Kitabı oku: «His Suitable Amish Wife», sayfa 2

Chapter Two

Ellie had no idea why she felt as if she shouldn’t tell her family about Reuben. Yet she decided not to tell anyone about her experience at the house or that Reuben had moved into their church district. They’d find out soon enough when Bishop John introduced him to the community, or in the event that someone such as their neighboring busybody, Alta Hershberger, learned about the new family in Happiness and nattered about them.

She told him she’d be back today. And she’d made the decision to return tomorrow and the day after that until he no longer needed her. But once she’d arrived home last evening, she’d worried about the cleaning jobs she already had scheduled. Ellie couldn’t abandon her housecleaning business yet, even if she wanted to help someone in need. She’d worked too hard to get it going, and she wasn’t about to let any of her clients down now that they’d come to rely on her. Thankfully, the Broderick family, her job for this morning, had changed the day and time that they wanted her to clean. Which left Ellie free to head to the Reuben Miller residence first thing to continue the work she’d started yesterday afternoon.

The early summer day heralded warm temperatures and sunny skies. Ellie enjoyed the trip to Reuben’s as she viewed the green lawns that looked lusher after an overnight rain. She was happy with her life and pleased with how well her cleaning business was doing. She figured she would clean houses until she had children after marrying.

She wasn’t in any hurry to wed. Her sisters Nell, Leah and Meg were happy with their husbands, and her youngest sister, Charlie, would be marrying Nate Peachy, the man she loved, come autumn after harvest time in November. Once Charlie moved out of the house, Ellie knew that she would be the only one there to help Mam and Dat with chores. Her parents were getting older, and she noticed that they were starting to show their age. She caught her father walking with a stiff gait as if in pain, especially before it rained. Her mother often needed help lifting baking pans out of the oven, and she seemed to have slowed down some. Though she was away from the house with her work each day, Ellie always made it a point to help them in any way she could when she was home.

The house would be too large for her parents if she wed and left the nest like her sisters. If her mother and father were settled in a smaller home, Ellie would feel better about moving on. But as things stood, with five daughters and no sons to take over the property, there would be no one to help her mam and dat if she left. And there was no dawdi haus on the property, since neither Mam nor Dat had parents who lived in the area. Her dat’s eldre were deceased, and her mam’s non-Amish parents lived in Ohio. For now, she’d keep a close eye on them. If they needed her, she could adjust her cleaning schedule to spend more time at home.

Ellie saw Reuben immediately as she steered her horse onto the short driveway next to his house. He knelt on the roof, working on removing shingles. He wore his black-banded straw hat to protect his face and neck from the sun and a short-sleeved light green shirt with black suspenders and navy tri-blend work pants. As she climbed down from her vehicle and tied up her horse, she heard the thud, squeak, thud, squeak of his hammer claw as he pried nails out of old roof shingles before he ripped them up and tossed them to the ground.

She stood a moment, her hand shadowing her eyes against the sun so she could see him better. She couldn’t help but notice the way his forearms flexed as he worked. Reuben moved to another area to tear off a section of the roof, then suddenly stopped as if he’d sensed her presence. He stared down at her, his expression unreadable. He rose to his feet as if planning to come down, and she feared that the wood might not be sturdy enough to hold his full weight. Sorry to have disturbed him, she turned away without a word, hoping that he wouldn’t follow. She didn’t want to get into a discussion with him when he was that high off the ground, and she didn’t want him to send her away before she could finish cleaning his house.

Heart thudding, she retrieved her cleaning tools and approached the side door of the house. To her surprise, the door opened, and Sarah waited with a smile and warmth in her expression. There was no sign of Ethan.

“You came back!”

“I said I would.”

Sarah nodded. “I know you clean houses for a living and that you have other work that needs to get done. I don’t expect you to ignore it to help us.”

“Not to worry. The family I was going to clean for this morning rescheduled. Even if I have to work, Sarah, I’ll clean for you. I may have to come later in the day, but I will come,” Ellie said softly. “I always keep my word, and I want to help.”

Sarah blinked back tears. “Danki,” she whispered. She followed as Ellie set her supply tote on the bench behind their dining table. “I can’t believe how good the great room looks after you scrubbed the walls,” the girl said. “Reuben wants to paint every room in the house, but there is so much else to do, he had to decide what needed to be done most urgently.”

