Redfield Farm: A Novel of the Underground Railroad Read Online Free PDF Page B

talkative. I could see it, but still I feared for my sister. If this led to marriage, well,. No! Quaker women knew that to marry a non-Quaker was to be disowned by the Society. Rachel wouldn’t want that. Besides, what would Papa say? Surely these goings on hadn’t escaped his notice.
    The plastering took two weeks, during which Rachel was never there for chores, during which Rachel couldn’t see or hear anything that was not Jacob Schilling, during which I felt more than a little jealous and more than a little overworked. I worried over and—just a little—resented my sister.
    When the work was done, Amos paid Jacob Schilling, and he rode away north, toward Altoona. Rachel was strangely serene at his departure. Relieved at the removal of temptation, I tried to reassert my position as female head of the household.
    “There’s spinning to be done,” I told Rachel the next morning. “Betsy and I are going to wash clothes.”
    Rachel didn’t respond, nor did she spin. She sat around dreamily all day, avoiding my eyes and making a show of writing a letter that I could only presume was to Jacob.
    That evening, sitting on the back porch, I shared my frustration with Jesse. “What is she thinking, Jesse? How can she be so silly? Jacob Schilling goes from job to job, loving girls along the way.”
    “She’s twenty-four years old and a woman, Ann. You can’t make her over, no matter how hard you try. If she wants Jacob and Jacob wants her, you’ll have to accept it. You can’t run around protecting her from herself.”
    I looked down over the hill to Dunning’s Creek, misty in the twilight. “I know you’re right, but it’s hard to stop myself. She’s always been a little dithery. You know, so light hearted and happy, one wonders if she really understands what life is about. I worry what a bad match might do to her.”
    “You can’t know it’ll be a bad match. It will be what it will be. Besides, he’s gone. If you’re right about him, she may never hear from him again.”
    The following Saturday, Jacob Schilling drove up to Redfield Farm in a livery wagon. Showing no surprise, Rachel raced out to meet him, and, as he stepped down from the wagon, fell into his embrace.
    “I’ve come for you,” he told her, loud enough for all to hear.
    Amos stepped out to confront them. “What’s this?” he asked.
    “I’ve come to take Rachel with me, Amos. To make her my wife.”
    “That’s not the way we do things here. Thee have never even asked my permission to court. It takes months to complete a Quaker marriage. Thee hardly know each other.”
    “We know enough. We’ll have no Quaker marriage. We’ll go today and be married by a preacher on the way to Altoona.”
    Amos looked from Schilling to Rachel. “Thee must go inside now. This is men’s business.” He spoke calmly.
    Rachel went to him, reached up and touched his rough, weathered cheek. “I’m sorry, Papa, but I’m going with Jacob.”
    “Thee will be read out of meeting!” Amos shouted, coming to the end of his patience. “Now go, girl, before I thrash thee!”
    I winced. Papa had never raised a hand to any of us. We obeyed out of respect for him, not fear.
    Jacob stepped forward, taking Rachel by the wrist. “She is grown, sir. Her own woman. The world is changing, and you must change with it.”
    He led Rachel to the wagon; she sat up proud, even as a tear found its way down her cheek. Jacob turned to address Jesse, standing behind Amos. “Help me with her trunk?”
    “No.”
    Jacob looked then at Nathaniel. He shook his head.
    “All right. I’ll get it myself.” He stalked across the yard and into the house. Rachel jumped down and raced after him. A few minutes later they came out, lugging the heavy trunk between them. Hefting it up into the wagon almost proved too much for Jacob, but still my father and brothers stood rooted in the dooryard. Jacob climbed up beside Rachel, put an arm around her shoulders and snapped the reins over