An Amish Betrayal Read online

  “I’m certain sure mei schweschder will be happy to hear that.” Jon slapped his back and smirked. “I’ll never hear the end of it. David, the hero.” He mimicked in a woman’s voice.

  David shoulders shook with mirth as he and Jon made their way back toward the girls.

  Michaela frowned, still distraught over the endangerment. “What on earth are you two laughing about? I don’t see anything funny about what just happened. You were almost killed, David King.”

  David wished he could kiss away the worry in Michaela’s eyes. Perhaps he should try. “Ach, I’m fine. Der Herr saved us all.”

  Michaela pointed at his chest. “You, David King, are a hero. And the bravest man I’ve ever seen!”

  Jon looked at David and raised his eyebrows with an ‘I told you so’ smirk. Suddenly, they both exploded in laughter.

  “What?” Michaela’s hands planted on her curvy hips. Not that David had noticed.

  “Nothing, schweschder. Nothing at all.” Jonathan said, wiping away a tear.

  ELEVEN

  The following year…

  David walked into the dawdi haus and washed his hands at the mudroom sink. He sniffed the air.

  “Ach, I’m sure and certain I married the most beautiful woman and the best cook in our district.” He came up behind Michaela and snaked his arms around her waist, as she stood at the wood stove preparing breakfast, then nuzzled her neck.

  She stepped back from the stove and turned in his arms, planting her hands on his chest, giving him what he wanted. It wasn’t food.

  “Mm…” She broke away. “Your pancakes are burning.”

  He pulled her close again and brought his lips down on hers. “Let them burn. I’m not picky.” He murmured.

  “Nee, but we do not want the house to burn down.” She chuckled, extracting herself from his embrace.

  “Ach, lieb.” He reluctantly sat down at the table.

  “Later, schatzi. You must eat now.” She set a plate of flapjacks on the table, along with some butter and maple syrup he’d picked up from the Millers.

  He reached for her hand and pulled her into his lap. He kissed her again, removing the kerchief that covered her hair. “I seemed to have misplaced my appetite.”

  “You are supposed to meet mei vatter and bruder to go hunting, remember? You don’t have extra time.”

  He groaned. “We can make time, ain’t so?”

  “Ach, schatzi. I will still be here when you return.” She ran her fingers down his cheek, gently massaging his new beard growth.

  “You are right.” He sighed and forked some pancakes onto his plate in surrender. “Do we have maple syrup?”

  She chuckled. “Right in front of you, lieb.”

  He shook his head. “I seem to lose my senses when mei fraa is near.”

  “Indeed.” Michaela smiled and tossed him a flirtatious wink.

  Jah, he couldn’t wait for his hunting jaunt to be over.

  ~

  “You are three minutes late.” Bishop Saul’s tone was disapproving. Then he shared a smile with Jon.

  “Ach, jah. Sorry.” David looked from Saul to Jon. Had they been talking about him? Did they share a secret?

  “Enjoying the benefits of married life, sohn?” Saul chuckled.

  David grinned at his father-in-law, heat flooding his cheeks. “Very much so.”

  Saul patted him on the back. “I thought so.”

  “We going to chit chat all day or are we going to snag us some venison?” Jon teased.

  David held up his rifle. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “Let’s go!”

  TWELVE

  “I hope you don’t mind, Dave, but I put your name in for minister,” Jonathan whispered, probably so the men standing around them wouldn’t hear, and he eyed him closely.

  “Really? You did? Why?” David looked up to see if any of the others were paying attention. Fortunately, they all seemed to be wrapped up in quiet conversations of their own. A typical sight on a church Sunday, prior to heading in for the meeting.

  “Ach, I couldn’t think of anyone who’d be a better minister than you. You have a gut heart. And I can tell that you want to serve Der Herr.”

  “But I am too young, ain’t so? Michaela and I haven’t even been married a year yet.”

  “Young in age, but not in maturity.”

