Amish Daisy Read online

  “I’m glad you offered to bring dessert. She shouldn’t be entertaining; that’s a lot of hard work.”

  “That’s what I thought, so I also said I’d go early to help her cook dinner.”

  “Good girl. Finish with Damon and I’ll figure out what you can take for dessert.”

  “Denke, Mamm.”

  Daisy couldn’t get the smile off her face. She knew that her mother was going to make the dessert for her to take and her mother was a very good cook.

  Glancing at the horse in the other stall, she knew that Lily was already home and, judging by the look of the horse, she’d been home for some time. She finished rubbing Damon down and headed into the house to tell her twin sister her news about meeting her future husband. She hoped Lily would take the news well. Bruno didn’t have a twin and they’d agreed to only marry twins, or at the very least, brothers close in age. Maybe Bruno had a brother; that might soften the blow for Lily. Lily could marry Bruno’s brother. She’d have to find out tonight over dinner how many single brothers he had.

  She scraped the dirt off her feet before she walked into the mudroom to wash her hands. Once she dried them, she opened the back door to look for Lily.

  Lily was sitting at the kitchen table eating a sandwich and their mother was nowhere about.

  Lily looked up at her. “Where have you been?”

  “I was visiting Valerie Miller. The one whose husband just died.”

  “Yeah, I know Valerie. We went to Dirk’s funeral a week ago.”

  “That’s right. Anyway, her bruder from Ohio is there staying with her.”

  “So that’s where you’ve been for all this time? I’ve done three times the work while you’ve been sitting down talking, probably eating cake and having a gut time.” Lily took another bite of her sandwich.

  Daisy sat down next to her. “You should’ve seen Valerie’s bruder.”

  Lily swallowed her mouthful. “Oh, is that why you took your time?”

  “Jah. Valerie invited me back there for dinner. And I really want to go.”

  “What’s he like? Tell me everything.” Lily pushed her half-eaten sandwich away.

  Daisy hoped that Lily would be happy for her. If their situations were reversed, she’d be worried that she hadn’t met the man her sister was interested in. “He’s … I don’t know.”

  “You must know. You’ve just seen him.”

  “He has amber eyes and full lips. That’s all I remember. I’m certain he likes me. He was pleased when Valerie asked me to come back and have dinner with them.”

  “Did they invite me as well? Surely they would’ve.”

  “Sorry, but I guess she didn’t think of it. She’s under stress with her husband just dying and everything.”

  “First Mamm gives us separate things to do and now you’re getting invitations that don’t include me. Now you’ve met a man and I haven’t. Tell me he’s a twin at least.”

  There it was. It was like they were moving apart. Daisy knew Lily wasn’t happy by the way her eyes had formed into narrow slits. “He doesn’t have a twin.”

  “What do you mean he’s not a twin? How could you even like him? That’s just wrong. We planned on marrying twins.”

  “Shh. Mamm will hear you. Let’s go up and talk in my room before she comes back and gives us more chores.”

  The twins raced up the stairs and then sat cross-legged on Daisy’s bed.

  “But we don’t even know if there are any twins our age,” Daisy said. “That’s the problem. Even Dat doesn’t know of any and he nearly knows everyone in the whole country.”

  “He couldn’t nearly know everyone in the country.”

  “Near enough,” Daisy said.

  Lily pouted, and then continued with her objections. “I’m sure there’s tons of them somewhere in all the communities across the whole country. There’d have to be. Dat said he’d ask around for us.”

  “I’d rather not marry at all than move a hundred miles away from everyone we know just for the silly idea of marrying twins.” When Lily didn’t respond, Daisy felt bad and looked down at her hands.

  Lily groaned. “Silly now, is it? When did it become silly? The moment you met Valerie’s bruder?”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t help liking him.”

  Slowly, Lily nodded. “You can’t help who you fall in love with, I guess.”

  “I’ve only just met him. I might find out tonight that he’s totally unsuitable.”

