proper response for a godly woman. “I have no interest in gossip, Gideon King! The bishop preached about it quite sharply just two services ago!”
Leaning forward, he met her gaze when she glanced over her shoulder, and he tried to hide his smile. She frowned and turned back to her quilting as he spoke. “Even if I told you this gossip is about a good friend of yours and what seems to be an upcoming proposal of marriage?”
Her fingers stopped moving, lingering over the fabric as she felt her heart beat inside of her chest. Was it possible that Paul Esh had moved so quickly? Had her matchmaking skills proven so powerfully insightful that she had another success already? How fortunate for Hannah , she thought. Two proposals in one week! Emma spun around on her chair and stared at Gideon. “Why would Paul confide in you, Gideon? I don’t see where you are in his confidence for such private matters!”
“Paul?” He seemed genuinely confused as he repeated the name as if to make certain he had heard her properly. “Paul Esh?”
“That is who you are speaking of, ja ?”
At that comment, the realization struck him and he stood up, walking toward her. “Oh, Emma,” he laughed. “I do not speak of Paul, but I do indeed speak of Hannah! A tenantof mine, Ralph Martin, came to speak to me earlier this week about renting the grossdaadihaus on the farm that he lets from me, the one in Strasburg. Seems he’s interested in it for him to bring home his new fraa . When I inquired as to who the lucky woman is, imagine my surprise to hear your friend’s name slip through his lips!”
Her shoulders stiffened and she pressed her lips together at his words. She lifted an eyebrow and spun her chair back around, pretending to turn her attention to the quilt. She had forgotten that there was a connection between Ralph and Gideon. “I see,” was her only retort.
It was Gideon’s turn to frown. “Emma! Surely you must be happy for your friend, even if the match is not with your approved Paul Esh.”
She made a soft huffing sound and glanced at him over her shoulder. “You mock me, Gideon!”
“I assure you that I do not,” he retorted playfully, his hands on his hips and a feigned look of innocence on his face.
“Well, your secret is not so secret anyway,” she countered, not buying into his teasing. “I already knew of this proposal.”
Gideon leaned over her shoulder to look at the quilting. He paused to point out that she had missed a small section in one of the leaves that she was stitching. She swatted at his hand, but her cheeks colored at the error that he had pointed out.
“So she took you in her confidence, did she?” When Emma did not respond, he paused, and as the realization of the full meaning of her statement hit him, he stood up straight, his eyes scanning the horizon through the window. “Of course she did and she must have said no,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Otherwise, you would not have thought of Paul Esh when I first mentioned the matter.” He took adeep breath and placed his hands on her shoulders, spinning her around so that she faced him. “Emma, what did you do?”
“I did nothing,” she started, but the words sounded meek. It was clear that she was not telling the entire truth, even to herself.
“Emma . . . ”
She shrugged her shoulders so that his hands fell back to his side. She did not like the scowl on his face nor the tone of his voice. His constant disapproval was grating on her nerves. Despite his being a part of the family, Gideon King sometimes took his self-appointed role as her big bruder a step too far. “ Ja vell , I did nothing more than a true sister would do.”
“A true sister?” He stared down at her and shook his head. “That would have been a wunderbaar match, Emma, even if it did not fit your plans.”
“Wunderbaar for Ralph Martin, I’m sure.” She tried to spin her chair back to continue quilting, but the way that Gideon was
Leaning forward, he met her gaze when she glanced over her shoulder, and he tried to hide his smile. She frowned and turned back to her quilting as he spoke. “Even if I told you this gossip is about a good friend of yours and what seems to be an upcoming proposal of marriage?”
Her fingers stopped moving, lingering over the fabric as she felt her heart beat inside of her chest. Was it possible that Paul Esh had moved so quickly? Had her matchmaking skills proven so powerfully insightful that she had another success already? How fortunate for Hannah , she thought. Two proposals in one week! Emma spun around on her chair and stared at Gideon. “Why would Paul confide in you, Gideon? I don’t see where you are in his confidence for such private matters!”
“Paul?” He seemed genuinely confused as he repeated the name as if to make certain he had heard her properly. “Paul Esh?”
“That is who you are speaking of, ja ?”
At that comment, the realization struck him and he stood up, walking toward her. “Oh, Emma,” he laughed. “I do not speak of Paul, but I do indeed speak of Hannah! A tenantof mine, Ralph Martin, came to speak to me earlier this week about renting the grossdaadihaus on the farm that he lets from me, the one in Strasburg. Seems he’s interested in it for him to bring home his new fraa . When I inquired as to who the lucky woman is, imagine my surprise to hear your friend’s name slip through his lips!”
Her shoulders stiffened and she pressed her lips together at his words. She lifted an eyebrow and spun her chair back around, pretending to turn her attention to the quilt. She had forgotten that there was a connection between Ralph and Gideon. “I see,” was her only retort.
It was Gideon’s turn to frown. “Emma! Surely you must be happy for your friend, even if the match is not with your approved Paul Esh.”
She made a soft huffing sound and glanced at him over her shoulder. “You mock me, Gideon!”
“I assure you that I do not,” he retorted playfully, his hands on his hips and a feigned look of innocence on his face.
“Well, your secret is not so secret anyway,” she countered, not buying into his teasing. “I already knew of this proposal.”
Gideon leaned over her shoulder to look at the quilting. He paused to point out that she had missed a small section in one of the leaves that she was stitching. She swatted at his hand, but her cheeks colored at the error that he had pointed out.
“So she took you in her confidence, did she?” When Emma did not respond, he paused, and as the realization of the full meaning of her statement hit him, he stood up straight, his eyes scanning the horizon through the window. “Of course she did and she must have said no,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Otherwise, you would not have thought of Paul Esh when I first mentioned the matter.” He took adeep breath and placed his hands on her shoulders, spinning her around so that she faced him. “Emma, what did you do?”
“I did nothing,” she started, but the words sounded meek. It was clear that she was not telling the entire truth, even to herself.
“Emma . . . ”
She shrugged her shoulders so that his hands fell back to his side. She did not like the scowl on his face nor the tone of his voice. His constant disapproval was grating on her nerves. Despite his being a part of the family, Gideon King sometimes took his self-appointed role as her big bruder a step too far. “ Ja vell , I did nothing more than a true sister would do.”
“A true sister?” He stared down at her and shook his head. “That would have been a wunderbaar match, Emma, even if it did not fit your plans.”
“Wunderbaar for Ralph Martin, I’m sure.” She tried to spin her chair back to continue quilting, but the way that Gideon was
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