the men finished eating, thanking her for a good meal. She waited until they were going out the door and asked, "Atlee, may I take your buggy out this afternoon? I thought I would visit with a friend since I have a day off."
"Sure. I'll harness Jack for you before heading out to the field. Just be careful. Jack doesn't like car horns," he warned.
"I will be careful," she dutifully promised as she cleared the table. Once the dishes were done and the kitchen tidy, Sadie made sure her hair was smooth under her Kapp , and she put on a clean apron. She wanted to look presentable when she saw Samuel. The drive there was uneventful and she waved at Samuel when she saw him. He was hard at work and she felt a pang of guilt for interrupting him.
Samuel could not believe that Sadie was actually at his home. He was torn between excitement at seeing her and frustration that she was ignoring her Dat's wishes and coming here. If she came without his permission, he was going to have to scold her firmly. He tied the horses under a tree so they would have some shade, and then he jogged to the house, where Sadie was waiting on the porch. "Sadie, I am surprised to see you!" he said, giving her a smile. She was so beautiful, and when she smiled her entire face smiled with her. "You are lovely today."
" Danki , Samuel," she replied, blushing. "I brought you a basket. I thought you would be working hard and you might like something goot to eat."
"It is thoughtful of you. Danki , Sadie," he said, accepted the basket. "This is heavy," he announced, his blue eyes full of surprise. "How did you manage to carry this?"
"I am very strong," she informed him. "I missed you, Samuel. Two weeks seemed too long to wait to see you again."
"Did you have your Dat's or Mamm's permission to come here today?" he asked.
Sadie quickly looked down at the porch. "I said I was visiting a friend." She could not lie.
"Your Dat asked us to respect his wishes and only see each other at meetings and singings until we are baptized."
" Dat is not the one who must wait for days and days!" she exclaimed, her temper making her sound petulant.
"You broke your Dat's trust, Sadie. Come inside," he ordered, opening the door. Sadie stepped inside and followed him into the kitchen. Samuel unpacked the basket, exclaiming over everything she'd packed inside. "This is very nice of you, Sadie," he said, then leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "I will look forward to a goot meal after working hard all afternoon."
"I wish I could invite you to our home for supper," she said so wistfully that he had to smile in spite of his feelings.
"Sadie, I know your intentions were the best, but you crossed a line with me when you broke your promise to your Dat. This is not the way I would have you behave."
"But I missed you so much, Samuel!" she pouted.
"I miss you, too, and I don't want to scold, but I would be remiss if I permitted this behavior to pass without consequence."
"What are you talking about?" she asked warily, backing away from him and the serious look of determination in his blue eyes.
"I am talking about giving you the bletching you have earned."
Chapter Five
"Why is it you always want to give me a bletching , Samuel?" Sadie asked, doing her best to stay out of reach.
"Because I care what you do, Levi's Sadie. As the man who hopes to court and wed you someday, I need to correct you when your behavior is not what I would expect of my wife."
"I thought I was being thoughtful and treating you with kindness by bringing you a basket; now I am sorry I came!" She burst into tears and took off running for her brother's courting buggy. Sadie made quick work of turning the horse and buggy and leaving Samuel's farm; at that point she did not care if she ever saw Samuel Hilty again. He was a pain! She went straight home and carefully unhitched Jack and put him in his stall. She gave him a quick brush and made sure he had water before heading to the house. To her dismay, her
"Sure. I'll harness Jack for you before heading out to the field. Just be careful. Jack doesn't like car horns," he warned.
"I will be careful," she dutifully promised as she cleared the table. Once the dishes were done and the kitchen tidy, Sadie made sure her hair was smooth under her Kapp , and she put on a clean apron. She wanted to look presentable when she saw Samuel. The drive there was uneventful and she waved at Samuel when she saw him. He was hard at work and she felt a pang of guilt for interrupting him.
Samuel could not believe that Sadie was actually at his home. He was torn between excitement at seeing her and frustration that she was ignoring her Dat's wishes and coming here. If she came without his permission, he was going to have to scold her firmly. He tied the horses under a tree so they would have some shade, and then he jogged to the house, where Sadie was waiting on the porch. "Sadie, I am surprised to see you!" he said, giving her a smile. She was so beautiful, and when she smiled her entire face smiled with her. "You are lovely today."
" Danki , Samuel," she replied, blushing. "I brought you a basket. I thought you would be working hard and you might like something goot to eat."
"It is thoughtful of you. Danki , Sadie," he said, accepted the basket. "This is heavy," he announced, his blue eyes full of surprise. "How did you manage to carry this?"
"I am very strong," she informed him. "I missed you, Samuel. Two weeks seemed too long to wait to see you again."
"Did you have your Dat's or Mamm's permission to come here today?" he asked.
Sadie quickly looked down at the porch. "I said I was visiting a friend." She could not lie.
"Your Dat asked us to respect his wishes and only see each other at meetings and singings until we are baptized."
" Dat is not the one who must wait for days and days!" she exclaimed, her temper making her sound petulant.
"You broke your Dat's trust, Sadie. Come inside," he ordered, opening the door. Sadie stepped inside and followed him into the kitchen. Samuel unpacked the basket, exclaiming over everything she'd packed inside. "This is very nice of you, Sadie," he said, then leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. "I will look forward to a goot meal after working hard all afternoon."
"I wish I could invite you to our home for supper," she said so wistfully that he had to smile in spite of his feelings.
"Sadie, I know your intentions were the best, but you crossed a line with me when you broke your promise to your Dat. This is not the way I would have you behave."
"But I missed you so much, Samuel!" she pouted.
"I miss you, too, and I don't want to scold, but I would be remiss if I permitted this behavior to pass without consequence."
"What are you talking about?" she asked warily, backing away from him and the serious look of determination in his blue eyes.
"I am talking about giving you the bletching you have earned."
Chapter Five
"Why is it you always want to give me a bletching , Samuel?" Sadie asked, doing her best to stay out of reach.
"Because I care what you do, Levi's Sadie. As the man who hopes to court and wed you someday, I need to correct you when your behavior is not what I would expect of my wife."
"I thought I was being thoughtful and treating you with kindness by bringing you a basket; now I am sorry I came!" She burst into tears and took off running for her brother's courting buggy. Sadie made quick work of turning the horse and buggy and leaving Samuel's farm; at that point she did not care if she ever saw Samuel Hilty again. He was a pain! She went straight home and carefully unhitched Jack and put him in his stall. She gave him a quick brush and made sure he had water before heading to the house. To her dismay, her
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