  Lily said, “Or you might fall in love with him. Don’t mind me, I’m just being selfish. I guess … I guess I’ll get used to the idea. But if you marry him, who will I marry?”

  Daisy smiled and straightened up. “He could have a friend, and tonight I’m going to find out if he has a bruder close to his age. Don’t worry.” She reached forward and patted her twin on her knee.

  “What time do you have to be there?”

  “I said I’d be there early to help, and I’ve got to make dessert too, or help Mamm with it if she makes it.”

  “You better get downstairs and see what ingredients Mamm has for dessert. Have her make it and tell him you made it.” Lily giggled.

  Daisy’s face lit up. “I’m already way ahead of you on that one. I’m glad you don’t mind about Bruno.”

  “Are you certain he likes you too?”

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t he?”

  Both girls giggled.

  “Now to break the news to Mamm and Dat. What if they don’t allow you to go?” Lily asked.

  “Why wouldn’t they? Mamm’s already said it’s okay.”

  “Really? I suppose that’s because we’ve behaved lately and haven’t gotten into trouble over anything in months.”

  They certainly had done everything that had been asked of them. Even helping their mother with her duties of helping people. That had to make her mother feel kindly toward her.

  “Where is Mamm anyway?” Lily asked.

  “I don’t know. I saw her when I came home,” Daisy said.

  “Let’s go find her.”

  When they walked back into the kitchen, their mother was right there waiting for them. “Where have you been, Lily? I heard you come home and then you disappeared. I was calling out to you.”

  “Oh, I didn’t hear. We were up in Daisy’s room just then,” Lily answered.

  “Cleaning your rooms, did you say?” Nancy asked.

  From the tone of her mother’s voice, Daisy knew she wasn’t in a good mood.

  “Actually, I was looking for you when I came home, Mamm. Where were you?” Lily asked. “I came home before Daisy and couldn’t see you anywhere.”

  “You didn’t look too far. I was in the vegetable garden seeing if anything had survived the frost we got the other night. Now, how did you two go on your outing?” she asked Lily.

  “Fine,” Lily said. “Daisy went to Valerie’s and she has her bruder there from Ohio, and—”

  “She only had one schweschder here for the funeral.” Her mother looked at Daisy.

  Daisy could see her mother was already forming an opinion of Bruno. “Jah, he said he couldn’t get there. Anyway, he’s there now keeping Valerie company. Don’t forget about the dessert, Mamm.”

  “I won’t forget. Are you sure Bruno didn’t invite you? I hope Valerie’s well enough for visitors.”

  Her mother peered at her with her mouth drawn tight. That meant that there was only one right answer and she hoped she’d make the right one. “Honestly, it was Valerie herself who invited me. I was worried about all the work, so that’s when I said I’d come back early to help.”

  “Good.”

  Daisy licked her lips. Going to Valerie’s early meant that she’d have less time to do chores about the house. “I mean, she’s just lost her husband and things must be hard for her.”

  “Well, why wouldn’t she eat the chicken casserole you took her?” Mamm asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. I didn’t think of that.”

  Her mother breathed out heavily and looked up at the ceiling. “That would make sense to me. Unless she intends to freeze it and eat it another time.” She glanced at Lily, and then set her eyes back onto Daisy. “Did she only invite you?”

  “Jah.”

  “I’m pleased that you said you’d help her. That was kindhearted.”

  Daisy smiled, pleased to be getting praise from her mother for something. While the going was good, she added, “I also said I’d bring dessert.”

  “You don’t have to keep reminding me. I’ve been thinking about that and you can take the cherry pie I made yesterday. I was going to have one of you take it to old Mary tomorrow, but I’ll find something else for Mary.”

  Lily grunted. “We don’t have to go visiting again tomorrow, do we? I thought we only did that one day a week.”

  “We do it whenever we can. It’s time effective to do it one day a week, but sometimes it’s not always going to work like that. I just found out that Mary’s not well.”

  “That’s bad news about Mary. You really don’t mind if I go tonight?”

  “I already said you could. It’s strange that she didn’t invite your schweschder.”

