Page 35 of A Gathering of Secrets

I press on. “I understand Emma knew Daniel Gingerich.”

The silence that follows goes on a beat too long. Both Ina and Viola look to the slightly older Neva to answer. “If I remember correctly,” Neva says, “I think he did some work for her parents on their farm.”

“Were they friends?” I ask.

“I think she may have gone to a singing with him once,” Viola says.

Ina wrinkles her nose. “I don’t think she liked him that much.”

“Why not?” I ask.

Viola gives a half smile. “Emma was all about Elam Schlabach.”

“Elam was Emma’s beau,” Ina clarifies.

“Besides, Daniel already had a girlfriend,” Neva tells me.

“Oh, I almost forgot about Ruth,” Viola says.

“Her name is Luane,” Neva corrects.

“I think he courted Ruth Beiler for a time,” Ina says.

“Daniel and Ruth went to a singing once or twice,” Viola puts in.

Neva firmly overrules them. “Luane Raber was his beau and has been for as long as I can remember.”

It’s the first I’ve heard the two names, and though they may not be important, I jot them in my notebook. “So Daniel and Emma weren’t close?”

“They were more like acquaintances,” Neva replies.

“Barely knew each other,” Ina adds.

“What about while Daniel was working for her parents at the farm?” I ask. “Did they see each other then? Interact?”

Ina shrugs and looks at the other two girls. “I don’t really know about that.”

Neva shakes her head. “She never mentioned it.”

“Did Emma ever have any disagreements or arguments with Daniel?” I ask.

Neva laughs. “Emma never said a cross word to anyone.”

“She’d agree with you just to be polite,” Ina adds.

I consider the dynamics of relationships among young men and women, all of those gnarly complexities, emotions that can be a little too intense, and, of course, hormones. It’s far too easy for those early connections to become cumbersome, even among the Amish.

“So Emma and Elam Schlabach were tight?” I make eye contact with each of the girls.

Viola blushes, looks down at the floor.

Neva holds my gaze. “Emma was crazy about Elam. He loved her, too. But she was kind of shy. You know, quiet about such things.”

Ina chuckles. “We had to practically pry things out of her and even then she didn’t tell us much.”

“Did Elam know Daniel and Emma went to a singing together?” I ask.

The girls exchange quick glances. Uncertain, I realize, and loyal to Emma even though she’s gone. They’re not sure where I’m going with this line of questioning, but they don’t like the direction or the connotations.