Read Online A Heart Once Broken by Jerry S. Eicher - Free Book Online

the dresses?” Julie cooed. “I think this is just my size. Oh, for a picture of me in that dark green one, Avery. Wouldn’t I look just darling?”
    â€œCan we?” Avery was a little more timid.
    Emma and Rhoda answered together before Lydia could open her mouth. “Of course you can…so out, boys.”
    â€œI’m getting out of here too,” Lydia told them. No one objected.
    Lydia stepped out into the hallway with the two boys. Now what was she supposed to do? She was alone with two strange Englisha boys. She should have stayed with the girls. Already their giggles filled the bedroom behind her. Lydia steeled herself and didn’t move.
    The boy who had been introduced as Benny cleared his throat. “Sorry for the intrusion, Lydia.”
    Jimmy added his own apology. “Julie has always been impulsive like this.”
    â€œWe just kind of tagged along for the evening,” Benny continued. “It’s a brotherly thing.”
    That wasn’t quite true, Lydia figured, but she wasn’t going to argue about it.
    Jimmy appraised Lydia for a moment. “Can I take a picture?”
    â€œNo!” The denial burst out in a gasp. They both appeared puzzled, and Lydia rushed to explain. “I’m sorry. We never take pictures of ourselves. It’s awful prideful, and…” She wasn’t about to say the rest of the explanation. She knew any picture taken would get aroundonce it landed in Englisha hands, and it was hard to tell how many people would end up seeing the photo.
    â€œPrideful?” Benny was still puzzled. “You’re a beauty, if I must say so. There’s nothing prideful about what God has given.”
    Deep color rushed into Lydia’s face at this plain talk, and she moved into the darker shadows of the hallway.
    â€œI’m sorry if I’ve offended you,” Benny hastened to say. “But I wasn’t teasing.”
    â€œWe don’t take picture of ourselves,” Lydia said again, as if that settled the matter.
    Silence in the hallway was broken by the giggles coming from Lydia’s bedroom. She was ready to bolt down the stairs when the bedroom door burst open to reveal both Englisha girls attired in Amish dresses.
    Benny and Jimmy lifted their phones and bright flashes filled the hallway. Emma and Rhoda placed their arms around Avery and Julie to be included in the picture without the least bit of shame. Lydia moved farther back and after a moment fled downstairs.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Mamm asked, when Lydia appeared in the doorway.
    â€œThey’re taking pictures of the girls,” Lydia managed before collapsing on the couch. “Right in our house.”
    Mamm whispered a quiet prayer. “Lord, please help us through this difficult time.” She should do more than pray, Lydia told herself, but she was too upset. Her sisters had little sense left, it seemed. And yet she couldn’t do anything about this, and Mamm and Daett chose not to. How had things come to this sad state of affairs?

Chapter Eight

    T he following Saturday evening Sandra placed the last platter of food on the table. She couldn’t postpone the moment any longer. Tonight, Clyde and his daett , Amos, had come for supper. At least she had a few more seconds to compose herself before she called everyone into the kitchen. Mamm was in the living room with Amos, their voices rising and falling quietly. Clyde was out in the barn with Mark, where he had gone when the two had arrived an hour ago. Why Mamm had invited Clyde to come along when his daett visited tonight was understandable, but that didn’t mean she could tolerate the situation any better.
    â€œWe must include Clyde as family if I plan to marry Amos,” Mamm had told her. But Sandra knew Mamm had a deeper reason to include Clyde. Mamm hoped to spark a romantic interest between them. From Mamm ’s point of view, such a match made sense. She also