flicked the second match over the board with a lighter touch. The match flared, and when she turned the knob on the lamp and held the match to it, it caught the gas fumes with a pop. Ella hung the lantern on a nail as light flooded the barn.
Moonbeam had his head out of his stall, blinking slowly, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“No, we’re not going anywhere,” Ella said. “I’m only out here to think for a few minutes.”
In the other stalls, Joe’s two horses kept their heads inside, but one snorted and kicked against the wall.
Ella checked to see if the horse was okay. He bobbed his head in the light and shook himself. She carried the lantern to the furthest end of the barn and hung her shawl in front of it. Here the straw was stacked high to the ceiling with a few bales scattered around. Ella pulled two of them together. She could stretch out here, perhaps spend the night with the horses. Already she felt much better. Let it snow outside, she would rest here for a while. The girls would be okay. And Old Christmas wasn’t far away, a night much like this, when the Christ child was born in a manger among the animals. So if Christ was born in a barn, surely it was okay for her to spend time here.
Ella let the peacefulness sweep over her. There were stories among her people of beasts that spoke on the Holy Night. Not that anyone ever heard them, but Ella lay back on the straw bales and thought of the stories from her childhood. They were easy to believe when sitting on straw bales in the middle of a snowstorm surrounded by lantern light shaded by a shawl.
“Can you talk on the Holy Night?” she asked Moonbeam. He turned to look at her, jerking his head up and down.
Ella laughed. “I meant a little more than that.”
He jerked his head again.
“You horses have it easy. You don’t have to worry about falling in love. You have no bad boys who steal your heart. Of course, Aden wasn’t bad…not like this Englisha man.
“There, I said it! Now someone knows, at least, even if it is just you, Moonbeam. And it makes me feel a little better. Oh, I know I’ll never see him again, but still I’ll feel like my heart betrayed me. But of course you don’t know anything about that. You’re just a horse.”
Just then a horrible thought gripped her, bringing her upright on the straw bale. Was it possible? Would the young Bishop Miller actually do such a thing? He could if he wanted to, and her blood ran cold at the thought. So her nightmare with the bishop might not be over with after all. Was the bishop really that kind of man? It was possible, wasn’t it? As soon as Robert mentioned to the bishop where he had come from—a few more questions would pull all the information the bishop needed. Robert would tell him that Ivan had asked her hand in marriage. Robert wouldn’t know enough not to give the information. Oh why did she tell him? Stupid! she thought.
She could see it all now, as clear as day. As soon as Robert mentioned his admiration for Ella and gave the bishop the same speech about joining the Amish that he had given her, the bishop would play along. Perhaps even encourage Robert, telling him the steps he needed to take, even take him under his wing for a few weeks. And in the bishop’s care, the other ministers would allow Robert to stay. All the time, of course, Robert could be used by the bishop to come between her and Ivan. How Bishop Miller would do it, Ella wasn’t certain, but it was possible. The man would set about his job with great glee. And he certainly understood women, didn’t he?
With great indignation she rose to her feet, brushing the straw off her coat and taking the gas lantern back to the stall where it belonged. Setting the lantern carefully where it had been, Ella brushed the dust of her fingerprints from the top of the board. This night visit to the barn would stay between her and Moonbeam. The young bishop and whatever scheme he cooked up would not take her away from
Moonbeam had his head out of his stall, blinking slowly, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“No, we’re not going anywhere,” Ella said. “I’m only out here to think for a few minutes.”
In the other stalls, Joe’s two horses kept their heads inside, but one snorted and kicked against the wall.
Ella checked to see if the horse was okay. He bobbed his head in the light and shook himself. She carried the lantern to the furthest end of the barn and hung her shawl in front of it. Here the straw was stacked high to the ceiling with a few bales scattered around. Ella pulled two of them together. She could stretch out here, perhaps spend the night with the horses. Already she felt much better. Let it snow outside, she would rest here for a while. The girls would be okay. And Old Christmas wasn’t far away, a night much like this, when the Christ child was born in a manger among the animals. So if Christ was born in a barn, surely it was okay for her to spend time here.
Ella let the peacefulness sweep over her. There were stories among her people of beasts that spoke on the Holy Night. Not that anyone ever heard them, but Ella lay back on the straw bales and thought of the stories from her childhood. They were easy to believe when sitting on straw bales in the middle of a snowstorm surrounded by lantern light shaded by a shawl.
“Can you talk on the Holy Night?” she asked Moonbeam. He turned to look at her, jerking his head up and down.
Ella laughed. “I meant a little more than that.”
He jerked his head again.
“You horses have it easy. You don’t have to worry about falling in love. You have no bad boys who steal your heart. Of course, Aden wasn’t bad…not like this Englisha man.
“There, I said it! Now someone knows, at least, even if it is just you, Moonbeam. And it makes me feel a little better. Oh, I know I’ll never see him again, but still I’ll feel like my heart betrayed me. But of course you don’t know anything about that. You’re just a horse.”
Just then a horrible thought gripped her, bringing her upright on the straw bale. Was it possible? Would the young Bishop Miller actually do such a thing? He could if he wanted to, and her blood ran cold at the thought. So her nightmare with the bishop might not be over with after all. Was the bishop really that kind of man? It was possible, wasn’t it? As soon as Robert mentioned to the bishop where he had come from—a few more questions would pull all the information the bishop needed. Robert would tell him that Ivan had asked her hand in marriage. Robert wouldn’t know enough not to give the information. Oh why did she tell him? Stupid! she thought.
She could see it all now, as clear as day. As soon as Robert mentioned his admiration for Ella and gave the bishop the same speech about joining the Amish that he had given her, the bishop would play along. Perhaps even encourage Robert, telling him the steps he needed to take, even take him under his wing for a few weeks. And in the bishop’s care, the other ministers would allow Robert to stay. All the time, of course, Robert could be used by the bishop to come between her and Ivan. How Bishop Miller would do it, Ella wasn’t certain, but it was possible. The man would set about his job with great glee. And he certainly understood women, didn’t he?
With great indignation she rose to her feet, brushing the straw off her coat and taking the gas lantern back to the stall where it belonged. Setting the lantern carefully where it had been, Ella brushed the dust of her fingerprints from the top of the board. This night visit to the barn would stay between her and Moonbeam. The young bishop and whatever scheme he cooked up would not take her away from
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