Chapter Thirteen
“She’s got to be somewhere,” Eunice said. As the words left her mouth, she sent up a silent prayer that they were true. Tillie had to be somewhere; didn’t mean she still had to be at home. And the thought was becoming more and more obvious the longer they searched for her: she was gone.
Eunice just didn’t understand it. One minute, Tillie had been there eating and drinking alongside everyone. And then the next she was nowhere to be found. It was almost as if she had vanished into thin air. It was an impossibility, of course, but Eunice had no better ideas as to what had happened to her youngest daughter.
“I’ll go up to my house and make sure she didn’t sneak off and go up there,” David said.
“Me too.” Anna nodded.
The two of them left to check their houses.
“What about the cabin?” Jamie asked.
“Good idea,” Leah added. “I’ll go with you.”
Leah and Jamie grabbed their coats as well and headed out the door.
Eunice ran through her mental checklist. They had checked Mammi’s room, in the kitchen, the back porch, the sewing room, the front porch, even the outhouse. And there was no sign of Tillie.
“She’s just been acting so funny lately,” Eunice said.
Hannah sidled up next to her and ran one arm around her shoulders. “I know.”
They all knew. Tillie had been going through so much, and there was not anything anyone could do for her.
“The bishop came by this week,” Eunice said.
Hannah drew away in surprise. “Jah?”
Eunice nodded, and tears started welling in her eyes. “Her situation is impossible.”
Hannah seemed to think about it for a moment. Then she nodded. “I understand. But there’s always a way.”
Was there? Eunice hoped. But all signs were pointing to Tillie going back to the English world.
“It’s starting to rain,” Jim said.
Eunice looked at her oldest. Rain and sleet clung to his coat.
A sob escaped her. She knew she was overreacting, just as she knew Tillie was gone. Out there somewhere in the dark, in the bad weather, pregnant and most likely upset. As her mother, Eunice needed to do something.
Hannah turned to her son. “Brandon?”
The young man nodded. “I’m on it.” He pulled out his cell phone and called the police. Eunice barely registered what he was saying. All she could think about was Tillie and the baby.
“It’s starting to get bad out there,” Matthew said. “Before long we won’t be able to get the horses out in this.”
“Horses?” Eunice hated the sound of her voice. It was no longer a word that she had said, but rather a screech. Her daughter was out there alone and they were worried about the horses?
“Mamm, breathe.” Hannah rubbed her shoulders. “Tillie is a smart girl. If it has started to rain or sleet or whatever it’s doing out there, she’s found shelter.”
Gracie nodded and took a step toward Eunice. “Hannah’s right. And we don’t know which direction she went. Or even if she truly left the property.”
The front door opened and Abner came back into the house. His hat and coat were glittering with rain and sleet. He stamped off his boots and hung his hat on the peg. “She’s not in the barn.”
Eunice walked slowly to the couch and sank down into the cushions. The barn had been her last hope. There was a new litter of kittens out there, and the horses, of course. Tillie had always loved animals. Eunice had hoped she had gone out there seeking solace in the touch of their fur. And now that hope was shattered.
Lord, please take care of my baby girl, Eunice silently prayed. Take care of my girl and bring her home.
* * *
Tillie sat on the edge of the bed and took off her shoes. She peeled the wet stockings from her legs and hung them over the back of the chair to dry. The room was small, and the lantern she had carried up the stairs with her only illuminated a small part of it. Just enough that she could see the bed wasn’t made and there were no clothes in the closet. She wasn’t sure what she was going to wear, but one thing was certain: she couldn’t stay in her own wet clothes. She would be much warmer naked and under the covers than she would in frozen clothing. But there were no covers. Not yet, anyway. She ran her hands up and down her arms, but it created no warmth for her.
A light knock sounded at the door, just seconds before it opened. Slowly Levi Yoder poked his head inside. “I have bedding. You can make the bed.” He spoke the last sentence more like a question. So Tillie nodded.
She wanted to tell him that this was the last place she wanted to be as much as it was the last place he wanted her, but she kept her peace.
He cleared his throat. “And a dress,” he said. “I have a dress.” He didn’t say whose dress it was, and she didn’t have the words to ask.
His hands trembled as he set the clothes on the desk just inside the room. He was reluctant to leave the items. Most likely the dress. His late wife’s dress. Tillie wished there was something else she could put on. She could see that giving her the frack to wear was taking a toll on him.
It seemed he wanted to say more, but he didn’t. He just backed away, out into the hall, and shut the door behind him.
Tillie stood there for a moment, then pulled her dress over her
