Читать книгу The Amish Nanny's Sweetheart - Jan Drexler - Страница 15

Chapter Four

Guy shifted his feet, waiting just inside the kitchen door for Verna to get ready. She had asked him to carry a basket to the Beacheys’ this morning for the quilting, but first she had taken her time putting the donuts in the lined basket and covering them with a towel. Then she had disappeared into the back bedroom. He finished his second donut and reached for a third, careful to replace the towel covering the warm treats.

Leaning against the doorframe, he savored the donut as he thought about Judith. After a week of Penn Dutch lessons, Guy felt a bit overwhelmed. Too many words sounded the same, and even though she tried not to, Judith often giggled at his mistakes. But she was a good teacher, and he was learning little by little.

Even Verna was in on the game. She had stopped talking to him in English as soon as she had learned about the lessons. That was frustrating, but no matter how much he pretended he didn’t understand her, he had to admit that he knew more now than he had that first evening. At breakfast, Verna had asked what he wanted on his toast, and he had been able to ask for and get apple butter. A few days ago, he thought he had asked for apple butter, but Verna had given him a dish of applesauce.

Was his Dutch good enough to ask Judith to go with him to the next Singing?

“Are you ready to go?” Verna asked as she came back to the kitchen, setting her bonnet in place. She wore her thick black cape and her heavy winter shoes.

Guy missed some of the words in her question, but caught the meaning. “Ja, for sure.”

Still munching on his donut, he took the heavy basket in his other hand and followed her out of the house and down the lane toward the road.

“Even with that sharp north wind, you can tell spring is coming,” Verna said, lifting her face toward the sunshine.

“It smells...” Guy struggled to come up with the word he wanted. It was one of the new ones on the vocabulary list Judith had given him the night before. He made a guess. “Frish?”

“Ja, fresh.” Verna took a deep breath. She pulled her cape closer around her and hurried down the lane. “But chilly.”

Stuffing the last bite of the donut into his mouth, Guy pulled his chin down into his coat and followed her.

Buggies were coming from both directions on the road, all heading toward the Beacheys’ house.

“This is the first quilting at Annie’s since the twins were born,” Verna said as he caught up with her. “Everyone is coming to see the babies, so there will be a crowd.” She lifted her hand and waved to a buggy full of women coming from the north. “There is Annie’s sister Esther with the ladies from Shipshewana. Judith will be glad to see them.”

Guy walked behind Verna as she headed toward the door and followed her in, holding his hat in his hand. As he set the basket on the kitchen table, he searched for Judith in the crowd of women. When he finally found her, she gave him a quick wave and headed in his direction.

She said something, but he couldn’t catch the words. He shook his head and pointed to his ears, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute as he realized he was the only man in the entire house.

Judith grabbed his sleeve and led him out to the washing porch. It was sheltered from the breeze but not heated.

She shivered. “You can’t stay here.”

“Ja, I know.” He licked his lips. “I wanted to ask you if—” Now that it came to it, he found his knees shaking. “If I could take you to the Singing on Sunday night. I don’t have a courting buggy, but we could walk. It’s only at Deacon Beachey’s, in the next mile.” He cringed as his sentence drifted from Dutch to English.

Judith’s face took on a slight frown. “I will walk there with you, but this doesn’t mean we’re going together.”

Guy gave up on the Dutch. “You mean, it isn’t a date.”

“That’s right. I’m not ready to keep company with anyone, but I’ll be glad to walk with you. As a friend.” She put her hand on the doorknob, ready to join the others in the kitchen. “Matthew is out in the barn. I’m sure he’d like some manly company today.”

“Yeah.” Guy put his hat back on.

Judith opened the door, disappearing into the sea of Kapps, and anything he might have said was lost in the noise.

He stood back to let another group of women into the house, then he headed toward the barn. He thought he had been clear, that he wanted to take Judith to the Singing, but had he said it wrong? Or maybe he had misunderstood their evenings together when he thought she liked him. Maybe Matthew could solve the puzzle.

