The Mistress of Black Grove Manor (76 page)

“She was kicked out or something.” Natasha finished her sentence. “When I was little I used to get nightmares about them being chased by a bunch of Amish people with pitchforks.” She said it so seriously Ruth stopped in her tracks.

She spun to look at her cousin. The look on her face must have conveyed what she was thinking.

“What? I was little.” Natasha said quickly. “And mom and grandma didn’t talk about it a lot.”

Ruth didn’t say anything.  She couldn’t help smiling a little as she herself got the mental image. “Deatt was broken up over it. He missed them so much, but he couldn’t bring himself to go with them when they asked him to. He had to stay with his deatt.”

It must have been so hard on everyone.

What could Maemmi have done that was so bad she decided to leave? What could have been worth it?

“Do you know why she did it?” Ruth asked, hoping her cousins might have some idea.

“No.” They both shook their heads.

I guess I will never know.
She thought. Not that it was her place to know.

“So, if you and Dean got together. Jamie brought her back to reality as they made their way up the driveway. “You wouldn’t be shunned?”

“Nee.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” Natasha asked.

Just because I won’t be shunned doesn’t mean no one's heart will be broken.

But Ruth didn’t answer. Her fingers curled around the handle and she opened the door.

Her parents and Grace turned to stare at her and her cousins.

“Joshua is on his way to pick us up,” her father said.

Ruth’s heart dropped, aching as if it had shattered. She felt her knees go weak.

“Nee,” she whispered. Her hand jumped to her lips the second she realized she’d spoken.

Everyone turned to her.

“Nee?” Her father raised an eyebrow.

Without another word Ruth rushed from the room.

“Ruth!” Natasha called after her. She heard Grace tell everyone to let her go.

The door slammed behind Ruth as she flopped down onto the bed, tears rolling down her eyes.
I shouldn’t be upset.
She knew it was the truth. She’d seen it coming. She knew she would have to go back home. But a small part of her had been hoping that they would stay a little longer at least. As long as she could really. Ruth gasped for breath as more tears ran down her cheeks. She stared down at her dress. She pulled it off her, tossing it onto the ground. There was so much she wanted to do still.
No.
Not a lot, just one thing. She wanted to spend time with Dean.

Ruth pulled the dress off her. There she stood in English clothes when the door opened. Ruth looked up, for a split second wondering if she should try to cover herself or not.

Her mother stood in the doorway. Above all else, she didn’t look surprised.

She closed the door behind her and walked into the room.

Ruth sat there, frozen.
What is going to happen now?
She may not be able to be shunned but that didn’t mean her parents couldn’t punish her.

Her mother carefully picked up the dress, folded it and set it down on the back of the bed before sitting down beside. Katherine looked at her daughter, a tight smile over her lips. Her eyes looked sad.

“You’ve been borrowing your cousins clothing, I see.” Ruth opened her mouth to protest, to defend her cousins. They hadn’t forced her into anything. They shouldn’t be given trouble. “And I’m guessing it would be a safe bet that you’ve met a boy?”

Ruth closed her mouth, a flush burning her cheeks. She knew that would be enough of an answer for her mother. She nodded.

Her mother sat silently.

“I’m sorry, Maemm,” Ruth said quickly. “I didn’t mean-”

“You’re sorry?” Her mother raised an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

Ruth closed her mouth again.
Maemm is right. Sorry’s not good enough. I’ve gone and broken deatt’s heart and now….
Now her own heart was broke.
That’s selfish of me.
She deserved to have her heart broken, but not deatt. Deatt had never done anything to deserve this.

“Did you not think for a second,” Ruth winced, waiting for the harsh words. “That this may be Gott’s plan for you?”

Ruth stood there, her mind frozen as she thought about what her mother had just said. She didn’t sound mad. She sounded calm and collected as she reached out and touched Ruth’s knee. “You’ve not taken your vows yet,” she reminded her daughter.

Ruth stared at her mother. “But… deatt…”

Kathrine waved a hand away, dismissing the concern. “You father has never minded if you, or Mary, wanted to take part in the English world.”

The words hit her like a blow to the chest. “But-”

“You’re not too old,” her mother said. “Rumaschpring is still an option.”

Another blow.

She was right. Her mother was right. She could…

“I could stay here,” she whispered.

“Well nee, you should come home with us, at least for a little while.” Her mother said.

“Jah, of course. You’re right,” Ruth nodded.

“But, you could stay with your cousins for a little while, and of course see this boy…”

Ruth’s cheeks flushed. Dean.

Ruth’s heart skipped a beat. She had a chance to see him again.

There was a soft knock on the door. It opened.

Ruth’s father stared at her, his eyes burning into her soul as she looked at the clothing she wore. Ruth felt her cheeks flush

“Is Joshua here already?” Kathrine asked, taking the attention off her daughter.

“Jah.” It didn’t do any good. Ruth looked down, unable to meet her father’s eyes. “We’d best get going.”

“I’ll change.” Ruth’s voice was so soft she hardly heard herself.

Her mother stood. “Take your time,” she said softly. “We will wait.”

Ruth nodded and watched as her mother headed to the door, and her parents left her alone.

Ruth changed quickly, shame overwhelming her as she thought about the look on her father’s face. How was she supposed to be able to go out into the English world after seeing that look?

Ruth packed her bag quickly, folded the English clothes that she had been wearing and left them on the bed neatly.