“Like the roof.” Ellie sorted through her supplies. “That makes sense. You never know when it will rain. Water damage is hard to fix.” She pulled out a foaming spray, a roll of paper towels and window cleaner. “Your bruder knows what he is doing.”

“I know.” The girl sighed. “I wish I could do more for him. He hasn’t been the same since Susanna died.”

“I’m sorry. It must be hard for him having a son so young.”

“’Tis. But at least I can be there for Ethan.”

“Ja, but what about your plans?”

“I’m fine. Once Reuben finds someone to care for Ethan, or if he chooses to marry again, then I’ll join my eldre in Ohio.”

Ellie studied her with warmth and compassion. “You haven’t been out of school long.”

“I finished eighth grade last session.”

She smiled. “You’re a gut sister, Sarah.”

The girl shrugged. “He’s family. You do what you can for family and friends.”

“Wise as well as compassionate,” Ellie murmured with a smile. “I’m going to tackle the bathroom.” There was no sign of Ethan. She looked around, wondering if someone had taken the baby to help out. “Where’s your nephew?”

“Sleeping.” Sarah grinned. “Hard to believe given the noise Reuben is making, but he’s asleep in the other room. Last night Reuben made him a large cradle for the great room. I was able to feed him, then rock him to sleep.”

“Then you’d better enjoy the moment. I’d say peace and quiet, but clearly you don’t have that,” Ellie said drily as she glanced toward the ceiling.

The teenager laughed. “That I don’t.”

When she entered the bathroom, she was surprised to see that it was amazingly clean.

Ellie sought out Sarah. “Who cleaned in here?”

“Reuben,” the girl said. “My bruder likes a clean haus, which is why this—” she gestured all around her “—upsets and embarrasses him.”

“I can help. He has enough to do.” She was actually shocked that the man had done work that most of the men in their Amish community wouldn’t touch because they considered it women’s work. She must have spoken her thoughts aloud, because Sarah answered her.

“Reuben helped Susanna during her pregnancy. He doesn’t mind doing women’s work.”

“An unusual man,” she murmured beneath her breath. Ellie saw that Sarah looked much better today, with bright eyes, clean clothes and hair rolled and pulled back neatly into the style of Amish women. Reuben, she realized with an odd pang in the center of her chest, cared about his sister’s well-being and probably made time for chores so Sarah wouldn’t be overworked.

She swallowed hard. She didn’t want to think well of him. Her sister Meg had mooned over him for a long time after she met him at a youth singing one summer a few years back. Reuben had belonged to another church district and hadn’t come back to visit until nearly two years later. Then he’d finally shown an interest in her sister. He’d offered to take Meg home from the singing and she’d agreed. It had been a rainy night as Reuben steered his buggy along a back road as he drove her home. A speeding car had rounded a bend, forcing his buggy off the road, down an incline and into a creek. Reuben and Meg had ended up in the hospital; Meg’s injuries were a concussion and a severely fractured leg. Reuben had suffered a worse concussion that had affected his memory of the crash.

Reuben’s attention toward Meg before and after the crash had been caring and courteous. But Meg had realized early on that she’d fixated on him because she’d been trying to forget her feelings for Peter Zook. She’d continued to see Reuben, feeling as if she owed him after he’d saved her life, but then she realized that she couldn’t allow Reuben to court her when she was in love with Peter. After Peter and Meg discovered they were meant for each other, her sister had realized that it was Peter, not Reuben, who had rescued Meg from the creek. Despite his foggy memory of that night, Reuben had known he couldn’t swim and probably hadn’t saved her. But when everyone had told him he had, he’d believed it because he’d wanted it to be true.

Once Meg ended her relationship with him, Reuben had no choice but to let her go.

Reuben as he’d looked years ago and the way he appeared now suggested he had suffered in the intervening years. Ellie didn’t want to think about Reuben or his suffering. She forced him from her mind as she went upstairs to find the other bathroom as clean as the one on the first floor. She entered a bedroom where she began to dust furniture. Once finished, she picked up a broom, dust cloth and lemon polish, then left the room. And found herself blocked by Reuben.

