A Little Bit of Charm Read online

  Books by Mary Ellis

  The New Beginnings Series

  Living in Harmony

  http://bit.ly/LivinginHarmony

  Love Comes to Paradise

  http://bit.ly/LoveComestoParadise

  A Little Bit of Charm

  http://bit.ly/LittleBitofCharm

  The Miller Family Series

  A Widow’s Hope

  Never Far from Home

  The Way to a Man’s Heart

  The Wayne County Series

  Abigail’s New Hope

  A Marriage for Meghan

  Standalones

  Sarah’s Christmas Miracle

  An Amish Family Reunion

  HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

  EUGENE, OREGON

  Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota

  Cover photos © Chris Garborg; Bigstock / volgariver, Elenamiv, molodec, IgorKovalchuk

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  A LITTLE BIT OF CHARM

  Copyright © 2013 by Mary Ellis

  Published by Harvest House Publishers

  Eugene, Oregon 97402

  www.harvesthousepublishers.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Ellis, Mary,

  A little bit of charm / Mary Ellis.

  pages cm.—(The New Beginnings Series ; Book 3)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-3868-6 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978-0-7369-4305-5 (eBook)

  1. Amish—Fiction. 2. Christian fiction. 3. Love stories. I. Title.

  PS3626.E36L56 2013

  813'.6—dc23

  2013000684

  All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any other—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a non-transferable, non-exclusive, and non-commercial right to access and view this electronic publication and agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author’s and publisher’s rights is strictly prohibited.

  This book is dedicated to Virgil Bray, approaching one hundred years on God’s earth, lifelong Kentucky farmer, father of eleven, grandfather and great-grandfather of dozens.

  Virgil’s favorite quip:

  “Look at that man.

  He’s acting like he eats chicken for breakfast.”

  AMAZING GRACE

  John Newton, lyrics 1779

  Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

  That saved a wretch like me!

  I once was lost, but now am found;

  Was blind, but now I see.

  ’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

  And grace my fears relieved;

  How precious did that grace appear

  The hour I first believed!

  Through many dangers, toils and snares,

  I have already come;

  ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

  And grace will lead me home.

  The Lord has promised good to me,

  His Word my hope secures;

  He will my shield and portion be,

  As long as life endures.

  When we’ve been there ten thousand years,

  Bright shining as the sun,

  We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

  Than when we’d first begun.

  Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

  That saved a wretch like me!

  I once was lost, but now am found;

  Was blind, but now I see.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to Pete and Donna Taylor for providing my home away from home during my research, and to my wonderful research assistants, Taylor, Jessie, and Keeley and their mother, Julie Miller. You are all family to me.

  Thanks to Linda Hitchcock of Barren County, Kentucky, for her tireless assistance with contacts in the Amish and Mennonite communities and for plenty of storyline ideas.

  Thanks to my agent, Mary Sue Seymour; to my lovely proofreader, Joycelyn Sullivan; to my editor, Kim Moore; and the wonderful staff at Harvest House Publishers.

  Thanks to Emma of Mount Hermon and Michelle of Hillside Greenhouse and the helpful folks at Sunny Valley Country Store in Liberty, Kentucky, for answering all of my questions.

  Finally, thanks to the charming Old Order Mennonites of Barren, Hart, Metcalf, Monroe, and Casey Counties who allowed me to peek into their lives. While they are real, Charm, Kentucky, is a fictional town.

  Contents

  Books by Mary Ellis

  Amazing Grace

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Recipes & Reader’s Guide

  Chicken Paprikas

  Dumplings

  Chess Pie

  Kentucky Corn Bread

  Discussion Questions

  About the Author

  Living in Harmony

  Love Comes to Paradise

  Ready to Discover More?

  About the Publisher

  ONE

  Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

  Paradise, Missouri

  Whew, it’s already the middle of September and still hotter than blazes.”

  Rachel looked at her younger sister in horror. “Shush, Beth, before someone hears you. What will the Gingerichs think of us?”

  Beth looked up with an innocent expression. “Is ‘blazes’ a bad word? I’ve heard daed say ‘build a blaze in the woodstove’ or ‘a blazing sunset.’”

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “Just shush on general principles. You’ll be on your way back to Lancaster County soon, and then you can revert to your normal self. But let’s put our best foot forward while we’re still visitors here.”

  Beth’s green-eyed focus turned wary. “What do you mean by I’ll be on my way back to Pennsylvania?”

  Rachel ignored a question she wasn’t yet ready to answer. “Look, here comes the blushing bride and groom.” She grinned with a heart swelling with joy and love for their sister.

  “Who would ever guess Nora would get hitched to Lewis Miller? Surely not me.” Beth’s words were an audible whisper. “I thought she’d end up with that wily fox, Elam Detweiler.”

  Rachel shifted her weight to her other foot, which she then placed directly atop Beth’s. No other admonishment proved necessary.

