A Noble Groom (Michigan Brides #2)(72)

Idette shook her head. “Len doesn’t want me visiting.”

“Maybe when we have our barn raising?”

Idette shrugged and then glanced sideways at the men.

The sky had continued to darken, and the air had grown heavy with the scent of rain. They’d finished the day early, allowing time for everyone to return home and pray for a steady downpour.

She couldn’t bear to think about what would happen if they didn’t get more rain soon. Without the usual rainfall, the wheat and oats had brought her only half of what they’d earned last harvest. And now she would need a strong crop of corn and potatoes to have a chance at paying off her loan.

If the remainder of her crop suffered, she might as well pack her few belongings and give the farm to Ward.

But she couldn’t let that happen, not after she’d worked so hard the past several years to make sure they could keep the farm. Somehow she’d have to find a way to earn the remainder of her loan money.



“I overheard Vater,” Idette whispered. Then she glanced at Leonard, who was congregated with the other men. He’d kept Idette so busy throughout the day that she’d had little time to socialize with the women. “He was planning your marriage to Carl.”

Annalisa’s heartbeat careened to a halt. She looked over to where Carl stood. His shirt was plastered to his back, outlining the muscles he’d developed over the summer. He said something to Uri and then shoved the boy playfully as they loaded the back of the wagon with tools and supplies.

Since the barn fire, she’d tried harder to keep from caring about him, had tried to tell herself Carl would be safest if he left Forestville and all her problems.

But was Vater ready to make other plans?

With each passing day she’d begun to believe Dirk would never come. Perhaps now, after all these weeks, Vater was ready to let go of Dirk’s coming too and listen to what the neighbors were saying—that something must have happened or he would have arrived by now.

“What did Carl say to Vater’s suggestion?” she whispered, hardly daring to breathe, not sure if she should admit to herself just how much she loved him and wanted to be with him.

“He didn’t agree to it.” Idette glanced around warily. “But I could tell he wants to.”

“Do you think so?”

“You need to convince Carl to stay.” Idette lowered her voice. “Maybe you can conceive his baby.”

Annalisa gasped. “Idette! How could you say such a thing?” She couldn’t look at Carl lest he see the mortification rushing over her. “It would be wrong. I cannot even think of it.”

“You must find a way to keep him here,” Idette said. “Otherwise he’ll leave after the harvesting is done—”



Leonard grabbed Idette’s arm and yanked her away from Annalisa. Somehow he’d managed to approach them without their knowledge, and now he pressed his lips together, and his eyes were dark with displeasure. “Don’t you have work that needs to be done?”

Idette flinched but didn’t say anything.

Leonard nodded toward the children, who were running in circles near the barn, chasing each other and laughing. “I told you to watch the children and keep them from being too loud.”

Annalisa spotted Gretchen, her little legs barely able to keep up with the older children in their game of fox and geese. But she was breathless and laughing and happy.

Idette’s features hardened, but still she didn’t say anything to her husband.

“Stop being idle,” he said under his breath. His grip tightened around Idette’s upper arm so that his fingers whitened. “Go do as I’ve told you.”

Idette glanced at the children, and then she waited a moment before pulling herself out of her husband’s grip and starting toward the children. She walked with slow, defiant steps.

Leonard’s jaw flexed. Swiftly, without warning, he shoved her so that she was left with little choice but to move faster, except that she stumbled, tripped on the hem of her skirt and fell to her knees.

She gave a muffled cry of pain and cradled her wrist, which she’d used to brace her fall.

Carl stopped his bantering with Uri. His narrowed eyes went from Leonard to Idette and back again. Anger crowded out the playfulness, leaving his expression as cloudy as the evening sky.

All the fear and anguish Annalisa had harbored for her sister over the past months rose to taunt her. She started toward her sister, but Leonard was at Idette’s side in two strides.



He wrenched her up as if she were nothing more than a swathe of hay and pushed her forward again.

The other farmers had paused in their conversations to watch. And although none of them said anything, the censure on some of their faces said they thought Leonard had been too harsh with his wife—especially publicly.

“She’s easily distracted from her work,” Leonard explained with a tight smile. “And I’m always having to direct her and keep her on task. It’s very annoying.”

Vater frowned at Leonard. She’d heard him have sharp words with Leonard over Idette on several occasions, but that hadn’t stopped Leonard from treating Idette the way he wanted. After all, a man could discipline his wife however he saw fit, including the use of physical force. Everyone knew the German common law allowed it.