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.’’‘‘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 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 1700s.’’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.‘‘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 fiancé 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 you’re anything like me, you’re terribly lonesome for him, just as I am for Ben, though no one knows it but you.)Well, enough about that.You haven’t said much about Michael in your letters, so I guess I’m wondering how he fits into your life now that you’re a fancy girl again, if he does at all.Oh, this is so hard trying to share with you on paper, when we became so close face to face!I miss our talks and all the laughter.It seems like months since you were here.How’s Muffin? Is he settled back into his cozy place in your apartment? I wonder if he misses being here.Annie paused, looking out the window.‘‘I’m rambling,’’ she whispered.Never before had she experienced difficulty in expressing herself while writing a letter.Never to Louisa, anyway.She tried to picture the pretty apartment where Lou lived and the studio where she instructed her eager students.Sighing, Annie resumed her writing.I’ve begun marking off the days on the calendar, and I’m sure you can guess why.On July 17 my promise to Daed will be up, and I have plans to start painting again.Are you surprised? I’m sure my father would be.and furious with me besides [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]