act like Jesse committed a sin for wanting you as his frau .”
“I do not,” Emma said out loud. And yet it was true. She knew it was true.
Katie’s voice came again in Emma’s mind, stronger this time, only it wasn’t Katie any longer, it was as if Ezra was speaking.
“You could have more. Jesse Mast is offering you a whole lot more. You could be a mamm to more children who need you. You’re not that old. You might even have another baby in the house, not to mention the five children Jesse already has.”
Emma caught her breath. She wasn’t dreaming, not hearing things. Katie had said those very words not that long ago. But now she could hear Ezra saying them. And yah , he would say them.
Had she been wrong then? Would Ezra approve of Katie’s plans tonight? Not likely, but then neither would Ezra approve of what she had become.
Emma sat on the basement steps and covered her face with her hands.
Chapter Fourteen
Jesse brought his horse to a stop near the barn after driving home from Emma’s place in a great rush. As he climbed out of the buggy, he saw Mabel running toward him. Her face had a worried look.
“Is something wrong?” he asked as she approached and gasped for breath.
“Joel is still not off to school,” Mabel said. She paused to catch another breath. “He wouldn’t put on a clean pair of pants, and I wouldn’t let him go wearing his dirty ones from yesterday.”
“Oh my…” Jesse allowed a smile to spread over his face. “Are you sure they were really that dirty?” This wasn’t as bad as he feared. But then Mabel was that way sometimes—easily overwrought.
“ Daett! ” Mabel protested. “They had grass stains all over them. Joel doesn’t know how to stay clean when he plays prisoner’s base with his friends. I couldn’t let him go out of the house looking like that.”
“Okay, okay.” Jesse tied Lucy to the hitching post. “Let’s go into the house. I’ll talk to him. But tell me what happened. Joel seemed ready to leave for school when I saw him at breakfast.”
“That’s because he only acts stubborn when I’m alone with him,” Mabel said. “Now there’s going to be a scene at school when he arrives late. Can Joel stay home today? That would be better than Ruth thinking I can’t take care of him.”
“Now, now…” Jesse placed his hand on Mabel’s shoulder. “It’s not right that you make all these decisions on your own. You’re still young yourself without having to take care of your brothers and sisters like Mamm would.”
“Don’t pity me, Daett ,” Mabel said. “Just whip Joel’s behind gut , and perhaps he’ll listen the next time I tell him what to wear.”
Jesse almost laughed but held back. The vengeance in Mabel’s voice wasn’t gut . And it really wasn’t funny, he supposed. Mabel was right. He too had noticed that Joel only acted up under her authority. The boy knew weakness when he saw it—as most children his age did. What Joel needed was a mamm —and rather quickly from the looks of things. Maybe the boy also needed a couple whacks on the behind. If nothing else, it would alleviate Mabel’s despair.
When they walked into the house, Joel was sitting on the couch kicking his feet. Mabel marched up and glared at him. “See, Daett ? Aren’t those awfully dirty pants? They aren’t fit for barn work, let alone for school.”
“They’re not that dirty!” Joel protested. “They’re nice and clean.”
“You should listen to your sister,” Jesse said. “Especially when I’m not around. Mabel knows much more about clean clothes than you do. Now get up to your room and change. I’ll be taking you to school when you’re ready.”
Joel hung his head and marched upstairs, obviously unhappy over this outcome.
His pants were dirty, Jesse noted, but he had to admit that he wouldn’t have noticed or cared if Mabel hadn’t pointed it out.
“You should have smacked his backside gut ,” Mabel muttered at Joel’s
“I do not,” Emma said out loud. And yet it was true. She knew it was true.
Katie’s voice came again in Emma’s mind, stronger this time, only it wasn’t Katie any longer, it was as if Ezra was speaking.
“You could have more. Jesse Mast is offering you a whole lot more. You could be a mamm to more children who need you. You’re not that old. You might even have another baby in the house, not to mention the five children Jesse already has.”
Emma caught her breath. She wasn’t dreaming, not hearing things. Katie had said those very words not that long ago. But now she could hear Ezra saying them. And yah , he would say them.
Had she been wrong then? Would Ezra approve of Katie’s plans tonight? Not likely, but then neither would Ezra approve of what she had become.
Emma sat on the basement steps and covered her face with her hands.
Chapter Fourteen
Jesse brought his horse to a stop near the barn after driving home from Emma’s place in a great rush. As he climbed out of the buggy, he saw Mabel running toward him. Her face had a worried look.
“Is something wrong?” he asked as she approached and gasped for breath.
“Joel is still not off to school,” Mabel said. She paused to catch another breath. “He wouldn’t put on a clean pair of pants, and I wouldn’t let him go wearing his dirty ones from yesterday.”
“Oh my…” Jesse allowed a smile to spread over his face. “Are you sure they were really that dirty?” This wasn’t as bad as he feared. But then Mabel was that way sometimes—easily overwrought.
“ Daett! ” Mabel protested. “They had grass stains all over them. Joel doesn’t know how to stay clean when he plays prisoner’s base with his friends. I couldn’t let him go out of the house looking like that.”
“Okay, okay.” Jesse tied Lucy to the hitching post. “Let’s go into the house. I’ll talk to him. But tell me what happened. Joel seemed ready to leave for school when I saw him at breakfast.”
“That’s because he only acts stubborn when I’m alone with him,” Mabel said. “Now there’s going to be a scene at school when he arrives late. Can Joel stay home today? That would be better than Ruth thinking I can’t take care of him.”
“Now, now…” Jesse placed his hand on Mabel’s shoulder. “It’s not right that you make all these decisions on your own. You’re still young yourself without having to take care of your brothers and sisters like Mamm would.”
“Don’t pity me, Daett ,” Mabel said. “Just whip Joel’s behind gut , and perhaps he’ll listen the next time I tell him what to wear.”
Jesse almost laughed but held back. The vengeance in Mabel’s voice wasn’t gut . And it really wasn’t funny, he supposed. Mabel was right. He too had noticed that Joel only acted up under her authority. The boy knew weakness when he saw it—as most children his age did. What Joel needed was a mamm —and rather quickly from the looks of things. Maybe the boy also needed a couple whacks on the behind. If nothing else, it would alleviate Mabel’s despair.
When they walked into the house, Joel was sitting on the couch kicking his feet. Mabel marched up and glared at him. “See, Daett ? Aren’t those awfully dirty pants? They aren’t fit for barn work, let alone for school.”
“They’re not that dirty!” Joel protested. “They’re nice and clean.”
“You should listen to your sister,” Jesse said. “Especially when I’m not around. Mabel knows much more about clean clothes than you do. Now get up to your room and change. I’ll be taking you to school when you’re ready.”
Joel hung his head and marched upstairs, obviously unhappy over this outcome.
His pants were dirty, Jesse noted, but he had to admit that he wouldn’t have noticed or cared if Mabel hadn’t pointed it out.
“You should have smacked his backside gut ,” Mabel muttered at Joel’s
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