Hope Chest (20 page)

She stepped into the darkened kitchen several minutes later and had barely closed the door, when a gas lamp ignited, and a chorus of voices yelled, “Happy birthday, Rachel!”

“What in all the world?” Rachel’s mouth fell open as she studied her surroundings. Mom, Dad, Joseph, Perry, and Elizabeth sat at the table, which was fully set for supper. On one end of the cupboard was a chocolate cake, and beside it sat several wrapped gifts. “Elizabeth, did you do all this?”

Elizabeth smiled. “I helped, but Mom did most of the work.”

Rachel’s eyebrows drew together. “How could that be? Mom and Dad have been gone all day.”

Mom grinned like a cat that had chased down a fat little field mouse. “Came back early so we could surprise you.”

“But I never heard your buggy come down the lane. I don’t see how—”

Dad chuckled. “We used the old road coming into the back of our property.”

Tears stung the backs of Rachel’s eyes, and she blinked to keep them from spilling over. Her folks really did care. They hadn’t forgotten it was her birthday after all.

“What’s that you’ve got in your hands?” The question came from Perry.

“Oh, just the mail.” She placed the envelopes on the counter—everything except for Anna’s card, which she had stuck under the band of the backside of her apron, not wanting the folks to see it. Dad might be upset by what Anna had said about buying a TV and Reuben not going to church. Besides, since the card was Rachel’s, she saw no need to share it with anyone.

“I’m not talkin’ about the mail.” Perry pointed to the flowers and then to the sack she held.

Rachel’s face heated with embarrassment. “It’s ... uh ... a birthday present.”

“Who’s it from?” Joseph questioned.

“Silas Swartley,” she said, trying to keep her voice from quivering.

“Rachel’s got a boyfriend! Rachel’s got a boyfriend!” Elizabeth taunted.

“No, I don’t. Silas is just a good friend. That ought to be clear as anything.”

Joseph snickered. “Oh, sure—about as clear as mud. He’s a good friend, all right. One who gives you a birthday present and takes you fishing.”

Rachel turned to face her father, and her forehead wrinkled in accusation.

He shook his head. “He didn’t hear it from me.”

Mom shook her finger at Dad. “You knew our daughter had gone fishing with Silas and you never said a word?”

“Rachel asked me not to say anything.”

Rachel looked back at Joseph. “If Dad didn’t mention it, then how’d you know?”

He shrugged. “Some other folks were out at the lake, you know.”

“We never talked to anyone else.” Rachel shook her head. “In fact, we were the only ones on the dock.”

“That may be true, but there were some boats out on the water,” Joseph reminded.

“Spies, don’t you mean? I think some folks need to keep their mouths shut where others are concerned.”

“Now, don’t go getting into a snit about this,” Mom said in a soothing tone. “There was no harm done, so come sit yourself down and eat your favorite supper.”

Rachel had to admit the fried chicken and mashed potatoes did look tasty. She was plenty hungry, too, so she may as well eat this special supper Mom and Elizabeth had worked so hard to prepare. She would have a serious talk with Joseph later on. Then she’d find out who the informer had been.

***

Rachel sat on the edge of her bed, looking over the presents she’d received earlier that day. It had been a good birthday, even if Joseph had let the cat out of the bag about her and Silas going fishing together. Joseph had told her later that it was Amon Zook who’d spilled the beans. Apparently, he’d been fishing on the lake with his son, Ben.

She chuckled softly. “Guess you can’t keep anything secret these days.”

Focusing on her gifts again, Rachel studied the set of handmade pillowcases Mom had given her and insisted must go into Rachel’s hope chest. Dad’s gift was a new oil lamp—also a hope chest item, since she already had two perfectly good lamps in her bedroom. Joseph and Perry had gone together on a box of cream-filled chocolates, which Rachel had generously shared with the family after supper. Elizabeth had made several nice handkerchiefs, and Rachel had put those in one of her drawers.