  “I am no more qualified and no better than anyone else.”

  “I disagree. See, you’re modest too.” Jonathan shook his head. “Look at all you’ve done, Dave. You organized that charity event for the people out west who lost their homes in the fires. The little girl that needed money for cancer treatments in Mexico. Widow Stoltzfus’s garden plot. Bennie Troyer’s wheelchair.”

  David held up a hand. “Okay, you can stop now.”

  “Oh, I was just getting started.” Jon smiled.

  He grunted. “I wish nobody knew about those things. I don’t want to take the credit for them.”

  “See? That’s why you’re the perfect candidate for minister.” Jon handed him a slip of paper. “Isaiah forty-two verse six. Look it up when you get a chance.”

  “I will.” David stared at the paper. “Ach, if Der Herr wants to choose me in the lot, I will consider it a blessing. I owe Him my life. My all.”

  “See? That’s another thing. Most plain folks would see the lot as a curse or a burden.”

  “Service to Der Herr could never be a burden.”

  “Yep, you’re definitely going to be the one chosen.” Jon grinned like a fool. “I’m almost sure of it.”

  A few moments later, David opened his Bible to read the verse Jon had written on his note. His eyes scanned to the passage. I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee…

  David closed his eyes and whispered a prayer, “Denki, Gott. Denki for holding my hand.”

  ~

  David’s hands shook as he held the Ausbund. Ach, if Der Herr chose him to be His minister, David would be truly humbled.

  The first candidate, Mose Raber, removed the yarn tied around the hymnbook he held. Slowly, cautiously, and with labored breath, he opened up the Ausbund. The congregation was silent as he searched the pages of the book for the scrap of paper. None appeared to be present. Mose sighed in apparent relief and the congregation did as well. Being chosen was not something most men looked forward to. More work, more time away from family, but no compensation.

  But David didn’t see it that way. He saw service to Gott as a blessing, not a curse. Hopefully, his fraa would agree with him.

  He eagerly pulled the string off his own hymnal, then searched the pages inside. He grinned. Sure enough, a scrap of paper lay within the pages.

  He hung his head and offered a prayer of thanksgiving to Der Herr.

  “We have our new minister,” Bishop Saul declared.

  David glanced up. Did the bishop wear a scowl on his face? Was he not pleased?

  It seemed his father-in-law had been acting differently toward him ever since their hunting trip. When David had shot, not just one, but the three largest bucks on the hunt. Saul had brought home a doe, but seemed to envy David’s catch.

  But it wasn’t as if David hoarded all the venison for himself. Nee, he and Michaela had only shared one of them with his folks. The others he’d offered to struggling families in their community. Perhaps Saul hadn’t known about that. But David didn’t want to boast about his good deeds to anyone. He’d rather no one know it had been from him. Because, in reality, it was from Der Herr.

  And then they’d overheard the other men speaking highly of David and his hunting skills. But that had been over six months ago, although someone still mentioned it on occasion. Surely Saul wasn’t bitter over that. It made no sense.

  Ach, had his father-in-law become jealous of him? The possibility seemed unfathomable to David. Saul was the bishop. No one held a higher position or more power than him. Surely, that couldn’t be the case. Could it?

/>   THIRTEEN

  After the meeting, Jon pulled David aside into the barn away from listening ears. “I wanted to say something about…well, my father said something strange. I’d never heard him question the will of Der Herr, but it seems he is not content with you becoming a minister.”

  “I thought he’d been acting different lately.” David rubbed the scruff on his beard.

  “He mentioned something about you to the other leaders. I overheard it by accident. It was not gut.”

  “What?” David gulped. “What has he said?”

  “Something about you keeping part of the money you collected for the Coblentz family when their haus burned down.”

  Did his father-in-law really believe that? The thought sickened him. “Ach, I would never dream of such a thing! Why would he say that? Your vatter knows me.”

  “I don’t know why he’d say that. And I don’t know what to do.” Jon shrugged. “But I thought you’d want to know what’s being said.”

