Heritage of Lancaster County 02 The Confession Read Online Free PDF

I'm sorry," Katherine said, rallying. "Yes, there sure is. Could I... I mean, would it be all right if I talked to... her husband?" She glanced at the name and number on her scratch pad. "Mr. Dylan Bennett?"
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    "Let me see if he's available." A short pause, then--"May I ask who's calling?"
    "Oh... just tell him that Katherine Mayfield, his wife's daughter, is on the line. And... thank you. I thank you very much, I really do!"
    The next voice she heard was mighty professional. The way it sounded took her aback--near frightened the wits out of her. And when she began to explain who she was and why she'd called, she forgot all her well-rehearsed "English" speech, and some of the words tumbled out in Dutch.
    "I beg your pardon?" the man said. "Who did you say you were?"
    "I'm Katherine, jah, Katherine Mayfield. I ain't for certain,
    but I think you might be married to my roam." There was silence. Long and nerve-jangling.
    "Hullo?" she said. "Could ya please tell her I called--uh, tell Laura, that is? It's ever so important."
    "I'm sorry, miss. I do believe you must have the wrong number." The voice sounded oh so much different now. Cold and awful stiff. It reminded her of Bishop John's voice when last he'd spoken to her, informing her of the consequences of the shunning.
    "But I don't have the wrong number . . . do I? I mean, someone just told me--someone right before you got on the line--said that Laura, your wife, wasn't taking calls. Does that mean she's getting worse . . . because if she is, I wouldn't wanna disturb her. Not for anything."
    "Excuse me... was someone here expecting your call?" he demanded.
    "Ach, I wouldn't be surprised. Laura... uh, my mother has been looking for me. Came to Hickory Hollow just last month, as a matter of fact."
    "I see" came the terse reply. "Is there a number where she may reach you?"
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    "Oh yes.., yes, there is." Katherine studied the Millers' number printed out just above her on the telephone. Because she had not memorized it, she recited slowly.
    That done, she instructed him to have Laura ask for ei-
    ther Katherine or... Katie Lapp when she called back. "Because the people I'm staying with sometimes forget my new name, and I'd really hate to miss--"
    "Katherine... or... Miss Katie Lapp," the man interrupted, repeating the names slowly as if writing down the information. "Very well, I'll see that my wife gets your message."
    "Thank you"--and here she glanced at her list--"thank
    you, Mr, Dylan Bennett."
    "Good-bye," he said curtly and hung up.
    "God be with you," she whispered, still holding the phone, warm in her grip.
    What kind of man had her real mother gotten herself hitched up with?
    Katherine shivered, recalling Dylan Bennett's voice in
    her ear. Such a stern-sounding man, she thought. Panic seized her, and so as to disconnect herself completely from him, she promptly hung up the phone.
    Rebecca Lapp had asked the Lord God all too often to bring her Katie back to her. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt it would have to be the heavenly Father's own doing--His and His alone. And there'd have to be a startling change in the wayward girl for her to repent on bended knee.
    Ach! Such a willful soul her Katie had become. But neither her daughter's past nor her present had kept Rebecca from dropping to her knees many a time throughout the day--always, though, when Samuel and the boys were out
    41 milking or away from the house.
    She understood full well that Katie's return to Hickory Hollow would have to be the providence of God, because just last week, Samuel had made a fiery announcement. He'd said no one in the Lapp household must ever utter Katie's name. "We will not be speaking of her again--not ever again . "
    His decree had come out of personal grief, she understood, and, jah, righteous indignation. Rebecca did not feel unkindly toward her husband for it, yet his words hadn't discouraged her from thinking of Katie. Which she caught herself doing ever so often these days.