will and all that. Just let it go.”
“I will, Dad,” Rebecca said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I have to be leaving,” John said and got up. “Really. I have work tomorrow.”
“Don’t we all. Good you came over,” Lester said from his recliner. “Right smart young man, there.”
John felt warm inside and nodded his acknowledgment in Lester’s direction. He hoped Rebecca would follow him outside, and she did. Together they walked to his buggy.
“It was nice of you to come,” she told him. “Like Dad said, it was wise too.”
“Maybe I’ve learned,” he allowed. “I’m trying.”
“You didn’t doubt me, did you?” she asked still questioning.
“Dear,” he said and let his voice carry the emotion he felt. His hands found hers in the dark. “You would never marry me for money. I never doubted that.”
“That’s nice of you.” Her fingers tightened around his. “Did you think I knew anything of the will?”
“No,” he said, speaking without hesitation, “you didn’t know.”
“That deserves something,” she whispered and pulled him close. She lifted her face to his. He yielded and kissed her gently, their fingers entwined.
The horse sneezed violently behind them and broke the moment. John said chuckling, “My horse is trying to help us.”
“I know,” she said. Rebecca let go of his hands and slipped away from him. He watched her go, her form highlighted in the glow of the gas lantern from the living room window. When the front door closed, he untied his horse, held the reins tight, and got into the buggy.
When he unhitched at home, Miriam and Isaac were still up. They had obviously waited for him.
“Problem solved?” Isaac asked, not looking up from what he was reading.
“She didn’t know anything,” John said.
“Talk to her? By yourself?” Isaac asked.
“A little. After talking to her with Mattie and Lester.”
“That’s good. There’s a better chance for a straight answer with Mom and Dad around,” Isaac told him.
“You don’t expect trouble?” John asked.
“Of course not,” Miriam said, while Isaac only shrugged.
“Guess not. Just with what’s in there,” he said and pointed toward a page of The Budget on the floor.
“She didn’t do anything wrong,” John told them. “If Emma left her money, that would have been Emma’s idea for who knows what reasons. Old maids are strange sometimes. Maybe she hated men. Maybe someone broke her heart. Maybe she didn’t like Mennonites.”
“That’s a mouthful,” Isaac replied.
“I’m sorry,” John said. “Rebecca isn’t to blame.”
“Will Rebecca get the money?” Isaac asked.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t care.”
“That’s good.” Isaac nodded. “Real good. Hope this thing will just blow over.”
“It will,” John said. He walked toward the upstairs door and opened it.
“One would hope so,” Isaac said, as John shut the door behind him.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on him,” Miriam said when the sound of footsteps on the hardwood steps had stopped.
“It’s not me that will be hard on them,” Isaac said sighing. “There’s many a tongue will wag over this.”
“But they did nothing wrong,” Mattie said, the concern obvious in her voice.
“No,” Isaac said, “I guess they didn’t.”
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
M anny Troyer looked out of his plane window, his large frame cramped in his seat. The Columbus International airport had just been announced on the intercom. They were twenty minutes out. He reached for his seat belt and wearily tried to fastened it. The first two tries failed, but the clip caught on the third.
A stewardess gave him a professional smile as she walked by. She saw his fastened seat belt and raised seat and moved on. Her face reminded Manny of someone he thought he had forgotten.
Yet he knew he would never forget her. There were times when her face, dimmed by time and distance, no longer could be seen clearly. The years had
“I will, Dad,” Rebecca said. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I have to be leaving,” John said and got up. “Really. I have work tomorrow.”
“Don’t we all. Good you came over,” Lester said from his recliner. “Right smart young man, there.”
John felt warm inside and nodded his acknowledgment in Lester’s direction. He hoped Rebecca would follow him outside, and she did. Together they walked to his buggy.
“It was nice of you to come,” she told him. “Like Dad said, it was wise too.”
“Maybe I’ve learned,” he allowed. “I’m trying.”
“You didn’t doubt me, did you?” she asked still questioning.
“Dear,” he said and let his voice carry the emotion he felt. His hands found hers in the dark. “You would never marry me for money. I never doubted that.”
“That’s nice of you.” Her fingers tightened around his. “Did you think I knew anything of the will?”
“No,” he said, speaking without hesitation, “you didn’t know.”
“That deserves something,” she whispered and pulled him close. She lifted her face to his. He yielded and kissed her gently, their fingers entwined.
The horse sneezed violently behind them and broke the moment. John said chuckling, “My horse is trying to help us.”
“I know,” she said. Rebecca let go of his hands and slipped away from him. He watched her go, her form highlighted in the glow of the gas lantern from the living room window. When the front door closed, he untied his horse, held the reins tight, and got into the buggy.
When he unhitched at home, Miriam and Isaac were still up. They had obviously waited for him.
“Problem solved?” Isaac asked, not looking up from what he was reading.
“She didn’t know anything,” John said.
“Talk to her? By yourself?” Isaac asked.
“A little. After talking to her with Mattie and Lester.”
“That’s good. There’s a better chance for a straight answer with Mom and Dad around,” Isaac told him.
“You don’t expect trouble?” John asked.
“Of course not,” Miriam said, while Isaac only shrugged.
“Guess not. Just with what’s in there,” he said and pointed toward a page of The Budget on the floor.
“She didn’t do anything wrong,” John told them. “If Emma left her money, that would have been Emma’s idea for who knows what reasons. Old maids are strange sometimes. Maybe she hated men. Maybe someone broke her heart. Maybe she didn’t like Mennonites.”
“That’s a mouthful,” Isaac replied.
“I’m sorry,” John said. “Rebecca isn’t to blame.”
“Will Rebecca get the money?” Isaac asked.
“I don’t know. She doesn’t care.”
“That’s good.” Isaac nodded. “Real good. Hope this thing will just blow over.”
“It will,” John said. He walked toward the upstairs door and opened it.
“One would hope so,” Isaac said, as John shut the door behind him.
“You shouldn’t be so hard on him,” Miriam said when the sound of footsteps on the hardwood steps had stopped.
“It’s not me that will be hard on them,” Isaac said sighing. “There’s many a tongue will wag over this.”
“But they did nothing wrong,” Mattie said, the concern obvious in her voice.
“No,” Isaac said, “I guess they didn’t.”
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
M anny Troyer looked out of his plane window, his large frame cramped in his seat. The Columbus International airport had just been announced on the intercom. They were twenty minutes out. He reached for his seat belt and wearily tried to fastened it. The first two tries failed, but the clip caught on the third.
A stewardess gave him a professional smile as she walked by. She saw his fastened seat belt and raised seat and moved on. Her face reminded Manny of someone he thought he had forgotten.
Yet he knew he would never forget her. There were times when her face, dimmed by time and distance, no longer could be seen clearly. The years had
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