blue.
Grace put down the ragged Better Homes and Gardens magazine she had been trying to read and stood to greet her.
“Hello, Rose,” Grace said. “Levi is with—”
“How is the baby?” Rose interrupted.
“Stronger.”
“Thank Gott .” Rose’s shoulders slumped in relief. “You say Levi is with him?”
“He hasn’t left Daniel’s side since we got here,” Grace said. “Are the children here, too?”
“My married daughter is at my home caring for them. They will be fine with her.”
“Have you spoken with Claire?”
“For the first time in ten years, yes—I have been to the hospital and talked with my twin sister.”
“If you don’t mind my asking . . .”
Rose put up a hand to forestall her question. “I know this must seem strange to you, so I will explain as quickly as I can. I was raised Swartzentruber Amish the same as my sister. When my husband and I chose to join with the Old Order Amish, we were banned from fellowship with anyone in our Swartzentruber church—even those who were our blood kin.” Rose smiled ruefully. “In my world I am considered the black sheep of the family.”
It was hard for Grace to imagine this lovely, modestly dressed Amish woman being the black sheep of anything.
“Then why is the rule suspended now?”
“It isn’t. But in times of family emergency, leaders will sometimes relax the rules for a very short while until the crisis lessens. I intend to help my sister and her family as much as possible until Bishop Weaver insists that I leave.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the Amish.”
“That’s one of the nice things about being Englisch, don’t you think?” Rose smiled. “You don’t have to.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m going to stay with Daniel now.” Rose was suddenly all business. “Levi should go home. My Englisch driver is waiting to take him. You must go, too. I will handle this now.”
“I can take Levi home,” Grace offered. “I’m headed home anyway.”
“No.” Rose cocked her head to one side and gave her an appraising look. “I think it would be best if you did not.”
“They are the strangest people,” Grace said later to her grandmother as she set out her evening pills and helped her prepare for the night.
“Not when you truly know them.”
“You’ve mentioned the Shetler family in the past, but I don’t remember ever meeting them when I would visit you.” She helped her grandmother climb into bed and then pulled the handmade quilt over her.
“Claire respected our time together and never came when any of my family was here. I deeply value the Shetlers’ friendship. They have been good neighbors to me.”
“In what ways?”
“Claire gave me this quilt one year.” Her grandmothersmoothed her hand over the dark-colored fabric. “Do you have any idea how much a hand-quilted Swartzentruber quilt is worth? This one is so intricately stitched it would probably sell for over a thousand dollars. It took her one whole winter.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I should probably have it framed and put behind glass like they do in museums, but it makes me feel good to sleep beneath such a loving gift. Down through the years, they have tended to their own business while I tended to mine, but I always knew that if I needed them, they would come. So many times Claire has appeared when I was feeling poorly, carrying soup or a batch of herb tea. Often her concoctions helped. And then there was Levi.”
“What about Levi?”
“He was the loveliest little boy.” Elizabeth frowned. “Don’t you remember me ever talking about him?”
“Vaguely, but you’ve talked about a lot of people down through the years, including a whole bunch of long-dead relatives and most of your students. After a while everyone kind of blended together in my head.”
“Have I been that tedious?”
“Not at all.” Grace laughed. “You’re the only person I know who can walk into a grocery store and come out an
Grace put down the ragged Better Homes and Gardens magazine she had been trying to read and stood to greet her.
“Hello, Rose,” Grace said. “Levi is with—”
“How is the baby?” Rose interrupted.
“Stronger.”
“Thank Gott .” Rose’s shoulders slumped in relief. “You say Levi is with him?”
“He hasn’t left Daniel’s side since we got here,” Grace said. “Are the children here, too?”
“My married daughter is at my home caring for them. They will be fine with her.”
“Have you spoken with Claire?”
“For the first time in ten years, yes—I have been to the hospital and talked with my twin sister.”
“If you don’t mind my asking . . .”
Rose put up a hand to forestall her question. “I know this must seem strange to you, so I will explain as quickly as I can. I was raised Swartzentruber Amish the same as my sister. When my husband and I chose to join with the Old Order Amish, we were banned from fellowship with anyone in our Swartzentruber church—even those who were our blood kin.” Rose smiled ruefully. “In my world I am considered the black sheep of the family.”
It was hard for Grace to imagine this lovely, modestly dressed Amish woman being the black sheep of anything.
“Then why is the rule suspended now?”
“It isn’t. But in times of family emergency, leaders will sometimes relax the rules for a very short while until the crisis lessens. I intend to help my sister and her family as much as possible until Bishop Weaver insists that I leave.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever understand the Amish.”
“That’s one of the nice things about being Englisch, don’t you think?” Rose smiled. “You don’t have to.”
“That’s true.”
“I’m going to stay with Daniel now.” Rose was suddenly all business. “Levi should go home. My Englisch driver is waiting to take him. You must go, too. I will handle this now.”
“I can take Levi home,” Grace offered. “I’m headed home anyway.”
“No.” Rose cocked her head to one side and gave her an appraising look. “I think it would be best if you did not.”
“They are the strangest people,” Grace said later to her grandmother as she set out her evening pills and helped her prepare for the night.
“Not when you truly know them.”
“You’ve mentioned the Shetler family in the past, but I don’t remember ever meeting them when I would visit you.” She helped her grandmother climb into bed and then pulled the handmade quilt over her.
“Claire respected our time together and never came when any of my family was here. I deeply value the Shetlers’ friendship. They have been good neighbors to me.”
“In what ways?”
“Claire gave me this quilt one year.” Her grandmothersmoothed her hand over the dark-colored fabric. “Do you have any idea how much a hand-quilted Swartzentruber quilt is worth? This one is so intricately stitched it would probably sell for over a thousand dollars. It took her one whole winter.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“I should probably have it framed and put behind glass like they do in museums, but it makes me feel good to sleep beneath such a loving gift. Down through the years, they have tended to their own business while I tended to mine, but I always knew that if I needed them, they would come. So many times Claire has appeared when I was feeling poorly, carrying soup or a batch of herb tea. Often her concoctions helped. And then there was Levi.”
“What about Levi?”
“He was the loveliest little boy.” Elizabeth frowned. “Don’t you remember me ever talking about him?”
“Vaguely, but you’ve talked about a lot of people down through the years, including a whole bunch of long-dead relatives and most of your students. After a while everyone kind of blended together in my head.”
“Have I been that tedious?”
“Not at all.” Grace laughed. “You’re the only person I know who can walk into a grocery store and come out an
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