“Gut. Now, I know different communities have different traditions around the luncheon after the church service. Will I be expected to provide the entire meal?”
Edna spread mayonnaise on her bread. “Other ladies in the community will provide the desserts. We’ll be expected to provide the main meal as well as tea, lemonade and coffee.”
“The meal yesterday consisted of church spread sandwiches, bologna and cheese sandwiches and coleslaw. Is that also traditional here?”
This time Edna nodded. “Jah, that’s what most will do. But there are those who prefer to cook a potato casserole or have another type of sandwich and that’s all right too.”
Seth decided to join the conversation, complimenting her on her fruit salad. “This would be gut to have instead of the coleslaw if you’d like to do that.” Not wanting to sound as if he was pushing her in one direction or the other, he quickly added, “But I’ll leave the menu up to you.”
She nodded. “Edna and I will be walking through the house this afternoon,” she said. “We plan to make note of everything that needs to be done before everyone arrives the day of the next service.”
Perhaps she was starting to see the benefits of making lists and approaching work in an organized manner. “Making plans is a gut thing. And when we go to town tomorrow you can pick up any extra supplies you might need.” He reached for his glass. “While you’re doing the walk-through, if you see anything that needs repair, let me know and I’ll see that it gets taken care of.”
“We’ll keep our eyes out.”
After lunch Seth set up the chessboard. They hadn’t played a match yesterday since they’d been away from home. He was surprised now by how much he was looking forward to playing again. It was a sign of how much he enjoyed playing the game, he supposed.
And from the smile on her face as she sat down across from him, he could see she enjoyed it as well.
“Your turn to go first,” he said as he turned the board so the light pieces were in front of her.
Later, as Phoebe made another of her out-of-left-field chess moves, Seth shook his head. But he was beginning to see something of her strategy, or rather her lack of one. She seemed to play purely on instinct, reacting to the current situation on the board. Her ability to read the board and its implications, however, was amazing.
“You say your grossdaadi taught you the basic moves—did he also teach you strategy?”
“Actually it was Edna’s Ivan who tried to teach me strategy and taught me how to play fearlessly.”
Fearlessly, is that what she called it? “They both taught you well.” Regardless of the end result of their matches she never made the wins easy for him.
“Danke. They’ve both been wonderful gut influences on my life as well as my game.”
He moved his rook, capturing her queen’s bishop. “Check.”
She studied the board and made the only move open to her. Then quizzed him about what time they would be heading for town in the morning and how long the outing normally took.
He answered absently. It would be checkmate in two moves but if she realized that she didn’t seem at all concerned. Apparently she’d meant what she said about enjoying the game for the company, not whether or not she won.
And though he kept waiting for her to bring up the conversation they’d had this morning she never did.
When Phoebe stepped inside his workshop that afternoon with her offering of cookies and milk, Seth almost stood to take the saucer and glass from her. He had an urge to protect her from a repeat of the painful embarrassment she’d experienced with the cup of cocoa. But instead he kept his seat and let her proceed unaided.
And her pleasure when she succeeded was worth it.
“Did you finish making your list yet?” he asked as he took one of her cookies.
“We just have the basement left to go through. And we’ve identified a few things in the house that could use repair or a touch-up.”
“Just put the list on the corkboard and I’ll take a look when I get in this evening.”
Rather than responding directly, she pointed to the flat, square wood tiles stacked on his worktable. “Those are what you use to make the squares on your chessboards, aren’t they?”
“They are. I’ll glue them in place later today and then tomorrow I’ll stain and seal them.”
“That certainly seems like something me or one of your brieder could do.” There was a very pointed tone in her voice.
He should have known they weren’t done with this topic, especially after the new order he’d received today. “They need to be cut, stained and placed in a certain way.”
“So, you’re saying none of the rest of us could quickly learn to do a task that is mostly repetitive.”
She just didn’t understand what this job took. “I’m very particular in how I want the boards to look.”
“You like to control the process from start to finish because you take pride in your work.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Exactly.” Maybe she did understand.
“One should be careful that such pride doesn’t blind one to how Gotte would wish him to conduct himself.” Before he could respond she added, “Did you consider that you might be robbing your brieder of the chance to feel a part of what you do? And robbing yourself of the opportunity to be more a part of their lives?”
And with a raised brow, she turned and made her exit.
Seth ate the last cookie, mulling over her words. Was that really what he was doing—letting his pride get in the way of asking for much-needed help? And in the process robbing himself and his brieder of the chance to spend time together?
He picked up the rook he’d been working on when she entered and rubbed the surface with his thumb. He reached for a piece of sandpaper and went to work.
But he couldn’t get her words out of his head.
Phoebe walked back to the house, pleased with how the conversation had gone. She’d had a difficult time speaking up that way but she really did think if he tried out her suggestions, it would not only help him meet the deadlines he was worried about but also bring him and his brieder closer together, which in her mind was every bit as important if not more so. Because while she could tell that they all really loved one another there was some kind of wall that had been erected between Seth and the rest of them.
