in the hallway had them both swinging in that direction. Geneva stood back, staring in amazement at the woman who surged past her, heading straight for Leah. It was Mrs. Grayson, with her husband lagging behind her.
“Mrs. Grayson?” Leah found her voice. “Is something wrong?”
“Wrong?” The woman’s voice rose on the word. “You know very well what’s wrong, Leah Miller. You’re a thief, that’s what!”
Josiah glanced from the Englisch woman’s mottled, angry face to Leah’s. Poor little Leah looked as if she was too stunned to speak. The desire to protect her surged through him.
Careful, he warned himself. This is a different Leah from the child you knew.
True, but people didn’t alter their basic nature. He surely knew Leah well enough to know she wasn’t a thief, no matter what this Mrs. Grayson said.
The woman had plenty to say, that was certain sure.
“I showed you that ring the last time you were at the house to clean. I told you how valuable it was. And now it’s gone. Who else could have taken it?” she demanded.
“But I didn’t. I wouldn’t.” Leah was so pale her freckles stood out on her fair skin, and her green eyes had gone dark with the shock. She glanced at the man, who stood several feet behind his wife as if he wanted to separate himself from her anger. “Mr. Grayson, Mrs. Grayson, you must believe me.”
“Perhaps the ring is lost,” Geneva said, coming to stand next to Leah. “It’s easy to mislay something small like that. Goodness knows I’ve done it many times.”
“I don’t lose things.” Mrs. Grayson’s tone was firm. “Besides, we searched the whole house. It’s not there.”
“How can you be sure?” Geneva’s voice was persuasive. “It would be a terrible thing to accuse someone of theft unjustly.”
“We did search, but it’s so small…” Mr. Grayson spread his hands. “It could be there somewhere. I’m sure you’ve just mislaid it, Angela. Besides, it’s insured.”
His wife dismissed that with a wave of her hand. “I don’t want the insurance. I want my ring back. A center emerald surrounded by diamonds…it was my anniversary gift, and I want it.”
“Perhaps if we all searched—“ Geneva began.
“If you think I’ll have that woman in my house again, you’re crazy,” Mrs. Grayson snapped.
Geneva clasped Leah’s hand reassuringly, and Josiah regretted he hadn’t done that. Leah deserved support from those who knew her.
“I’ve known Leah since she was a child,” Geneva said quietly. “I trust her implicitly.”
“That’s all very well, but it’s not your ring that’s gone.”
Grayson took his wife’s arm. “Come on, Angela. We’re intruding on Mrs. Morgan, and we don’t want to do anything hasty.”
“Hasty?” She shook his hand off, glaring at him. “There’s nothing hasty about it. If you won’t help, maybe the police can get to the bottom of this.”
Josiah had thought Leah pale before, but at the mention of the police she lost even more color. “Mrs. Grayson, I did not do this thing.” Her voice trembled.
“We don’t want to involve the police,” Mr. Grayson said, and Josiah thought there was sympathy in his face when he looked at Leah. “We’ll just tell the insurance company the ring is lost, and that’ll be an end to it.”
“Absolutely not.” The woman was not moved. “I’ll wait until Monday. If the ring hasn’t shown up by then, I’m calling the police.” She spun and headed for the door. “Come along, Phillip.”
“In a minute, dear.” Grayson turned to Leah, shaking his head, waiting until his wife was out the door before he spoke. “I’m sorry about this, Leah. Maybe I can get her to change her mind.” He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket. “Let me pay what we owe you…”
“Thank you, no.” Leah stood very straight, clasping her hands behind her back.
The man hesitated for a moment. Then he shoved the bills back in his pocket and went after his wife.
The door slammed behind them, and Leah seemed to sag, as if her legs wouldn’t hold her up any longer. Geneva grasped Leah’s waist.
“Now, Leah, don’t be so upset. Everyone will know this accusation is ridiculous. You wouldn’t touch anything that doesn’t belong to you.”
Josiah clasped Leah’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Mrs. Morgan is right, Leah. Everyone who knows you will understand that you didn’t do this thing.”
She shook her head, green eyes huge and lost-looking. “What about the other Englisch I work for? They will not want me in their homes anymore. What if the ministers and the bishop hear about it? My family will be so hurt and ashamed. And the police—will they put me in jail? I can’t give back something I never had.”
“No one is going to put you in jail,” Geneva said soothingly. “I promise you that. We’ll get a lawyer for you if we have to.”
Leah shook her head. “My daad would never agree to get involved with the law.”
Josiah’s gaze met Geneva’s, and he felt that she was thinking the same thing he was—that Harvey Miller was a gut man, but awful strict, always interpreting the Ordnung in the most stringent way possible.
“Well, we must just make sure it doesn’t come to the law,” Geneva said, her voice brisk, maybe in an effort to cheer Leah. “We believe in you, and we’ll find some way of proving you didn’t steal that foolish woman’s ring.”
“Denke, Geneva.” Leah squared her shoulders, seeming to call up strength from inside herself. “That is ser kind of you. But I cannot involve you in my troubles.”
“We’re already involved.” Geneva Morgan would not be one to back off when someone she cared about was in trouble. Everyone knew that about her. The Morgans were people you could depend upon.
Leah shook her head, a defeated look in her eyes. Josiah understood, in a way that even Geneva, with all her knowledge of her Amish neighbors, could not. Leah saw her whole life shattering—not just her job, but her standing in the Amish community, her relationship with her family, her whole future. For an Amish girl to be accused of theft…well, it was just unheard-of.
“I know you’re overwhelmed just now.” Geneva’s tone was gentle. “But I believe in you. Josiah believes in you. And we’re going to help you find out the truth, aren’t we, Josiah?”
He hesitated for a second, reluctant to get involved in something controversial before he’d even gotten settled back in the community again.
But this was Leah. He couldn’t let her be hurt if there was anything he could do.
“That’s certain sure,” he said. “We will learn the truth, and everything will be put right again.”
Chapter Two
Leah managed a weak smile, shaking her head as Geneva pushed another jumble cookie toward her. Geneva was a good friend, but eating cookies at Geneva’s kitchen table wouldn’t cure the trouble she was in.
“Sugar is good for shock,” Geneva declared briskly. “And don’t bother telling me you’re not shaken by that woman’s accusation, because I won’t believe it.”
It was easier to give in than to argue with Geneva’s kindness. She accepted the cookie, giving a tentative sideways glance at Josiah. He had his hands wrapped around a glass of tea, his normally friendly, open face now looking solemn.
“Ja, I am feeling shaky inside,” she admitted. “But mostly I just can’t believe