The girls tried to keep pace with the professor as she led them down the hall to the outside door. "My water!" Chelsea squeaked. She ran back to the room and reemerged carrying two full bottles.

"Chelsea, you're going to have to run off the stage in the middle of your aria to go to the bathroom," Shannon said.

"Do you think they'll be able to hear me sing from the stalls? I could open a window."

The concert consisted of several well-known numbers from popular operas. Spectators sat on lawn chairs or blankets, and Kate and her fellow students took turns performing while accompanied by a piano, two violins, and a cello.

The final number, "Un Bel Di" from Madame Butterfly, was Kate's. As she always did when she performed, she pictured herself as Cio-Cio San, the ill-fated woman in the opera. The lyrics were in Italian, but she understood the meaning of every word. She envisioned the pitiful woman waiting patiently for a lover to return from the sea-a lover who ultimately forsakes her.

"I stay upon the edge of the hill and wait for a long time, but I do not grow weary of the long wait."

Instead of a handsome naval officer, Kate saw Nathaniel's face in her mind's eye. She pictured him sitting in solitude, crafting his wood with those sinewy arms and gentle hands. He raised his head, and she imagined the look of longing she had seen so many times before.

"I promise you this. Hold back your fears-I will wait with unshakable faith. I will wait."

Wait for what?

For me to rip his heart to shreds.

As the last strains of the violin faded mournfully, she put her hand to her wet cheek. She felt a suffocating ache for her family and home, for Nathaniel's arms and his heart. I cannot bear to hurt you.

After one breathless pause, the crowd erupted into applause and cheering. Had she ever experienced the profound emotion of that song before? Perhaps for the first time she knew what it meant to love someone so deeply that she wept for the possibilities-the bittersweet choices and the yearning for God.

Kate took her bow then left the stage. Ryan and Shannon pushed her back up the narrow steps for a second call. She bowed again, overwhelmed at the audience response and again as her feelings for Nathaniel saturated her senses like a cool summer cloudburst.

After another modest curtsy, Kate jumped down the steps and pulled Ryan, Shannon, and the others on stage with her. The five held hands and bowed together, and then each bowed again separately. Before the applause finally subsided, Chelsea bolted off the stage and made a beeline for the bathroom. Shannon laughed and winked at Kate.

When they exited the stage, Dr. Sumsion grabbed Kate's arm and pulled her aside. "A triumph, an absolute triumph," she said, squeezing her hand. "You all did the academy proud." She leaned closer to Kate's ear. "There is someone here to see you." She pulled Kate away from the gathering crowd of admirers toward a woman in her late thirties and an older man who stood apart from the throng and studied Kate.

Without even knowing who they were, Kate felt intimidated. The man wore a flawless gray suit and green silk tie with a matching handkerchief in his lapel pocket. The woman, in a peach jacket with a pencil skirt, dripped with importance-diamonds, her comfortably worn accessories.

"Kate, this is Jim Talbot, chairman of the academy foundation," Dr. Sumsion said, pushing Kate forward to shake hands with the couple. "And this is Nannette Parrish. She's new to the board and will be overseeing the production of Romeo et Juliette this fall."

Jim Talbot flashed impeccably white teeth to go with his impeccably tailored suit. "We understand you auditioned for the opera before the end of spring term, Kate. Dr. Dibble is adamant that you are the only voice worthy of Juliette. We wanted to hear you sing before making any casting decisions." He turned and nodded at Miss Parrish. "And I must say, we are impressed. This is a talented bunch of students, Dr. Sumsion."

Miss Parrish turned up her nose ever so slightly and folded her arms. "You are quite young to have the biggest role in the student opera. Young singers are seldom ready for the demands of a full-scale production. But we have made our decision, and the role is yours."

A pile of rocks settled in the pit of Kate's stomach. "Oh, thank you," she said, adding a lilt to her voice with some effort. "I am thrilled you think I am worthy of the role. This is a-a dream come true."

Dr. Sumsion wrapped her arms around Kate. "Oh, my dear, this is wonderful. You will be fabulous. There could never be a more beautiful Juliette."

Ryan and Shannon came up behind Mr. Talbot. He turned and greeted Ryan with a slug to the arm.

Ryan employed his best English accent. "Did you bring your smoked eel and caviar for a little soiree on the grass this evening, Miss Parrish?"

Miss Parrish eyed Ryan with studied apathy. "Lose some weight and you'll be the perfect Romeo. Stay fat, and we'll demote you to Friar Lawrence."

Ryan laughed and took a step back. "Ouch, that hurts. I'm not even a bass."

Mr. Talbot turned to leave. "We'll see you all there in a few weeks for start of term. Miss Weaver, congratulations. Make the most of your summer. By the end of November you might wish you'd never heard of the Milwaukee Music Academy."