  Nora and Lewis approached with the glowing faces only a wedding day could inspire. “Well, my dear schwestern, did you enjoy seeing us get married?” Nora wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, drawing them close.

  The three-way hug brought a rush of moisture to Rachel’s eyes. “Truly, I did. I’ve never seen you looking so pretty…or so happy.” Tears cascaded down her cheeks with the realization the four King siblings would not only be in four different districts, but different states as well.

&n
bsp; A couple of years ago they were like any other Old Order Amish girls living at home, with their grandparents just next door. They dreamed of a future around the corner, married to boys they had known their entire lives. But a house fire had changed everything. It took their parents to the Lord and their two older sisters to where their hearts led them. Amy, the eldest, settled in Harmony, Maine, where her fiancé’s brothers lived. Nora, however, didn’t find the ultraconservative district to her liking. So when the handsome, fence-sitting Elam Detweiler, Amy’s new brother-in-law, took off with his secret driver’s license and his secondhand red Chevy, Nora followed soon after.

  But new beginnings are often hard to predict. Not long after moving to Missouri, Nora’s independent streak began to fade. For the first time she longed to fit in and be part of a loving, supportive community. If Nora’s facial expression today could be trusted, she had found what she was looking for in a town called Paradise.

  A frisson of anxiety spiked up Rachel’s spine. She thought of her upcoming plans and wondered whether she was making a big mistake. Would she cause her grossmammi grief and worry for nothing? Shaking off the notion, she joined Beth in cleaning up after the wedding meal while the happy couple walked guests to their buggies, expressing gratitude for the gifts and good wishes and thanking them for sharing in their most special day.

  Later that evening, while fireflies lit up the backyard with a thousand twinkling lights, Rachel sat on the Gingerich porch. Sleep wouldn’t come—that much she knew. But she didn’t wish to pace the bedroom floor and keep Beth or her gracious hosts awake. She tried to pray, but the only words that came to mind were the rote prayers learned as a child. After several silent “Our Fathers,” she clenched her eyes tightly shut. Please, Lord, grant my sister a long life with many kinner and much joy. Unbidden tears started anew. Her emotions seemed to be a roiling kettle of soup, rattling the lid and threatening to overflow.

  “Why are you out here crying?” Nora gently pulled on her sister’s kapp ribbon before slipping into the rocker next to hers.

  “A better question would be what are you doing out here on your wedding night?” Rachel wiped her face and arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you and Lewis have some business to attend to?”

  A pretty blush rose up Nora’s neck. “Don’t speak of things you know nothing about.” She pinched Rachel’s arm. “Besides, I’ll join him in a little while. We’re both too nervous to sleep much tonight. Tomorrow we move to our new home. It’s not much, but it’s ours.” She rocked with the satisfied assurance of a woman whose life was laid out before her like a well-organized quilt.

  Rachel knew no such contentment. Her future looked like an early spring sky—patchy clouds, intermittent rays of sunshine, and the smell of a coming storm. “I wish Beth and I could stay longer to help you pack.”

  “Worry not. My friend Violet arranged everything for our move and hers before she and Seth left on their wedding trip to the Gulf of Mexico. Violet might not be able to run, but she still maneuvers at the speed of light. She absolutely refused to use her crutches at her marriage ceremony. Her poor daed kept hovering as though she might fall over.” Creak, creak, creak. For several moments the only sound came from the rolling wooden slats on the porch boards. Then in a hushed tone, Nora asked, “Care to tell me what’s troubling you? And don’t say ‘nothing.’ You’ve been weepy eyed all day. That isn’t like you, Rachel. You know we’ll take a wedding trip in November after the harvest is in. We’ll visit Amy and John in Harmony and then come to Lancaster County to see you, Beth, grossmammi, and grossdawdi.”

  Rachel debated only half a second. There was no point in withholding the truth any longer. “When you get to Pennsylvania, you might only find one sister.” She stared into the darkness as the moon slipped behind a cloud. “I’ve decided to take the bus from St. Louis to Louisville after I put Beth on the train to Chicago.”

  Nora stopped rocking. “Who on earth do you know in Louisville?”

  “Not a soul. Once I’m in Louisville I’ll board a bus to Elizabethtown. Then I’ll arrange for a hired van to take me to Charm.”

  “You’re planning to visit Cousin Sarah? But you hate chickens.”

  Rachel laughed. “I do not hate chickens as long as they’re in a pot with celery, onions, and dumplings.” They shared a chuckle. “The fact that Sarah and her husband operate a free-range chicken farm doesn’t deter me. Kentucky is known for only one thing, and it isn’t Rhode Island Reds. The Blue Grass state raises the prettiest horses in the world.”

  “Prettier than Old Smokey after you braided his mane and tail with ribbons?”

  A pang of nostalgia filled her heart. Old Smokey was her father’s favorite Belgian draft horse, now relegated to light work with grossdawdi in his twilight years. “Jah, even prettier than him if magazines and library books can be trusted.”

  “If you’ve decided on visiting Sarah on your way home, why not take Beth?”

