Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

Escorting Lara onto the porch where his family relaxed in the dusk, Caleb nearly burst with pride, or at least as much pride as a proper, humble Amish man ought to feel. Lara was beautiful and sweet and he was truly blessed that she was going to be his bride.

As they sat on the porch with the others, though, anxiety over a possible confrontation with Daniel rose. Daniel had built his own house three years before in anticipation of marriage to Rebecca Yoder. Each evening after supper, Daniel had hustled off to work on the house, sometimes with the help of his brothers, sometimes all alone. And then, just a few weeks before the wedding, Rebecca had eloped with a beekeeper who had visited their community. Even now, years later, the sight of a jar of honey sent an angry flush over Daniel’s face.

The house had been unused ever since.

Apparently drastic reduction in suitable spouses had inspired Daniel to change his mind. Since Lara was the only female, marriageable or otherwise, Caleb had to assume that Daniel did not plan to sit idly by and wish him well with his new bride.

Caleb half listened as Lara shyly asked questions of his brothers. His mind was occupied with thoughts of Daniel and what he might plan to do.

Caleb fought against his desire to take action to make Lara his forever. Although she had agreed to marry him and said she believed it to be God’s will, it had all happened very suddenly. The poor girl had survived a devastating earthquake, wandered alone in the woods for a week, and barely eaten. Maybe she had just agreed with him because she feared being cast out on her own.

It seemed that all the Miller men were glad to have someone new to talk to. Usually Caleb’s brothers, and even his father, were uncomfortable around strangers, particularly women. But Lara had charmed them all. Was it any wonder? She’d charmed him, too.

He smiled at her and enjoyed watching a flush of pink spread over her face. She looked down briefly, and when she brought her face up, only a tiny circle of pink dotted the center of each cheek.

His father asked Lara a question about her family and Caleb eagerly listened to learn all about this woman with whom he planned to spend the rest of his life. As she spoke about her family, several different emotions crossed her face.

“My father is a pastor of a small church in Ohio. My mother is an accomplished musician and singer. She taught private piano lessons to all the kids in town. I have a little sister named Amber. She’s fourteen.”

“Do yee know what has happened to them since the earthquake?” Solomon Miller asked gently, leaning toward her and speaking softly.

Lara drew a long breath and blew it out before answering. “No, sir.” Caleb watched as she fought back sadness; an urge to cuddle and comfort her nearly overwhelmed him.

Caleb felt a small hand clasp his. He glanced up at Lara. She squeezed his hand. He replied in kind and a small smile tilted the corners of her mouth.

Caleb’s father said, “It is time for bed, everyone. Caleb, come with me to the attic, son.”

As he got up to do as his father asked, Lara laid a hand on Caleb’s arm. “Where am I to sleep? The sofa?”

Before Caleb could reply, his father answered her question. “Aye, just yee wait here until Caleb and I return, then we will see to your place for the night.”

Lara nodded and watched all the members of the Miller family go inside. All save Daniel who still had not returned from his house. Would he spend the night there?

Alone on the porch she wondered if that was where they meant for her to sleep. She knew the Amish could be strict when it came to relations between men and women, but making her sleep on the porch seemed a bit harsh. On the other hand, it might make her mission to the woods easier to accomplish.

She reminded herself she ought not to complain. She had a full stomach, clean clothes, and a number of kindly protectors. Not to mention a fiancé.

“Good evening, Lara.”

She turned as Daniel joined her on the porch. “Oh, hello, Daniel.” After the scene earlier when he had wanted to walk with her and been rebuffed by Caleb, being alone with Daniel felt awkward. She wished Caleb, or any other member of the family, would return to the porch.

“Why are you out here alone? Has Caleb abandoned you already?” Daniel moved closer, but she refused to back up, even though she desperately wanted to turn and run from him. She hated the fact that her presence had caused tension between the two brothers, but she would not allow Daniel to intimidate her.

“No,” Lara said, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “Caleb would never act that way and you know it.”

“You seem to think you know Caleb very well. That is strange since you have only known him a few hours. Yet, you have decided to marry him. And without even considering all the options available to you.”

Daniel’s voice was condescending and Lara squirmed under his questioning but refused to back down. “I am aware of my options,” she said pointedly. “I believe I have made a good choice.”

Daniel held her gaze. He looked at her, then tipped his hat. “Good night, Lara.”

She watched him join the rest of his family in the house and thought about what he’d said.

She shook her head as if to dispel Daniel’s words and her own doubts.

