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  Priscilla’s Escape

  Diane Craver

  Books by Diane Craver

  Amish Fiction

  The Bishop’s Daughters Series

  Amish Baby Snatched

  A Plain Widow

  Priscilla’s Escape

  Dreams of Plain Daughters Series

  A Joyful Break

  Judith’s Place

  Fleeting Hope

  A Decision of Faith

  Novelettes

  An Amish Starry Christmas Night

  An Amish Starry Summer Night

  Christian Romance

  Marrying Mallory

  When Love Happens Again

  Chick-Lit Mystery

  A Fiery Secret

  Contemporary Romance

  Whitney in Charge

  Never the Same

  The Proposal

  Historical and Christian Fiction

  A Gift Forever

  Visit Diane Online!

  http://www.dianecraver.com

  Copyright © 2018 by Diane Craver

  All Rights Reserved

  Priscilla’s Escape is a work of fiction. Though some actual towns, cities, and locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Any similarities of characters or names used within to any person past, present, or future is coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author. Brief quotations may be embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Reference: ‘Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House’, per the notice of copyright at the beginning of the Bible.

  Scripture taken from the King James Version ®. © 1976 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN. No permission listing is necessary as it's in the public domain per their website at http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/dept.asp?dept_id=190620&TopLevel_id=190000#KJ.

  Published in the United States of America

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons

  Formatting by Jesse Gordon

  For my favorite cousin,

  Debby Sparbel

  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent

  the Son to be the Savior of the world.

  1 John 4:14 (KJV)

  Note to the Reader

  The Amish community I’ve created is fictional, but exists close to Wheat Ridge, which is an actual Amish community in the southern part of Ohio. Before I started writing my Amish series, I did extensive research to portray this wonderful faith as accurately as possible. I’ve used many rules and traditions common to the Amish way of life. However, there are differences between the various groups and subgroups of Amish communities. This is because the Amish have no central church government; each has its own governing authority. Every local church maintains an individual set of rules, adhering to its own Ordnung.

  If you live near an Amish community, actions, and dialogue in my book may differ from the Amish culture you know. The Amish speak Pennsylvania Dutch with variations in spelling among the many different Amish and Mennonite communities throughout the United States. I have included a glossary for the Pennsylvania Dutch words used in this book.

  In spite of some of the differences among the various Amish communities, none have electricity in their homes, and they don’t drive vehicles.

  Pennsylvania Dutch Glossary

  ach: oh

  aenti: aunt

  appeditlich: delicious

  boppli: baby

  bruder: brother

  daadi: granddad

  daed: dad

  danki: thank you

  dat: father

  ehemann: husband

  Englisher: a non-Amish person

  fraa: wife

  froh: happy

  gut: good

  Gut nacht: good night

  kaffi: coffee

  kapp: prayer covering

  kinner: children

  mamm: mom

  mammi: grandma

  nee: no

  Ordnung: the set of rules by which the Amish live

  rumspringa: running-around time and is before an Amish young person officially joins the church.

  schee: pretty

  schweschder: sister

  wunderbaar: wonderful

  ya: yes

  Chapter One

  Fields Corner, Ohio

  “Priscilla, how was work today?”

  From the serious expression on her father’s face, Priscilla knew someone had told him what she’d done. She shouldn’t have left early to go to Angela’s Restaurant, but the fabric store hadn’t been busy all day. Besides, Sarah, the co-owner of the store, had told her that she could leave. It had been nice to have another meeting with Madison, the English woman, she would work for in the summer. Her father had never asked her about her job before, so it was curious he should ask now. Perhaps it wasn’t because he knew she’d left several hours early. She’d keep quiet and see if he mentioned her shortened work day. “Work was slow today. We had few customers.”

  “Did you leave work early, then?”

  “Ya. Sarah told me to.” No need to tell him that I asked if I could.

  “Where did you go after you left? It wasn’t home, where you should have been.” Amos King crossed his arms across his chest as he stood next to the kitchen counter.

  Glancing at her father’s stern face, Priscilla wondered if Levi had stopped to tell him. It didn’t seem likely that he would bother to make a trip to their house to mention she’d been at the restaurant. Although she’d noticed Levi standing at the counter to pay his bill, she didn’t think he saw her. She didn’t recall seeing any other church member, but the restaurant was crowded. Her concentration had been on Madison and what her summer job would entail. “I had lunch at Angela’s Restaurant. I sometimes eat lunch there on Friday when I work.”

  “It must have been a late lunch, because Levi saw you there at two o’clock.”

  She nodded, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Ya. I had a late lunch because Sarah had me work until one-thirty. She hoped business would pick up, but as it remained slow, she told me to go ahead and leave.”

  “It wasn’t only a late lunch but a long one.”

