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Maybe some wind in her face would help her think more clearly.
    What I should do is drive over to Eli’s place and see if his folks know where he is right now. I’ll bet they have no idea he’s having a picnic with a fancy English woman who wears sweet perfume and way too much makeup.
    Pauline continued to fume as she drove down the road, but by the time she neared the cross street that would take her to Eli’s place, she had calmed down enough to think things through a bit more. If I run tattling to Eli’s folks, Mary Ellen will probably say something to Eli about it, and then he’ll be angry with me. If that happens, I might never have a chance at winning his heart.
    She shook her head and directed the horse to keep going past the road to Eli’s house. If she was ever to win Eli over, she would have to find some other way to do it.
    ***
    As Eli dropped to the quilt, Laura offered him a tentative smile. “Guess I owe you an apology.”
    “For what? You did nothing wrong.”
    “I caused a bit of a rift between you and your girlfriend.” Eli shifted on the blanket. “Pauline’s not my girlfriend, although I think she’d like to be. We’ve been friends since we were kinner.”
    Laura tipped her head. “Kinner?”
    “Children.”
    “If you’ve been friends that long, then it’s obvious to me she was jealous.”
    “How do you know that?”
    “You saw how upset she got. Only a woman in love shoots sparks the way she did.”
    Eli shrugged. “I’m sorry if she’s jealous, but I’ve done nothing wrong, and neither have you.”
    “Nothing but have a picnic with an Englisher. I couldn’t understand the Pennsylvania Dutch words you two were speaking. What were you saying?”
    Eli fiddled with the end of the tablecloth. “Let’s see.... She said, ‘Wann der gaul dod is, drauere batt nix.’ That means, ‘After the horse is dead, grieving does no good.’”
    “I don’t get it.”
    “I think she meant that I made a mistake in asking you to have a picnic with me and that it will do no good to grieve once I find out how wrong it was.”
    Laura wrinkled her nose. “Is having a picnic with me really so wrong?”
    “In Pauline’s eyes it is.” Eli grunted. “My folks would probably think so, too.”
    “She said something else I didn’t understand. I think it was ‘wonderbar’ something or other.”
    He nodded. “Wunderbaar schee. It means ‘wonderful nice.’”
    “It’s obvious that Pauline doesn’t like me.”
    He frowned. “How can you say that? She doesn’t even know you.”
    “That’s true, but she knows you, and she’s clearly in love with you. I think she’s afraid I might be interested, too.”
    The rhythm of Eli’s heartbeat picked up speed. “Are you?”
    “Yes, I am interested. You’re different from any other man I’ve ever met.” Laura scooted across the quilt and stood.
    “I don’t want to make trouble for you, so maybe it would be better if we say good-bye and go our separate ways.” She took a step back and tripped on a rock. The next thing Eli knew, Laura had a face full of water.
    As Laura sputtered and attempted to sit up, Eli rushed forward, reaching for her hand and helping her stand.
    “I—I can’t believe I did that.” She stared down at her soggy, wet clothes and grimaced. “Look at me. I’m a mess!”
    Eli’s lips twitched as he struggled not to laugh. “You are pretty wet, and you might get sick if you don’t get your clothes dried soon.” He nodded toward his buggy. “How about I take you to my place so you can get dried off?”
    “Are ... are your folks at home?” Laura’s teeth had begun to chatter, and goose bumps erupted on her arms.
    “Probably so—at least Mom.”
    “How do you know your family won’t disapprove of you bringing me there?”
    Eli shrugged. “Guess there’s only one way to find out.” Laura held her stomach and took a deep breath, as though she were having trouble getting enough air.
    “Are you okay? Did you