Mr. Talbot walked away, and Miss Parrish fixed her eye on Ryan. "I'm not kidding, Mr. French. Lay off the cheeseburgers, or Miss Weaver will be singing 'Ne Fuis Pas Encore' with someone else."

Dr. Sumsion ran after both of them for a parting word.

"Do you want me to drive the heel of my Jimmy Choo into her forehead?" Shannon said.

Ryan shrugged. "Nah, Nannette loves me. But Kate, did I hear right? Are they giving you Juliette?"

Kate managed a half smile and nodded. "I-I can't believe it. It is an amazing opportunity."

"That's fantastic! And I get to kiss you." Ryan pumped his fist in the air. "Provided I can lose enough weight to convince Nannette to cast me. Five pounds should do it."

Shannon silently searched Kate's face while the others gushed. Grabbing Kate's arm, she said, "Hey, guys, Kate and I are going to change."

She linked her arm with Kate's and led her up the hill. "Juliette. The role of your young lifetime." She stopped walking. "But you're not happy about it."

The rocks in Kate's stomach grew heavier, and her voice cracked. "I have been over this in my head too many times to count."

"I'm so sorry."

"Is God playing a game with me? Deliberately clouding the waters by enticing me with this role? I do not know what to think."

"I'd never second-guess God," Shannon said. "But maybe He is trying to help you by showing your choices so clearly. On one hand, your talent practically guarantees a fabulous singing career. On the other hand, you have your family, your faith, your way of life-"

"Nathaniel."

Shannon's jaw dropped. "Nathaniel? The plot thickens." She considered this new information. "A boyfriend?"

"Jah."

"He's who you were thinking about when you sang." She tightened her hold on Kate's arm. "No wonder that was the most moving performance of 'Un Bel Di' I've ever heard. Is he good-looking?"

Kate smiled in spite of herself. "Very good-looking. With a heart of gold."

"And you love him."

"Jah."

Shannon nodded. "So God is saying, 'Look, Kate. Here are your two clear, well-defined choices. Go for it.'"

Go for it.

"But what does God want me to do?"

"God wants you to be happy."

Kate thought about that for a minute. "Yes, He does."

Shannon grinned. "Not that I'd like to see Chelsea get Juliette. She's a prima donna, and Ryan can't stand her."

"Jah, they would be very happy to see each other die at the end."

Kate and Shannon walked up the hill arm in arm, Shannon chattering merrily about the latest opera website.

Kate nodded politely when necessary but didn't really pay attention. She sensed that she was enticingly close to an answer yet more confused than ever.

Chapter Twenty-One.

With trepidation, Kate stood on porch of the Kings' small farmhouse. She hadn't been inside Nathaniel's home since she had come here for Sunday services over two years ago. And she had never associated Nathaniel with this home in which he grew up. She ran her palm along the silky-smooth porch railing sanded by a skillful carpenter's hands and saw Nathaniel with new eyes. Though small, everything about the front yard testified to the diligence of those who lived there. The short picket fence surrounding the perimeter was painted bright white, with no flaking paint to be seen. The meticulously trimmed bushes huddled close to the petunias, thick and vibrant against the ground. How did Nathaniel and his mamm manage it all by themselves?

Kate and her sister Mary were the last of the quilters to arrive. Before they had set foot from Mary's house, the baby had spit up all over his clean clothes and had to be stripped from head to toe and redressed before the sisters could harness the horse to the buggy and make their way to the quilting circle. Bouncing the baby on her hip, Mary opened the door for Kate, who held a basket of fabric in one arm and Sadie in the other.

Kate's heart sank as she scanned the group. Ada sat on the far side of the quilt with Sarah Schwartz, quilting feverishly and ignoring Kate's arrival. But they both pursed their lips and exchanged knowing glances when she entered the room.

"Kate and Mary. So good to see you," Edna Miller said, bobbing her needle over and under the fabric stretched onto frames. Dear Edna was a welcome sight. She always took people at face value and never gossiped. "Will we see you at the rehabilitation center tomorrow, Kate?"

"Nae. We are canning tomatoes starting early. But the week after for certain."

Several women already busily added the small, delicate stitches that Amish quilts were famous for. The quilt, a relatively simple Wild Goose Chase design, took up most of the space in the front room and dazzled Kate's eyes with its vibrant contrasts and moving patterns.

"Cum, cum, sit down," said Esther Yoder, scooting to make room on the bench on her side of the quilt. "As soon as this one's done, we've got to finish another for the Haiti auction. And even though Ada keeps telling us how fast Sarah is, we need many hands to get done."

