Read Online Miriam's Quilt by Jennifer Beckstrand - Free Book Online
Authors: Jennifer Beckstrand
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convince him that she wasn’t a bad person, to show him that she bore him no ill will—even though she’d never seen the inside of his house.
Her desire to see her new horse overshadowed every misgiving she had about the visit. A new foal frolicking around the pasture was about the most adorable thing Miriam had ever seen. Her excitement at picking her very own horse provided all the motivation she needed.
She rode through the thick stand of maples that stood at the edge of Seth’s property. Once past the trees, Miriam slowed Daisy to a walk as the vibrant green of Seth’s alfalfa fields took her breath away. Set against the bright white of the fences and the brilliant blue sky, the pastures looked invitingly lush.
Almost a quarter mile down the hard dirt lane stood the old stable. Seth had come into the land when his old dawdi passed away and had no sons to sell the property to. He gave it to Seth for ten dollars an acre. At least that was the rumor. Miriam didn’t take a keen interest in Seth Lambright’s affairs.
The stable looked ancient. Rust from the hinges streaked down the edges of the large doors. Four long windows along the side were bare of glass, and the wood siding had long ago lost any hint of paint.
Miriam headed to the small door at the far side of the stable, where she would begin her search for Seth.
Before she got close, the door opened and Mary Shetler walked out of the stable with her baby balanced on her hip and her little daughter Annie holding tightly to her free hand. Miriam waved. Mary glanced around furtively, caught sight of Miriam, and walked quickly and resolutely in the opposite direction. Miriam was far enough away that Mary could pretend not to have seen her. But why did she? Mary Shetler and Mamm were good friends.
Miriam rode up to the door, dismounted, and secured Daisy to a shiny hook bolted to the side of the stable. It looked out of place against the weathered wood. She straightened her kapp and regarded the gray sweatpants peeking out from under her dress. Ephraim didn’t like the look of Miriam’s riding outfit, but surely Seth Lambright wouldn’t pay notice. His sister probably rode all the time.
She tapped on the door before deciding that knocking on a stable door looked a little silly. She cracked open the door, which squealed like an angry cat, and stepped hesitantly into the dim space. To her left was a small room with a desk and a cot that could in no way be ample for Seth’s long legs. A loft, stacked to the ceiling with bales of hay and bags of feed, loomed above the little room.
To her right, ten stalls ran the length of the stable, the stall doors as old and decrepit as the outside walls. The sun shone through the glass-less windows like beams of solid light, illuminating the particles of hay and dust that hovered in every barn ever built.
Miriam strained her ears. “Hello?”
No sound. Venturing farther into the stable, she heard water dripping into one of the troughs but couldn’t see a single horse. Probably all out to pasture.
“Hello,” she said again and listened to her voice echo off the rafters.
Light flooded the space as Seth opened the door across from her and marched inside. He stopped short as he caught sight of her. The surprise was evident on his face before he replaced the expression with a slight downward curl of his lips and a look of—what was it—concern? Like as not, he didn’t welcome her presence in his stable.
“You came after all,” he said.
She smiled as best she could—wanted to make sure he knew that she harbored no hard feelings. “I just saw Mary Shetler.”
“Did you now?”
She puzzled over his cryptic response and decided not to pry further. “Is—is this a gute time? I am sure you are busy.”
“The foals are out running with their mothers. Cum, I will show you.”
Seth motioned for her to lead the way and followed as she ambled out the door, and then he took up the lead to an adjoining pasture where
Her desire to see her new horse overshadowed every misgiving she had about the visit. A new foal frolicking around the pasture was about the most adorable thing Miriam had ever seen. Her excitement at picking her very own horse provided all the motivation she needed.
She rode through the thick stand of maples that stood at the edge of Seth’s property. Once past the trees, Miriam slowed Daisy to a walk as the vibrant green of Seth’s alfalfa fields took her breath away. Set against the bright white of the fences and the brilliant blue sky, the pastures looked invitingly lush.
Almost a quarter mile down the hard dirt lane stood the old stable. Seth had come into the land when his old dawdi passed away and had no sons to sell the property to. He gave it to Seth for ten dollars an acre. At least that was the rumor. Miriam didn’t take a keen interest in Seth Lambright’s affairs.
The stable looked ancient. Rust from the hinges streaked down the edges of the large doors. Four long windows along the side were bare of glass, and the wood siding had long ago lost any hint of paint.
Miriam headed to the small door at the far side of the stable, where she would begin her search for Seth.
Before she got close, the door opened and Mary Shetler walked out of the stable with her baby balanced on her hip and her little daughter Annie holding tightly to her free hand. Miriam waved. Mary glanced around furtively, caught sight of Miriam, and walked quickly and resolutely in the opposite direction. Miriam was far enough away that Mary could pretend not to have seen her. But why did she? Mary Shetler and Mamm were good friends.
Miriam rode up to the door, dismounted, and secured Daisy to a shiny hook bolted to the side of the stable. It looked out of place against the weathered wood. She straightened her kapp and regarded the gray sweatpants peeking out from under her dress. Ephraim didn’t like the look of Miriam’s riding outfit, but surely Seth Lambright wouldn’t pay notice. His sister probably rode all the time.
She tapped on the door before deciding that knocking on a stable door looked a little silly. She cracked open the door, which squealed like an angry cat, and stepped hesitantly into the dim space. To her left was a small room with a desk and a cot that could in no way be ample for Seth’s long legs. A loft, stacked to the ceiling with bales of hay and bags of feed, loomed above the little room.
To her right, ten stalls ran the length of the stable, the stall doors as old and decrepit as the outside walls. The sun shone through the glass-less windows like beams of solid light, illuminating the particles of hay and dust that hovered in every barn ever built.
Miriam strained her ears. “Hello?”
No sound. Venturing farther into the stable, she heard water dripping into one of the troughs but couldn’t see a single horse. Probably all out to pasture.
“Hello,” she said again and listened to her voice echo off the rafters.
Light flooded the space as Seth opened the door across from her and marched inside. He stopped short as he caught sight of her. The surprise was evident on his face before he replaced the expression with a slight downward curl of his lips and a look of—what was it—concern? Like as not, he didn’t welcome her presence in his stable.
“You came after all,” he said.
She smiled as best she could—wanted to make sure he knew that she harbored no hard feelings. “I just saw Mary Shetler.”
“Did you now?”
She puzzled over his cryptic response and decided not to pry further. “Is—is this a gute time? I am sure you are busy.”
“The foals are out running with their mothers. Cum, I will show you.”
Seth motioned for her to lead the way and followed as she ambled out the door, and then he took up the lead to an adjoining pasture where
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