The Quilter's Daughter Read online

  Anxious to read the letter she’d just received, Fannie closed the door behind Samuel and Mary Ann. She’d sent the two outside to weed the flowerbeds. They had been arguing ever since they got home from school, and she knew the only way to have any peace and quiet was to find something constructive for them to do.

  Fannie reached for the pot of herbal tea brewing on the back of the propane stove and took a seat at the kitchen table. Then she poured herself a cup of tea and tore open Abby’s letter.

  Dear Mom,

  The news of your pregnancy was quite a surprise—a pleasant one, of course. How thrilled you and Abraham must be, and I’m certain the rest of his family is happy, too.

  I told Lena and Harold about the baby, and they’re as excited as I am. Lena said she would get a note off to you soon, because you know how Harold is when it comes to writing letters.

  I can’t help but worry about you, Mom. Please take care of yourself and be sure to get plenty of rest.

  In answer to your question about me coming there when the baby is born—I’d be happy to come. Fact is, you couldn’t keep me from being there when my little brother or sister is born.

  Things are fine here in Berlin. The quilt shop is doing well, and Lester and I have been talking about our upcoming marriage and where we will live. Since I’ve been staying with Lena and Harold since you moved to Pennsylvania, our old house has been sitting empty when it’s not had renters. So, if you have no objections, Lester and I would like to buy your house and live there.

  Give my love to Abraham and the rest of the family. Please write back soon, for I want to know how you’re doing. I’ll be praying for both you and the baby.

  Love,

  Abby

  Fannie clicked her tongue. “Silly girl. I wouldn’t dream of lettin’ you buy that old house. It’ll be my wedding present to you and Lester.”

  Her eyes misted as she thought about her daughter getting married in November. Abby and Lester had been courting for four years and probably would have been married by now, except two years ago Lester’s daed passed away unexpectedly, leaving Lester, the only son in his family, to care for his mamm and run their blacksmith shop. It had taken him awhile to get to the point where he felt ready to take on the responsibility of marriage.

  Fannie smiled through her tears. At least they’ve finally set the wedding date for November, although Abby could have had it sooner, since weddings in Holmes County aren’t restricted to November and December the way they are here in Lancaster. But Abby’s a thoughtful daughter, and she knows that by the end of November the harvest will be done and Abraham and the boys will be free to leave their work and accompany me and the girls to Ohio for the wedding.

  Fannie placed her hand against her stomach and massaged it gently. So many things have changed in the last few years. First, my marriage to Abraham, Naomi and Caleb getting married and taking over the store, Abby’s engagement to Lester, and now a new boppli will soon be coming into our lives.

  She bowed her head and closed her eyes. “Heavenly Father, please bless this child I’m carrying. Thank You for the miracle You’ve given Abraham and me. Let our little one be healthy, and grant me good health as well.” Tears slipped out from under Fannie’s lashes and rolled onto her cheeks. “Lord, You know how much Abraham has gone through, first losin’ his Sarah, and then Zach. I pray for Your mercy, and through me and this babe I’m carrying, I ask You to restore to my husband all he lost after his first wife and youngest son were taken.”

  A door slammed, and Fannie opened her eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were prayin’,” Nancy said, as she moved toward the kitchen sink.

  Fannie wiped the dampness from her cheeks and smiled. “It’s all right. I was about done anyhow.”

  Nancy crossed the room and laid a hand on Fannie’s shoulder. “I couldn’t help but hear part of your prayer, Mama Fannie. But I wasn’t eavesdroppin’. Honest. I just got done workin’ in the garden and came inside for a glass of water.”

  Fannie patted Nancy’s hand. “It’s okay. I wasn’t sharing anything with God that I’m ashamed of.”

  Nancy pulled out a chair and sat down. “Papa’s doin’ all right now. Even before he found out you were gonna have a boppli, he was dealin’ with things pretty well.”