  Lily piped up. “That’s what I thought.”

  “We’re two separate people. You’re giving us things to do separately. Lily wasn’t there, so Valerie just didn’t think about her.”

  “I think it had more to do with Bruno,” Lily said with a pout.

  Daisy glared at her sister. She had casually mentioned to her mother that Valerie had her brother staying with her, but she didn’t want her mother’s overactive mind too focused on Bruno.

  “Bruno?” Her mother glared at Daisy.

  “Jah, Valerie’s bruder.”

  “From Ohio,” Lily added.

  Daisy frowned at Lily, causing Lily to pull a face back at her, all without their mother noticing.

  “What’s he like, this bruder of Valerie’s?” Their mother sat down at the kitchen table and the girls sat down too.

  “Full lips and amber eyes is what she told me.” Lily cackled an evil laugh.

  “She asked me, not you,” Daisy said, annoyed with her sister for a third time in less than two minutes. She could only figure that Lily was jealous, but why ruin things for her? Lily had made her sound foolish as well.

  “Interesting. And the age of this young full-lipped, amber-eyed man?”

  “I didn’t ask.” Daisy was only thankful she didn’t tell Lily too much else.

  Their mother leaned forward as though she was only just getting started. “Single?”

  “Jah, he had no fraa with him and he’s got no baard.”

  Lily giggled again.

  Their mother ignored Lily, still focused on Daisy and finding out more about the young man and his marriage worthiness. “What job does he have?”

  “He said something about horse auctions. I wasn’t really listening.”

  “He’s an auctioneer?”

  From her mother’s tone, she seemed impressed that he was an auctioneer. Daisy shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s what he said exactly, but he said something about horse auctions.”

  “He probably goes around with a scoop and cleans up all the horse manure at the auctions,” Lily suggested. “That’s working at horse auctions.”

  “That’s not nice, Lily,” Daisy said.

  “Well, for all you know that’s what he could do. There are dozens of jobs at horse auctions. Clean out your ears next time, Daisy,” Lily said. “Do that before you go there tonight so you can answer all Mamm’s questions.”

  “Lily, I’m trying to find out a few things and you’re not helping.”

  “Sorry, Mamm.”

  “Just be quiet while I’m talking to Daisy for just one minute.”

  “I’ll try. It won’t be easy, but I’ll try.”

  Nancy turned her attention back to Daisy. “Valerie wouldn’t have invited you back if she didn’t appreciate you going there. You must’ve been a comfort to her.”

  “She’s a lovely person. I like Valerie, and I always have.”

  “I’ll have your vadder drive you there.”

  “Nee, don’t do that. I said I’d go there early to help.”

  “Your vadder will be home early today.”

  “Why?” Lily asked.

  “He’s finishing earlier now the weather’s getting so cold.”

  Daisy would feel awful if she arrived there driven by her father as though she were a child. “Nee, Mamm, I can drive myself. It’s not even that far.”

  “Well, we’ll see what he says when he gets home. If he’s too tired, he might let you go alone.”

  There was no use saying anything further. If she protested too much, her mother would only dig her heels in further. She wanted Bruno to see her as an adult. Only a child would have their father drive them places.

  * * *

  As Daisy had feared, her father insisted on driving her to Valerie’s house. It was obvious that her mother had whispered to him that Valerie’s brother was staying there, and that Daisy liked him.

  “I’ll come in for a minute and say hello,” her father said when they pulled up outside Valerie’s house.

  “Of course you will,” Daisy said under her breath. It was embarrassing that her father was dropping her off and then collecting her later. To make things worse, he was coming inside deliberately to meet Bruno.

  Furious at her mother’s meddling, she buried her feelings and fixed a smile on her face so Bruno wouldn’t think she was a grumpy person. She couldn’t let Bruno see that small things angered her so much. He could find that out after they were married.

  Hezekiah Yoder knocked on the door of Valerie’s house and Bruno opened the door.

  “Dat, this is Bruno, Valerie’s bruder.”

  They shook hands.

