Lamb to the Slaughter (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 1) (10 page)

8

NAOMI

September 5th

T
he stars twinkled brightly in the sky. Naomi tried to imagine what it would be like to be up there among them. She’d heard talk that people had actually flown there on special air planes, but she hardly believed it. It seemed impossible.

Naomi sighed. She knew that this was the only place in the world where she was truly safe. No one would ever guess to look for her in the cornfield. The stalks were tall, and she was thankful for the leafy walls that hid her.

A pocket of cooler air settled over Naomi and she cuddled against Eli’s body for warmth. His fingers played with her hair softly and she closed her eyes thinking how nice it felt.

“You know, Naomi, we ought to be setting a date for the wedding, at least in our minds. We don’t need to tell no one else about it until later in the summer. That would give your folks time to prepare.”

Eli’s words caused Naomi to shiver. He hugged her closer, probably believing that she was cold, but that wasn’t the problem. The thought of becoming a married woman was the last thing on her mind.

“Oh, I don’t know if Dat will allow us to marry so soon. My income from the butcher shop is all that’s keeping the family above water right now.”

“We can’t postpone all our plans because of your parents’ financial problems. Your mother works you too hard at the house. And the butcher shop is no place for a woman to be spending her days. Don’t you want to be away from all that?”

Eli had lifted up onto his elbow and looked seriously down at Naomi. His worried frown made her feel wanted, but still she hesitated.

“It’ll be up to them, won’t it?” Naomi said, staring up at the stars again and wishing that she were up there with them.

“No. When we decide to marry, my parents will support us. That’ll be enough for yours to go along with it. We just need to get them mentally prepared. That’s all.”

Naomi sighed, wondering what his big hurry was. They were meeting in the fields at least one night a week and he was getting his need taken care of. True, being away from Mamma’s glares and the endless work would be a blessing, but it almost seemed to Naomi that marrying Eli was just trading one prison for another. She’d still be held to the church’s Ordnung, and all the rules that went along with it. Was it so wrong to want to be free?

Naomi couldn’t bear the thought of Eli being angry with her though. She tried to think of a way to make him realize that marriage wasn’t the best thing for them right now.

“Do you have any money saved up, Eli? We’ve only been courting a month after all.” Naomi said as she began buttoning up his shirt for him.

“Father allowed me to start saving more of my money back when we began planting. So together with the money I’ll be able to keep once I’ve told him of the wedding, I reckon we’ll have enough to get by on in the beginning.”

“Won’t you miss being single? You know, hanging out with your buddies and all. Once we’re married, you’ll have to work all the more to take care of a family,” Naomi rushed the words out. She knew that she’d been too hasty when Eli narrowed his eyes and sat up.

“Don’t you want to marry me? Is that why you’re acting like a skittish colt about it?”

“That isn’t it at all. I just don’t like change much.”

Eli clasped her hands and said, “It will be a good change for you. Just think how nice it will be to take care of your own home, instead of slaving away under your Mother’s orders. And you won’t have to work at the butcher’s shop no more, neither.”

Things were moving way too fast. Naomi just wanted it to stop. She knew that if she kept blowing Eli off, he’d quit her for sure and she didn’t want that. Her belly tightened as her confused mind tried to straighten her thoughts outs. She didn’t know what she wanted. That was the problem. Eli was the perfect Amish guy and all, but her mind kept sliding back to Will and his smoldering dark eyes. A part of her wanted to see what it would be like to be Will’s girl and experience life with him. But she wasn’t stupid either. He might not be interested in her at all that way. English guys didn’t commit to a woman and take care of her until they were older. Should
Naomi risk losing the best guy in the community to chase after an English one, not knowing if it would even work out? Her head ached with it all. She squeezed at the hurt with her hands, wanting to tear it from her brain.

Eli looked at Naomi with frustration. After a moment, he seemed decided and reached down, pulling her up. She melted into his chest, loving how safe she felt in his arms.

“It will be all right, Naomi. I promise.” He leaned back a little and lifted her chin with his hand, “Can we tell our folks that we plan to wed in the spring?”

Seeing Eli’s eager eyes and knowing deep in her heart that she didn’t really have a choice, Naomi said, “Yes, we can tell them.”

Eli gave Naomi a bone crushing hug before his mouth slammed into hers. When his lips opened, hers did too and their tongues played together in perfect rhythm. When the two of them were kissing, all doubts and fears slipped away. Maybe things would be okay after all, she thought, just before Eli brought her to the ground again, and she forgot about everything.

Naomi tiptoed across the wooden floor, feeling pretty certain that Mamma and Dat were sound asleep in this deepest part of the night. When the lamp suddenly lit, she swallowed her heart and braced herself for their wrath. Dat held the look of complete shock, while Mamma’s round face was more knowing, and more frightening.

“What are you doing, Naomi, with your coat and your shoes on in the dark kitchen?” Dat asked, frozen in place.

“I needed some fresh air. I was feeling a bit ill in the stuffy room.” Naomi ignored Mamma and searched Dat’s face to see that he relaxed, believing her.

Mamma crossed the room at a speed that was not expected from a woman so round, her hand coming up as if to slap her daughter. Naomi kept her arms at her sides and tightened her face, waiting for the sting. But, instead, Mamma’s hand landed with no force on her cheek.

“She’s lying—her face is too cold with night air for just a step out. And there,” She pointed at Naomi’s shoes. “…her shoes are muddied.”

Dat approached cautiously, looking at Naomi’s feet, but not bothering to touch her. “What mischief have you been up to?” His voice hardened, “Tell me now, for the Lord will know your lies and uncover them to us, if it be His will.”