  “I know, but this babe will be like a reward for his patience and faithfulness. Kind of like Job in the Bible when he lost everything and God gave him even more in the end.” Fannie reached for her cup of tea. “Of course, I’m not saying me and the child I carry could ever replace your real mamm or your little bruder who was kidnapped.”

  Nancy nodded, and her chin quivered. “I know.”

  “How’d you get so smart for a girl of fifteen?”

  “Maybe it’s from bein’ around you so much.”

  Fannie was about to comment, but their conversation was interrupted when a ruckus broke out on the back porch.

  “Ach, my! It must be Samuel and Mary Ann scrappin’ again.” Fannie pushed her chair back, ready to deal with the problem.

  “Want me to tend to it?” Nancy asked.

  “Would ya mind?”

  “I’d be happy to. You just sit there and relax. Have yourself another cup of tea. I’ll start supper as soon as I get things straightened out between the kinner.”

  Fannie appreciated her stepdaughter’s willingness to help out. Nancy was a good girl, and a pretty one, too, with her light brown hair offset by a pair of luminous green eyes. Now that Naomi was married and had a family of her own, it was nice to have another pair of capable hands she could rely on, even though Nancy did tend to be a bit headstrong at times.

  She yawned. “I think I’ll take my cup of tea into the living room and stretch out on the sofa a few minutes. Call me when you need help in the kitchen, okay?”

  Nancy nodded and scurried out the door.

  Abraham blotted the sweat from his forehead, while he stomped his dirt-crusted boots against the steps on the back porch. He and the boys had accomplished a lot in the fields today. Much of the planting was now done. He’d sent Norman home to his bride, Ruth, whom he had married last fall. Jake and Matthew, still single and living at home, had gone to the barn to put the mules away.

  When Abraham entered the house, he found Fannie slouched on the sofa in the living room with her feet propped on a leather stool. Her head leaned against a pillow, and her eyes were closed, but she opened them as soon as his boots touched the hardwood floor.

  “Were ya sleepin’?” he asked, tossing his straw hat onto the coffee table.

  “Just restin’ my eyes.”

  He leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Did ya work at the quilt shop today?”

  “Jah, only until two, though. Then I did a little shopping in Paradise and came home.”

  “You be sure to rest whenever possible,” he said, taking a seat beside her.

  She reached for his hand. “You sound like Abby. She’s worried I’m going to do too much and said in her letter that I should get plenty of rest.”

  “Abby’s a smart woman,” Abraham said with a nod. “Takes after her mamm.”

  Fannie needled him in the ribs with her elbow. “Go on with ya, now. I’m gettin’ too old to be taken in by such a flattering tongue.”

  “That’ll be the day. And ya ain’t old, neither.” Abraham gently patted Fannie’s stomach. “You think you’d have a boppli in there if you was old?”

  Her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away. It made Abraham feel kind of good to know he could still make her blush. He rested his head on her shoulder and whispered, “I love you, Fannie Mae Fisher.”

  She brushed the top of his head with her lips. “I love you, too.”

  “You’ve made me so happy, and I know you’ll make a wunderbaar gut mamm.”

  “I hope I’ll be a wonderful good mom. I’ve wanted another boppli for such a long time, but I had given up hope that it would ever happen.”

  “God is full of grace and mirac
les, ain’t it so?”

  “Jah,” she murmured. “He truly is.”

  Abby glanced at the small clock on her desk and frowned. What was keeping Lena? She should have been here by now.

  Since Abby lived in the same house with Harold and Lena, the two women usually rode to work together in one buggy. This morning, however, Lena had said she was tired and wanted to stay in bed a little longer. She’d told Abby she would hitch up one of their other buggies and try to be at the quilt shop by ten o’clock. It was almost eleven now, and there was still no sign of Lena. Had her buggy broken down along the way? Could she have been in an accident?

  Abby drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. There was no point in worrying. “Most things one worries about never come to pass,” Mom had often told her.

