The Thorn Part 25

"Rose Ann." He nodded his head.

"Hullo, Silas." It had been nearly a full week since she'd last seen him. Almost that long since Hen has seen Brandon, too, she thought as she got herself settled in the open buggy.

As they pulled away from the shoulder of the road, her thoughts and prayers were with Hen, who might still be spending time with her husband. Rose had seen the sweet gift from Brandon, Mattie Sue's new puppy, before she'd managed to slip away to meet Silas.

Surely a hopeful sign, she thought of the cute c.o.c.ker spaniel. Mattie Sue had been so giddy, she could hardly speak. Mamm, too, had been delighted to pet the dog and said she must bring him over so they could play with Wiggles together. For a woman who did not care one sc.r.a.p about having animals in the house, Mamm was certainly taken with Mattie Sue's new puppy.

Rose shared the story of the little dog with Silas, and about meeting Beth Browning for the first time. She also told him that Hen and Mattie had moved home for a while. "All of this in the s.p.a.ce of a single week!" she said.

But Silas was quieter than any other time they'd been together. It wasn't until they'd ridden in near silence for quite some time that Silas said his father had seen her in Quarryville. Rose had hoped Reuben Good might not bring it up to Silas, since her being with Nick had no bearing whatsoever on her and Silas's courtship.

"Daed noticed you were riding with another fella," said Silas, not looking at her.

"Well, it was strange how it all came about," she replied. "I'd fallen and hurt my leg - could scarcely walk. Nick happened by and took me to Old Eli's."

"My father wondered why one of your brothers didn't take you instead."

"Jah, it must've looked a bit odd, 'specially if he knows you and I are courting."

"Daed was troubled by it, I'll say." Silas paused and glanced at her. "Mainly because it was Nick you were with."

Rose felt put out suddenly. No one knows him like I do, she thought, but she was smart enough not to refute Silas.

"That no-gut Nick ... he's caused so much grief for Bishop Aaron. Christian too."

Rose knew Silas and Christian were longtime close friends. "Some brothers tend to argue too much at times," she said in Nick's defense, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, but not many carry a grudge for years."

"A grudge? On whose part - Christian's?"

"No ... Nick's." Silas sounded so adamant she was taken aback at his loyalty to Christian.

"Well, what about?" she asked.

"He's carried a chip on his shoulder since the bishop brought him here, is what Christian says. Nick despises anything to do with the Plain life."

"Then, why's he still here?"

"Mighty gut question." Silas turned to look at her again. "But Christian has a theory 'bout that."

"Oh?"

He nodded his head emphatically. "He's certain it's because of you, Rose Ann."

"Me?" She remembered Nick's pleading with her to go to visit his mother's grave, to visit the English world. "That's mighty farfetched."

"Christian says the two of you - you and Nick - are much closer friends than anyone knows."

She stiffened. What anyone had to say about that, well, she really didn't care. Truth was, she and Nick were close, but they'd guarded their friendship to keep tongues from wagging - and to keep folks from jumping to the wrong conclusion. "We work together in Dat's barn most afternoons," she offered. "I'm sure Christian told ya."

"He did indeed."

She held her breath, hoping there wasn't more to defend. Yet why should she have to? She and Nick had done nothing wrong.

"Christian suspects the two of you go ridin' alone sometimes."

Rose sighed. This was not turning out to be a very good night!

"I hope he's mistaken about that," Silas said, "since you're my girl now."

For a brief moment, just to demonstrate her innocence, Rose thought of describing a few of the adventures she'd had with Nick. But something powerful stirred within, and she recalled having a similar ominous feeling that terrible day so long ago when her mother left for market. This time she heeded her intuition. "I am your girl, Silas ... and happy to be," she said and left it at that.

In saying what she did, Rose had also protected her friendship with Nick, which was as important to her just now as sitting there beside Silas Good, who smiled and reached for her hand.

In that moment of sheer blackness, Hen watched her world tip and plunge upside down. She pressed her hand to her heart.

Mattie Sue, my precious child!

Her heart cried out for her daughter, yet she was mute. Her legs were as useless as her mother's, who was surely over next door in the main house talking with the bishop's wife and Kate ... her little granddaughters at her knee.

Hen's anger filled her beyond reason as she watched Brandon take the puppy from Mattie Sue and place the pet into the carrier in back, behind the driver's seat. Then, like a robot, he marched around the car and opened the door on the opposite side, waiting for Mattie to get in.

Just when Hen's heart was in the process of shattering, Mattie Sue looked back at the house - and saw Hen there at the door. She raised her little hand to wave. Brandon urged her to get inside, but Mattie Sue dug in her heels and shook her head. Then, like a dart, she moved quickly away from the car and dashed toward Hen, her long skirt and ap.r.o.n flying. "Mommy . . . Mommy!"

