Charity by Ruth Hartzler

Author:Ruth Hartzler [Hartzler, Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781925689815
Publisher: Amish Romance Books

Chapter 10

Only days later, word came that old Eli Stutzman had passed away, and Isabel’s first thought was sadness for his grandson, Peter.

When Isabel and Jakob pulled up to the Stutzmans’ haus for the viewing, people were already making their way steadily inside. The people, all dressed in black, filed into the haus, holding their heads down. No one engaged in conversation at any great length, keeping only to the appropriate, “Hullo.”

The Stutzman home was a large and immaculate haus. In the spring and summer time, it glistened among the other houses in the community with its lush green lawn, white picket fence, and yellow sunflowers that lined the path to the doorway. Now, deep into the Lancaster winter, the haus seemed to have adopted a dark, gloomy feel. It had been only days since Isabel had stepped through the doors of the Stutzmans’ haus, and suddenly an uneasy feeling swept over her.

As Isabel climbed down out of the heated buggy, the frigid air struck her, taking her completely by surprise. She stepped heavily and almost sank into the thick ice as she made her way clumsily towards the haus.

“You’re shivering. I told you to bring your thick coat,” Jakob said loudly as he caught up with her after tying up his horse. “Don’t you remember that I instructed you to get your coat when I called for you, but you said it wasn’t necessary?”

Instructed me? Isabel bit her tongue. Jakob was becoming increasingly infuriating, but now was most certainly neither the time nor the place to have an awkward conversation with him. Why on earth she had ever agreed to go with him to the viewing was simply beyond her.

She had at first thought Jakob to be kind and genuine, and for a long time had even entertained the thought that this was the mann she was going to marry. However, all that changed after she spent time in his company. He was arrogant, demanding, and at times, even rude. Being with him for any length of time always left her drained and frustrated.

She had begun to see a different side of Jakob. He told her he did not approve of her having a job working for Englischers, and that he did not approve of her close friendship with Melissa, as his mudder had told him that Melissa’s familye members were too free with their ways. To make matters worse, Jakob had become increasingly possessive, controlling, and argumentative.

Now, Isabel longed for the solitude of working alone in the Old Candle Store. She missed the freedom of meeting up with Melissa at their favorite café at her leisure, and she missed not having to answer to anyone apart from her parents. Everything had changed since that fateful day when she had witnessed the mann running from the scene - and the day that she had met Detective Peter Stutzman.

Now, as they headed towards the Stutzmans’ haus, Isabel fervently wished once more that she had not agreed to accompany Jakob there in his buggy.

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