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They could have been here today—here when she passed. They could have lived life with her—could have mourned her passing.”
    “Yes…they could have,” Rachel said and thought, God in Heaven, be praised. In all her thoughts of Emma, this was one she had never given time to. What would have happened if Emma had married, even later in life? The complications could have been immense.
    “I guess she was happy,” Esther said and got up. “She had children, in a way. Many of them. Maybe that’s why she taught school, poured her heart out the way she did, gave them her all. It would explain a lot. At least her life wasn’t lost—not with the blessing she was.”
    Rachel nodded and reached up to shake the hand of Sylvia Esh, who had just come out of the bedroom.
    “She was a good woman,” Sylva whispered. “Our children just loved her.” She then moved on.
    An hour slipped by as people came and went. Then Bishop Mose slowly got to his feet. Rachel glanced at the clock. It was nearly eight o’clock, time to wrap things up.
    Mose cleared his throat. “As the time is getting on, the family has requested that prayer be done now. Those who need to leave can leave afterward. Let us kneel before the face of God.”
    As the people knelt beside their benches, Bishop Mose led out in prayer. When he was done, Rachel got up and took her seat again. While some people stood here and there in the room, some started filing out. Luke left with some of the first ones. She saw Reuben get up a few minutes later, obviously with plans to leave. His goats on his mind, she figured.
    Bitter thoughts ran through her mind. Well, let the lousy, smelly things die, for all I care. When Reuben moved toward the bedroom instead of outdoors, she ignored him—even when he glanced in her direction. Let him pay his respects to Emma again. She had already paid hers. It was high time Emma paid hers likewise.
    With a bowed head, Reuben walked forward. Rachel saw her two brothers, Abe and Jonas, just arrived from Missouri, get up and follow. The three entered the bedroom and exited a few minutes later. Rachel was sure Reuben’s grim face was just a display of deacon piety—a display for others to see. What could Emma possibly have meant to him? He certainly didn’t care about Emma’s money.

     
    Reuben silently drove home and then unhitched the buggy while Rachel walked to the house. She thought to stay and help but decided the man needed all the useful work he could get. He would just go tend his goats anyway.
    With money on the way, she didn’t care that much about what Reuben did. Funny how Reuben’s effort to support his family, deacon that he was, would soon become his hobby, now that she had Emma’s money. His goats would become his entertainment, really quite fitting for a man who never could see where life’s real value lay.
    Luke was not around when she went in. Apparently he already had gone upstairs to bed. She dismissed him from her mind and went back to her plans for tomorrow.
    Suddenly she remembered her question about Abe and Jonas. How is this going to work? There are the three farms, the money in the bank, and four children. Did Emma leave detailed instructions in her will? Probably not. It would be more like Emma to have us all fight it out, she thought. They wouldn’t give Emma the pleasure, though—she would see to that. Abe and Jonas would be satisfied with the extra money and one farm between them. The money was still of an undetermined amount, but Rachel was sure it would be large. The sum had to be from all the years of farm income. Abe and Jonas would have more money than they ever saw before.
    She decided Ezra could have the third farm, she the home place, and if things really went well, there might even be a portion of money left from the bank account for her. Reuben and she would sell the place here, pay off the debt, and move. Reuben could bring his silly goats along with him, if he wanted to.
    It was an hour later,