Read Online Hope Chest by Wanda E. Brunstetter - Free Book Online Page B

today wouldn’t set well with her folks when they learned the truth, and the lies she’d just told them had only made it worse. But she didn’t feel she could undo any of it now. Later, once everything had been said and done, she would tell them both the truth. In the meantime, she had to keep the promise she’d made for a little while longer.

CHAPTER 6
    When Rachel came downstairs the following morning, she found Mom and Anna busy fixing breakfast.
    “You’re late.” Anna stirred the oatmeal so hard Rachel feared it would fly right out of the pot. “How do you think you’re going to run a house of your own if you can’t be more reliable?”
    “Anna Beachy, just because you got up on the wrong side of the bed doesn’t give you the right to be schlecht with your sister this morning.” Mom sat at the kitchen table, buttering a stack of toast, and the look on her face let Rachel know she wouldn’t tolerate anyone being crabby this morning.
    Rachel hurried to set the table, deciding it was best to keep quiet.
    Anna brought the kettle of oatmeal to the table and plopped it on a pot holder, nearly spilling the contents. “Like as not, you’ll be getting married someday, Rachel, and I was wondering if you’d care to have my hope chest.”
    Rachel glanced at her mother, but Mom merely shrugged and continued buttering the toast. Anna was sure acting funny. Of course, she’d been acting strange for several weeks now, but today she seemed even more unsettled. Rachel could hardly wait until breakfast was over and she had a chance to corner Anna for a good talk. She was dying to know where her sister had been last night and what had happened during her discussion with their folks.
    “I’ve already got a start on my own hope chest, but thanks anyway.” Rachel gave Anna a brief smile.
    “I’d sure like to go to Emma Troyer’s today,” Mom said, changing the subject. “She’s feeling kind of poorly and could probably use some help with laundry and whatnot. Trouble is, I’ve got too much of my own things needing to be done here and out at the greenhouse, as well.”
    Anna’s eyes brightened some. “I’ll go,” she said almost too quickly as she went to the refrigerator and took out a pitcher of milk.
    Mom nodded. “If you don’t dally and come straight home, then I suppose it would be all right. You’ll have to wait until this afternoon, though. I need help baking pies this morning.”
    “This afternoon will be just fine.”
    Rachel could hardly believe her ears. Wasn’t Anna in any kind of trouble for coming home late last night and not wearing her apron, cape, and kapp? What sort of story had she fed the folks so that Mom was allowing her to take the buggy out again today? Worse yet, if Anna went gallivanting off, Rachel would probably be asked to help in the greenhouse for the second day in a row. She’d planned to do some bird-watching this afternoon and maybe, if there was enough time, go fishing at the river. From the way things looked, she’d most likely be working the whole day, so there would be no chance of her having any kind of fun.
    “Did I hear someone mention pies?” Elizabeth asked as she skipped into the room. “I sure hope you’re plannin’ to make a raspberry cream pie, ’cause you know it’s my favorite.”
    Mom reached out and gave the child a little pat on the backside when she sidled up to the table. “If you’re willing to help Perry pick raspberries, maybe we could do up a few of your favorite pies.” Her forehead wrinkled slightly. “Our raspberry bushes are loaded this summer, and if they’re not picked soon, the berries are liable to fall clean off. Now that would surely be a waste, don’t you think?”
    Elizabeth’s lower lip jutted out. “I don’t like to pick with Perry. He always throws the green berries at me.”
    “I’ll have a little talk with your brother about that. Now, run outside and call the menfolk in for breakfast.”
    “Okay,