Amish Quilt Shop Mystery Read online

  Amish Quilt Shop Mystery

  Ettie Smith Amish Mysteries Book 5

  Samantha Price

  Copyright © 2016 by Samantha Price

  All rights reserved.

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  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The personal names have been invented by the author, and any likeness to the name of any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  ETTIE SMITH AMISH MYSTERIES

  Other books by Samantha Price:

  About Samantha Price

  Chapter 1

  “Jabez, can you move the table closer to the window?”

  Jabez gave a quick nod and then he and David lifted the table to where Bethany had ordered.

  When the table was in place, David turned around with his hands on his hips. “That better?”

  “A little to the left.” She motioned with her hands.

  Jabez shook his head and said, “Okay, you're the boss.” He then murmured to David, “Even though I don't see it’ll make any difference.”

  David stifled a laugh. Bethany heard his comment and ignored it. She watched until they moved the table where she wanted it, and when she gave them a nod of approval, she turned away to see how everything else in her new store was going. The store meant everything to her and—like everything in her life that she could control—it had to be perfect. Now the food tables were in exactly the right place for the night’s event, and soon her friends, Jill and Kathy, would arrive with the food. She spun around when Jabez tapped her on the shoulder.

  “Is that all you want us for today?”

  She stared into Jabez’s clear blue eyes set against smooth honey-colored skin, lost for a moment, wondering if they’d ever be more than friends. When he raised his superbly shaped eyebrows as if to say ‘well?’ she pulled her gaze from him and looked around the room to see what else she might have him do. All the heavy work had been done. There was no reason to keep Jabez or David there any longer. “I can't think of anything right now, but you’re coming back tonight, right?”

  “Jah. We’ll be back for the big opening night.” He slapped his hands on his solid thighs. “We need to change out of our old clothes and into something more decent.”

  She looked up and down at their clothes. “Denke. I look forward to seeing you tonight.”

  “And me?” David asked.

  “Mainly you,” Bethany joked, getting a stern look from Jabez.

  After they’d said goodbye, Jabez and David left the store and Bethany was alone. She was glad that Jabez was coming back for the special event. For too long she’d had a secret crush on him and she’d heard he felt the same, but their relationship had never moved beyond one of friendship. She’d often considered making her feelings towards him known, but if he didn’t feel the same it could ruin their friendship. As Bethany always did when thoughts of Jabez bothered her, she kept busy. And tonight, with the opening of her quilt shop, there was plenty to keep her attention off her secret crush.

  Bethany adjusted the quilts on the walls and made sure everything was straight and just so. Everything had to be right for the night.

  Invitations had gone out to everyone in her Amish community and all the workers and the store owners in the shops nearby. It had always been her dream to be a successful business owner so she would be able to provide for herself. Since her mother had died one year ago, she was on her own as much as anyone could be on their own in the community.

  “In your own world of daydreams and floating quilts.”

  Bethany turned around to see a figure in the doorway silhouetted by the afternoon sun. She shaded her eyes so she could see better. “Is that you, Ettie?”

  Ettie walked towards her. “It is. I’ve come to see if I can offer a hand.”

  “Denke, but there’s nothing to do here at the moment. I’ve just had Jabez and David arrange the tables for the food and drinks. I’ve got drinks down there, and the girls are arriving soon with all the food.” Bethany looked back to the door. “Where is Elsa-May?”

  Ettie huffed. “Just because we live together doesn't mean we have to go everywhere with each other.”

  “I know that, but you usually do.”

  “Elsa-May is taking her new dog to dog training lessons at Quinton Black's house. Obedience classes, I think they call them.”

  “I see. She is coming tonight, isn't she?”

  “Jah. She'll be here.” Ettie looked around. “What is it that I can do? There must be something.”

  Bethany took hold of Ettie’s arm. “You can tell me what you think of how I’ve designed the store. The quilts are at the back here, and I've hung some so people can see the full size and the pattern when they’re laid out. And then I put the fabric on the shelves at the side here. Do you think that’s the best placement for everything? Think of yourself as a customer.”

  Ettie’s gaze ran around the store, taking everything in. “I'm no expert at this sort of thing, but it looks very good and very professional. You’ve put a lot of thought into everything, that’s clear to see.”

  Bethany smiled, wondering what she could give Ettie to do. She’d already gotten everything organized and her friends would be there soon to help with the party. “There’s nothing to do. I'm really hoping this store is successful. I'm a little worried because there are other stores like this nearby. It’s not as though it’s the only one.”

  “You can't start off worried,” Ettie said. “You must start off with confidence.”