Hen thought she must be returning to say good-bye, but her little girl's face was wet with tears. "Oh, M-Mommy . . ." Mattie Sue stuttered, unable to do more than sob in her mother's arms. "Daddy's t-taking ... Wiggles away from ... me."

"But you're here, baby ... you're still here."

"I thought Wiggles was mine."

Hen continued to hold Mattie Sue, then carried her into the house and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it, her daughter clinging to her neck and crying for both the puppy and for Mommy, all in one sorrowful blend of betrayal and confusion.

The next morning Rose Ann awakened with Hen and Brandon heavily on her mind. She hadn't gone over to talk to Hen after arriving home last night because Hen's gas lamps had already been extinguished. But she'd discovered her distraught father in the kitchen, unable to sleep, all bent over his Bible as he prayed for Hen and her little family. It was at that late hour she'd learned of Brandon's trickery. Poor, poor Mattie Sue!

Now, as she stretched out her feet in bed and slipped her hand beneath her cheek, she wondered if Hen might not be wishing this Lord's Day were a Preaching Sunday. Rose couldn't help but think such a gathering might do her sister some good. Next Sunday, she thought, anxious herself for worship with the People.

She heard Hen downstairs - at least, she a.s.sumed it was her sister - starting breakfast. Soon she also heard Mattie Sue's birdlike chatter. Mamm must be down there, too, she guessed. Who better to comfort Mattie over the loss of her puppy than dear Mamm? It pained Rose when she thought about Brandon's cruel deed.

How could a father do such a thing?

Later, after the noon dishes were redd up and put away, two of Rose's cousins, Sarah and Sadie Kauffman - and their parents - stopped by on their way home from having also visited the bishop. After a time, Rose and Sarah slipped out of the house and went walking together. They'd invited Sadie to join them, but she'd wanted to stay and visit with Mattie Sue instead.

"Are ya planning to come to the next Singing, Sarah?" Rose asked as they strolled through the meadow behind the barn.

Sarah's pretty eyes twinkled in the sunlight. "I hope to."

Rose leaned near to whisper, "Is there a chance you might flirt with Nick again ... like last time?" She felt strangely blunt, yet she wasn't at all adept at this sort of thing.

"Honestly, do you really think I'd waste my time with the likes of him?"

Her response surprised Rose. "I was just wondering. You and Mary seemed bent on getting his attention ... well, last gathering."

Sarah moistened her lips and smiled. Now it was her turn to whisper in Rose's ear. "He's a cold fish, seems to me."

"Why would ya say that?"

"'Cause he's not interested in me or in Mary - neither one." Sarah looked away, frowning, then back at her. "You tryin' to look out for him, Rosie?"

She was, but Rose wouldn't say why. "Sure is hard to understand why he never had a girlfriend, ain't so?" said Rose.

"Might be he's not thinking of stayin' round long enough to settle down and marry. 'Least that's how the grapevine has it."

She was afraid of this kind of talk. "Guess we'll have to keep praym .

Sarah looked around, her golden hair catching the sun's rays. "Jah... 'specially since he's disappeared somewhere - and on the Lord's Day, yet."

"So, Nick wasn't at home when ya visited over yonder?"

Sarah's eyes were gentle now as she nodded. "Bishop looked awfully worried for Nick. I s'pose we all should be. Still," Sarah added, "he's never seemed Amish to me. And that disgraceful ponytail!"

"Why'd ya flirt with him, then?" Rose had to ask.

Sarah's eyes registered instant disdain. "Ach ... you must think I'm like your sister, Hen. Well, I ain't!" With that she picked up her skirt and marched away, heading back to the house.

"What a terrible matchmaker I am," Rose muttered to herself. Oh, but she wished to goodness Nick wasn't raising eyebrows by vanishing like he had.

Why had Nick picked the Lord's Day to go off to the English world? Had he gone to his mother's grave without her? And did he take a car there? If so, why choose the most sacred day of the week? So many questions tumbled through her mind.

She glanced at the bishop's house and wondered why on earth Sarah and Sadie's parents had gone visiting there today, too. Unless ... was Sarah actually hiding something about her - or her sister's - feelings for Nick? After all, her cousin had not denied being interested in Nick just now, had she?

As Rose slowly turned to walk back toward the house, here came Christian, making a beeline for her. "Hullo," she said, wondering why he looked so glum.

"Rosie . . . any idea where Nick's gone off to?" Christian's eyes probed hers.

