Hannah's Joy by Marta Perry Read Free Book Online Page B

William wanted to accept. For sure, Caleb and I think it a fine idea. But William . . . he seems to be afraid it might set people talking.”
    Hannah blinked. That was certainly the last reason she’d expected. “But why? It’s not as if we’d be doing anything wrong. I would just work with him in the afternoon, when Jamie was napping.”
    She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be upset. Did William think her offer was a means of flirting with him?
    “Ach, you don’t need to tell me there would be nothing wrong. Or William either, for that matter. But . . .” She hesitated and then shook her head. “You will not understand unless I tell you a bit more about William.”
    Hannah would think that William, of all people, would have a life like an open book. “If it’s something private—”
    “I’m sure most people in the valley know of it, though Will probably wishes they didn’t.” Katie shook her head as if exasperated with herself. “It’s this way, you see. There was a brother between Isaac and William, and when he died in an accident, it was natural for William to start helping his widow, Rachel, and her kinder. Maybe natural, too, that he grew to think himself in love with her.”
    Hannah hadn’t expected that. “If they loved each other, surely—”
    “William is several years younger than Rachel, you see. I wasn’t here at the time, but Rachel is a friend, and she has told me about it. She loved him like a brother, not like a man.” She shook her head, smiling slightly. “And William was young and foolish. He did some things . . . oh, nothing bad. Just some little accidents, so that he could come to the rescue and Rachel would see how much she needed him. Foolish, as I say, and when it came out, William was mortified and ashamed. He had to confess to the church, even.”
    “It must have been so hard on him. And on Rachel, for that matter.” Hannah tried to imagine the shame William must have felt.
    “Ja. They are friends now, and Rachel is married again. But still, I think William is sensitive about what happened. Maybe he fears that if people see him getting close to another older woman . . .” Katie spread her hands wide. “Well, you can understand. Someone with more confidence than William wouldn’t give it a second thought, I’m sure, but because of his stammer, he does.”
    “I understand. I don’t want to do anything that would make his life more difficult.”
    Katie reached across the counter to pat Hannah’s hand, and for a moment they seemed to be allies. Friends. “I’d like to see William get over these feelings. I’ll do what I can to persuade him to say yes.”
    “Thank you.” But given the pain that was behind William’s reasons, Hannah doubted anything would work.
    “This is a gut thing you’re offering,” Katie said. “Don’t give up on him.”
    “I won’t.” She smiled at Katie, feeling the understanding between them.
    At least one good thing had come out of her effort. It seemed she’d found a friend.
    *   *   *
    Amish worship on Sunday morning had been at Rachel and Gideon Zook’s barn, and William had lingered after the lunch to help with the cleanup and spend a little time with his nieces and nephew.
    Worship sometimes left him feeling a bit unsettled, and today had been one of those days. He couldn’t help but notice, when he sat in worship, that most of the boys he’d grown up with now wore the beards of married men. They’d also been baptized, so that they were full members of the church.
    But not him. Most folks decided to be baptized when they were ready to marry, and he had never been at that point. Not that he couldn’t have asked to be baptized anyway, but somehow the time had never seemed right. If he were baptized into the church, maybe then he’d feel as if he weren’t on the outside looking in, but that seemed a poor reason for making such a serious decision.
    “That’s the last of them,” Gideon said, and he swung