Then there was Rachel’s favorite gift of all—the binoculars and bird-identification book Silas had given her. The candy was almost gone. The handkerchiefs would be useful in the days to come. The oil lamp and pillowcases might never be used if Rachel didn’t get married. Silas’s gift, on the other hand, was something she would use whenever she studied birds in their yard and the surrounding area.

Rachel scooted off the bed and stepped around the cedar chest at the end of her bed, opened the lid, and slipped the pillowcases and lamp inside. She hadn’t given her hope chest much thought until recently. Now that Silas was being so friendly, there might be a ray of hope for her future.

“‘But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more,’” she murmured. “Thank You, Lord, for such a wunderbaar day.”

As Rachel closed the lid of the chest, she caught sight of Anna’s hope chest sitting in one corner of her room. She was tempted to open it and look through its contents, but she thought better of it. It belonged to her sister, and she still didn’t feel right about snooping through Anna’s personal things.

She did give the hope chest to me,
her inner voice reminded.

Someday if Rachel ever married, she could find a use for the things in both hers and Anna’s hope chests. She would wait awhile to see what was inside. In the meantime, she planned to start adding more things to her own hope chest.

CHAPTER 17

Silas felt a keen sense of excitement as he prepared to go to the young people’s gathering that was to be held in Harold Landis’s barn. A big bonfire would be blazing, and enough eats would be set out to fill the hungriest man’s stomach. Neither the singing, bonfire, nor even the food was the reason he was looking forward to going, however. Simply put, Silas had discovered that he enjoyed spending time with Rachel, and he had a hankering to see her again.

He climbed into his freshly cleaned courting buggy, and his heartbeat quickened as he picked up the reins. The more time he spent with Rachel, the more he was drawn to her. Was it merely because they had so much in common, or was something else going on? Could he possibly be falling for little Rachel Beachy, in spite of their age difference or the fact that she was the sister of his first love? Would she be willing to accept a ride home with him tonight if he asked?

He clucked to the horse to get him moving. “I’d better take my time with Rachel, hadn’t I, old boy? Elsewise, there might be no exit for me.”

***

Fifty young people milled about the Landis’s barn, eating, playing games, and visiting.

Rachel and Joseph went their separate ways as soon as they arrived, she with some other woman her age, and Joseph with Pauline Hostetler. That really wasn’t such a big surprise, since he’d been hanging around her so much lately.

Rachel had just finished eating a sandwich and had taken a seat on a bale of straw, planning to relax and watch the couples around her who had paired off. She was pretty sure her brother would be asking to take Pauline home tonight, and it had her kind of worried. What if he wanted to be alone with his date? What if he expected Rachel to find another way home? It would be rather embarrassing if she had to beg someone for a ride.

She scanned the many faces inside the barn, trying to decide who might be the best choice to ask, should it become necessary. Her gaze fell on Silas, talking with a group of young men near the food table. It would be too bold of her to ask him for a ride, even if they had become friends over the past few months. It was a fellow’s place to invite a girl to ride home in his courting buggy, not the other way around. Besides, she hadn’t seen much of Silas lately. Every day last week when she’d been at his place helping his mother, Silas had been busy with the fall harvest. They hadn’t had a real conversation since a week ago Saturday, when Silas dropped by the greenhouse to give her a birthday present.

Rachel noticed Abe Landis sitting by himself, eating a huge piece of chocolate cake. Abe was the same age as Rachel, and they’d known each other a long time. She could ask him for a lift home, but there was one problem. Abe lived right here. He wouldn’t be driving his horse and buggy anywhere tonight.

“Seen any interesting birds lately?”

The question took Rachel by surprise. She’d been in such a dilemma over whom to ask for a ride, she hadn’t noticed that Silas stood right beside her. She glanced up and smiled. “Jah, I have.”

Silas pushed another bale of straw closer to her and sat down. “You like my birthday present?”

She nodded. “A whole lot.”

“Mom’s getting her cast off soon. Guess you won’t be coming around so much anymore.” He stared down at his hands, resting on his knees.