  “Jah, you're right, Ettie. I’ve taken a calculated risk. Now all I can do is wait and see.”

  “And work hard.”

  “That too. Would you like a cup of hot tea while we wait for the girls?”

  “I came here to help, not to drink tea.”

  “I’ve had this place organized for the past two days. The builders finished ahead of schedule, so I was able to get in early and have everything organized. Organizing things is what I do best. If you have a cup of tea with me, that’ll help me calm down a little.” Bethany lifted her hand and tried to hold it level. “Look at my hand—it’s shaking.”

  “It’s shakier than my hand,” Ettie said with a laugh.

  “I'll show you where I make the tea.” Bethany pulled back a curtain behind the sales counter to reveal a small sink over a cupboard, with just enough countertop space for an electric teakettle.

  “It's not a big space,” Bethany said.

  “That's all you need to hide your
kettle and a few food items. It certainly is a good idea to put it behind that curtain.”

  “I think so too. I was going to have a door built, but the door would’ve taken up too much space. It’s much easier to have a curtain.”

  “Very tidy.”

  “I think so too. I can make myself a cup of tea and I can sit behind the counter with a cup when I'm not busy. It would be exciting if I was rushed all day and had no time to eat or even have a cup of tea.”

  “I think you'll do well here, Bethany.”

  “I certainly hope so.” Bethany filled the kettle with water. “It’ll be better than helping Mrs. Fisher on her farm.”

  “It was gut timing now that her boys have returned home.”

  Bethany nodded. Helping on the farm had given her a little money, and with the sum her mother had left her she had enough to open the store and keep going for three months. The store had to make money after that or she could lose her house.

  “Your mudder would've liked to have been here to see what a great job you’ve done with everything.”

  Bethany switched off the kettle, turned around, and gave Ettie a smile.

  “I'm sorry, dear. It probably wasn't the best thing to bring your mudder into the conversation. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “That’s all right, Ettie. She's been gone for nearly a year.” No one in the community would've known what it was like behind closed doors. Her mother had been all smiles and polite to everybody in public, but at home she was a different person. She’d never been cruel or mean physically, but she had been cold and indifferent. So much so that Bethany had often wanted her to beat her or hit her; at least that would’ve shown some emotion toward her.

  Bethany looked at Ettie. If she’d had a grandmother still alive, she’d want her to be Ettie or someone who was kind and genuine like Ettie. Bethany had always known that Ettie was concerned for her welfare. Ettie had always found time to stop by her house when she was growing up. It was almost as though she’d known what Bethany’s mother had been like without having to be told.

  Chapter 2

  Ettie looked across at Bethany when she felt Bethany staring at her. When Ettie smiled at her, Bethany smiled too and then looked away. Bethany’s face was too lined for a girl of twenty-five. What had caused a young girl so much strain? Her mother, Sybil, had temporarily left the community when she was young and had returned when she was expecting Bethany. Maybe that was it. Could Bethany be the way she was because Sybil had never married, leaving Bethany an only child? An only child in the community was an oddity. Growing up without a father figure and no relatives can’t have been easy.

  Sybil was not the loving kind of woman that people thought she was. Ettie had known that right away. Sybil was only too eager to have others look after Bethany as a baby. Often Sybil would say she was coming down with a cold and didn’t want Bethany to catch it. People in the community were happy to take Bethany for a few days—what was another child to care for in families that had between five and fifteen children? Bethany’s mother had never seemed a happy woman. Ettie had never mentioned it to anybody. It was just a quiet observation. Would Bethany end up never married and alone like her mother before her? Perhaps that’s why the store was so important. If the store became a success, maybe that would give Bethany the peace she was looking for.

  “Ettie, I said it’s fine. Mamm is with Gott, and I’m fine on my own.”

  “No young girl should be on her own.” The words slipped out of Ettie’s mouth before she could stop them.

  “It’s not through choice, Ettie. If I could marry, I would.”

  “What’s to stop you doing so? You could still have your store. Many women marry and work out of the home these days. It’s not like it was when I was your age.”

  Bethany giggled and her fingertips covered her mouth. “That’s not what’s stopping me. It’s just that I’ve never met a man who saw me as wife material.”

  Ettie’s eyebrows wiggled. “Wife material? You’ve been around fabrics for too long.”

  Bethany smiled. “I’m different from the other girls. They were interested in boys years before I was, and I guess I never saw that as being the most important thing in life—getting married, I mean.”

  “What’s the most important thing to you?”