She gasped. His imposing nearness stole her breath. She eyed him warily as he stood before her with perspiration staining his shirt and beading on his forehead. He smelled like man and hard work, and the scent wasn’t unpleasant. “Reuben! You frightened me.”

He didn’t smile. Instead he narrowed his gaze and stared at her. “I thought I told you that I didn’t need you.” His lips firmed. “The haus is already clean.”

“You cleaned the bathrooms.”

He nodded. “And the rest of the haus.”

“I’ll just go over the bedrooms again lightly so you won’t have to worry about them for a few days.”

“Elizabeth,” he began, and she jerked at the use of her proper name.

“Reuben, please,” she pleaded, wondering why she was trying so hard. “Just let me do the work. It won’t take up much time and then I’ll be out of your hair and gone.” She bit her lip. “And ’tis Ellie.”

She was shocked to see a small smile settle upon his masculine lips. “You are surprised I know your given name.”

After a brief hesitation, she inclined her head. “My name could have been Ellen or Eleanor.”

The good humor reached his eyes, startling blue in intensity, as he studied her. “But it’s not. It’s Elizabeth.”

“How did you know that?” Then it hit her. For whatever reason, Meg must have mentioned it to him.

He shrugged. “Why does it matter?”

She stiffened. “It doesn’t.”

Reuben masked his expression as he took in the supplies she held. “How long will you be here?”

“No more than an hour.”

He assented with a jerk of his head. “Fine. When you’re done for the day, consider yourself absolved of doing anything more. You can tell Bishop John that you did your duty.”

But what about tomorrow or next week? The man, like his sister, was stretched to the limit. Ellie had the strongest urge to convince him that it would be best if she cleaned his house on a regular basis. There was too much for him to do to worry about the inside of the house. He had his construction job—Meg had told her about it—and his work fixing up the house and a messy yard to clear. He might think she’d agreed because of her silence, but she would come back whether or not he liked it.

Reuben spun on his heels and left. Less than five minutes later, she heard him on the roof again. This time the sound was of him nailing down new shingles; the noise continued for the rest of the time she was there. When she went downstairs before leaving, it was to find Ethan awake and on Sarah’s hip. The eight-month-old saw her and gave her a sloppy grin. When he extended a chubby hand toward her, Ellie took it and kissed the back of his fingers.

“All done,” Ellie said to Sarah as she gathered up her supplies.

“Will you be back?”

Ellie glanced toward the back door. “I’ll try. Your bruder doesn’t want me here, but I think ’tis best if I return, don’t you?”

Sarah bobbed her head. “Ja, please. I’ll handle Reuben.” She gazed at her surroundings. “Can you come back next week?”

“Ja, I’ll have to check my work schedule, but I can always come after one of my other jobs.” Ellie smiled at the girl as Sarah accompanied her to the door.

“Ellie?”

She met the girl’s gaze. “Ja?”

“Can you teach me how to make a few recipes? I never cooked much while I was growing up. I have older sisters who did most of the cooking. I’d like to make Reuben something more than breakfast or sandwiches for supper. I’m sure he is especially tired of eggs, toast and sausage, although he never complains.”

Warming to Sarah, Ellie grinned. “I’ll find some simple recipes to start.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “And I’ll bring the ingredients so Reuben will be surprised.”

The teenager beamed at her. “Danki, Ellie.”

“You are more than willkomm. I’ll see you next week unless you’re visiting on Sunday. ’Tis Visiting Day.”

Sarah shook her head sadly. “Not this week. Reuben isn’t ready to go visiting.”

“I understand.” And Ellie did. The man was going through a lot with having to raise Ethan on his own after losing his wife. She felt overwhelmed by compassion for him. He’d had a tough time, and he still had a long road to travel before he’d feel as if God had blessed him with a good and happy life.

“Any particular dishes Reuben likes?”

“Chicken corn chowder and strawberry pie.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Ellie promised before leaving.

* * *

Reuben had finished the roof. It was almost noon when he climbed down the ladder and headed in to wash up. He rounded the house and saw Ellie. She was loading her cleaning implements into the back of her buggy. She stepped back and untied her apron strings, then folded the garment neatly and placed it on the seat with her supplies. She turned to walk around to the other side of the vehicle and saw him. He saw her stiffen and raise her chin.