  She pushed her chair away from the desk and stood. “Maybe I should go look for Lena.” Her gaze came to rest on the clock again. At eleven thirty several ladies from their Amish community would show up at the shop ready to work on a quilt and eat lunch together. Abby didn’t want to leave the place unattended, so she decided to wait awhile longer. If Lena didn’t arrive by the time the women did, she would go looking for her.

  The bell above the front door jingled, and Abby discovered her friend Rachel had entered the quilt shop.

  “I’m a little early,” Rachel said cheerfully, “but I thought if I came over now it would give us a chance to visit before the others get here.”

  Abby smiled. “I always enjoy chatting, but I’m wonderin’ if you could do me a favor.”

  “I will if I can. What is it?”

  “Lena was supposed to be here by ten o’clock.” Abby made a sweeping gesture with one hand. “As you can see, she’s not. So, I’m thinking I should head in the direction of home, in case she’s broken down somewhere or has been involved in an accident.”

  Rachel’s forehead wrinkled, and concern showed in her dark eyes. “You think she’s been hurt?”

  “I hope not, but I’d feel better if I went to check on things. Would you mind watching the store while I’m gone?”

  “Sure, I can do that.” Rachel glanced around the spacious room. “I see there are no customers at the moment, either.”

  Abby nodded. “Things have been slow this morning, but if someone does come in, I’m sure you can handle it.”

  Rachel grinned, her cheeks turning slightly pink. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Hopefully, I won’t be gone too long. But if the others show up before I get back, please tell them to begin working on the quilt.” Abby grabbed her black shawl and matching bonnet from the shelf under her desk and headed for the back door. “See you soon, Rachel. And please say a prayer that everything’s okay with Lena.”

  “I surely will.”

  Abby murmured her own quick prayer and hurried out the door.

  Abby’s heart pounded when she discovered Lena’s buggy, with a gentle mare hitched to the front of it, sitting in the front yard. She’d been relieved when she hadn’t run into her sister-inlaw on the road. But now, realizing Lena hadn’t even left home caused her a different concern. Was she still sleeping? Could she be sick? This was so unlike Lena.

  Abby took the steps two at a time and entered the house through the back door. “Lena! Are you here?”

  Silence.

  Abby peered into the kitchen.

  The room was empty.

  Her next stop was the living room, but Lena wasn’t there, either. Where could she be? Surely not still in bed. Why would the horse and buggy be out front if she were sleeping?

  Abby climbed the stairs to the bedrooms. “Lena!”

  “I’m in here” came a muffled reply.

  Abby hurried to Lena and Harold’s room. The door was ajar, so she felt it would be okay to step inside. She found Lena fully dressed, lying on top of the bed. Her face looked pale, and dark circles shadowed her pale blue eyes.

  “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Abby rushed to the bed and placed her hand on Lena’s forehead. She felt relief to discover that it was cool.

  Lena moaned. “I’ve been throwing up all morning.”

  “You must have the flu, although I’m sure you don’t have a fever. Want me to get a cup of mint tea to settle your stomach?”

  Lena shook her head. “It’s not the flu.”

  “It couldn’t be food poisoning. You, me, and Harold all had the same thing for supper last night, and I feel fine.”

  Lena pushed herself to a sitting position, leaning her head against the pillows that were propped against the headboard. “I—I think I’m in a family way. I missed my monthly, and for the last week I’ve felt awfully nauseous.” She slowly shook her head. “Although today’s been the worst.”

  Abby’s mouth dropped open. She lived under the same roof with Harold and Lena and hadn’t suspected a thing. How could she be so unobservant? Maybe those terrible nightmares she’d been having were making it hard for her to focus.

  She sank to the edge of the bed, too numb to say a word. It didn’t seem possible that Naomi, Mom, and now Lena were all expecting bopplin so close together.

  “I thought the queasiness would pass, and that I’d be able to come into work. But soon after I got the horse hitched to the buggy, I had another round of vomiting.” Lena gripped her stomach and drew in a deep breath.

  Abby stood. “I’ll go downstairs and fix you some mint tea. Maybe some saltine crackers would help, too.”