  A long minute spun out in the humid evening air while Rachel chose her reply carefully. In the end she decided on a short, honest answer. “Because if I find living on a chicken farm tolerable, I intend to stay permanently.”

  “Whatever for? I know you love horses and have read more about them than any Amish person in the country, but horses are big business in Kentucky. What would a Plain gal who’s never held a paying job in her life do there?”

  Somewhere a faraway train blew its whistle. “I haven’t the slightest idea. All I know is Lancaster County is a lonely place since mamm and daed died. I love our grandparents and I’ll miss little Beth something fierce, but I can’t see myself sticking around any more than Amy or you could. There are too many sad memories.” A lump the size of a rock rose up her throat, threatening her composure.

  “I of all people cannot find fault with your plan, but I hate the idea of us spread across the eastern United States.”

  “Missouri is certainly not the East. Have you checked a map lately?”

  “Truly, it is not,” agreed Nora with a laugh. She flicked away a mosquito.

  For several moments they rocked and listened to tree frogs and crickets fill the air with a late summer serenade. Each of their hearts grew heavier as the irrevocable future closed around them like heavy fog. “No matter where I end up, you will always be my schwester,” murmured Rachel.

  “And I, yours.” Nora clasped her hand in the shadows as they savored memories of their shared childhood. Impulsively Nora leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Gut nacht, Rachel. I believe I’ve kept my new ehemann waiting long enough.” After a nervous giggle, the bride went inside the house, leaving her sister alone with her thoughts and fears for the future.

  When Rachel fell asleep that night, frolicking colts, majestic stallions, and gentle mares filled her dreams, giving her the best sleep she’d had in weeks.

  The next day Rachel and Beth accepted tearful hugs and a packed lunch that would feed far more than two, and then they climbed into the back of a hired car bound for downtown Columbia. After paying their driver, they boarded the bus to St. Louis—a frightening city in terms of the amount of fast-moving traffic. Rachel waited almost until the bus pulled into the terminal to drop her bombshell.

  “What do you mean you’re only buying one train ticket to Chicago?” demanded Beth. “How do you intend to get home?”

  “After I put you on the train, I’ll take a cab back to the Greyhound station. I’m traveling by bus to Louisville.” She patiently spelled out the sketchy details as she’d done the night before to Nora.

  Beth listened to the explanation without interruption and then wailed, “That’s fine and dandy, but why can’t I go too? I’ve never been to Kentucky either.”

  “Because if all goes well, and if Sarah and Isaac allow it, I will stay and work. You’re too young to move away from grossmammi and Aunt Irene yet.”

  “Will you court boys there?” Beth turned toward her on the seat.

  The unexpected question caught Rachel by surprise. “I’m not
thinking about courting now. I just want to find a job.”

  “But you’re already twenty.” Beth sounded aghast.

  “That’s not that old in this day and age. People are waiting longer to marry.”

  “Why can’t I come with you? If you decide to stay longer than a visit, you could put me on a bus home then.”

  Finally, the question she had dreaded. “Please don’t be hurt, Beth, but I truly wish to try this out by myself.” With a shaky hand, she pulled a printed sheet from her purse. “I wrote out directions on how to change trains in Chicago to catch the Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh and then the Pennsylvanian on to Harrisburg. There you’ll catch the bus to Mount Joy. It’s all spelled out very carefully. It’s exactly what we did on the way here in reverse.”

  Beth shrugged. “Grossmammi is going to be miffed, even more so than she was about us attending the wedding unchaperoned.” She shivered dramatically, as though picturing their grandmother’s seldom-displayed temper.

  “True enough. That’s why I wrote her a long letter to explain as best as I could.” Rachel withdrew a sealed envelope from her purse. “Will you give her this when you get home?”

  Beth stared at the white envelope and nodded. “Jah, I suppose. But maybe I’ll just lay it on the kitchen table and hide in the barn until the steam clears. What about Amy?”

  Rachel patted her bag. “I wrote her a letter too. I’ll post it the first chance I get. I told Nora last night after the wedding. She seemed to understand.”

  “Then it’s all decided.”

  Her plaintive words of resignation cut Rachel like a blade. She wrapped her arms around her little sister, enfolding her in a hug. “You can come visit me once I’m settled. And I promise to come home to Mount Joy too. We’ll always be sisters, Beth. Never forget that.” The rocking bus, the chatter from other travelers, the scenery passing at breakneck speed, all faded away. Rachel was only aware of the skinny fourteen-year-old she held in her arms and how much she would miss her.

  “St. Louis,” the bus driver barked into the loudspeaker.

  Everyone jumped up to pull luggage from overhead bins and collect belongings from the seat and floor. Rachel felt Beth shrink by her side. “Don’t be frightened. You’re a smart girl. You have your directions, plenty of food, and money in your purse. Just remember what mamm used to say: ‘You’re never alone in life. God is always with you. So close your eyes and let Him fill your heart.’”