  “Being able to provide for myself is important. I don’t know if that’s because Mamm is gone and I’m alone, but it’ll make me feel safe if I can make my own money. I don’t want to rely on other people.”

  Bethany sprang to her feet when the kettle boiled. “Milk and sugar, Ettie?”

  “Nee. Just weak and black for me.”

  “Good, because I don’t have milk. I’ve got no room for a fridge.”

  Bethany passed Ettie a cup of tea and then sat down with her.

  Ettie wanted to hint to Bethany that she shouldn’t put so much faith in earthly things, but she didn’t want to sound like she was preaching to her, nor did she want to bring Bethany’s mood down. The young woman had a dream and right at that moment, Ettie was not going to ruin it by warning her to place her faith in God and not in riches that can take wings and fly away at a moment’s notice. Sometimes knowledge like that had to come through experience rather than being told.

  “What’s happening with you, Ettie? I don’t get much time to talk to you after our meetings on a Sunday.”

  “Not much, really. Elsa-May’s got a dog, and that’s been a change in our household.”

  “Jah, I’ve heard all about the dog.”

  “That’s right. I’m sorry. Now let me see what else has happened.” Ettie poked a boney finger in the air. “I sold the haus Agatha willed me to Jeremiah and Ava. They’re moving in next week.”

  “That’s lovely.”

  “Jah, they’re quite excited about it. I didn’t think Jeremiah would’ve been too happy about selling the haus he built himself, but he does everything to keep Ava happy. Just like a gut mann should.”

  “I’m happy for them.”

  “Ava’s about the same age as you.”

  “She’s a little older, I think because she got given harder lessons at school.”

  “Jah, I suppose she is.”

  Bethany took a sip of tea. “I’m excited about tonight.”

  “It should be very successful. You might sell a lot of quilts.”

  “Do you think so?”

  “I do. Some of them are very lovely.”

  “Denke. I think so too. I expect to sell mostly to tourists.”

  “You’re in a gut street to do that. The tour buses come down this street, don’t they?”

  “They do, and they make a stop at the candy store across the road, so hopefully they’ll wander over here too.”

  “I’m certain they will.” Ettie knew that when Bethany’s mother, Sybil, died, she’d left everything to Bethany—there were no other kinfolk. Bethany would’ve inherited her mother’s house, which Ettie was certain was all paid off. What drove Bethany so hard to make money? Ettie could sense Bethany’s desperation to make the place work. It wasn’t Ettie’s place to ask financial questions, but she had to wonder whether Bethany’s mother might have left debts, but if so how did Bethany get the money to put into the quilt store?

  “Have you ever considered Jabez?” Ettie asked.

  “To buy a quilt?”

  Ettie drew her eyebrows together. “Nee.”

  Bethany laughed. “I think I know what you mean. As a husband?”

  “That’s right.”

  “We’re friends. I mean, he sees me as a friend. I don’t know if we could be anything else. Maybe it’s best not to start off as friends. If we met suddenly right now and we’d never known each other before then, it might have worked out.”

  “It’s best to be friends. You have to be friends first and have that respect.”

  “Really?”

  Ettie nodded. “Jah.”

  “See? I don’t know any of these things. You should give me lessons on relationships.
How to find a husband.”

  Bethany giggled loudly, and Ettie knew she was joking. Bethany was a quiet girl, and lately her confidence had grown.

  “After you make the store a success, I’ll find you a husband.”

  “Gut, denke Ettie. I’ll look forward to it, but I will be shocked if you find me one that suits.”

  Ettie took a mouthful of tea. It wasn’t very nice tea, but that was because it was made from a teabag. Ettie preferred the proper tea that was made in a teapot with real tea leaves.

  Bethany glanced up at the clock on the wall. “The girls will be here with the food soon.”

  “I should have thought to bring something with me.”

  “Nee, it’s all organized. You would’ve just thrown everything out. I’ve got exactly the right amount of food for everyone coming.”

  “You seem thoroughly organized.”

  “I am. I’ve always been that way. I've also arranged for reporters from the newspaper to come. They said they’d write a story, and they’re bringing a photographer too. I told them I didn’t want to be photographed and they said they’d take pictures of the store.”

  Jill and Kathy brought in the food through the entrance from the back alleyway, interrupting them. Ettie was pleased to see them because now she had something to do. She could help them arrange the food and the drinks onto the tables.

  Some time before they were finished spreading out the food, Elsa-May arrived.

  “I'm early, I see,” Elsa-May said to Bethany.

  “Not so much; it starts at five.” Bethany turned to look at the clock. “You’re twenty minutes early.”