Page 48 of Unforgiven

Then of course wished she could take her words right back.

Mamm looked scandalized. “Surely not.”

Shame poured through Melonie like black paint. She felt dirty and stained. What was wrong with her? Why did she need to defend herself so much that she’d willingly share Seth’s personal life? “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”

“That woman is older than him. Plus, she’s divorced.” Her mother said divorced like it was a curse word.

“Mother, even I know what happened to poor Tabitha. How can you blame her for not wanting to get beaten?”

“None of us know what really happened.” She pursed her lips. “Why do you think Seth is interested in her? Do you think he doesn’t feel worthy of another woman’s love?”

There were so many things wrong with her mother’s questions, starting and ending with how an upstanding woman like Tabitha wasn’t good enough for Seth. “Mother, you might not believe in divorce, but you canna say that Tabitha is a bad person.”

Mamm stilled. “I didn’t say she was. I just think there would be a better match for your brother.”

Her brother, the ex-Amish ex-con. Before her mother could start down another conversational path where all things Seth and poor Tabitha were dissected, Melonie decided to end the conversation, fast. Unfortunately, there was only one way to do that. “Mamm, I’ll take Lorne to the singing tonight. Tell him we’ll go right after supper.”

Her mother’s eyes lit with pleasure that she’d gotten her way. “Wear one of your new dresses, Daughter.”

“Fine, but I’m going to have a cloak on, Mamm. No one will see it.”

“Lorne will,” she said and opened the door. “That’s all that matters, ain’t so?”

Melonie got up and closed it again, then threw herself on the bed. Thinking of one of the books she’d recently read, she decided her mother could’ve been a sought-after interrogator in another life. She was that good at gleaning information . . . and getting her way.

Melonie sighed. She couldn’t believe she’d said so much instead of keeping her mouth shut. And then she’d even agreed to put on a new dress and accompany her cousin to a singing. What was wrong with her?

Just when she thought her life couldn’t get more confusing, it did. “Why, Gott?” she murmured as she hugged her pillow tight. “What do You need me to learn?”

She had an idea His answer would be that she still needed to learn quite a bit.

• • • •

Three hours later, Melonie was walking next to Lorne down one of the winding shortcuts to the Bylers’ farm. Overgrown plants and foliage brushed against their clothes, and damp leaves squished under their feet. When a squirrel chattered just to their right, she jumped.

Lorne looked just as appalled as she was about their evening’s activities. With a grimace, he smacked his hand against his cheek. “I think something just bit me.”

“It could be a mosquito.”

“Great.”

Sneaking a glance at him, Melonie tried to figure out if he actually was better looking than she’d thought. He was kind of overweight, had pale brown hair and a smattering of spots on his face, and his eyes were set close together. But worse, he always looked like he’d just smelled something bad.

She’d never liked him much, even when they were small. Even Seth, who’d always been a person to go out of his way to befriend someone in need, always ignored him.

Melonie had no idea who she could introduce him to at the singing. Not only would most of the people there be coupled up, most of the girls wouldn’t be attracted to Lorne. Worse, she was pretty sure the men she knew would be bored with her cousin in five minutes. Worse yet, she’d probably have to spend most of her time making sure no one teased him too much.

“Where is this haus?” he asked. “We’ve already been walking fifteen minutes.”

“The Bylers’ place is another ten or fifteen minutes away.”

“You said this was a shortcut.”

“It is.”

He sighed, like it was her fault they were walking in the middle of Kentucky. “What are the Bylers like? Are they good people?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I was close friends with Hannah Byler when I was in school.”

---