  “I’m Hezekiah Yoder.”

  “Jah, Daisy’s vadder. I’m pleased to meet you. Will you be joining us for dinner too?”

  “Nee, denke. I’m just bringing Daisy and I thought I’d come in and see how Valerie’s doing.”

  “Come right in,” Bruno said, opening the door wide and stepping back to let them through.

  Her father walked in first, and Bruno gave Daisy a big smile.

  “I’ll take the dessert to the kitchen,” Daisy said, walking past him.

  “Hezekiah, it’s nice to see you,” Daisy heard Valerie say from the kitchen. She stayed there to see what else she would hear.

  Just as she stepped closer to listen in, Bruno walked into the kitchen and she nearly bumped into him.

  “I can take you home after dinner, Daisy. There’s no need for your vadder to come back and collect you late at night. Valerie told me he hasn’t been well.”

  “That’s nice of you. Perhaps you can suggest that to him before he leaves? If I mention it, he’ll reject the idea.”

  “I’ll insist I take you home.” He looked over at the basket and smiled. “And what did you make for dessert?”

  She took Lily’s advice and carefully chose her words so he’d think she’d made it. “We have cherry pie for dessert.”

  “That’s one of my favorites and barely anyone makes them nowadays. What a delight.” He smiled at her and her heart melted. “I suppose we should join them,” he said.

  “Do we have to?”

  He laughed. “Jah. Come on.”

  They sat down with Hezekiah and Valerie. Ten minutes later, Hezekiah stood up and announced he’d collect Daisy at nine thirty.

  Bruno bounded to his feet. “You shouldn’t have to come out so late. I’ll take Daisy back to your haus. It’s no trouble. I need to give Valerie’s horse some exercise since Valerie hasn’t been out for some days.”

  “Is that so, Valerie?”

  “Jah, I was just asking Bruno today if he’d take the horse out soon.”

  “As long as it’s no trouble for you, Bruno,” Hezekiah said.

  “You’d be doing me a favor, Hezekiah, really you would,” Valerie said.

  Daisy held her breath. She could tell her father was weighing things up in his mind, like what Daisy’s mother would say when she found out he wasn’t going back to collect her.

  Hezekiah nodded. “I’ll see you when you get home, Daisy.” He looked at Bruno and Valerie. “Enjoy the cherry pie. It’s a recipe that’s been handed down and my wife bakes the cherry pies so well.”

  Daisy bounded to her feet and slipped her arm around her father’s, walking him to the door. “Jah, and there’s nothing I like more than trying out all those old familye recipes—like that cherry pie. Gut nacht, Dat.”

  Her father turned around at the door and stared at his daughter.

  “Gut nacht, Hezekiah,” Valerie called out.

  “I won’t bring her home late, Mr. Yoder.”

  Hezekiah nodded and with gentle pressure on his arm from Daisy, he was further out the door. Daisy closed the door behind him and walked back to Valerie. “Now, how can I help you with the dinner?”

  “If it’s all right with you, we’re going to have that chicken casserole your mudder was kind enough to send over with you earlier today.”

  “I don’t mind at all. That’s a good idea.”

  Bruno said, “I was at the markets early today and picked up plenty of fresh bread too.”

  “Good. Can I help you with anything else, Valerie?”

  “Nee. All I have to do is heat up the food. I’m sorry to get you over here so early.”

  Daisy smiled, thinking of all the chores at home she missed out on. Besides that, it gave her more time with Bruno. “I don’t mind at all. Do you have chores or housework I can do for you before dinner?”

  “That’s a kind offer. There’s nothing to do. I’ve been able to do things. Keeping busy has helped me keep my mind off other things.”

  Bruno said, “Valerie likes to keep busy. She hasn’t been out because she’s had visitors coming and going with people stopping by to pay their respects.”

  Daisy wondered when dinner would be ready. It was awkward just sitting there trying to think of conversation. She could’ve talked to Bruno if they’d been alone and she wasn’t sure what to say to Valerie. Finally she said, “You must have something I can help with.”