"No." She shook her head. "How long's he been away?"

"Far as Dat knows, he never came home last night."

"Did ya run him off? You two are always quarreling."

He smiled severely. "He needs a gut whippin', that's what."

"Christian - bite your lip!"

He laughed scornfully. "That boy's never had a hand laid on him by Dat or anyone." He lowered his voice, stepping closer. "Between you and me, I 'spect my father was afraid of the caseworkers checkin' up. But I say a hard thrashing might go a long ways with Nick Franco."

"Ain't a gut idea to think that way," Rose said. "Don't ya listen at Preaching?"

"Well, you just try 'n' love a brother like him!" Christian shot back as he rushed off.

For pity's sake. Rose wondered if Nick hadn't run off for the day just to be free of Christian. But deep inside, she feared Nick had been so enticed by what he called the edge that he'd crossed over and was never coming back.

Seeing Silas two days in a row - their Sat.u.r.day evening date and again late Sunday afternoon for an impromptu volleyball game at his oldest brother's house - was unusual but also very nice. Because of the sudden drop in temperature Sunday evening, they'd shortened their time together after the game. The sizzling-hot brick he'd put on the floor of the buggy had cooled much too quickly.

Truthfully, Rose Ann had been kept so busy she'd scarcely had time to ponder Nick's peculiar absence over the weekend, at least not until Monday afternoon. By then he had returned from who knows where, having slipped into the bishop's house late Sunday night - or so Nick told her himself while they hauled feed for the mules. Rose listened, trying not to make much of it - trying not to reveal her concern, either. She presumed that if he wanted her to know anything about his disappearance, he would say. But he didn't breathe a word.

Rose busied herself with a canning bee on Monday morning while Mammi Sylvia looked after Mamm. Rose and Hen and several of their close cousins, including Sarah, Sadie, and Mary, worked together to put up dozens of quarts of chowchow for the deacon's family. Arie Zook had come to a.s.sist, as well, which seemed to make Hen very happy. Then on Tuesday, after breakfast, Rose and Mamm helped Hen cut out two new dresses and ap.r.o.ns, using paper bags for homemade patterns.

By Wednesday morning, the week was beginning to feel completely out of kilter without her usual banter with Nick. Yet all the while, Rose attempted to avoid her friend ... for Silas's sake.

When Rose arrived at work Wednesday, she was delighted to see Beth sitting in the kitchen, waiting for her. Gilbert Browning was nearby in his usual spot in the corner of the front room, reading the newspaper. Rose said h.e.l.lo and set about brewing coffee and making oatmeal and apple fritters. Sighing, she glanced at the sink filled with dirty dishes.

Beth broke the stillness. "Daddy, can I please go to see Rosie's baby horses?"

Rose kept her attention on mixing the oatmeal, but Mr. Browning did not reply.

"I really, really want to." Beth reached for the gla.s.s of orange juice Rose had poured.

"Beth ... listen."

"Daddy, please!"

Rose couldn't help herself. "What if you brought Beth to my house this Friday, after the noon meal?" she suggested to Mr. Browning. "I could bring her home in, say, two hours?"

Beth's eyes were alight as she turned to see what her father might say. She looked to be holding her breath.

Once again, Mr. Browning appeared quite unwilling, and Rose was fairly sure he was going to nix the whole idea.

"I'll keep a close watch over her," Rose added.

He shook his head. "It's too risky."

"Aw, Daddy ..." Beth slumped back. "Rosie said she'd take care of me."

"But I'm your only parent, Beth, honey. Someone has to make good decisions ... for you."

Beth looked devastated, like this was her last hope of getting away from the house - and from her overly protective father.

"Maybe another time, then." Rose realized it was best to drop the idea, lest Gilbert Browning take issue with her. She was merely an employee, after all.

Rose poured more coffee for herself and thought Mr. Browning might want his warmed up, too. Going over to the lamp table, she poured some into his cup. Then she returned to the kitchen, thinking about all that had already transpired in a few days' time in this not-so-haunted house. She'd gone from suspecting someone was being hidden upstairs to discovering it was, in fact, Mr. Browning's own daughter. And, goodness, but Beth had quite an interesting personality - she loved life as much as Rose did. She's just not permitted to live it fully!

When the hot oatmeal and fritters were ready to serve, Rose set the table, then went to the sink and drew water to wash the dishes while Beth ate. Mr. Browning put his paper away and stated that he wasn't hungry before heading outside through the back door, mumbling to himself. Rose a.s.sumed he was either disturbed at what she'd suggested, or still pondering it.

"Daddy won't let me go. I just know it," Beth whined.

"He might need time to think it over."