  “Jah, denki, Jon. But I’m not sure how to defend myself. I was trying to do a gut thing. Why would I take money that isn’t mine? I don’t even need money.”

  “I believe you, Dave. But why do you think my vatter would say such things?”

  “I don’t know. Do you think I should talk to him about this?” David frowned. “The last thing I want is the g’may thinking their new minister is a thief.”

  “Ach, they know you are gut. That’s why they voted for you. I think maybe you should just live honestly like you always have and let your actions speak for you. Der Herr will take care of the rest.”

  “Okay. I will let Der Herr defend me. I cannot defend myself.” David nodded. He placed his arm around Jonathan’s shoulder. “You are wise and a very gut friend. Denki.”

  ~

  The day had been long. It seemed to go on forever, actually. He was glad to finally be home.

  Michaela had been especially quiet on the way home. No doubt she’d been grappling with the fact that she was now a minister’s fraa. He was unsure how she felt about the whole ordeal, but somehow she didn’t seem pleased.

  “Something wrong, lieb?” He leaned against the back of his chair to recline it. He set his Bible on the small table beside his chair.

  She shrugged, pushing her foot on the wooden floor to set her rocker in motion. “A little worried, I guess.”

  “About what?”

  “Us.”

  “Us? I don’t understand. Why?” He leaned forward.

  “You won’t have any time for me now that you’re a minister.”

  “That’s not true, lieb. I will still have time for you.”

  “Nee, you won’t. I’m the bishop’s dochder, have you forgotten? I know how these things work.” He sensed the frustration in her tone and saw she fought to keep tears at bay.

  David stood from his chair and came and knelt in front of her. He lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Remember when we were courting and I told you that I am not your vatter?”

  She nodded.

  “Michaela, I am not your father. I do not want to make the same mistakes he has made with his family. I won’t be perfect, but I want to serve Der Herr with a pure heart. Will you help me to do that?”

  She nodded and tears pricked her eyes.

  “What is wrong?” He gently rubbed her arms.

  “I’m afraid, David.”

  “Of what, liebschen?” He whispered.

  “Of being abandoned.”

  “I’ll never abandon you, lieb. Never.”

  She nodded in agreement, but he could tell by the look in her eye that she did not believe his words to be true. And it grieved his heart. Had his fraa lost faith in him? He prayed it wasn’t so.

  “I wasn’t going to mention this until later, but I think now might be a better time.” He eyed his fraa.

  Her questioning gaze said what her mouth refused to ask.

  “I purchased some land and we are going to build a new haus.” He grinned.

  Excitement now lit her expression. “Ach, for real? When? Where?”

  “Just beyond Sammy Eicher’s place. A hundred and fifty acres. Partially wooded and already has a creek and a pond. Plenty of room for a large ranch and nice haus and barns. I can increase the flock and hire a few men to help manage it.” He just hoped that building a new house wouldn’t feed the fires of gossip Bishop Saul had kindled. He didn’t want his people believing him to be a thief.

  He’d earned everything he had, fair and square. It had all been because of Der Herr’s blessing. He gave him the strength to work hard and the intellect to make wise decisions. Didn’t the Bible say that Der Herr gave the power to get wealth, that it was a gift?

  “But, do we have money for this?”

  “I’ve been saving up. I’ve made quite a bit over the last couple of years going to auctions and such. Dat is selling his ranch to move in with mei bruder up north. He will divide the profit amongst us kinner, but he’s giving us extra as our very late wedding gift.” He shrugged. “We may have to borrow some from the bank, but the numbers I’ve figured say we’ll pay it off in just a few years.”

  “When can we start building?”

  “A couple of weeks. I want to look at some haus plans with you so you can tell me how you want the kitchen and bedrooms. I’m thinking at least six so we can fill them with kinner. And two bathrooms. One upstairs and one downstairs. I want only the best for mei fraa.”

