“How are you feeling?” she asked in a whisper, glancing upstairs.
“Rose knows.” Naomi laughed. “Probably anyone who has come in contact with Esther or Lizzie knows we are having twins. I’mnot sure who is more excited, Amos or the sisters. They will be like grossmammis to these bopplis.”
“Everything is perfectly ready upstairs,” Rose said as she hit the landing. She pointed toward the window. “And just in time.They’re back.”
Evelyn’s stomach flipped.
Lizzie shuffled out of the bedroom, the opened envelope dangling from one hand and the card in the other. “Evelyn, hon, didyou see Esther outside when you came in? I haven’t seen her in a while.”
Evelyn shook her head. “Nee, I didn’t.”
Lizzie turned to Rose.
“She was on the other side of the haus earlier, pulling weeds in the flower beds. Do you want me to go get her?” Rose asked the question, but her eyes stayed onthe activity outside. Everyone had gotten out of the cars, and they were all gathered in the yard. Gus and Jayce were in thecircle as well.
“Nee, I’ll find her later.” She stuffed the envelope, card, and her reading glasses in her apron pocket. The color seemed to havedrained from Lizzie’s face. She was as ashen as the whitewashed walls.
“Is everything okay?” Naomi touched Lizzie on the arm.
“Ach ya, ya.” Lizzie attempted to smile. “Everything is gut. Danki for bringing us the package.”
“Evelyn is here to pick up Jayce for a date.” Rose made the comment with little emotion, void of her usual bubbly manner.It seemed to catch Lizzie’s attention and, based on the smile that filled the older woman’s face, it was a distraction fromwhatever was bothering her.
“Ya, I know.” Holding the smile, she folded her hands in front of her.
Naomi hugged Evelyn. They hadn’t seen each other in a while. “Stay away from the basement,” Naomi whispered. Then they bothlaughed. Naomi had told Evelyn about the time Lizzie and Esther locked her and Amos in the basement before they were married.The two had a spat, and the sisters thought they needed time alone to sort things out, so they’d left food and coffee on thestairs and locked the basement door. And it wasn’t the first time they’d done such a thing.
“What’s wrong with the basement?” Rose raised her eyebrows.
Lizzie sent a look of disapproval at Naomi and Evelyn, who both smiled.
“Nothing, dear,” Lizzie said to Rose as she patted her arm. She walked to the door and peered through the screen.
“I’d best go.” Naomi eased around Lizzie after telling Rose goodbye. She crossed the yard not far from the group. Quinn and Veronica waved when Naomi did. The others were focused on whatever the man in the middle of the circle was saying. Evelyn assumed that must be Jayce’s father. Jayce stared at the ground, his hands stuffed in the pockets of his blue jeans. Lizzie excused herself and went back to the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
Rose eased up to Evelyn near the window. “It’s too bad Jayce isn’t Amish.”
Evelyn thought the same thing but never would have voiced her thoughts.
“But outsiders have been known to convert.” Rose gleamed as she looked Evelyn straight in the eyes. Evelyn wasn’t sure ifshe was encouraging her or warning her that she was interested in Jayce.
Of all the English people Evelyn had known over the years, Jayce seemed the least likely to ever convert. “I don’t think Jaycewould ever consider such an idea. He lives in a very fancy world in California.”
Rose raised her chin, grinning. “You never know.”
Evelyn didn’t want to interrupt the film crew’s meeting, but things were starting to feel awkward with Rose. Or maybe shewas imagining it. She was glad when Jayce left the group first and headed toward the house. By the look on his face, somethingwas terribly wrong. Evelyn’s stomach began to churn.
“Ach, it looks like someone’s date isn’t very happy.” Rose rolled her lip into an exaggerated pout.
Lizzie peeked out of the bedroom. “Evelyn, enjoy your date.” She smiled, but it looked forced as she turned to Rose. “I needto lie down. If you see Esther, can you tell her I need to talk to her?” Lizzie’s face was drawn, and she was still pale.
Rose nodded. After the door closed again, Evelyn was tempted to knock and make sure Lizzie was all right. But Jayce entered the room with his own sour expression.
He didn’t say anything to Rose, just nodded for Evelyn to follow him. “You ready?”
She waved at Rose, who barely waved back, and struggled to keep up with Jayce as he hurried ahead of her to the buggy.
She wasn’t sure how such a happy environment had gone bad so quickly.
Sixteen
Jayce wanted to enjoy his time with Evelyn, but he couldn’t shrug off the conversation with his father, although he wantedto more than anything.
“Do you want to drive?” Evelyn asked after she’d maneuvered the buggy out of the driveway. They’d agreed to take her horseand buggy so as not to leave Lizzie without transportation.
“No, I’m fine with you driving.” He tried to smile as he slid on his sunglasses. “You’re better at it.” The eyes were thewindows to the soul, or so he’d been told. Right now, he didn’t want Evelyn seeing how he felt.
After a while she said, “Do you want to talk about it?”
No surprise she picked up on his foul mood, but if he could keep it at surface level, it would be better for both of them. “It was just a rough day filming.” He attempted to force another smile. “At least there weren’t any technical equipment failures, and no one almost drowned.”
“That’s gut.” She flicked the reins and picked up the pace.
Jayce waited for her to push him to talk more. Because that’s what women do. But she remained respectfully quiet, as if just allowing him to stay within himself. A part of him was screaming to getout, to spill everything about his horrible day. He wasn’t sure he could do it
