Second Chances_An Amish Tale of Jane Austen's Persuasion by Sarah Price

Author:Sarah Price [Price, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Forever Love, Christian Stories, Faith Based, Inspirational Reads, Denominations & Sects, Love Inspired, Bachelor, Single Woman, Amish Christianity, Pennsylvania Dutch, Traditional, Clean Romance, Farming & Animals, Simple Living, Plain Clothes, Mennonite, Buggy Travel, Amish Country, Amish Courting, Old Fashion Ways, German Language, Hearts Desire, Bible Teaching, Life-Changes, Second Chance Reunion, Honesty & Trust, Home & Family, Lifetime Love, Love-Family & Forever, Action & Adventure, Small Town & Rural Area, The Amish Classics, Jane Austen's Persuasion
Publisher: Realms
Published: 2015-05-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

WHAT DO YOU mean you’re going to leave me here? And all alone!” Mary’s shrill and boisterous voice cut through Anna as she emphasized the word alone.

With her back to her sister, Anna shut her eyes and said a silent prayer to God for an extra dose of patience. Her usual ability to remain calm and composed, under even the most stressful of circumstances, was being stretched today, and it wasn’t even 7:15 a.m. Although she always rose to the occasion to tend to the ill or injured, Anna felt resentment building inside of her, causing her to count to ten and actually let out a sigh before she could address her sister.

When she had awoken that morning, Anna had felt refreshed and vibrant after finally sleeping soundly through the night. Her dreams had taken her back to Charm, to the creek that ran behind her father’s property along the dip of the neighbor’s property. As a child she had often walked barefoot through the water, looking for small frogs or pretty salamanders. Until her mother passed away, she often played with Elizabeth and Mary. But when their mother died and their father put so much responsibility on Elizabeth’s shoulders, their personalities had changed and their relationships divided. Elizabeth became more matronly, almost a psychological replacement for their mother; Mary became the helpless, hapless youngest child. Lost in the middle, was Anna.

In her dream the three Eicher girls walked together, no differences or role delineations separating them.

Shortly after awaking, however, reality returned. She was not a young girl and her sisters were no longer her playmates and friends.

“Anna! You can’t leave me. I’m sick!”

Slowly turning around, Anna managed to maintain an even tone as she responded. “I’ve been looking forward to attending the worship service. I’d be ever so disappointed if I missed it, Mary.”

She had arisen early and taken great care to properly pin the front of her black church dress before combing her long dark hair so that it shone. When she twisted it into a neat bun at the nape of her neck, not one hair was out of place. Her black prayer kapp, the one she wore only to worship, rested comfortably on the back of her head. Everything about her appearance spoke of her desire to attend the service with the others. Unfortunately something was missing—there was not one ounce of sympathy on Mary’s face.

“Must you have someone stay with you, then?” Anna asked. “I’m sure you’ll feel much better in a few hours. Most likely you’ll sleep, anyway.”

Smoothing the sheet around herself, Mary pursed her lips and scowled. Clearly the idea of being left alone was not to her liking. Anna should have known better. Her sister wasn’t one to sit in the shadows without being noticed. When they were children, Mary loved the attention of adults and pandered to their laughter. As she grew older and was no longer the cherubic toddler, she resorted to tantrums and tears. While their mother had known how to handle her, she had been the first and the last to do so.

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