The Hidden Life by Adina Senft

Author:Adina Senft [Senft, Adina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950854042
Publisher: Moonshell Books, Inc.

14

When Calvin’s buggy rolled up the lane promptly at five o’clock, Emma knew that every eye in the big house would be on it once it made the right turn through the trees over to the Daadi Haus. She and Lena hardly ever had company; Lena just wasn’t able for it. Instead, Karen and John entertained a couple of times a week, and they would walk over to join in, sometimes both, and sometimes just Emma.

She had changed out of her Sunday black into a newer everyday dress in a shade of green that Amelia had once told her matched her eyes. Not that she was trying to impress Calvin King. Far from it. But company deserved more than a kitchen dress, and if it happened to be a nice color, that was a bonus.

At the sound of boots on the porch steps, she opened the door. “Guder Owed, Calvin. Willkumm. Where are the girls?” She’d expected him to bring them, at least, even if the older boys had other plans with the Youngie. But here he was, all by himself, his face shining as if he’d scrubbed it before he left.

“Die Maedscher are over at Martin and Anna’s for supper and an evening of games with their cousins, and the boys will probably sneak over to Grohls’ for the singing, even though I’ve told them they’re too young and the older ones will just shoo them away. In case you get the wrong idea, I was invited to Martin’s, too. But I told them I was booked.” He handed her a plastic tub. “Better get this into the freezer.”

She took the ice cream, already sweating from its ride over, and hustled it into the freezer unit in the top part of their propane fridge. At least she could cool her scarlet face for a few moments, and try to regain her composure.

He had come alone. Not with his children, as a good friend might do, but alone, as a courting man did. Goodness, for fifty cents she’d pack them both into the buggy and drive over to Martin King’s herself, so that Calvin would have no doubt which she preferred.

Calvin sat across the kitchen table from Lena, who was shredding lettuce for the salad. “And how are you, Lena? Keeping well?”

“Ja, denki, Calvin. It’s good to see you. I would have liked to have seen those girls of yours. We made supper for six at least.”

“Sorry about that. We spent the afternoon there and they were having such a good time they begged me to let them stay. I’m hungry enough to eat their share, though.”

“Not much for them to do here, with me and Emma, I suppose,” Lena said. “But Karen’s Kinner would have been glad to see them. Little Maryann and your Barbara are good chums, I think.”

“Two peas in a pod, those two, studious and good helpers in the house. They’ll likely be in the same buddy bunch eventually,” he allowed. “But that’s a ways off yet.

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