  “Danki.” Lena offered Abby a weak smile. “I’m planning to see the doctor next week, but I’m almost certain I’m pregnant.”

  “Guess I’ll have to get busy and sew some little blankets,” Abby said. “Between you, Mom, and Naomi, there will surely be a need for many baby things.”

  “Harold and I have been married a little over five years, and we were about to give up hope of ever having any kinner.” Lena smiled. “This is such a happy surprise, and it seems like God is really blessing our family these days.”

  “Jah, I believe He is.” Abby left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen, but a shadow of fear crept into her soul; the same one she’d been fighting since she got the news of her mother’s pregnancy. Now she had the worry of her sister-in-law, too.

  The scripture verse found in Psalm 55:22 filled Abby’s thoughts. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” She drew in a deep breath. “I will not worry, but will trust God in all things.”

  When Abby returned to her shop some time later, things were really busy. The women who had come to help with the quilt had already eaten their lunch and were hard at work in front of the quilting frame, exchanging stories and comparing thimbles. Abby noticed that some of the women’s fingers had turned green from their skin interacting with the metal of the thimble. Mary Kaulp had a hole in her thimble and said it had worn through from so much use. “Sometimes the needle sticks through it, and that’s sure a big surprise,” Mary quipped.

  Abby flinched as she thought of how many times she had pricked her finger while working on a quilt. Still, she wouldn’t trade the work for anything. She glanced over at Lester’s mamm, Deborah. The dark-haired woman sat in front of one of the treadle sewing machines, pumping her legs up and down as she folded over the lining of the quilt she was working on in order to stitch down the binding. Everyone kept busy, and there were several customers milling around the store. Three English women stood in line behind the counter, waiting for their purchases to be rung up. Rachel’s cheeks were bright red, and her forehead glistened with perspiration.

  “I’m glad you’re back,” she whispered when Abby slipped behind the counter. “Things have been kind of hectic.”

  “Sorry for taking so long, but I found Lena at home, and she wasn’t feeling well.” Abby helped her friend fold the Rose of Sharon quilt that an English customer had purchased. “I’ll tell you more about it later.”

  “Jah, okay.”

  For the next hour, Abby and Rachel waited on c
ustomers, and in between they worked with the women on the Dahlia pattern quilt. At two o’clock Lester entered the store.

  “I came by earlier hopin’ to take you to lunch,” he told Abby, “but Rachel said you’d gone lookin’ for Lena because she didn’t show up for work this morning.”

  Abby nodded. “I was getting worried about her.”

  “Did ya find her? Is she okay?” Lester’s deep-set blue eyes revealed concern.

  “She was still at home, not feeling well.” Abby didn’t think it would be right to tell Lester that Lena suspected she was pregnant when it hadn’t been confirmed yet.

  “Sorry to hear that. Is she gonna be okay?”

  “Jah, I’m sure she will.”

  “Glad to hear it’s nothing serious.” Lester removed his straw hat and raked a hand through his wavy blond hair. “Have you eaten yet?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then why don’t we go over to the Subway place?”

  “What about your blacksmith shop? Shouldn’t you be there right now?”

  “My helper is takin’ care of things, and we’re pretty well caught up.” Lester snickered. “Besides, I’m the boss. I can take off whenever I want, now that I’ve got Seth workin’ for me.”

  Abby smiled then glanced around the store. There were only a few customers now, and the quilters were doing fine on their own. Even so, she didn’t feel right about imposing further on Rachel.

  As if she could read Abby’s thoughts, her friend spoke up. “Things are slower now. I’ll be happy to stay and wait on customers if you’d like to have lunch with Lester.”

  Abby tipped her head, as she considered the offer.

  “We won’t be gone long,” Lester coaxed. He glanced across the room. “My mamm’s here, and I’m sure she’d pitch in to help Rachel if it was needed.”

  Rachel smiled. “That’s right. I can ask any of the ladies if I get real busy, so go on now, and take your time.”