  “I had an errand to run after I ate lunch.” Hopefully, he won’t ask about my errand. In the purse she held close to her side was a cell phone. Madison had offered to buy Priscilla one, so it’d be easier to call her. Priscilla decided it’d be better to buy it herself. It wasn’t a fancy smartphone but a cheap and basic cell phone. She’d been relieved to have one because she hadn’t wanted to give their number for their phone in the barn. Leaving a message on their answering machine would be a disaster, especially if her summer job wasn’t approved by her parents.

  “Who was the English woman you had lunch with?”

  Right at this moment, Priscilla would give anything to be somewhere else. She wanted to tell her summer plans when both parents were present. One good thing about her daed’s interrogation was that for once he noticed her. Usually she felt like she was invisible to her bishop father. She’d felt like he never loved her as much as his other kinner. Luke was his only son, and Molly and Beth made him proud when they had joined the church at young ages. She wasn’t about to join the church when she had too much to experience in life. And would becoming baptized make him love her as much as the others? He apparently thought a lot of Anna, because he had allowed her to work for two English veterinarians. Then there was Sadie. She was her father’s favorite. “I had lunch with Madison Wittenberg. Where is Mamm?” />
  “She’s watching Isaac and Grace while Molly finishes a quilt. She’ll be home soon. Who is Madison Wittenberg?”

  Priscilla’s heart raced because she knew what would happen if she mentioned her upcoming Florida job. More than anything, she wanted her parents’ approval, but it was doubtful she would get it. “I met her at the fabric store. She bought one of my paintings.”

  As her daed pulled a chair away for the table, he said, “Let’s sit. We need to talk.”

  “Would you like a glass of iced tea?” With the late-May weather, her mother often had a pitcher of tea in the refrigerator. The weather was perfect with it being in the low eighties and not humid. With people visiting her father frequently, her mother offered them coffee or tea with either pie or cookies.

  “No, danki.”

  After removing the tea from the refrigerator shelf, she poured herself a glass. After Priscilla sat across from her father, she exhaled a breath. “I gave some of the money to the medical fund. Remember?”

  “I was under the impression that the money came from your job.”

  “What difference does it make?”

  “A lot of difference. When I agreed that you could work at the fabric store, I warned you not to associate with Englishers outside of work. I also told you not to sell your paintings in the store. It’s okay to sell them at the school fundraisers.”

  She frowned. It was hard to understand her father’s objections to her selling her paintings at an Amish store. She sold them at several fundraisers a year, and he never objected to them being on display at these events. “Sarah wanted to put my painting next to Molly’s display of quilts. Madison had already seen my paintings at the school fundraisers. They were sold before she got to buy one, so she was thrilled to buy the one in the fabric store.”

  Her daed stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Sipping her tea, she wished that Levi hadn’t told her father about seeing her at Angela’s Restaurant. She had a feeling that nothing good would come from it. She needed to tell her parents about having a job in Florida in the summer, but now she’d have to wait. It wasn’t a good time to mention her plans to work for an Englisher when her daed already was upset about a simple lunch with her possible future employer.

  “I’ve noticed you’re staying up late at night. Are you painting?”

  “Sometimes.” She’d been elated when Beth moved out of the house to marry Henry. Finally, Priscilla had her own bedroom and didn’t have to go to the attic to paint. Having an art studio in her room with paints, brushes, canvases, and tools was the ideal situation for her. The bedroom even had two windows that allowed lots of light into the room.

  He stroked his gray beard. “I think you should quit painting for a few months.”

  Why would he want her to quit what she loved? She couldn’t survive for months without painting. Her art was her passion. She had to keep fueling it because it was who she was. “I don’t understand why you are telling me to quit painting. I see pleasure in the eyes of my loved ones when I give them a painting as a gift. And when I sell my paintings, it helps our emergency medical funds and benefits our school financially.”

  “You are being prideful about your creativity when you paint. Pride is a sin, and you know better. I’ve noticed that you are more wrapped up in painting. Haven’t you lost track of time several times recently?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe I have lost track of time a little, but I don’t think I’m being prideful. God gave me this talent, just as he gave Molly her sewing talent for quilting. She gets a lot of compliments about her quilts. Is she being prideful when she shares how much people love her quilts? I don’t understand how I am being prideful, but Molly isn’t about her talent.”

  By the look of consternation on her father’s face, Priscilla could tell he wasn’t buying what she said. She sighed and wished he could see that her art work was as important to her as quilting was to Molly. God had given them different gifts, and Priscilla couldn’t ignore hers any more than her sister could hers.

  “Molly’s quilting fits in with our way of life. Many times, she quilts with other women, which is what our community is all about. It’s a time for togetherness and to build up relationships in our community. Painting is solitary, and you are open to the devil’s temptation. We have given you a lot of leeway with your art, more than you have had in other Amish communities. Some Amish districts would not allow you to paint.”