  “When will it be finished?” He heard the excitement in her tone.

  “Six months, I’m thinking. Plenty of time to move in before the bopplin start coming, I’m thinking.”

  She dipped her head at his comment. “Ach, David. I feel like an Englisch princess.”

  “Nee, not a princess anymore. When you married a King, you became a queen.” He winked and pulled her into his arms. “And I want to give you everything you desire.”

  “I just want you, lieb.”

  “I’m all yours.” David bent down and delighted in her kisses.

  FOURTEEN

  Holmes County, Ohio

  “Are you ready to become mei fraa in two weeks?” Uriah Shetler grinned at Beth, loosely holding the reins in his hands as they traveled to church.

  Uri had moved into her folks’ home after their bans were published just a couple of weeks ago. They’d been busy preparing her home for their upcoming wedding. Fresh paint inside and out. A thorough house cleaning. New tables. Not to mention sending out invitations to their families in several states. It would be no small affair.

  Beth reached over and squeezed her beloved’s strong hand. “More than ready. Ach, I’ve been looking forward to it since we were scholars.”

  “Me too. Finally, my Beth will become mei fraa.”

  “Well, it took you long enough to ask to court me. I didn’t know if you’d ever get up the nerve.”

  “Ach, I blame it on Mose Graber. When you rode home in his buggy, I knew I had to do something or I’d miss my opportunity.”

  “You were always so shy. I thought I might have to ask you.”

  Pleasure lit his eyes. “I’m glad I finally did.”

  “Did you think I’d say no?”

  “Jah.”

  She laughed. “I thought my attraction was obvious.”

  “Sometimes men aren’t so in tune with the obvious. Especially when it involves a beautiful woman. Our fears tend to overpower our faith.”

  “So, was it faith that won out or fear?”

  “Ach, fear. I was afraid I’d lose you before you even had a chance to know me.”

  She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded handkerchief tied with ribbon. “I…made this for you.” She blushed. “I want you to keep it with you and pull it out whenever you’re fearful, and I want you to remember that you’ll never have to doubt my love for you.”

  He took the handkerchief and examined it. “Ach, Beth. This is wunderbaar. I’ll cherish it always.” He slipped it into his pocket.

  “I’ve onl
y ever had eyes for you, lieb.”

  “And I you.” He pulled off on a side road and maneuvered the buggy between two trees.

  “What are you doing?” Her grin widened.

  “I don’t think I’ll be able to wait half the day to kiss you.” He smiled, then pulled her close.

  “Is church that torturous?”

  “When I’m thinking of being with you, jah. I think Bishop Henry would probably see my mind slipping away and call me out.”

  She shook her head. “Ach, he wouldn’t do that, would he?”

  “Nee, but he’d know for sure I was daydreaming.”

  “Well, we can’t have that, can we?”

  He moved close and pulled her to him, dropping his lips on hers. “Nee, we can’t.”

  FIFTEEN

  The following year…

  Beth brought the basket of fresh bread to the table and sat down near her husband, coffee mug in hand. She’d come to love the quiet mornings when it was just the two of them.

  They usually allowed Grossdawdi to sleep in for as long as he needed. His care had solely been delegated to Beth, since her folks had passed on just a few months after her and Uri’s wedding. Their deaths had been a complete shock for Beth, and she still grieved their loss deeply. She never expected a short trip out to dinner would end their lives, but it had. The driver of the car hadn’t seen them when they’d pulled the buggy out onto the road. Apparently, Dat hadn’t seen the vehicle either.

  Although she and Uri had only been married just over a year, with all that had happened, it almost seemed like a lifetime.

  “Beth, I have proposition for you.”

  She heard the excitement in Uri’s voice and tried to muster her own enthusiasm. “What?”

  “How would you feel about moving?”

  “Moving? Where?” She thought about his suggestion. Jah, it would be gut not to have to drive past the place Mamm and Dat had lost their lives every day. A fresh start somewhere else might be gut for her soul.