Free The Brethren by Beverly Lewis Page A

Michael had caught her as she was making the turn into the little strip mall where her studio was located. Now she sat in her car, wondering why he had really contacted her again. Was Courtney right, after all?
    “I read somewhere that Amish women are using cell phones, recharging them at their craft shops in town.” Michael laughed softly. “Is that true?”
    “Yes. Some of the less traditional bishops are allowing them, but only for work-related business.” Saying this, she almost felt as if she were betraying a confidence. “They aren’t to use their phones for personal reasons.” Even so, she had heard some of the women talking fast in Dutch and laughing on occasion. Of course, she hadn’t ever questioned Annie on the subject, though she’d wondered. “Why do you ask?” Louisa was curious as to why he would bring this up.
    “Ever since you moved to Pennsylvania, I’ve been noticing articles coming out about the Amish in Lancaster County and in Holmes County, Ohio.”
    “I’m impressed! One’s the original Anabaptist settlement and the other is the largest community of Amish in the entire world.” She smiled to herself and added in her best
    73 announcer voice, “For two tall lattes, can you tell me which
    is which?” ”’;. .?’.
    Michael paused. “Uh … no.”
    “Wrong answer. Pennsylvania’s Plain community came first, in the early I700s.”
    He chuckled, then asked, “Why Pennsylvania?”
    Is he really interested? she wondered. Still, she answered seriously, “William Penn offered land to people who wanted sanctuary from persecution, such as Quakers, Amish, and Mennonites. Some of the original Amish communities migrated to Ohio many years later from one of the original Pennsylvania settlements in Somerset County. I’ve read up a lot on Annie’s people, as you can tell.” She waited for his response and was somewhat surprised when he said he’d like to continue their discussion over lunch.
    So this was where he had been leading her. “I’m busy with students all day today,” she said, which was true.
    “I can wait till you’re free,” he said quickly. “You pick the day.”
    She flinched. “Michael … we really don’t want to do this, do we?”
    “Do what? Have a harmless lunch for old time’s sake?”
    Harmless, my eye.
    “C’mon, Louisa, what can it hurt?”
    She didn’t know how to answer. His changing career paths did have her curious, though. It was hard to believe he had walked away from the lucrative position offered him by her father.
    “We can put a cap on it, if that would make you feel better,” he offered.
    74
    “Like what?”
    “A one hour lunch. No longer. How’s that?”
    She paused, then agreed. “All right. I’ll meet you for lunch next week. How’s Wednesday?”
    She felt his exuberance through the phone. “Wednesday it is.”
    But after his call, she realized he hadn’t specified the place. Which will give him another excuse to phone again, she thought.
    Walking up the sidewalk to her studio, she was reminded once again how shrewd her former fiance had often been. Why am I agreeing to see him, anyway?
    Annie quickly finished up mending some odds and ends of clothing for Essie before midmorning. After folding and putting away the children’s items, she had a hankering to write to Lou. She had begun to miss her desk back home, wishing at times like this she’d had Yonie haul it over here. Instead she made do with a book in her lap and her stationery placed on top, as she had before.
    Happily, she began to write to her beloved fancy pen pal.
    Dear Lou,
    I hope you don’t mind me using the nickname Yonie and I picked for you. It might seem peculiar seeing Lou written at the top of my letter now that you’re back teaching your art students again, back in your modern world. Tell me if it bothers you, all right? Also, tell me if you’d rather I didn’t bring up your connection to Sam, which must cause you many different feelings nowadays. (If