  Obviously, there was no way she could obey her father this summer. One of the reasons she wanted to go to Florida was to paint the ocean. “Are you punishing me for having lunch with Madison? Molly and Beth both have English friends.”

  “Your sisters met them after they were both married and baptized. It’s not the same. You’re not married. I am concerned that you might decide to jump the fence and go to the fancy side.”

  Oh, great. He doesn’t even know what I want to do soon, and he is already concerned about me not joining our faith. She remained quiet for a moment, then said, “I have never mentioned leaving our community.”

  “If you continue to spend time painting, you aren’t focusing on meeting your future husband. You haven’t gone to a singing for several weeks.”

  “Hannah and I went to a singing a month ago.” She had met an Amish man, Stephen Hertzler, from another district when they were on the same volleyball team. She liked looking up at him because he was at least five inches taller than her five-seven height. His dark brown hair was nearly black, and his eyes were deep brown. Although she had a wunderbaar-gut time with Stephen Hertzler during the youth activity, it wasn’t the time to become serious about an Amish man. She wasn’t sure she wanted to join the Amish church. If she did decide to join in the future, she still wanted to wait several years. She had too much to experience yet in the world before she made this life commitment to the Amish faith.

  When Stephen asked if he could take her home, she’d said no. After she explained how Hannah had asked her to spend the night with her, Stephen had said, “Maybe some other time, then.”

  “Your mother and I hope you will become baptized this year. I start the instructional classes the middle of June. It’s an excellent time for you to join the church. Your friend, Hannah, is going to be in the class.”

  Hannah loved being a teacher at their Amish school. “Hannah decided to after the school board strongly suggested she join the church. She doesn’t want to lose her job.”

  Her daed frowned. His eyebrows drew together and little lines formed. “I don’t want her to feel forced, but it’s good for our teachers to be baptized. You will be twenty soon, and Hannah is already, so you aren’t too young to make this decision.”

  Priscilla had hoped the classes wouldn’t be mentioned during this conversation. He’d want her to commit to their faith soon, especially since he was the bishop. It wasn’t his fault, and she understood why he wanted her to join the church. Amish parents always wanted this for their children. They felt if their children didn’t become baptized and join their faith, then they would go to hell. If she stayed at home and didn’t take the classes soon, it would be stressful. Before her brother had joined their church, she had overheard her father say that maybe Luke should be kicked out of their home. He was unhappy that Luke and Violet, an Englisher, were dating. Her mother had objected and felt that was too drastic. Luke had continued to live at home while dating Violet.

  Maybe Hannah and I aren’t too young to take the kneeling vow, Priscilla thought, but it’s not going to happen this summer for me. She sipped her iced tea as she considered how much to say about waiting to be baptized. “I need more time before I commit. Luke waited a long time.”

  Her daed nodded. “That’s true. It caused your mother and me a lot of anxiety. It was a relief when he finally joined our church. Luke kept telling us that he needed to wait. It wasn’t necessary for him to get his driver’s license and a high school diploma, but he did it for Violet. Since she was willing to do without worldly items before committing, Luk
e felt he should experience a few English things.”

  “Luke also did it because of Violet’s dad. He knew that Scott saw him lacking in schooling, with only an eighth-grade education. Luke also wanted to bridge the gap a little, since Violet had a college degree.”

  “It was a huge blessing when he and Violet took their kneeling vows together.”

  Priscilla realized that laying the groundwork for her decision to leave for the summer might be a wise idea. I should mention my running-around time now. “I don’t want to take the baptism classes this year because I plan to take my rumspringa this summer.”

  “Is this because I don’t want you to paint? It’s seems a bit late to do your rumspringa now.” He put his hand up. “I know what you’re going to say, that Luke was older than you when he did his. Is there someone you want to do worldly things with? Like the young woman you had lunch with?”

  She sighed. “Daed, I do have something I want to do before I take classes, but I’ll wait to talk about it when Mamm is here.”

  Chapter Two

  As Priscilla stood to leave the kitchen, Lillian opened the back door, carrying a small bag. Once her mother was inside, she smiled at Priscilla and kissed her husband on the cheek. “It’s good to be home. I love our grandchildren, but it’s always nice to be able to leave them. They tire me out. Well, Grace doesn’t. She still takes a short nap in the morning and an afternoon nap, but Isaac wouldn’t take a nap today. He seems to find a lot to get into.”

  Priscilla’s father patted the chair next to him. “Lillian, I’m glad you’re home. Priscilla has something she wants to tell both of us.”

  Her mother stopped by their gas-powered refrigerator. “Is it about you leaving work early?”

  Geez, did Levi go to Molly’s house too? Priscilla wondered. “If Levi also told you that I was at Angela’s Restaurant, he must not have enough deacon duties. He already stopped here and told Daed.”

  “Levi’s main reason for stopping here was to tell me how he visited one of our families with high medical bills,” her daed explained. “Then he told me how he saw you at the restaurant.”