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“Pack your things, and I’ll let everyone know that we plan to move over on the twenty-sixth. Hopefully the cold spell will break, and we won’t have any trouble with the move. I have several personal items I want to take with me, so we’ll probably need a wagon to hold it all.”

But Leah wasn’t concerned. She knew her mother would easily arrange for every detail regarding the move. Leah had already told her parents about Brigette’s situation and how she didn’t want anyone else to know the details. They had agreed to remain silent on the matter even with family members. It felt good to know she could entrust such matters to them.

Making her way downstairs, Leah shivered and gave serious thought to at least taking up a wool shawl. But once she reached the closed-off dining room where her parents and brothers were already assembled, she was pleasantly surprised. A large fire blazed in the hearth, and the windows remained shuttered, making the room considerably warmer than the rest of the house.

“Oh, but it feels so good in here,” she said, closing the pocket doors behind her. She took her seat at the table, then grabbed her napkin.

Her father signaled the servants to bring the meal. “Let’s pray before we get started,” he said, bowing his head.

This was the normal routine for family meals, but it made Leah uncomfortable. She had been having an occasional word or two with God. It wasn’t a lot, mostly accusation and questioning, but she was trying to find peace with Him again.

As her father thanked God for the food and a bevy of other things, Leah glanced toward the ceiling and sighed.

I’m trying, Lord. Really I am. I want to trust You. Then it dawned on her. How could she trust anyone else if she couldn’t trust God?

“Amen,” everyone murmured.

Leah glanced around the table and found them all looking at her. She rubbed her arms. “Goodness, but have you ever known a colder day?”

“Certainly,” Father said, opening his linen napkin. “One of the old-timers at the college said it hit minus sixty years ago. And in 1904 it was at least fifty below zero. Surely you remember that.”

“I was a child then and probably thought it was great fun.” Leah helped herself to some biscuits. “I do remember when you would take us on sleigh rides. That was my favorite. We’d bundle up with hot water bottles and wool blankets and away we’d go.”

“I remember that too,” Mother admitted. “We should go out to Jared’s and do it again. He has a couple of wonderful sleighs.”

Father settled the napkin on his lap. “I don’t know if giving up our horses was the best idea. It’s incredibly hard to get the cars through deep snow. Cars just aren’t meant for places where the snow accumulates. It will be interesting to see what kind of vehicles they come up with next.”

“Maybe we’ll all have aeroplanes,” Micah said, pouring gravy all over his biscuits. “I have a friend at college who is learning to fly. He says there’s nothing like it. I think I might like to learn.”

“I’d rather my boys keep their feet on the ground,” Mother replied.

“Hey, I was thinking it looked like fun too,” Father countered, handing her a platter of sausages. “I do intend to at least have an aeroplane ride one day.”

Mother glanced heavenward and sighed. “Looks like I need to do some praying.”

Father grinned at her, and it warmed Leah’s heart. They were so good together. It wasn’t that they never argued, because they did on occasion disagree. She’d seen her mother mad enough to stomp off while Father retreated to his office. But they always came back together. They always worked through their issues.

But Mother could trust Father to be a man of his word, and they both loved God. Their faith was what got them through bad times, Mother had told her on more than one occasion.

I really do want that kind of faith in God.

Clayton nudged her. “You want gravy?”

“Of course,” she said and smiled. “If you two left me any. You know there’s always a whole lot more food around here when you two are away at school.”

“There’s plenty of gravy and everything else,” Mother declared. “I told Cook to make a triple batch. I know how these boys of mine love their biscuits and gravy. On a day like today, we need food that will stick with us.”

Leah tried to focus on the conversation around the table, but her conscience sent her back to the issue at hand. She needed to make her heart right with God. This had been nagging at her increasingly as time went on. Maybe it was being on the threshold of starting a new project, one that she certainly wanted God to bless. Maybe it was the threat of war taking her brothers away. Maybe it was just the emptiness that haunted her day and night. Nothing had been right since she’d put up that barrier between herself and her Savior. Whatever it was, Leah had a feeling God was quickly bringing her to a point of decision. One that she couldn’t ignore.

Erik finished putting away the last of the medical supplies and straightened. Dr. Turner was moving full steam ahead to turn things over to him by the first of the year. It seemed the older man was convinced that everything should happen at once—his retirement, the opening of the new home for unwed mothers, and their move to Evan Turner’s estate. Although he explained that would probably start happening right after Christmas Day.

“Oh, I’m glad I caught you.”

Erik turned to find Dr. Turner in the doorway to the storage room. “Is there something you needed me to do?”

“Yes.” Dr. Turner smiled. “I would very much like for you and your father to join us for Christmas. You said you seldom did anything special for the holidays, and I think it would be wonderful to have you share ours. We go to church first, then home for an amazing breakfast feast and gifts. Well, the little ones are given gifts. We adults long ago agreed that any gift giving could be done on a private level at individual homes. Instead, we usually donate to various charities.”

“I don’t know if my father would be interested in that or not. He tends toward quiet reflection on the holidays, but I will ask him.”