Plain Peace (A Daughters of the Promise Novel) by Beth Wiseman Page A

of the rocking chairs, as did his wife after she’d served everyone coffee and cake. Cora wanted so much to plead her case for Jacob, but Marianne had said it was best not to, so Cora sat quietly eating her cake, wishing it was just she and Marianne this evening.
    “Where’s Anna?” she asked when the silence grew awkward.

    “She’s bathing, but should be down shortly.”
    Bishop Byler was staring at Cora, and she wondered if perhaps something in her attire was somehow not right. She glanced at Marianne’s dark blue dress and black apron, exactly the same as Cora was wearing. Cora and both her daughters had sewn new dresses right after they arrived in Paradise. They still needed more, but they had been anxious to adhere to the dress code here since it was a bit different from Ohio.
    “Tell me of your travels here to Lancaster County. Did you come by bus or train?”
    Cora swallowed hard. “ Nee . We, uh, flew here by airplane while our things were transported in a large moving van.”
    Surprisingly, Bishop Byler just nodded. “It’s a fine place to raise a family here in Paradise.” He stroked the length of his gray beard. “I have not seen much of your husband around town, only briefly after worship. He must stay busy farming.” He paused. “Or does he also work outside the home?”
    “ Nee . He only farms.” Cora wished she hadn’t come. She should have known that the bishop would ask questions. “We were fortunate the prior owners put in the crops before we arrived, but as you know, there is still always much to do.”
    “And your oldest boy helps with this?” Bishop Byler narrowed his eyebrows, and Cora suspected he already knew the answer to his question.
    “ Nee . He works at the lumberyard in town. And our middle son, Eli, works for Widow Kauffman, helping tend her animals.” She paused, then smiled. “But our youngest, Abe, and my twin girls, Anna Mae and Mary Jane, stay home with me to take care of our household needs.”

    Bishop Byler frowned. “More and more of our young people are venturing out into the Englisch world. It wonders me what our community will be like when the next generation is in charge.” He shook his head before taking a bite of cake.
    “Isaac, many of the kinner are forced to work outside the home. You know that.” Marianne smiled at Cora. “Times must change.”
    Cora thought of Marianne’s new cell phone. They now shared a secret that was proof positive about how much things truly were changing. But Cora wasn’t sure that was such a bad thing. They all wanted their children rooted in the Amish ways, but it seemed almost impossible not to alter their lifestyle at least a little.
    They all turned toward the stairs when they heard footsteps. Anna appeared in the living room a few moments later, said hello, then excused herself and went back upstairs. Cora waited for Bishop Byler to mention something about Jacob asking Anna out, but he didn’t. Instead, he began to rattle on about all the things in Paradise that he was unhappy about, the rules he planned to continue enforcing.
    Cora again wondered why they hadn’t checked out the bishop before they chose Paradise as their new home. This Bishop Byler was clearly a rigid man, and Cora could see why his wife had created a life of her own that he didn’t know about. Maybe it was wrong—the deceit certainly was. But surely a person can only take so much. Cora thought about the ballerina music box she’d bought using Marianne’s credit card, promising to pay her back with cash. She had planned to buy a book about ballerinas, but when she saw the music box, she instantly envisioned the lovely trinket on her night stand.
    Cora was thankful when the bishop excused himself. But then Marianne started acting a little strange. She kept looking back toward the stairway and what appeared to be the basement door. Once she opened her mouth as if to say something, then apparently changed her mind. Finally, Marianne relaxed a