The Matchmaker (33 page)

W
HILE IN THE
midst of fixing the noon meal, Emma looked up at the noise, to see Gideon walk into the kitchen. He had taken to coming home in the middle of the day, eager to spend more time with his bride, before returning to his business for the afternoon. Henry had found the extra company at dinner to be a delight. He liked to discuss business matters with his son-in-law and offer the occasional word of fatherly advice. Emma had taken pleasure in being able to cook a bigger meal; it was more satisfying to cook for three than it was for just two, as it allowed her to experiment with some more elaborate recipes.

The hint of a beard cast a shadow on her husband’s cheeks and tickled her lips when she greeted him by returning his kiss. Her
daed
was upstairs, taking a short nap, so she welcomed his affection and smiled when he pulled back, his arms still wrapped around her.

“You are home early, then, husband,” she observed, her eyes flickering to the clock on the wall. “I didn’t expect you for another thirty minutes!”

“I couldn’t bear to stay away from you!” he teased as he
gently touched the tip of her nose. “And I have news! News that, I’m afraid, you might find rather shocking!”

Emma gasped. “Yet you smile! How shocking can it be?”

“Ja vell
, I find it delightful, but I do fear you will be rather irritated when you hear it,” he admitted dramatically, in his teasing way.

Her curiosity was piqued. “What a riddle you give me!” She couldn’t imagine what news would cause pleasure for her husband while causing her pain. The gleam in his eyes told her that, despite his words, she might not be vexed by it at all. “Do tell and don’t keep me in suspense, I beg of you!”

“Prepare yourself for the very worst news imaginable,” he said, trying to hide his delight.

“You tease! What could possibly bring you such joy while causing me so much misery?”

“There is but one subject, I believe,” he said cryptically.

“I can’t think of any subject!”

“Hannah,” he said, the name causing Emma to pause.

She had seen her friend only once since her marriage to Gideon and that was at worship. To Emma’s dismay, neither she nor Gladys accepted her invitation for joining the small gathering to play Scrabble and share coffee at the Weavers’
haus
afterward. This refusal caused Emma some distress, for she feared that, despite their talk at the wedding, Hannah was avoiding her. It didn’t matter that Gladys claimed she was not feeling well and Hannah insisted she had other plans. Her downcast eyes when she politely refused gave Emma pause to question the truth behind the statement.

Could she honestly have perceived herself so enamored with Gideon that their friendship was over? The thought pained Emma, but she also knew that there was nothing she could do about it. It was up to Hannah to recover and move
on, accepting the situation and being thankful no one else had been made privy to the intimate details that might otherwise cause them both great embarrassment.

“Do you know already, then?” he asked, made curious by Emma’s unusual silence.

“I have not seen her since worship,” she admitted carefully, worried that something dreadful might have happened to her friend.

“Ah, then I will be the one to tell you the horrible news,” he said, looking forlorn and gloomy, despite the fact that Emma suspected that his expression was entirely feigned. “I have had a visit this morning from Ralph Martin, you see. It does appear that he will be taking a
fraa
at last!”

Emma felt her heart flip-flop. “Oh, dear! How will Hannah react to this news! It is horrible.” She tried to pull away from Gideon, feeling the urge to pace the floor. She could only imagine what Hannah would feel when she heard. After all, this would be the third man who she had expressed interest in that married another. “That poor, poor Hannah. That would be the third time her heart is broken!”

Gideon laughed. “
Nee.
He is to wed your ‘poor, poor’ Hannah. It’s to be announced this Sunday at worship!”

Emma stared at him, amazed at his announcement. “Is this true?”

“It is, indeed!”

“Oh, my!” A hand fluttered to her chest and Emma relaxed. “Why, this is not horrible news! This is the best news ever, Gideon!” She looked up at him. “Tell me everything! Do you know how this has come about?”

“I didn’t question him, Emma,” he said reproachfully. “Although Ralph did mention seeing her at our wedding. I do believe that was the rekindling of the flame. I suspect that is
why she has not been around to visit, for he has apparently been visiting with her every evening.”

Emma was delighted with this news, if not discouraged by her husband’s lack of details. “Well, I shall have to get the longer story directly from Hannah, then!” she said, her mind already trying to figure out how to coordinate a visit with her friend as soon as possible.

For all of Emma’s happiness about the upcoming betrothal of her friend, Gideon seemed equally pleased with her response. “I see you have markedly changed your opinion about this matter since we first discussed it so long ago,” he remarked. “Or perhaps you merely lost your sense of smell?” he added, a smirk on his face.

“Ja
, I have. I mean . . .
nee
. Oh, Gideon, stop teasing!” she exclaimed, momentarily covering her face with her hands to hide the blush that covered her cheeks. “I was foolish, I reckon.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh,
ja
?”

“But,
mayhaps
, a little less so now,” she allowed herself to admit, which caused him to laugh as he embraced her.

“A little less, for sure and certain,” he chuckled.