Naomi didn’t think that the Lord cared much about what she was doing. At least, He hadn’t up until that moment. She knew she couldn’t tell them about Eli—that would get them both in trouble. She decided to stick with what usually worked for her; deny, deny, deny.

“I only went for a walk out behind the barn for some air. That’s all I done.” Naomi said, continuing to look at Dat, instead of Mamma.

“She’s lying,” Mamma said in a hiss.

“Be quiet, woman. I’ll take care of this. You best go back to bed,” Dat said in a firm voice that held no room for an argument.

Mamma left the kitchen slowly, her face turned and looking back over her shoulder with each step she took. Naomi lost her breath for a moment when she met that stare. When Mamma disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, Dat
went to the cupboard and pulled out the smooth switch. Naomi cringed, remembering the many times the branch had touched the skin of her backside. But even so, she was relieved that it wasn’t Mamma rendering the punishment.

“I don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not, but you know you are not to leave the house during the night for any reason. You will receive two strikes for your disobedience.”

Later, when Naomi was lying in the bed and staring at the ceiling, she wished that she was back in the cornfield, the night sky above her. There was only a mild tingle where the switch had wacked her bottom, but the pain of it wasn’t the part she hated. It was the demeaning act in itself that made her blood boil. Naomi was no child. She knew that if she were English, she was at an age where she could come and go as she pleased.

The anger inside Naomi continued to grow through the hours of tossing and turning under the sheets, her mind becoming steely and stubborn.

Tomorrow was the night that Will and Taylor wanted to take her to the Fair. The plan was for Naomi to sneak out and meet them a quarter mile up the road where Will’s truck would be waiting. They’d stay for a few hours, and then she’d be dropped off at the same place to make her way secretly back to her bedroom.

Up until the moment that she was discovered, her mind was set on telling Will that she couldn’t risk doing it, and that she wouldn’t be flirting around with him anymore either. Naomi had chosen Eli and married life, the same path of least resistance that all the Amish followed.

But not now—Naomi didn’t care if they beat her half to death for it. She would live her life as she saw fit.

9

DANIEL

November 14th

O
f course I’d driven through the Amish settlement many times in the years since I’d left, but this day was different. Today, I felt that I could wave at the people I saw, and they might actually raise a hand back to me. The possibility put me in a damn good mood. And that wasn’t the only reason I was smiling. Even though I worked hard to give the impression of admiring the beauty of the passing homesteads, my eyes kept drifting to the even prettier picture beside me, raising my spirits even more.

Serenity’s hair was down again, framing a face that had little make-up on. Her large, sky blue eyes darted around, studying the Amish homes and watching every buggy that we passed with intensity. Her cheeks were naturally rose hued and they complimented the pink sweater that hugged her shapely breasts.

I turned back to the roadway, not wanting to get all worked up right before we talked to the girl. I’d finally accepted the
fact that after years of messing around with all kinds of women, the one beside me was the most enchanting of all. I could imagine making a commitment to a woman like her and maybe, finally settling down, and starting a family. The irony was that settling down was probably the furthest thing from this particular woman’s mind.

Pulling up to the metal building with the sign that read Yoder’s Butcher Shop in bold, black letters, I cut the engine off and chanced another look at Serenity.

“It’s hard to believe that young women work all day cutting up meat in a place like this.” Serenity said, craning her neck to see as far around the building as possible.

There was a corral and cattle chute to the one side of the shop and a small loading dock where a meat packing truck was parked on the other. Surveying the scene, I didn’t think it looked that bad, but she had a point about the girls.

“There aren’t many jobs available for the teenage girls in the community. The butcher shop pays better than the rest, I’d imagine,” I said, content that Serenity was keeping her gaze glued to me a little longer.

“What other jobs are the girls allowed to do?” Serenity asked, bringing her leg up under her butt as she turned toward me.

“Rebecca worked at the bird house factory for a while until she got the job babysitting the English kids that lived up the road from us. Some of the other girls I knew stocked shelves at the Amish general store or worked at the bakery. A very few gifted girls assisted the teacher at the school house,” I said, enjoying Serenity’s full attention. If I breathed deeply, I could smell a warm vanilla scent in the cab. I couldn’t help but imagine how intoxicating it would be to have her skin beneath my mouth.

Serenity was thoughtful for a moment. When she finally spoke, it was with some hesitation. Her words cleared my randy thoughts. “Was the reception you received from your family and friends at the school house what you expected it would be?”

Normally, I didn’t like talking about my past, especially with women. But strangely, I felt comfortable with the little sheriff. My heart told me that she would not judge me unkindly if I opened up a bit.

“You know, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve known other Amish who left their churches and still remained friendly with their immediate family. But my situation was different. My shunning was from an extremely stubborn and prideful father who wouldn’t bend in the slightest to keep up a relationship with his own son.”

“You were shunned?” Serenity exclaimed. She leaned in closer with a concerned face.

I had to laugh. My reaction caused her to sit back and frown. “I’m sorry. I forget that you don’t know much of anything about the Amish, do you?” When she shook her head, I continued, “Once a person joins the Church, he’s committed himself to being a member of the community and following the Church’s Ordnung. If someone breaks from the Church and leaves the Amish, the others in the Church have no option but to openly shun that person.” Seeing the appalled look on Serenity’s face, I controlled a smile, and added, “Don’t you see? If people could leave freely, without being shunned, there wouldn’t be much incentive to remain Amish, would there?”

“But, that’s like, blackmail,” Serenity breathed.

“Yeah, but it works. Very few people leave the Amish once they’ve joined the Church in their community. Sometimes,
families will pick up and move to another Amish community, but they are still Amish, so they are not shunned. Leaving all together is a very serious matter.”