Reuben experienced a tightening in his chest. She was beautiful, and it wasn’t the first time he’d noticed her. In fact, he’d thought her pretty as a young teenager. The shade of her light blond hair and her bright blue eyes were striking. But she’d been just a kid, younger than Meg, who’d been quick to smile at him and draw his attention. While he may have glanced occasionally Ellie’s way, he’d known that she was too young for him. He’d wanted to get married, and Meg was the right age. And she was pretty like her sisters, although her coloring was different.

When he’d asked to take Meg home after the first singing he’d attended in their church district in years, he’d felt comfortable in Meg’s presence. He’d liked her a lot. After the next singing, when she’d agreed to ride with him again, he’d felt as if he was on to something. He had easily imagined Meg as his wife...until it had all gone wrong, and he’d been forced to walk away and not look back. Not toward Meg, who he’d discovered was in love with Peter Zook. Not toward Ellie, who had still been too young to be a wife or mother.

Now, he was hungry and thirsty as he entered the house. Sarah turned from the kitchen counter with a sandwich on a plate for him. She smiled as she handed it to him. “’Tis just strawberry jam with peanut butter,” she said.

He grinned. “Just what I needed.” He looked around the room. “Where is Ethan?”

“Napping again.”

“He’s able to sleep through all the noise?”

Sarah nodded. “He’s a sound sleeper.”

Reuben took a glass from the cabinet and filled it with water. Then he sat at the table to eat his sandwich. “Have you eaten?”

“Ja. I decided to take advantage of Ethan’s nap time.”

“Ellie left?” he asked, knowing well that she had.

“Ja. She did a gut job with the house. Perhaps you should let her wash all the walls.”

He tightened his jaw. “I’ll buy the paint tomorrow so I can start on the rooms downstairs.”

“Why don’t you like her?” Sarah studied him curiously.

“I like her well enough. What makes you think I don’t?”

“You weren’t very pleasant to her. She only came to help.”

“I don’t need her charity, Sarah.”

“She doesn’t consider helping us charity, Reuben. She’s a nice woman. She likes helping her friends.” Sarah paused. “She’s my friend.”

Reuben softened his expression. “You’re easy to like, Sarah. Everyone can’t help but love you.”

To his surprise, his sister blushed. “When do you have to go back to work?”

“Monday. Mike has a new job he wants us to start.”

“I wish you didn’t have to work so hard,” she murmured.

“I don’t work any harder than you do.”

“Ja, you do, Reuben. I wish I could do more for you.”

“You do more than enough, Sarah. I shouldn’t have allowed you to stay. You’re a young woman and you have your own life to live.”

He heard Ethan whimper from the other room. Sarah went to check on him but was back within seconds. “He settled again,” she told him.

Reuben rose and went to the sink, where he washed his dishes. “Why don’t you take a walk?” he suggested. “’Tis beautiful outside.”

She grinned. “I think I will.”

He watched his sister leave the house with sadness. He shouldn’t have allowed her to stay behind when his family moved. But he’d had no idea how he would manage without a caretaker for Ethan. He had to fix the house and to work to provide for Ethan and so he had the money for paint and building supplies. He glanced down at the kitchen floor with a frown. It was in terrible shape. When he selected the paint, he’d have to price new wood for the floor.

An image of Ellie settled in his mind. She was a hard worker. She’d gotten the house cleaned in a short time, especially considering how bad everything was. He’d tried his best to do what he could, but his work schedule mostly kept him from working on the house.

He hadn’t meant to be rude to Ellie. The truth was it bothered him to have her near, although he had no idea why. She’d been kind to Sarah and good with Ethan. Why should it upset him that she had entered his house and won the hearts of his sister and his son?

He put away the clean dishes and filled up his water glass again. It had been hot working on the roof, but if he hadn’t finished it now, he would have suffered worse temperatures as the summer lengthened.

Ellie hadn’t agreed not to come back, he realized with sudden awareness. A small smile played on his mouth as he thought of her stubbornness. He had to make sure he sent her on her way if she returned. If she didn’t listen, he would go to the bishop as she’d suggested.

Reuben continued to wonder how to handle Ellie Stoltzfus if she came back as she all but promised. Then his chest tightened with loss as he went into the gathering room to check on his sleeping son. It was wrong to notice another woman when his wife and the mother of his child, his precious Susanna, was dead.