Caleb reluctantly followed his father to the attic. Leaving Lara’s side did not please him, but despite being an adult himself, his obedience to his father persisted, as he expected it would until his father’s death.

Besides, he was curious. A trip to the attic made no sense, but since Solomon Miller rarely behaved frivolously, Caleb did as instructed and held his questions. His father would provide information when he deemed it necessary and not before. Attempting to hurry him was pointless.

On the second floor landing outside the bedroom his father occupied, they paused. Solomon nodded toward the door in the ceiling and Caleb reached up to pull it down, a narrow ladder extending to the floor as he did so. He stood back and allowed his father to go first and then followed him into the dim attic. The last bits of sunlight provided barely enough illumination for the two men to find their way around the boxes and crates.

“I had meant to come up here before it got too dark,” Solomon said, “but I was having such a nice time conversing with Lara that time got away from me.”

Caleb had never known his father to lose track of time or be deterred from a task. Unsure of how to respond, he simply gave his father a quizzical look.

“I know,” Solomon said with a small grin, “it is unlike me. But she has brought a glimmer of light to our home which has been missing for a… well, for a long time.”

His father turned away and paused over a trunk for a moment. Caleb gave him his space, knowing that his father was remembering Rachel, his beloved wife and Caleb’s mother. In the whirlwind of the day’s events, Caleb had not realized how similar Lara was to his deceased mother. Many of his memories were dimmed by time, but Caleb recalled a woman who was gentle and calm with a radiant smile.

Although he had no idea what it was like to lose a wife, now that he had spent just a few hours with Lara his heart ached at the thought of being without her. He felt he had a bit more understanding of the loss his father had sustained, if only to a very small degree. Caleb looked at his father with renewed respect.

“I am glad you enjoyed talking to Lara,” Caleb said as a means to divert his father from his memories.

“She is a good girl.” Solomon sighed and opened the trunk he stood over. “But marriage is a lifetime commitment. Are you sure you are not moving too quickly? Or reacting to extreme circumstances?”

“Those are reasonable concerns, Father.” Caleb moved toward his father and watched as he rifled through a trunk. “For as long as I can remember, I have prayed for the Lord to send me a wife. I cannot help but believe Lara is the answer to that prayer.”

“I had the same feeling when I met your mother.”

Caleb looked up at his father in surprise. His parents had shared an abiding affection that Caleb had envied, but he had no idea how their union had begun.

“I miss your mother every day,” Solomon continued. “If you believe you and Lara have the same feelings for each other, I encourage you to cherish each day with her.”

Solomon pulled a large white piece of fabric from the bottom of the trunk and shook it out triumphantly.

“Father?” Caleb tilted his head to the side and stared, mystified by his father’s actions and words.

“This,” Solomon nodded toward the item in his hands, “is a bundling bag.”

“A what?”

Solomon loosened the drawstring around the top of the bag so that it opened. “In the old days, when families lived further apart, couples who were courting used bundling bags.”

“For what? Their laundry?” Caleb feared his father had gone daft. And when the older man laughed so hard he lost his breath, Caleb was sure of it.

“No, not laundry.” Solomon fought against additional laughter. “I am sorry, son. I do not mean to laugh at yee. ‘Tis my own fault for not teaching you and your brothers more of the history of our people. Before it was convenient to travel from a young lady’s house back home after an evening of visiting, people used bundling bags. The young man would spend the night and he and the young lady would share a bed.”

Caleb stared at his father in shock. The man had gone mad, that was all there was to it. “Father, perhaps we should go downstairs. Maybe a glass of milk and a piece of pie would do you some good.” He touched the sack his father held and gently tugged, hoping to remove it from his grip.

Solomon snatched the bag close to his body. “I do not need pie and milk. I am not in my dotage so please do not treat me that way. The girl sleeps inside this bag with it tied around her neck and then she and the boy can share a bed for the night.”

“Lara and I share a bed?” Caleb could hardly believe his ears. Or good fortune.

“Yes, that is what I am trying to tell you. This way she will remain untouched while the two of you are able to talk privately.”

“I am not objecting to this suggestion, Father, but why could we not simply talk together during daylight?”

“During the day you have chores and nosey brothers. Besides, it would not be proper for us to have an unchaperoned female in our house unless she slept in a bundling bag. What would the neighbors think?”

Both men paused. They had no neighbors.

“Well,” Solomon continued, “it is the proper and respectful thing to do and we shall continue to be honorable men, regardless of whether anyone else knows or not. We will know and so will the Lord.”