An Amish Wedding Feast on Ice Mountain by Kelly Long

Author:Kelly Long
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2019-10-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

“Hmmm!” Aenti Ruth called. “I geh out looking for a bird and find kissing by moonlight. Very interesting.” She came closer and stamped her cane on the ground.

Ransom turned, his arms protective around Beth.

“It’s not what it seems,” he said gruffly.

“Oh, I know that.” Aenti Ruth laughed. “Very few things in this world are what they seem to be.”

“I mean,” Ransom continued, “this wasn’t a planned meeting.”

“That I can believe as well. You both are out here to help an auld woman’s favorite bird come home, and I dearly appreciate that. You have my word that no news of this, um, interlude will be repeated by either me or Jack.” She held out her arm, and Jack easily came to perch on her shoulder. “I’ll bid you two young people gut nacht.”

Ransom watched her turn and hobble off down the road, her gray hair illuminated by the moonlight.

He turned back to Beth. “I’ll see you home.”

She shook her head. “Nee. Viola might see . . . I mean, not that there’s anything to see.”

He laughed softly, then bent to swipe a quick kiss across her cheek. “There’s something, little hare. There’s something . . .”

* * *

Friday morning dawned bright and clear, and Beth’s stomach churned with expectation and excitement. She knew that the bishop himself was to bring a wagonful of people from their community to help lay the foundation for a new cabin for the pastor’s wife and children.

Beth tied her apron neatly and skipped breakfast as she hurried to wash the dishes in the sink before the wagon came.

She couldn’t help but overhear Viola complaining to Rose, but she knew that not even Viola would gainsay the expectations of Bishop Umble.

“It is, of course, right to help the Englischers,” Viola mused loudly. “But a shame that we ourselves should lose the money from the pie stand this morning because of it.”

It’s better to give than to receive, Beth thought and told herself that she wasn’t contradicting but merely stating a fact. She was spared any further thought on the matter when the sound of the wagon and horses rattled from the dirt road.

“Come, Rose, we will geh as well and see about this undertaking.” Viola rose from the table and Beth turned and bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if there’d be space in the wagon, and she sighed to think that her free time away for the day would be spent under strict supervision.

I’m becoming wanton, she thought. Swayed by Ransom’s kisses. It’s strange—I haven’t been kissed since my fater died. Why does Viola not show me affection as she does Rose? Of course, I’m not actually her daughter, not authentic, not real. I’m not real. I’m a freak and a glutton and—Her negative diatribe was brought to an abrupt end by a knock at the door.

Beth turned from the sink to see Viola securing her bonnet and Bishop Umble at the screen door.

Viola hurried forward and opened the door. “Bishop, please come in. Rose and I were just preparing to join you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.