Hope Chest by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page B

in a daze, and Rachel’s heart went out to him. She had to tell him the rest. He had the right to know. Besides, if he didn’t hear it from her, he was bound to find out sooner or later. News like this traveled fast, especially when an Amish church member left the faith to become English.
    “Anna married Reuben. They’re leaving the church, and—”
    “Reuben Yutzy and my Anna?”
    Rachel nodded. The motion was all she could manage given the circumstances. Even in the darkness, she could see the pained expression on Silas’s face.
    “This can’t be. It just can’t be,” he muttered.
    They stood staring at each other as crickets creaked and the cornstalks in the field beside her house rustled in the night air. Rachel’s shoulders rose and fell, as she struggled not to cry. If only she had the power to turn back the hands of time and make everything right. If she could just think of a way to make her sister come home. But what good would that do? Anna was already married to Reuben, and nothing Rachel could say or do would change that fact.
    Silas began to pace. “I knew Reuben was dissatisfied with our way of life. I also knew he was hanging around some English fellows who seemed intent on leading him astray.” He stopped, turned, and slowly shook his head. “But I had no idea Anna was in on it, too. I thought I knew her better than that.”
    Rachel trembled. She didn’t know if her shivering was from the cool grass tickling her bare feet or if it stemmed from the anger she felt rising in her soul. There was only one thing she was certain of—Silas was trying to lay the blame on her sister’s shoulders.
    “Anna wasn’t in on this. She became part of it because she loves Reuben and wanted to be with him.”
    “Did she tell you that?”
    “Not in so many words, but she did say she and Reuben have been secretly seeing each other and that they’re in love. She made it clear that her place is with him.”
    Silas grunted. “She probably influenced him to make the break. Anna always has been a bit of a rebel.”
    Rachel’s heart thumped so hard she feared it might burst wide open. How dare Silas speak of her sister that way! She gasped for breath, grateful for the cool night air to help clear her head. “Anna might have a mind of her own, but she’s not the kind of person who would try to sway someone else to leave the church. I know for a fact that it was Reuben who wanted to go English, and I believe Anna loves him so much that she couldn’t say no.”
***
    Silas drew in a deep breath, trying to get control of his emotions. It seemed his whole world was falling apart, but he knew he had no right to blame Anna for it. He’d just talked to Reuben a few days ago, and his friend had made it clear that he wanted many of the things the world had to offer. He was working for an English man, had bought a fancy red truck, and had even told Silas that he wasn’t happy being Amish anymore. Truth be told, Silas had halfway expected Reuben to leave the faith. What he hadn’t expected was that Anna would be leaving, too—especially not as Reuben’s wife.
    “If I had it in my power to make things turn out differently, I surely would,” Rachel said, breaking into Silas’s troubling thoughts.
    When he looked down at her, he noticed that her chin quivered like a leaf caught in a breeze. For one brief moment, Silas was tempted to take Rachel into his arms and offer comforting words. Trouble was, he had no words of comfort ... for Rachel or himself. All he felt was anger and betrayal. His friend had taken his girl away, and Anna had led him on all these years. How could he come to grips with that knowledge and not feel bitter?
    Silas dipped his head in apology. “I’m sorry for snapping at you, Rachel. I know none of this is your fault. It’s just such a shock to find out you’ve lost not one, but two special friends in the same day.” He sniffed. “This had to be going on between Reuben and Anna for some time,