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Authors: Jennyfer Browne
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his voice low and guarded.
I felt myself tensing at the frustration I saw in the Elders. Why couldn't this be simple? Why was it a fight? Particularly with the Bishop?
"Katherine," Elder Eli said, interrupting the silence. "Please, if you and Nathan would excuse us. We have matters to discuss."
Nathan and I nodded, my heart hammering as Nathan pulled me away, his hand brushing my shoulder as he walked me toward the house.
"It will be all right, Kate. Come, I will take you home," he whispered, steering me further away from the Elders.
"He's going to be so upset," I murmured, trembling at the thoughts of the Bishop’s retaliation.
"Yes, he will. But it is time for him to see he is the only one opposed to you being here. It is time others see that he has strayed," he replied.
We made our way back to the people sitting, finding Fannie and Jonah at a table with Hannah and Mark. Jonah stood and came to us quickly.
"Emma told us what happened in your class. I will speak to the Elders, Katherine. This is not to be permitted," he said, his voice stern.
I shook my head and felt myself shrink inward.
"I don't want this to get out of hand, Jonah. Please, I just want to do what I need to. If I need to learn German, then I will. Why should I get special treatment?" I asked.
"You do not get special treatment, Katherine. We speak English in our home because we choose to. We will teach you our language in time, but it is not a necessity if you are to live among us. There are those here that do not speak it. We are a young order. Some of us have not lived in the Old Ways. He was out of line," Jonah said.
"What do you think the Elders will say about this?" Nathan asked.
"We will see. I know that Ezekiel is disappointed in Samuel's actions towards Katherine before today. I do not see this new trouble being well received," Jonah replied.
I looked over toward the Elders, seeing that the Bishop had left, leaving only Ezekiel and Eli there. I had to wonder then if they had sent him to go find me. I didn't want another confrontation with the Bishop today. I just wanted to go home.
"Jonah, may I have permission to take Kate home? We could wait with you if you prefer," Nathan asked, sensing my tension.
Jonah looked between the two of us and nodded.
"We will be along shortly. Perhaps, Katherine, you can pull the last of the melons from the garden to eat tonight?" he asked.
I nodded and felt Nathan's hand on my back, pulling me toward the buggies.
Situated back in his open seat, we were off, the trip taking hardly any time at all before we were back at Nathan's house. I waited as he slipped the harness off of his horse, guiding him into the nearby paddock to graze. The more I watched him work, the more I wondered what I would do when I became his wife. He had said he needed help.
Would that include more than what Fannie did, since she had daughters to help out?
How would life be with Nathan when it was just the two of us?
What would he expect of me? Would it be more than I could handle?
"You are deep in thought."
I looked up to see Nathan standing before me. His fingers traced along my jaw delicately before slipping back into his pockets, his look tentative. I shrugged and looked around him, at the farm that was struggling.
"It's just, with the Bishop showing me how little I really know of your world, I am wondering what it will be like, truly," I explained.
He took my hand and led me back toward the hill, his pace slow to allow us time to talk.
"What do you wonder will be different?" he asked.
I looked up at him and gestured toward his house.
"You need help here, Nathan. I don't know anything about farms or gardens. Don't you want someone who knows those things? Someone who won't slow you down?"
He frowned and shook his head.
"I want you. The rest will come with time and learning, just like how you are learning our Way. You will learn," he replied, looking out at his fields, now a mixture of drying stalks and freshly
I felt myself tensing at the frustration I saw in the Elders. Why couldn't this be simple? Why was it a fight? Particularly with the Bishop?
"Katherine," Elder Eli said, interrupting the silence. "Please, if you and Nathan would excuse us. We have matters to discuss."
Nathan and I nodded, my heart hammering as Nathan pulled me away, his hand brushing my shoulder as he walked me toward the house.
"It will be all right, Kate. Come, I will take you home," he whispered, steering me further away from the Elders.
"He's going to be so upset," I murmured, trembling at the thoughts of the Bishop’s retaliation.
"Yes, he will. But it is time for him to see he is the only one opposed to you being here. It is time others see that he has strayed," he replied.
We made our way back to the people sitting, finding Fannie and Jonah at a table with Hannah and Mark. Jonah stood and came to us quickly.
"Emma told us what happened in your class. I will speak to the Elders, Katherine. This is not to be permitted," he said, his voice stern.
I shook my head and felt myself shrink inward.
"I don't want this to get out of hand, Jonah. Please, I just want to do what I need to. If I need to learn German, then I will. Why should I get special treatment?" I asked.
"You do not get special treatment, Katherine. We speak English in our home because we choose to. We will teach you our language in time, but it is not a necessity if you are to live among us. There are those here that do not speak it. We are a young order. Some of us have not lived in the Old Ways. He was out of line," Jonah said.
"What do you think the Elders will say about this?" Nathan asked.
"We will see. I know that Ezekiel is disappointed in Samuel's actions towards Katherine before today. I do not see this new trouble being well received," Jonah replied.
I looked over toward the Elders, seeing that the Bishop had left, leaving only Ezekiel and Eli there. I had to wonder then if they had sent him to go find me. I didn't want another confrontation with the Bishop today. I just wanted to go home.
"Jonah, may I have permission to take Kate home? We could wait with you if you prefer," Nathan asked, sensing my tension.
Jonah looked between the two of us and nodded.
"We will be along shortly. Perhaps, Katherine, you can pull the last of the melons from the garden to eat tonight?" he asked.
I nodded and felt Nathan's hand on my back, pulling me toward the buggies.
Situated back in his open seat, we were off, the trip taking hardly any time at all before we were back at Nathan's house. I waited as he slipped the harness off of his horse, guiding him into the nearby paddock to graze. The more I watched him work, the more I wondered what I would do when I became his wife. He had said he needed help.
Would that include more than what Fannie did, since she had daughters to help out?
How would life be with Nathan when it was just the two of us?
What would he expect of me? Would it be more than I could handle?
"You are deep in thought."
I looked up to see Nathan standing before me. His fingers traced along my jaw delicately before slipping back into his pockets, his look tentative. I shrugged and looked around him, at the farm that was struggling.
"It's just, with the Bishop showing me how little I really know of your world, I am wondering what it will be like, truly," I explained.
He took my hand and led me back toward the hill, his pace slow to allow us time to talk.
"What do you wonder will be different?" he asked.
I looked up at him and gestured toward his house.
"You need help here, Nathan. I don't know anything about farms or gardens. Don't you want someone who knows those things? Someone who won't slow you down?"
He frowned and shook his head.
"I want you. The rest will come with time and learning, just like how you are learning our Way. You will learn," he replied, looking out at his fields, now a mixture of drying stalks and freshly
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