wondering why you made up the story of the Englischer .” He speared potatoes with his fork. “Because of Martha, jah ?”
Judith cuffed her hand behind her neck, trying to thwart the anger she felt boiling up inside her. Her muscles tightened while she applied steady pressure and willed herself to keep silent.
She shot up from the table and grabbed the pot holder on the counter. With her shoulders squared, she proceeded to the table with the kettle. “More kaffi , Andrew?”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed back from the table. “ Nay , I have to be going.” He walked to the kitchen entry and paused. “Happy birthday.”
Judith smiled, pleased he had remembered. “ Denki .” She returned the kettle to the stove, then followed him to the door. “It was very kind of you to take care of the animals.”
Andrew nodded and lifted his hat off the wall hook. “It was no trouble.” His gaze drifted toward the kitchen, and she wondered what caused his now sullen expression.
He looked back at her. “Judith, don’t take that from him. You deserve better.”
She didn’t know what to say.
His eyes widened. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have spoken so forwardly. Denki for breakfast.”
“ Jah, have a gut day.”
Judith returned to the kitchen. She picked up Andrew’s plate and utensils and carried them to the sink. “I wish you hadn’t said that about my cooking.” She decided not to respond to his comment about Martha.
Levi put down his fork and crossed the room to meet her next to the sink. “That you’d make a gut fraa ? Why?”
She shrugged. “Did you see Andrew’s face? I feel sorry for him.”
Levi cupped both his hands over her shoulders. “Don’t feel sorry for him. There are many maids his age in the next district who would love to marry Bishop Junior.”
Judith winced at the way he mocked Andrew, as though he were predestined to follow his father’s ministry role.
Levi rolled his eyes. “But according to Andrew, there was only one person he’d ever marry.”
“I know he spent a lot of time with Esther while she was ill.” She wanted to add that she hadn’t heard rumors of Andrew participating in rumschpringe or that he made a practice of meaninglessly kissing other women.
Levi stroked his hand over her cheek, and all reason to defend Andrew left her thoughts. Her eyes closed. Last night he had surprised her with a kiss. Today she’d be better prepared to respond.
“Are we alone?” he whispered.
“Uh-huh.” She opened her eyes and leaned in toward him as his gaze drifted to her lips.
He leaned forward, but the squeak of the front door opening stilled them both.
“Judith?” Aenti Lilly called from the entry.
Levi stepped back, his eyes locked on her. “Would you spend time with me tonight?”
Every nerve in Judith’s body flared to life. She steadied her fluttering heart with a deep breath. “Today isn’t Sunday. There’s no singing tonight.”
He grinned. “I don’t want to sing.”
Aenti Lilly entered the kitchen. “There you are. Amos is driving me to the hospital to take food to your parents. I thought maybe you’d like to go along and see Samuel.”
Judith wiped her hands against her apron. “ Jah , I would.”
Levi cleared his throat. “Tell your daed not to worry about the cows. I’ll kumm back later this evening to milk them.”
Judith smiled, looking forward to seeing him later. “I’ll tell him, denki .” She walked him to the door. Sorry , she mouthed.
Aenti Lilly removed Judith’s cape from the wall peg and handed it to her. “We’ll be gone the better part of the day. I have a few egg deliveries to make on our ride into town.”
The twelve-mile buggy ride into town passed uninterrupted as Judith relived those few moments with Levi. Even the blaring car horns of the drivers behind their buggy didn’t disrupt her daydreaming. She sighed, recalling how Levi said she’d make a good wife. Her life’s purpose to serve God and her
Judith cuffed her hand behind her neck, trying to thwart the anger she felt boiling up inside her. Her muscles tightened while she applied steady pressure and willed herself to keep silent.
She shot up from the table and grabbed the pot holder on the counter. With her shoulders squared, she proceeded to the table with the kettle. “More kaffi , Andrew?”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and pushed back from the table. “ Nay , I have to be going.” He walked to the kitchen entry and paused. “Happy birthday.”
Judith smiled, pleased he had remembered. “ Denki .” She returned the kettle to the stove, then followed him to the door. “It was very kind of you to take care of the animals.”
Andrew nodded and lifted his hat off the wall hook. “It was no trouble.” His gaze drifted toward the kitchen, and she wondered what caused his now sullen expression.
He looked back at her. “Judith, don’t take that from him. You deserve better.”
She didn’t know what to say.
His eyes widened. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have spoken so forwardly. Denki for breakfast.”
“ Jah, have a gut day.”
Judith returned to the kitchen. She picked up Andrew’s plate and utensils and carried them to the sink. “I wish you hadn’t said that about my cooking.” She decided not to respond to his comment about Martha.
Levi put down his fork and crossed the room to meet her next to the sink. “That you’d make a gut fraa ? Why?”
She shrugged. “Did you see Andrew’s face? I feel sorry for him.”
Levi cupped both his hands over her shoulders. “Don’t feel sorry for him. There are many maids his age in the next district who would love to marry Bishop Junior.”
Judith winced at the way he mocked Andrew, as though he were predestined to follow his father’s ministry role.
Levi rolled his eyes. “But according to Andrew, there was only one person he’d ever marry.”
“I know he spent a lot of time with Esther while she was ill.” She wanted to add that she hadn’t heard rumors of Andrew participating in rumschpringe or that he made a practice of meaninglessly kissing other women.
Levi stroked his hand over her cheek, and all reason to defend Andrew left her thoughts. Her eyes closed. Last night he had surprised her with a kiss. Today she’d be better prepared to respond.
“Are we alone?” he whispered.
“Uh-huh.” She opened her eyes and leaned in toward him as his gaze drifted to her lips.
He leaned forward, but the squeak of the front door opening stilled them both.
“Judith?” Aenti Lilly called from the entry.
Levi stepped back, his eyes locked on her. “Would you spend time with me tonight?”
Every nerve in Judith’s body flared to life. She steadied her fluttering heart with a deep breath. “Today isn’t Sunday. There’s no singing tonight.”
He grinned. “I don’t want to sing.”
Aenti Lilly entered the kitchen. “There you are. Amos is driving me to the hospital to take food to your parents. I thought maybe you’d like to go along and see Samuel.”
Judith wiped her hands against her apron. “ Jah , I would.”
Levi cleared his throat. “Tell your daed not to worry about the cows. I’ll kumm back later this evening to milk them.”
Judith smiled, looking forward to seeing him later. “I’ll tell him, denki .” She walked him to the door. Sorry , she mouthed.
Aenti Lilly removed Judith’s cape from the wall peg and handed it to her. “We’ll be gone the better part of the day. I have a few egg deliveries to make on our ride into town.”
The twelve-mile buggy ride into town passed uninterrupted as Judith relived those few moments with Levi. Even the blaring car horns of the drivers behind their buggy didn’t disrupt her daydreaming. She sighed, recalling how Levi said she’d make a good wife. Her life’s purpose to serve God and her
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