Hannah's Journey

Levi slowly removed his reading glasses and set them on the pristine, white tablecloth as he leaned back in his chair and ran one large palm over his face. He looked so weary and certainly the last thing he needed right now was this. Hannah hated adding to his worries, but this was her son.

“I suppose,” he began, then looked from her to Gunther to Pleasant before continuing. “I suppose that I could instruct Ida to take the boy with her, get him settled with a farm family she knows in Baraboo and keep an eye on him until you can all get there.”

“Baraboo?” Pleasant asked, her eyes suddenly alive with interest.

“Yes. It’s the town where we have our summer headquarters,” Levi replied. “Do you know it?”

To Hannah’s shock, Pleasant blushed scarlet and returned her attention to her soup. “I…no…just a curious name.”

“How soon would we get there?” Hannah asked.

“By commercial train, two to three days depending on when we can get you tickets.”

Hannah glanced at her father-in-law and saw him frown. She was well aware that he was calculating the expense. “I could go and you and Pleasant could return to Sarasota,” she suggested.

“Absolutely not,” Gunther thundered. “The very idea of you traveling alone…”

“Or you could continue as my guests and arrive back in Wisconsin in two weeks,” Levi suggested. “That way you will only encounter the expense of the return trip. In the meantime, I assure you that Caleb will be quite well-provided for and perhaps have the time to consider the error of his actions. The family I spoke of is Amish. The woman is a close friend of Miss Benson’s.”