Nathaniel glanced over at her. “I don’t want to join the army.”
Lyndel raised her eyebrows and made what Nathaniel was already calling her pixie face . “Perhaps not. But you want to end slavery.”
Nathaniel snorted. “I doubt Corinth’s ambitions are so lofty. Mysense of it is he wants to wear a uniform and have girls toss flowers at him as he marches down the street with his regiment. Then he wants to lick the South single-handed and become a hero. After that, he will return to Elizabethtown with fame and fortune.”
“Well, he is a handsome boy—all the girls think so. And he is always respectful and has a big heart. I can well imagine the girls of Pennsylvania would toss flowers his way. But surely they won’t sign him up.”
“Of course they’ll sign him up. The president wants every able body he can get. Tall and strong and quick as he is, they’ll slap him in a uniform and ship him off for training overnight.”
“Will you be going to help your father and brother?”
“On Saturday, ja. But Simon has to return first. We won’t leave Mama without a man around the house.”
“Other families would lend her a hand.”
“Of course. But we don’t want anyone to know.” He shook his head. “So what does it matter? Your father will know by morning milking, I reckon.”
The sunset had deepened its colors and added purple. Nathaniel pulled the buggy over to the side of the road.
“Look at that. Enough talk about armies and soldiers and rumors of war. Do you see that bit of cloud on our left?”
“No.”
“That one. It’s the same blazing color as your hair.”
She laughed. “Oh, it is not, Nathaniel. You exaggerate. Besides, what do you know about my hair? It is always up and the kapp covers most of it.”
“I see plenty. Besides, your kapp has blown off on more than one occasion.”
She looked at him in astonishment. “What? You have been keeping track?”
“Last fall. At the October bonfire. Off it went in a stiff breeze that I thanked God for. And some of your pins came loose too, remember?”
“I remember. I’m just surprised you do.”
“I guess my wheels were starting to turn by then. Strands of your hair were moving in the wind just like fire. The same color as the mapleleaves. Yes, that may have been when all this started. Who knows? Hey, a star there.”
“And do you wish on stars?”
“Sometimes.” He leaned back, still gazing at the evening sky. “Do you mind if I put my arm around your shoulders?”
“I don’t mind. But our friends and neighbors passing by might mind. Are we courting?”
Nathaniel looked at her in surprise. “Courting? Why, things have happened so quickly, who has had the time to think about courting? Is that what you want?”
She patted his knee with her hand. “It’s not necessarily what I want. But you asked to put your arm around me. Our church will permit that if we are courting. Not before.”
Nathaniel let out a lungful of air. “Rules, rules.”
“And with my father being the bishop, that makes it even more important that we abide by the Ordnung. ”
“Well, to tell you the truth, it’s been so interesting getting to know Tomatoes that I hadn’t really given courting much thought.”
“Nor have I. And we certainly don’t have to be in a rush about it. Unless of course you absolutely must have that arm around my shoulders.”
“So—would you like it there?”
She smiled. “Sure. Why not? But you will have to talk to my father first. Then, if the leadership approves, we are an official couple on our way to the altar.”
“Oh, boy. That’s a lot to think about.”
“It is. So I suggest we don’t think about it. Not yet. As you say, things have happened very quickly. We have some time, don’t we? Or are you racing off to that woman on the other side of the Ohio tomorrow morning?”
They both laughed. He turned in his seat to get a better look at her. She saw his hand lift to touch her face and she moved
Lyndel raised her eyebrows and made what Nathaniel was already calling her pixie face . “Perhaps not. But you want to end slavery.”
Nathaniel snorted. “I doubt Corinth’s ambitions are so lofty. Mysense of it is he wants to wear a uniform and have girls toss flowers at him as he marches down the street with his regiment. Then he wants to lick the South single-handed and become a hero. After that, he will return to Elizabethtown with fame and fortune.”
“Well, he is a handsome boy—all the girls think so. And he is always respectful and has a big heart. I can well imagine the girls of Pennsylvania would toss flowers his way. But surely they won’t sign him up.”
“Of course they’ll sign him up. The president wants every able body he can get. Tall and strong and quick as he is, they’ll slap him in a uniform and ship him off for training overnight.”
“Will you be going to help your father and brother?”
“On Saturday, ja. But Simon has to return first. We won’t leave Mama without a man around the house.”
“Other families would lend her a hand.”
“Of course. But we don’t want anyone to know.” He shook his head. “So what does it matter? Your father will know by morning milking, I reckon.”
The sunset had deepened its colors and added purple. Nathaniel pulled the buggy over to the side of the road.
“Look at that. Enough talk about armies and soldiers and rumors of war. Do you see that bit of cloud on our left?”
“No.”
“That one. It’s the same blazing color as your hair.”
She laughed. “Oh, it is not, Nathaniel. You exaggerate. Besides, what do you know about my hair? It is always up and the kapp covers most of it.”
“I see plenty. Besides, your kapp has blown off on more than one occasion.”
She looked at him in astonishment. “What? You have been keeping track?”
“Last fall. At the October bonfire. Off it went in a stiff breeze that I thanked God for. And some of your pins came loose too, remember?”
“I remember. I’m just surprised you do.”
“I guess my wheels were starting to turn by then. Strands of your hair were moving in the wind just like fire. The same color as the mapleleaves. Yes, that may have been when all this started. Who knows? Hey, a star there.”
“And do you wish on stars?”
“Sometimes.” He leaned back, still gazing at the evening sky. “Do you mind if I put my arm around your shoulders?”
“I don’t mind. But our friends and neighbors passing by might mind. Are we courting?”
Nathaniel looked at her in surprise. “Courting? Why, things have happened so quickly, who has had the time to think about courting? Is that what you want?”
She patted his knee with her hand. “It’s not necessarily what I want. But you asked to put your arm around me. Our church will permit that if we are courting. Not before.”
Nathaniel let out a lungful of air. “Rules, rules.”
“And with my father being the bishop, that makes it even more important that we abide by the Ordnung. ”
“Well, to tell you the truth, it’s been so interesting getting to know Tomatoes that I hadn’t really given courting much thought.”
“Nor have I. And we certainly don’t have to be in a rush about it. Unless of course you absolutely must have that arm around my shoulders.”
“So—would you like it there?”
She smiled. “Sure. Why not? But you will have to talk to my father first. Then, if the leadership approves, we are an official couple on our way to the altar.”
“Oh, boy. That’s a lot to think about.”
“It is. So I suggest we don’t think about it. Not yet. As you say, things have happened very quickly. We have some time, don’t we? Or are you racing off to that woman on the other side of the Ohio tomorrow morning?”
They both laughed. He turned in his seat to get a better look at her. She saw his hand lift to touch her face and she moved
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