With a new cheerfulness to her step, she moved about the kitchen while Gideon settled down at the table, the
Budget
newspaper now in his hands. The noise of the paper crinkling whenever he turned the pages comforted her. Occasionally, as she finished preparing the dinner meal, she glanced over her shoulder to watch him, a smile upon her lips and joy in her heart. Seeing Gideon seated at the far end of the table felt natural and caused her great happiness.

Returning to her work, she said a prayer of thanks to God for all of His blessings. It was not the first time that she had paused to reflect upon the power of God’s
will. Despite her previous naiveté in thinking she could help shape the future of others, she had learned so much. Now she was humbled in the knowledge that God had far greater plans for His people than a mere human could ever imagine. Even with her interferences, regardless of how good her intentions might have been, God’s plan would always prevail. All she had to do was have faith.

Outside the kitchen window, a gray-topped buggy pulled by a high-stepping brown horse could be heard, the noise of its heavy horseshoes clattering against the road. The gentle whirling of the buggy wheels grew louder as it passed the Weaver house. The sound reminded her of the voice of God, gentle at first, but, if ignored, becoming stronger and louder to draw the attention back toward Him.

It was a reminder that lingered in her soul, long after the sound finally disappeared from her ears.

Coming in 2015 From Sarah Price

Second Chances

Chapter One

A
NNA
E
ICHER SAT
in the old rocking chair by the wood-burning stove, quietly quilting as she listened to her father and her two sisters talk with Lydia Rothberger, an elderly woman from the
g’may
who had taken on the role of dispensing maternal wisdom ever since their mother passed away ten years ago. Lydia’s presence in the kitchen was always welcomed, even if she charged the air with a tight energy of propriety.

With each stitch that Anna pulled through the fabric, her dark eyes glanced up, just for a moment. No one noticed. They were too engrossed in their discussion, the three other women’s attention focusing on her father.

With a silent resolve Anna tried to concentrate on her work, knowing that the tiny stitches in the baby blanket she was making for her younger sister Mary was the only input she would make today. No one cared what
she
thought about the possibility of her father losing their small family farm anyway. The affront did not bother her. Indeed, she was just as happy to stay out of the heated discussion.

“What will people think? They will talk for weeks!
Mayhaps
months!” William said, his hands raised just slightly in the air. The deep wrinkles under his eyes spoke of sleepless
nights and hard decisions. He looked first at Elizabeth and then to Lydia. “You know that Amish grapevine. Gossiping and speculating, all of them.”

Anna bit her lower lip, too aware that the biggest contributor to that grapevine was her own father.

Elizabeth shook her head, equally as distraught. “There must be another way. Perhaps to hire young men to farm the fields.”

That suggestion invigorated William. A new look of optimism lifted the cloud of despair that had rested upon his face. With great hope in his eyes, he pointed at his oldest daughter while he glanced over at Lydia for her response. “
Ja
! That’s a right
gut
idea! Hire men to work the farm!”

“William,” Lydia said, leaning forward and gently touching his knee. The gesture was one of familiarity without intimacy.

Almost thirty years had passed since Lydia stood beside her best friend, Anne Hershberger, at an early November wedding. The two women had grown up together in Sugarcreek, Ohio, and it was only natural that Lydia be her attendant when Anne married William Eicher. Best friends from childhood, the two young women remained just as close when Anne moved to the small town of Charm, just ten miles away.

Since that time, Lydia Rothberger’s presence in the Eicher family had been constant: through births, deaths, baptisms, and one marriage. Her sensibility guided the daughters and, on occasion, their father. “It’s time to consider alternatives. You simply cannot maintain it, William, and you have spent your savings. There is no money left to hire young men.” She hesitated, glancing at Anna with a sympathetic look in her eyes. “Nor to even make it through the winter, I fear. You might consider selling it to live off the proceeds.”

He stood up and began pacing the room, twisting his hands in front of him. “This
haus
has been in the family for generations!” His feet shuffled across the perfectly waxed and shiny linoleum floor. Anna worked hard to ensure that it was never dull or filmy. “Who would buy it?” He shook his head and continued pacing. “People will say I cannot provide for my family! Humiliating!” With stooped shoulders and glazed eyes, he paused to consider this thought. “
Nee
! Disastrous!”

“Scandalous, indeed!” Elizabeth added.

Anna looked up and studied her older sister. Ever since their mother died, Elizabeth had assumed the position of the female head of the house, helping their father make decisions. But it was Lydia who provided a maternal presence, at least to Anna. On most occasions Elizabeth deferred to Lydia. However, if Lydia was not around, there was simply no reasoning with father and eldest daughter. They seemed to agree on anything and everything as long as it maintained their image within the community. And that left out Anna.

As for Mary . . .

Anna looked at her other
schwester
. She was the prettiest of the three and, being married, the only one who wore a white prayer
kapp
at worship service. Her waist, while not quite as thick as Elizabeth’s, still showed the extra weight that went with bearing children, although Anna wondered if she might be expecting another baby already.

Unlike Elizabeth who worried more about the conjecture of others in regard to the family reputation, Mary’s concerns were about having to support her destitute father and sisters. “If you sold your house, where would you live?” She lifted her head and stared first at her father and then at Elizabeth. Anna offered a meek, “We could stay with you, Mary.”