least till her babies started coming. O Lord, may it happen soon, she thought, beginning to fear she might be infertile. She dreaded the thought as she took her time organizing a display of Cousin Emmalyn’s crocheted baby booties in pale green, yellow, and pink.
“Ah, I see you’ve got your eye on something . . . for the future?” Emmalyn came over, smiling broadly, in a moment when there were no customers. She leaned her head close to Mandy’s. “Are ya keepin’ a secret, cousin?”
“Don’t be silly. You’ll be one of the first to know. After Sylvan, of course.”
Emmalyn turned her around, holding on to her wrists. “Look me in the eye and say you don’t want a whole batch of little ones.” She waited, a frown creeping onto her face as she searched Mandy’s face. “Honey? You all right?”
Mandy didn’t feel the need to spill her heart out, especially not today, when she’d been enjoying herself so. “Sure, I want oodles of children, like every other young woman.”
Her cousin nodded. “When I’m married I want at least eight, maybe more.”
“See?” Mandy smiled, relieved. Far better for Emmalyn to talk about herself. “Girls or boys?”
“Oh, four or five boys to start with, then some little dishwashers, ya know.”
“You must be thinkin’ your husband will need workers.” She considered that, wondering why she hadn’t really pondered Sylvan’s own need before.
“I honestly hope I marry a farmer.” Emmalyn’s face was all dreamy. “But there’s so little farmland left round here.”
“Is there someone special, maybe?”
“Oh, jah . . . but I’ll let you know how that goes.” Emmalyn’s eyes twinkled.
“Okay, then.”
And they both laughed as another cluster of patrons headed up the walkway into the shop.
Mandy had yet to ask Emmalyn about the rent amount, but when closing time rolled around, they were both exhausted. Hurrying off to catch her ride home with a paid driver, Mandy had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Even though she’d managed to pull the wool over Sylvan’s eyes, she felt uneasy, leading a double life. But after the fun she’d had today, she didn’t want to give up the shop now.
Tessie was glad to cook for her brother-in-law and the handful of other workers at his and Mandy’s place—it helped to keep her mind off missing Marcus. Yet how odd that Mandy had pleaded with her to cover for her, not saying where she was headed in such a big hurry that morning. It did seem peculiar, Tessie’s own longing to be cooking and keeping house for Marcus while Mandy ran off to parts unknown, shirking her own duty.
Tessie hardly knew what to think of the situation her sister had placed her in. Besides that, now that the vineyard was dormant for the season, Marcus was kept busy at the Hostetler farm, and there were fewer opportunities for the two of themto be alone discreetly. She did not like feeling so cut off from her own husband, yet what could be done?
Lately she’d started to wonder if their wonderful- gut plan to force her father into accepting the marriage wasn’t fraught with problems. What if she were to simply announce she was married and move in with Marcus? Would her father disown her?
Her discouraged state only served to compound her tetchiness, which made it hard for her to be as pleasant to her husband as she longed to be. Here it was already almost a month since they’d wed, and there was still no indication from Marcus of when they could openly be together. Could it be Marcus had come to realize the same thing . . . that they might have made a mistake in thinking they could force her father to accept their union?
Weary of pondering her discouraging circumstance and glad to be back home once again, Tessie set about cleaning Mamma’s sitting room, where they entertained Sunday afternoon visitors—mostly grandparents and cousins. She caught a whiff of her chocolate cake baking for dessert after supper—Midnight Cake, she
“Ah, I see you’ve got your eye on something . . . for the future?” Emmalyn came over, smiling broadly, in a moment when there were no customers. She leaned her head close to Mandy’s. “Are ya keepin’ a secret, cousin?”
“Don’t be silly. You’ll be one of the first to know. After Sylvan, of course.”
Emmalyn turned her around, holding on to her wrists. “Look me in the eye and say you don’t want a whole batch of little ones.” She waited, a frown creeping onto her face as she searched Mandy’s face. “Honey? You all right?”
Mandy didn’t feel the need to spill her heart out, especially not today, when she’d been enjoying herself so. “Sure, I want oodles of children, like every other young woman.”
Her cousin nodded. “When I’m married I want at least eight, maybe more.”
“See?” Mandy smiled, relieved. Far better for Emmalyn to talk about herself. “Girls or boys?”
“Oh, four or five boys to start with, then some little dishwashers, ya know.”
“You must be thinkin’ your husband will need workers.” She considered that, wondering why she hadn’t really pondered Sylvan’s own need before.
“I honestly hope I marry a farmer.” Emmalyn’s face was all dreamy. “But there’s so little farmland left round here.”
“Is there someone special, maybe?”
“Oh, jah . . . but I’ll let you know how that goes.” Emmalyn’s eyes twinkled.
“Okay, then.”
And they both laughed as another cluster of patrons headed up the walkway into the shop.
Mandy had yet to ask Emmalyn about the rent amount, but when closing time rolled around, they were both exhausted. Hurrying off to catch her ride home with a paid driver, Mandy had a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Even though she’d managed to pull the wool over Sylvan’s eyes, she felt uneasy, leading a double life. But after the fun she’d had today, she didn’t want to give up the shop now.
Tessie was glad to cook for her brother-in-law and the handful of other workers at his and Mandy’s place—it helped to keep her mind off missing Marcus. Yet how odd that Mandy had pleaded with her to cover for her, not saying where she was headed in such a big hurry that morning. It did seem peculiar, Tessie’s own longing to be cooking and keeping house for Marcus while Mandy ran off to parts unknown, shirking her own duty.
Tessie hardly knew what to think of the situation her sister had placed her in. Besides that, now that the vineyard was dormant for the season, Marcus was kept busy at the Hostetler farm, and there were fewer opportunities for the two of themto be alone discreetly. She did not like feeling so cut off from her own husband, yet what could be done?
Lately she’d started to wonder if their wonderful- gut plan to force her father into accepting the marriage wasn’t fraught with problems. What if she were to simply announce she was married and move in with Marcus? Would her father disown her?
Her discouraged state only served to compound her tetchiness, which made it hard for her to be as pleasant to her husband as she longed to be. Here it was already almost a month since they’d wed, and there was still no indication from Marcus of when they could openly be together. Could it be Marcus had come to realize the same thing . . . that they might have made a mistake in thinking they could force her father to accept their union?
Weary of pondering her discouraging circumstance and glad to be back home once again, Tessie set about cleaning Mamma’s sitting room, where they entertained Sunday afternoon visitors—mostly grandparents and cousins. She caught a whiff of her chocolate cake baking for dessert after supper—Midnight Cake, she
Similar Books