Guy found Matthew in the barn loft, forking clean straw down into the horses’ stalls. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called up to him. “Hello!”

Matthew peered over the edge of the loft. “Guy. Good to see you. I’ll be down in a minute.”

Three more clumps of straw drifted down into the stalls, then Matthew came down the ladder and shook Guy’s hand.

“What brings you here today?”

Guy grimaced, trying to catch Matthew’s words. It seemed that everyone was bent on making sure he learned the Penn Dutch.

“I carried a basket over for Verna.” He grinned as a phrase came to him. “The house is packed with chickens.”

Matthew rubbed his chin. “Chickens?”

“Chickens. Ja. A house of chickens. Talking.”

“I see. You mean it’s a hen party in the house.”

Guy shook his head, giving up. He switched to English. “Yeah, that’s what I mean. A hen party.”

“You’re right about that.” Matthew sat on a bench and motioned for Guy to join him. “How are the Deitsch lessons coming?”

“I don’t know if I’m ever going to learn this.” Guy rubbed at a stain on his trousers with his thumb. “It’s too hard, and I don’t think I’m smart enough.”

“Du bischt schmaert.” Matthew grinned at him. “You are smart. Judith says you’re picking it up quickly.”

“But the words keep getting mixed up in my head. Like the chicken-house thing. Why couldn’t I remember to say it right?”

Matthew shrugged. “Learning a new language is hard.”

“But all of you speak two languages. Three, if you count the German the ministers use for Sunday preaching.”

“We learned to speak Deitsch from birth. Hoch Deutsch, High German, isn’t much different, and we’ve heard that from when we were babies, too. And we learn Englisch when we go to school, when we’re still young. If I was trying to learn, say, French or something, I’d have a hard time, too.”

“Maybe.” But Guy doubted that Matthew would have trouble learning anything if he put his mind to it. “I have another question for you, though.”

Matthew took off his hat, running his fingers through his hair. “Sure. What is it?”

“Why doesn’t Judith want me to take her to the Singing next week?”

“Did she say she wouldn’t go with you?”

“She said she’d walk with me, but not like if we were going together.”

“You mean, she doesn’t want to be more than friends.”

Guy nodded. “I’m not sure she even wants to be friends.”

“She does, but she’s still young. She doesn’t want to be tied down, yet.”

“Going to the Singing with me won’t tie her down.”

Matthew stood, clapping Guy on the shoulder. “You might not think so, but Judith is different. Until last year, her world didn’t go much farther than her back door. She wants a chance to be a girl and have some fun with the other young people.” He picked up a broom and started sweeping up loose bits of straw. “Be patient with her, and let her take her time.”

“Sure.” Guy frowned. He could understand that Judith didn’t want the others to think they were dating.

“I wouldn’t worry about another fellow horning in,” Matthew said as he swept the straw into a pile. “You have the advantage of seeing her almost every day. When the other boys start buzzing around, she’ll remember who her friends are.”

Guy waved a goodbye to Matthew as he started back toward the Mast farm and the chores waiting for him there. Matthew was right, as long as one of those friends didn’t end up being Luke Kaufman.

* * *

Judith was at the door to greet Esther as soon as Guy went out to the barn. Even though it had only been two weeks since they had seen each other, Judith felt like it had been forever. Esther must have felt the same way, from the strength of her hug. But they couldn’t linger, because Mary, Ida Mae and Aunt Sadie were right behind her.

“How does it feel, taking care of those babies all day?” Esther asked as she untied her bonnet.

“Annie has charge of the babies.” Judith took Mary’s cloak from her and put her hand out for Ida Mae’s.

Ida Mae handed her shawl to Judith, then helped Sadie with her wraps. “I’m sure you get your turn at holding them and changing diapers, though.”

Esther laughed. “I can just see Judith changing diapers.”

“Then get ready to be surprised,” Judith said. “Eli still wears diapers, too. And all of those diapers need to be washed every day.”