She picked up her bag and headed for the door. When she made her way back into the living room everyone turned to look at her. Joshua stared at her, his eyes locked on her. Clearly he had found out about what she’d been doing.
Gott’s plan.
Ruth tried to remind herself of what her mother had said. Maybe this had been Gotts plan for her. Maybe she was supposed to do this.
Or maybe it had been a test. A test I failed.
Ruth took a deep breath, trying to keep her face straight. She looked around. Grace stepped forward. She pulled Ruth into a tight hug.

“I’ll see you around.” She promised.

Ruth fought back the urge to cry. She fought back the tears. Grace pulled away and gave her a soft smile before turning to Mary.

Ruth looked around. There was no sign of Natasha or Jamie. Maybe they had been sent to their room, for fear of corrupting Ruth more.

After Grace hugged Mary everyone turned to the door.

Ruth reached the door first and pulled it open. She stopped dead in her tracks, Mary running into her.

“Ouch!”

Ruth paid no attention to it. She’d realized why Jamie and Natasha weren’t there to say goodbye.

She stared at the boy in front of her.

Dean’s cheeks were bright red.

“Hi.” He looked so embarrassed, his eyes locked on her. “I uh, heard you were leaving and wanted to say goodbye.”

Ruth stared at him with wide eyes, her voice unable to work.

“You must be the… boy my daughter’s been seeing.”

Her father’s English amazed Ruth.

He stepped forward and looked Dean up and down.

“Yes sir, I am.” Dean glanced at Ruth before stepping forward and holding his hand out to shake. “I’m glad we got a chance to meet before you left.” He looked scared as he turned his full attention to Ruth’s father. “Because I’d like to court your daughter.”

Ruth’s heart jumped into her throat. She stood there completely unable to react.

Richard reached out and shook Dean’s hand. “We’ll have to see about that.”

Two weeks later

“Are you sure about this?” Mary asked. “You still have time to-”

“Nee I don’t,” Ruth said, then paused. “No.
No,
I don’t,” she corrected herself. If she was going too go out in the English world she was going to use English words.

“Are you going to come visit?”

“Of course I will,” Ruth promised her sister.

“She’ll be back before she realizes it.” Kathrine spoke from the doorway. Her eyes sparkled. “And then she will be gone again.”

Despite her fears, Ruth’s father didn’t seem to mind that she was going to take part in Rumaschspring. Ruth grabbed her bag and headed for the kitchen. She checked the clock.
They should be here soon.
Her heart skipped a beat.

Her father hadn’t been into the idea of having Dean pick her up, but he had agreed it would be a chance for him to at least speak to the boy again. He sat at the table. His eyes red, but he refused to meet Ruth’s gaze.

She padded over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised. “I’ll… I’ll be good.” She wasn’t going to go out and do what Katie’s sister had done- which none of the parents were supposed to know about. She only wanted to be able to spend more time with Dean.

“Jah, I know ye will be.” He reached out and put a hand on hers. “But I’ll miss ye. You’re my little girl and I don’t like the idea of
any
man courting you.”

Ruth smiled. She wasn’t sure why he’d used that word, or if it had been Jamie or Natasha who told him to, but it had done the trick. Just enough for deatt to give him a chance.

A knock on the door caused Ruth’s heart to skip a beat. Mary rushed to get it as Ruth turned to her mother. Kathrine closed the distance between them and pulled her daughter into a hug.

“Don’t forget Gott’s plan,” she whispered just loud enough for only Ruth to hear it.

“I won’t.” Ruth promised, hugging her mother tightly.

She pulled away, willing herself not to cry as she turned to the door and faced Dean.

Her heart skipped a beat.

He closed the distance between them in a fraction of a second, his arms wrapping around her waist, at a respectable spot. He pulled her close to him. Her arms wrapped around his neck.

“Ruth,” he whispered, his head nuzzling into the crook of her neck. He pulled away quickly, clearing his throat as if he wasn’t sure that had been allowed. His cheeks flushed as he turned to her mother. He gave her a soft nod. He turned to her father and gave him a nod as well.

Ruth glanced past Dean to see three others standing there. Natasha and Jamie, but Natasha spoke to someone, someone Ruth knew all too well. Joshua.

They looked deep in conversation.
Gotts plan.
Ruth smiled softly.

“I uh,” Dean cleared his throat. “I just wanted you to know.” His eyes locked on my father. “I spoke to Grace about…. Courting customs to great length. I understand what’s expected and allowed.” He swallowed dryly. “I know during…” He paused, his brow furrowing as he searched for the word. “Rumaschpring, things are a little different but I want you to know that I’m not taking this lightly.”

Ruth’s heart skipped a beat. She turned to see her father’s reaction.

To her surprise she saw a smile spread across his lips.

“I expect my daughter to be in safe hands with you.” He stood, holding out his hand to Dean.

“She is,” Dean promised as they shook hands.

Ruth, Dean, Jamie and Natasha stayed only a little longer during which time Joshua promised to come out and visit them- but Ruth wasn’t sure it was to visit her. Ruth had a few chances to head out to the truck, but she didn’t take them, seeing the look in Joshua’s eyes as he spoke to the girl beside him. She caught her mother looking at them once. They didn’t say a word, but her mother gave her a single nod, a smile spreading across her lips.

Finally, around midday they had to get going. They would already have to get a hotel room for the night, a thought that Ruth’s father was not a fan of, but Dean promised to get his own room, giving the girls a room to themselves. Ruth reached out and took her hand, her fingers tangling together as she silently thanked him for everything he was doing- for everything he had done, and everything he said to her father. Most of all, for the fact that he sounded so honest about it.

Dean held his arm out for Ruth to walk her out to the car when the time came. Her parents cried as she said goodbye. But the look in her mother's eyes said it all.

Don’t forget Gott’s plan.