Free Rebecca's Choice by Jerry S. Eicher Page B

answer enough.
    “Oh my,” Ezra said and laughed heartedly. “Glad this isn’t a church matter. She’d fry us at pre-communion church for sure.”
    Abe and Jonas joined in Ezra’s brand of humor, their voices filling the room.
    “I think you’d better listen to them,” Reuben ventured. “They are your brothers.”
    “Mighty worthless ones,” Rachel muttered, which provoked another round of laughter.
    “Emma can do what she wants with the money,” Jonas said, once things had quieted down. “She’s been a faithful church member all these years. She lived a godly and humble life. Even with what Dad left her. Da Hah will reward Emma for it. As He even may be now.” Jonas glanced reverently skyward. “Who is to say the same would be true for us? For me? It might corrupt my soul and lead me away from the faith. Who knows what temptations await me. What if I had a farm paid off and money in the bank? I might start thinking about an automobile or perhaps joining a liberal church.”
    Jonas gave an involuntary shudder. Reuben nodded vigorously again.
    “It would do me only good,” Rachel pronounced. “Much more than someone else. The money has to go somewhere, you know.”
    “May that be in God’s hands,” Reuben said, using his deacon tone, which so irritated Rachel. “We had best leave it alone.”
    The others had nodded and wouldn’t change their minds even when she protested vehemently. Abe and Jonas had left on Sunday, right after church dinner, their van drivers in a hurry to make the trip back.
    Rachel thought a talk with Luke might help. Perhaps he had some ideas about what to do, but Luke had left for the youth singing and supper around five. He wouldn’t be back till after midnight. She assumed he was on a date with that Susie of his. No amount of talk might persuade Luke anyway.
    Rachel was suspicious about Luke and Susie being engaged, but Luke didn’t talk much to her anymore. He wasn’t disrespectful around the house—just kept any conversation they had to the basics. If he wanted to marry Susie—marry poor—then so be it.
    Last night her inability to control the situation made her pace the floor in the hall just outside the bedroom where Reuben couldn’t hear her steps. Emma’s will affected her directly. Good news waited for her, perhaps at the lawyer’s office, if she could just obtain it. On Sunday afternoon she could have brought up the fact she knew which lawyer was involved. That might have produced cooperation from her brothers, but it would also have produced questions she couldn’t answer—questions that might have led her into a swamp of intrigue where she didn’t desire to go.
    That Luke knew was bad enough. Reuben had gone to bed around ten. He glanced at her as he went into the bedroom but said nothing. She ignored him but was unable to sit still for long, let alone think of sleep yet. She had paced the floor until sometime after midnight and then, exhausted from her frantic thinking, slept fitfully all night.
    Now the letter was in her hand. The return address stated it came from Bridgeway & Broadmount, attorneys at law, in Anderson, Indiana.
    Its contents could contain only good news, she was certain. This was the key to her bright future. Her hands trembled as she opened it.
    “To the relatives of Emma Miller,” the letter began.
In accordance with instructions left by the late Emma Miller, we are contacting you and other relatives. It is requested, at your earliest convenience, that you contact this office for a reading of the will of the deceased.
     
    Rachel exhaled. She hadn’t noticed she was holding her breath. No doubt Ezra had received a similar letter. Even if he hadn’t, this would still be all she needed to press the matter. Abe and Jonas would just have to miss out. She and Ezra would visit the lawyer’s office at once.
    Ezra would not refuse—she was sure of that. He still had enough of the Miller sense to know better. With Abe and Jonas gone, he