Sadie moved past the girls, leaning on her cane as she went. She patted Judith’s arm. “I know you’re a wonderful-gut help to Annie.”

Judith and Esther carried the cloaks and bonnets into the bedroom while the others went into the front room where the quilting frame was set up.

“Now that there’s just us,” Esther said, “you can tell me. How are you doing?”

Esther’s eyes were fixed on Judith’s face, concerned.

“You were right. It is a lot of work taking care of a house full of people and babies up to our ears.” Judith smiled to relieve Esther’s worries. “But Annie and I work together well, and we have a lot of fun in the midst of the work. I had forgotten how cheerful she is.”

Esther smiled. “She’s much happier since she married Matthew.”

“And the babies make her even happier, if that could be possible.”

“So, who was that boy you were talking to?”

Judith felt the blood rush to her cheeks. “What boy?”

“That handsome young man who headed for the barn as soon as we walked toward the house.”

It was just like Esther to jump to conclusions. “He’s the neighbor’s hired hand. He carried a basket over for Verna.”

“I know I saw him talking to you.” Esther grinned. “I’d say you’re sweet on him, the way you’re blushing.”

“He’s a friend.”

“Is that all?”

Judith looked straight into Esther’s eyes, dark blue, just like her own. “Ja, that’s all. I’m teaching him Deitsch, and so we’ve spent some time together. But I’m not ready to settle down to one boy. The Singing next week is only my second one, and I plan to have fun with the other girls.”

Esther tapped a forefinger on her pursed lips as Judith’s face turned even warmer.

“I think there’s more to him than you’re saying. Did he ask to take you to the Singing?”

Judith sighed, giving up. “How can you always guess my secrets?”

“Everything shows on your face.” Esther pushed the pile of cloaks aside and perched on the edge of the bed. “Tell me all about him. What is his name? Where is he from?” She covered her mouth as an idea struck her. “He isn’t one of those bachelors from Illinois or Ohio who has come to look for a wife, is he?”

Sitting next to Esther, Judith was determined to answer her sister’s questions as quickly and simply as possible. “He’s not from anywhere. He lives right here in LaGrange County. His name is Guy Hoover, and he works for the Masts.”

“He has family around here, then?”

Judith shook her head. “He’s from the Orphan’s Home.”

“What Amish family would allow a child to go to an—” Esther broke off, then whispered. “He isn’t Amish, is he? I didn’t think Hoover sounded like an Amish name.”

Judith shook her head. “That’s why he wanted me to teach him how to speak Deitsch, so he would fit in better around here.”

“Then he must be wanting to join church?”

“Not from what he says, but who knows what will happen?”

“Are you going to the Singing with him? He asked you, didn’t he?”

Judith picked a bit of lint off the quilt they were sitting on. “He asked, and I told him we could walk together, but we’re not courting.”

“Why not?”

“Two reasons.” Judith ticked them off on her fingers. “One, he isn’t Amish.”

“But he could be, right?”

“I’m not going to keep company with anyone who isn’t Amish.”

“I would, if he was part of the community. It isn’t much different than seeing an Amish boy who isn’t baptized yet, is it?”

Judith shifted on the bed. She hadn’t thought of that.

“Two, I’m not going to pay attention to only one boy. Not yet.”

Esther nodded. “All right. I can understand that, because I feel the same way. I don’t want to tie myself down just yet. There will be plenty of time for that later.”

Judith laced her fingers around one knee. “Unless the right boy comes along. How is Thomas Weaver?”

“He still only has eyes for Ida Mae.”

Ever since Ida Mae had moved from Ohio with Mary to live with Aunt Sadie, the most popular boy in the Shipshewana church had ignored all the girls except her.

“Have you gone to any of the Singings in Shipshewana, yet?”

Esther nodded. “We’ve had two since you moved, and both of them were a lot of fun.”

“Does anyone special take you?”

Esther grinned. “You know how protective our brother is. Samuel made me promise to only ride with him for the first few times.”