dislike. He didn’t have to pretend that he liked her or that he was glad to see her. If only he would lean down and whisper that Friedrich was waiting someplace private for their reunion. Waiting to surprise her.
Her heart tangled in the chaos of her mind.
“Who is that man?” Matthias quizzed, his voice an eerie calm.
She glanced behind her and saw Mr. Faust beside his horse, watching her. A small group of people was still greeting those in the last wagons with stiff hugs and warm smiles. The others had gone into the kitchen house for their meal.
“Our wagon master.”
“You were awfully friendly with him.”
Anger welled up inside her. How dare he insinuate she’d been the least bit unfaithful to Friedrich? She kept her chin high in the air. It didn’t matter what Matthias thought or said. She didn’t have to answer to him.
“Where is Friedrich?” she demanded.
“Amalie—” He tried to prod her forward, away from the crowd, but she didn’t move. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye.
“Has he changed his mind about our marriage?”
Matthias shook his head, and her shoulders fell a notch. “Then where is he, Matthias?”
He pointed her to a dirt road, off the main street, but she didn’t want to skulk away with him. She wanted answers.
“Where is—” she started again, but her voice trailed off. “What happened to him?”
When he still didn’t answer, a shadow crossed over her mind and filled her with dread. For a moment, she was back in the wagon, pleading with Karoline to wake up. She’d almost lost her friend on the trail, but she hadn’t thought once about the possibility of losing Friedrich. He was too young and much too spirited to pass into eternity.
The ground felt like it tilted under her, and she reached out for the side of the wagon to steady herself.
“Is Friedrich ill?”
When Matthias took her arm again, she allowed him to guide her away from the chaos of the crowd. With every step, her feet ached, and the pain surprised her. She’d been so excited to arrive that she hadn’t even felt the blisters on her heels in a week. Now the pain rushed back to her, and she felt tired and much older than her twenty-four years.
On the other side of a long sandstone building, away from the throng of people, Matthias released her elbow. She stepped away from him.
“He’s left us,” Matthias said simply.
Amalie looked into Matthias’s dark eyes flecked with yellow, and she saw the hurt in them. And she felt his pain before she could even begin to process how she felt, before she even understood what happened.
Some people had left the Community of True Inspiration over the years, but most members remained their entire life. She couldn’t imagine any of the Vinzenz family leaving the community, especially not Friedrich.
Her voice trembled in spite of her intent to control it. “Tell me where he went, Matthias.”
He shifted on his feet, his words low. “He went off to war.”
“What?”
“He left the Society to fight in the war.”
Left the Society. War.
She tried to fit the words together, but she couldn’t seem to comprehend what he was saying.
“Where did he go?” she asked again, as if this time her question might change the answer.
“Friedrich joined the Union army.”
She fell back against a tree.
“Amalie?” Matthias said, both hands in front of him as if he could capture her if she toppled.
She pushed his hands away. She didn’t want him to touch her. “When did he leave?”
His lips moved, but no words came out.
She stood up, willing her strength to come from within her and support her body. “When, Matthias?”
“Three weeks ago.”
Several people walked around the corner, but their faces were a blur to her. She didn’t care if they were watching her or what they thought. She had every right to her anger, to ask whatever questions she wanted.
She’d spent the past five weeks trekking across the rugged trails of this country.
Her heart tangled in the chaos of her mind.
“Who is that man?” Matthias quizzed, his voice an eerie calm.
She glanced behind her and saw Mr. Faust beside his horse, watching her. A small group of people was still greeting those in the last wagons with stiff hugs and warm smiles. The others had gone into the kitchen house for their meal.
“Our wagon master.”
“You were awfully friendly with him.”
Anger welled up inside her. How dare he insinuate she’d been the least bit unfaithful to Friedrich? She kept her chin high in the air. It didn’t matter what Matthias thought or said. She didn’t have to answer to him.
“Where is Friedrich?” she demanded.
“Amalie—” He tried to prod her forward, away from the crowd, but she didn’t move. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye.
“Has he changed his mind about our marriage?”
Matthias shook his head, and her shoulders fell a notch. “Then where is he, Matthias?”
He pointed her to a dirt road, off the main street, but she didn’t want to skulk away with him. She wanted answers.
“Where is—” she started again, but her voice trailed off. “What happened to him?”
When he still didn’t answer, a shadow crossed over her mind and filled her with dread. For a moment, she was back in the wagon, pleading with Karoline to wake up. She’d almost lost her friend on the trail, but she hadn’t thought once about the possibility of losing Friedrich. He was too young and much too spirited to pass into eternity.
The ground felt like it tilted under her, and she reached out for the side of the wagon to steady herself.
“Is Friedrich ill?”
When Matthias took her arm again, she allowed him to guide her away from the chaos of the crowd. With every step, her feet ached, and the pain surprised her. She’d been so excited to arrive that she hadn’t even felt the blisters on her heels in a week. Now the pain rushed back to her, and she felt tired and much older than her twenty-four years.
On the other side of a long sandstone building, away from the throng of people, Matthias released her elbow. She stepped away from him.
“He’s left us,” Matthias said simply.
Amalie looked into Matthias’s dark eyes flecked with yellow, and she saw the hurt in them. And she felt his pain before she could even begin to process how she felt, before she even understood what happened.
Some people had left the Community of True Inspiration over the years, but most members remained their entire life. She couldn’t imagine any of the Vinzenz family leaving the community, especially not Friedrich.
Her voice trembled in spite of her intent to control it. “Tell me where he went, Matthias.”
He shifted on his feet, his words low. “He went off to war.”
“What?”
“He left the Society to fight in the war.”
Left the Society. War.
She tried to fit the words together, but she couldn’t seem to comprehend what he was saying.
“Where did he go?” she asked again, as if this time her question might change the answer.
“Friedrich joined the Union army.”
She fell back against a tree.
“Amalie?” Matthias said, both hands in front of him as if he could capture her if she toppled.
She pushed his hands away. She didn’t want him to touch her. “When did he leave?”
His lips moved, but no words came out.
She stood up, willing her strength to come from within her and support her body. “When, Matthias?”
“Three weeks ago.”
Several people walked around the corner, but their faces were a blur to her. She didn’t care if they were watching her or what they thought. She had every right to her anger, to ask whatever questions she wanted.
She’d spent the past five weeks trekking across the rugged trails of this country.
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