as she put her finger to her lips. “We’re hiding from Martha.”

He tipped his head and looked at her as if she’d taken leave of her senses. “Why would you be hiding from your sister?”

“We’re playin’ hide-and-seek,” Anna said before Ruth could respond. “Aunt Martha’s it, and if you’re not quiet, she’s gonna find us.”

Martin nodded and dropped to his knees beside them. “I won’t say another word.”

The three of them crouched there for several more minutes until Martha jumped out from behind a tree and hollered, “Found you!”

When she spotted Martin, she planted her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Now where on earth did you come from?”

“Came from home, same as you.” He winked at Anna and offered Ruth a heart-melting smile. In that moment, she realized how easily she could fall in love with this man. Martin was nothing like Luke. He was steady, polite, and attentive, not impetuous, flippant, or brash. She felt certain that Martin was trustworthy, which was more than could be said for Luke.

“I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m hungry as a mule,” Martha announced. “I say we head back to the pond and eat our picnic lunch.” She nodded at Martin. “We made plenty of food, so you’re welcome to join us if you like.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I left my brother waiting in the buggy where the road cuts by the pond. The only reason I came into the woods was because I heard you hollering and thought someone might be in trouble.” Martin turned and smiled at Ruth again. “Maybe some other time I can join you for a picnic.”

Her cheeks heated up. “That’d be nice.”

“See you later then,” Martin said and dashed away.

Martha nudged Ruth’s arm as they started back toward the pond. “I can tell he’s smitten with you.”

Ruth just kept her gaze straight ahead.

“What’s ‘smitten’?” Anna asked, looking up at Martha.

Martha chuckled. “It means he can’t take his eyes off my sister.”

“How come he wants his eyes on her?”

Martha’s laughter escalated, and Ruth joined in, too. She hadn’t felt this carefree since she was a little girl.

As they stepped out from the darkened trees and into the clearing where they’d left their food, Ruth gasped. “Our picnic basket—it’s gone!”

Chapter 39

“What in all the world?” Martha planted her hands on her hips and stared at the quilt where they’d left the picnic basket. “Where did our lunch run off to?”

Ruth squinted. “It sure couldn’t have walked off by itself.”

“Maybe some animal came along and took it,” Anna said, looking up at Martha with a frown.

“More than likely it was some human playing a trick on us,” Ruth said with a shake of her head.

“You don’t suppose Martin did this, do you?”

Ruth looked at Martha as if she’d gone daffy. “Martin?”

“He snuck up on you in the woods, so what’s to say he didn’t hide the picnic basket, too?”

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have done something like that.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do, that’s all.”

“You said you’re only beginning to know him, so I doubt you’d be able to tell what he’s capable of doing.”

Ruth’s eyebrows drew together. “It’s not like I just met Martin. I’ve known him since we were kinner.”

“We’ve known Luke that long, too, yet you seem to think he’s capable of doing all sorts of terrible things.”

Ruth motioned toward Anna, who had taken a seat on the quilt. “Let’s not argue about this, okay?”

Martha nodded. “You’re right. We should be looking for that picnic basket, not trying to figure out who took it.” She glanced around. “Which direction should we look first?”

Ruth shrugged. “Makes no difference to me. I’m getting hungry and I want to eat.”

“Me, too,” Anna said in a whiny voice.

“Then let’s get busy looking. We can start on this side of the pond, and if we don’t find it here, we’ll walk around to the other side.” Martha reached for the little girl’s hand, pulling her gently to her feet.

They broke through a clump of bushes, rounded the bend, and had only gone a short distance when Martha spotted the wicker basket sitting near a pile of men’s clothes not far from the water. “There it is!” she and Ruth shouted at the same time.

Martha dropped to her knees and opened the basket lid. Nothing remained except a bunch of empty wrappers and a half-full jug of lemonade. “This makes me so mad,” she muttered.

“Look there!” Ruth pointed to the pond. Several young English men floated in inner tubes. “I’ll bet they’re the ones who took our picnic basket.”

Martha shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun and squinted. “I think one of those fellows was with Luke when we saw him talking to some Englishers outside the market several months back. Do you remember?”

Ruth shrugged. “Can’t say for sure since they’re so far away, but they’re obviously the ones who took our food, so I think we should teach them a lesson.”

“What kind of lesson?”

“One that’s going to leave those fellows with some sore feet on their trip home and probably feeling pretty chilly if the wind picks up.” Ruth bent down, grabbed the shirts and shoes, and turned toward the woods.

Martha reached for Anna’s hand and followed. They stumbled through a tangle of bushes, past a grove of spindly trees, and went deeper into the forest. As Ruth scurried along, she hung the shoes and shirts on various branches, hiding some under shrubs and inside a hollow log. “That ought to teach them not to take what doesn’t belong to them.” Her forehead wrinkled as she shook her head. “If they’re the ones responsible for the terrible things that have happened at our place lately, then maybe this will make ’em think twice about that, too.”

Martha stood, too dumbfounded to say a word. This act of retaliation wasn’t like her normally placid sister. It wasn’t the Amish way, either, and it wasn’t a good example to be setting for Anna. “Do you think you should have done that, sister?”

Ruth folded her arms and gave one quick nod.

“If those English fellows are behind the break-ins and other things that have been done at our place, they may decide to do something worse in order to get even.”

Ruth shrugged. “Well, I’m not going to put their clothes back, but if you want to, I won’t stop you.”

Martha looked overhead at a black and white sneaker flopping in the breeze and shook her head. “I say we take our picnic basket and hightail it out of here before those fellows get out of the water.”

***

“Sure seems quiet around here with everyone gone for the day, doesn’t it?” Judith asked Roman, who sat in the wicker chair beside her on their front porch.

He nodded. “Jah. Quiet and peaceful.”

“I hope Anna has a good time with the girls.”

“I’m sure she will.”

“Haven’t seen anything of Grace or Cleon, so I’m hoping they’re enjoying their day together, too.” She reached for his hand. “I’m enjoying my time spent with you, as well, husband.”

He smiled. “Same here.”

“Things have been so crazy around here for the last couple of months. It’s nice to finally have some peace.”

“Let’s hope it stays peaceful.” Roman’s eyebrows drew together. “We still don’t know who’s responsible for the attacks, but I keep praying that whoever’s behind it will realize what they did was wrong and that it won’t happen again.”

Judith nodded. “I wish I knew why we seem to be the only ones under attack. It’s as if someone has deliberately singled us out.”

“I agree, and I’m fairly sure it’s someone who wants to get even with me.”

“You? But what could you have done that would make someone angry enough to do such horrible things to our property?”

Roman’s forehead wrinkled. “Let’s see now. Steven Bates could be trying to make me pay for ruining his wife’s birthday present. Or Luke could be getting even because I fired him.”