Strength in the Storm by Laurel Blount

Author:Laurel Blount [Blount, Laurel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2022-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

“I’m telling you, this is a bad idea, Samuel. No good comes from mixing up with Englischers. We’ve certainly all seen proof enough of that.” He heard crisp snaps as Ruth broke a green bean, then the sound of her flinging the pieces in the bowl in her lap.

His aunt had been complaining since Emma had announced her plan to meet with Ian McMillan over at Birdie’s house this morning. Emma had just gone inside to get ready, but Ruth’s fussing was still going strong.

He wasn’t any too happy about this, either, but at least Emma had agreed to let him come along, and he was thankful for that. He couldn’t do much to help her, but now that he could see a little, he could do more than nothing. This elderly Englischer seemed awfully good at getting his own way, and folks like that bore watching.

“Isaac has said it’s all right.” Sam shifted his weight in the porch rocker and squinted, trying to make out the outline of the geraniums in the pot at his elbow. He could see them—sort of. The flowers were a cloudy red smudge. He could catch only the colors and the general shapes of things, nothing more. He only knew they were geraniums because he’d felt the fuzzy leaf and because he could smell them. They had a funny scent, geraniums. Reminded him oddly of tomatoes.

“Isaac says.” There was another series of crisp cracks, followed by more metallic pings as Ruth hurled the bits into her bowl. “Isaac hasn’t been the same since that daughter of his left for Pennsylvania. He and Ida have always been foolish about that girl—it’s what comes of having only the one child, I suppose. They’ve spoiled her, and we can see how it’s worked out for them.” The rocker creaked as Ruth rocked herself back and forth. “Everybody warned the girl against taking up with Caleb, but nobody would do for her but him. Now look what’s happened.”

“Rhoda can’t be blamed for Caleb’s doings.”

“A schmaert wife could have stopped him.” Best he knew, his aunt had never had a chance to be a wife herself, but he noticed that she had plenty of opinions about how married folks should conduct their business. “When Bessie was here visiting, she mentioned that the Lambrights are thinking of moving to Pennsylvania, too. We’ll have a new bishop if that happens, and if you ask me, that’s Gott’s provision. Isaac’s far too slack. We need a firmer hand around here, what with all this trouble the Hochstedlers have stirred up.”

Sam cast a wary look at the door. Emma would be back any minute, and he wished his aunt would take up a different topic. “Maybe you’d best do less talking and more snapping, Ruth. Emma means to can those beans soon as we get back, and from the sound of it, your bowl is still near empty.”

His aunt made an irritated noise, followed by two more snaps and pings. “You’re a fine one to lecture me about working.

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