Rachel studied him a moment before she answered. Did she detect a note of sadness in his voice when he mentioned her not coming over anymore, or was it only wishful thinking? If Silas knew how much she loved him yet didn’t have feelings for her in return, the humiliation would be too great to bear. “I–I’m glad I could help out,” she murmured, “but things will soon be back to normal at your house, so—”

“Rachel, would you like some hot chocolate?” Abe asked as he plunked down on the same bale of straw where Rachel sat. “I’d be glad to get some for you.”

Silas’s jaw clenched, and he shot Abe a look that could have stopped a runaway horse in its tracks. “Rachel and I were having a little talk, Abe. If she wants anything, I’ll be happy to fetch it for her.”

Rachel stirred uneasily. What was going on here? If she hadn’t known better, she might have believed Silas was actually jealous of Abe. But that was ridiculous. Abe and Rachel were just friends, the same as she and Silas. Abe was only being nice by asking if she wanted some hot chocolate. Surely he wasn’t interested in her in a romantic kind of way.

Abe touched Rachel’s shoulder. “What do you say? Would you like me to get you something to drink or not?”

Silas jumped up quickly, nearly tripping over the bale of straw where Rachel sat. “Didn’t you hear what I said? If Rachel wants anything, I’ll get it for her!”

Rachel’s heart thumped so hard she feared it might burst open. Why was Silas acting so upset? It made no sense at all. Unless...

Abe stood, too. “Don’t you think that ought to be Rachel’s decision?”

Silas pivoted toward Rachel. “Well? Who’s gonna get the hot chocolate?”

Rachel gulped. Were they really going to force her to choose? She cleared her throat, then offered them both a smile. “Me. I’ll get my own drink, danki very much.” With that said, she hopped up and sprinted off toward the refreshment table.

***

Silas looked over at Abe and shrugged. “Looks like we two have been outsmarted.”

“I think you’re right about that.” Abe started to move away but stopped after he’d taken a few steps. “Look, Silas, if Rachel and you are courtin’, I’ll back off. If not, then she’s fair game, and I plan on making my move.”

Silas’s eyes widened. “Your move?” Heat boiled up his spine as unexpected jealousy seared through him like hot coals on the fire.

Abe nodded. “I thought I might ask her to go fishing with me sometime.”

“Fishing?”

“Jah. I hear tell that Rachel likes to fish.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Someone saw her at the lake a few weeks ago. Said she was sittin’ on the dock with her fishing pole.”

Silas squinted as he leveled Abe with a look he hoped would end this conversation. “That was me she was fishing with there.”

“So, you two
are
courting then.”

Silas clenched his fists. It wasn’t in his nature to want to hit someone, and everything about fighting went against the Amish way, but right now he struggled with the impulse to punch Abe right in the nose. What was the fellow trying to do—goad him into an argument? He’d always considered Abe to be nice enough, but up until a few moments ago, he hadn’t realized Abe was interested in Rachel.

Silas was still trying to decide how best to deal with Abe when Rachel returned, carrying a mug of steaming hot chocolate and a piece of shoofly pie. She smiled sweetly at both of them, then seated herself on the bale of straw.

Silas leaned over so his face was just inches from Rachel’s. Her pale blue eyes seemed to probe his innermost being, and his heart begin to hammer. With no further thought, he blurted out, “I’d like to take you home in my courting buggy tonight, Rachel. Would you be willing to go?”

She took a little sip of her drink, glanced over at Abe for a second, then back at Silas. “Jah, I’d be willing.”

Now that Rachel had accepted his invitation, Silas wasn’t sure how he felt about things. Had he asked merely to get under Abe’s skin, or because he really wanted to escort Rachel home?

He looked over at her, sitting so sweet and innocent, and knew the answer to his troubling question. He really did want to take her home. He enjoyed her company, maybe a bit more than he cared to admit. But the truth was, Anna had hurt him badly, and part of him was afraid Rachel might do the same thing.