Phoebe nodded and allowed Edna to escort her into the home’s parlor. First her friend introduced her to Bernice Gerber, the hostess for today’s gathering. The woman was somewhere between Phoebe’s mamm’s age and Edna’s. She was plump with lots of laugh lines and a broad smile. She took the pie from Phoebe and led her into the kitchen where other desserts were already set out. It quickly became obvious that the woman loved to talk. Not that Phoebe pried or asked a lot of questions. But within minutes Phoebe knew how many kinner and kins-kinnah she had, how many years she’d known Edna and how long it had taken her to get her home ready for this service.
Edna finally pulled her away and took her to meet two other women, introducing them as her baby shveshtra Hilda and Trudy. They looked quite a bit younger than Edna and although they were twins and remarkably similar in appearance, the women had very different personalities. Hilda seemed somewhat flighty and was a bit of a babbler. Trudy, on the other hand, seemed more grounded and practical.
At one point Trudy turned to Phoebe. “You need to meet some of the women your own age. Kum, I’ll introduce you.”
She walked up to two young ladies who were chatting together. “Margaret, Constance, this is Phoebe Kropf. She’s helping out at the Beiler place while Edna recuperates. Phoebe, this is Margaret Chupp who makes the most beautiful baskets, and Constance Fischer, our schoolteacher.” Then Trudy walked off, leaving Phoebe with Margaret and Constance.
“Welcome,” Margaret said warmly. “I hope you’re enjoying your time here in Sweetbrier Creek.”
Phoebe nodded. “The Beilers have been wonderful gut to me and I’ve enjoyed getting to spend more time with Edna.”
The teacher smiled. “That’s right, you’re from the same town as their aenti.”
“Jah. I’ve known her for most of my life.”
Margaret nodded. “I’m sure the Beilers are grateful that you were willing and able to come on such short notice.”
Before Phoebe could respond the signal came that it was time to line up to enter the room set aside for the service. She made a mental note to broach the subject with Constance of how Jesse and Kish were doing in her class if the opportunity presented itself.
Phoebe took her place with her new friends and the other single females behind the married ladies of the community.
After the service was over and they’d filed out, she followed the others to the kitchen. When it became known that she was currently serving as housekeeper in the Beiler household, she found herself getting some unexpected attention. As they worked together in the kitchen, Phoebe picked up from bits and pieces of conversation that Levi was a favorite among the single ladies. There was no surprise there. She was more surprised that she didn’t hear similar talk about Seth. Was it because he was a widower? Or that he was quieter, less outwardly charming? Whatever the case, she thought perhaps the local women were overlooking someone who would make a wunderbaar mann.
Once they’d finished serving the men, Phoebe had a chance to speak to Constance. “You must know Kish and Jesse very well.”
“Jah. They are both gut boys. Kish is a bit rambunctious, but not at all mean-spirited. And Jesse is more quiet but wonderful smart.”
Just what she would have expected to hear. “I assume you’ll be doing a Christmas play that all the students participate in, just like we do in Bergamot.”
“Jah. Kish will sing with the group. And Jesse will read the Christmas story from the Bible. I think you’ll enjoy the program.”
Phoebe grimaced. “Unfortunately I won’t get to see it. I’m returning home to be with my own familye for a few days at Christmas.”
“Being with familye is important but I know the Beilers will miss having you with them.” Then Constance turned to the counter. “Would you mind grabbing that other pitcher and helping me replenish the empties?”
Phoebe froze, worried that she would spill something if she agreed. But how could she refuse? Then she squared her shoulders and picked up a pitcher. She could do this—she just had to focus.
While she was down among the diners she spotted Seth deep in discussion with two other men, all of them looking solemn. Levi was farther down the table, wearing his usual charming smile. He looked up and caught her eye, giving her a grin before turning back to his friends.
She saw another young lady standing near the table where Levi was seated. The girl, whom Phoebe had not yet met, gave her a look that was distinctly unfriendly. But she turned away quickly and offered to refill the glasses of Levi and his friends.
Phoebe resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Apparently the young lady was one of Levi’s admirers. Little did she know that Phoebe was no threat to her whatsoever.
She made it back to the kitchen without one trip or spill and breathed a sigh of happy relief.
Later, when it was time for the women to sit down and eat their lunch, Phoebe found herself at a table with Margaret, a friend of Margaret’s named Clara, Edna and Edna’s shveshtra.
“So you arrived Tuesday I believe,” Clara said. “What do you think of Sweetbrier Creek so far?”
Phoebe picked up her fork. “Other than coming here today, I haven’t left the Beiler farm since I arrived. But I like what I’ve seen so far.”
Hilda looked dismayed. “Oh, but our town has so much to offer. Seth mustn’t take up all of your time this way. Tell him you need time to get out and about more.”
She hadn’t meant for her admission to reflect poorly on Seth. “Actually, he’s going to town to run errands on Tuesday and I plan to accompany him so I can get groceries.”
This time it was Trudy who spoke up. “That’s right, the Beilers are hosting the next Sunday service so I imagine you do have some shopping to do.”
Hosting? Phoebe’s stomach suddenly was a mass of butterflies. Why hadn’t Seth or Edna told her about that?
“Have you ever hosted a service before?” This question came from Margaret. Phoebe was beginning to feel like a ping-pong ball as she turned from one speaker to the other.
“My familye has and naturally I helped Mamm get the house and food ready.” But of course she’d never had the responsibility for the whole thing. Thank goodness she had Edna to lean on for direction.
Trudy nodded. “Then you’ll be fine.”
Would she? She’d certainly have something to say to Seth when they got home this afternoon about keeping her informed.
Seth stood near one of the horse paddocks speaking to Homer Gerber and Calvin Detweiler, the cabinetmaker Mark was currently apprenticing with. Lunch was long over and the ladies had left the kitchen and were mingling about, keeping an eye on the kinner at play or holding bopplin on their hips or shoulders. While Homer discussed whether to repair or replace an older buggy that had seen better days, Seth let his gaze wander across the grounds. He spotted Levi and Daniel with a group of other young men checking out a friend’s new buggy horse. Mark and some of the other young people in his rumspringa group, in spite of the cold weather, had set up a volleyball net and were playing an energetic game.
Kish was playing cornhole toss with another group.
It took him a little longer to spot Jesse. His youngest bruder was with a group of kids who were standing together and just talking. Not unusual for the boy. As he’d told Phoebe, Jesse was naturally quiet. Which didn’t mean he wasn’t social, as was evident from his interaction with this quieter group of kinner.
But Phoebe’s concerns nagged at him. He looked closer and even though Jesse was with the group, his body language made it obvious he didn’t feel part of the group. He wasn’t engaging in conversation and the others didn’t seem to be making any effort to include him. And while Seth was sure none of the others were deliberately excluding him, none of them so much as looked Jesse’s way.
Was Phoebe right? Was there more to this than Jesse’s nature?