"It is beautiful," Kate said. "Who put it together?"

"Miriam, of course," Edna said. "She's got an eye for the colors."

Macie Herschberger held out her arms. "Let me see the buplie, Mary. He is so chubby. Are you feeding him buttermilk?" The room tinkled with the laughter of busy women as Mary handed the baby to Macie.

In consternation, Kate noticed her heart racing unnecessarily fast. Ach, she knew why her throat dried up and her breathing got faster as she crossed the threshold of the Kings' house, and it wasn't because Ada seemed to take pleasure in badgering her. The powerful need to impress Nathaniel's mother would surely render Kate incapable of doing so.

Placing the basket of fabric on the sofa, Kate clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. It was no secret that her son's attentions to Kate displeased Miriam. If Lisa Fisher's overheard conversation and Kate's trip into La Crosse hadn't been proof enough, Ada was always ready to supply Kate with the latest gossip.

According to Ada, Miriam considered Kate an outsider, a proud and worldly girl whom Miriam's son followed around like a puppy. Kate had heard it all, some of the rumors from Ada, some from cousin Rebecca, and the worst from Aaron, who didn't seem to consider listening to tittle-tattle about his own sister sinful. Nathaniel would be mortified if he knew that Kate had heard the gossip, which chiefly originated from his own mamm.

Nathaniel's mamm poked her head in from the kitchen. "Aw, Mary and her sister," she said, without making eye contact. "Some of the children are out back if you'd like to send your little one to play, Mary. I'll be right in. I'm just getting Hezekiah settled for a nap."

Miriam's scant acknowledgment of Kate confirmed Kate's suspicions. Why had she come?

To make Nathaniel happy, that was why. But either Nathaniel was completely blind to Miriam's dislike, or he suffered from an acute case of wishful thinking. Resisting the urge to leave the house and run clear to Milwaukee, Kate sat on the bench next to Esther and began studiously threading a needle.

Esther's small daughter, Susie, sat under the quilt and ran her fingers along the deep blue fabric on the underside.

"Susie Lynn, you're underfoot," said her mother. "Go outside with Sadie and run around."

Susie did as she was told and took Sadie by the hand, and soon Mary and Kate were free to sew without interruption.

The ladies took turns passing the baby. Eventually he landed on Beth Yoder's lap. "I'm eighty-four years old," she said. "The eyes are pretty near useless. Can't see well enough to thread a needle to save my life. I come to the quilting bees to visit and hold babies."

Kate smiled in her direction. Beth did both of her jobs well.

Soon Miriam joined the circle, and the girls and women stitched with a rapidity that would have put any sewing circle in the world to shame. And they talked at a pace that would have set any Amish husband's head to spinning. Despite her discomfort, Kate laughed out loud several times, completely entertained by the chatter of the goodhearted women surrounding her.

"Edna," Beth said, "Albert wasn't at gmay last Sunday. Have you got the flu at your house?"

Edna let out a loud guffaw. "That boy! He gets himself into more scrapes."

"I know exactly how you feel. My boys are nothing but trouble," Ada said, sighing loudly.

"What happened to Albert?" Mary said.

Edna pulled her needle through the top of the quilt. "Disobeyed his dat by coming home late one night and walked right into a skunk in Masts' pasture. Poor boy could hardly breathe from the stink."

"Oh no!"

"You can be sure I did not let him set one foot in my house. I burned his clothes and made him eat and sleep outside for a week."

Everyone laughed.

"I suppose he'll come home when he's told next time," Edna said with a wink.

"My boys won't do anything they're told," Ada said. "They will be the death of me." She looked around the room for sympathy. "But then, nobody knows how I suffer."

"Kate," Esther said, "tell us about your school. It has been too long since we have seen you."

"Some of us have been pining terribly for your return," Edna teased, obviously unaware that, to at least one woman in the room, it was no joke.

"Jah, our family is grateful to have her home," Mary said.

"Of course," Edna said. "But I am talking about a particularly handsome boy who has never taken an interest in any other girl in the whole community. He seems to be very glad you are back. Isn't that right, Miriam?" Some of the women giggled. Not everyone had heard the gossip. Others bent their heads more diligently over their needlework. Ada's frown could have sent the livestock running for cover.

Miriam did not reply. She seemed to be concentrating very hard on untangling a knot in her thread.

Kate squirmed. Edna, without guile or pretense, thought she was bringing up a subject that would give pleasure to both Kate and Miriam. But Kate would just as soon not discuss her relationship with Nathaniel in front of these women, especially his mother. From the cast of Miriam's complexion, she felt the same way.

Edna persisted. "My husband says that since you've come home, the boy hasn't stopped whistling. And my dear Luke has no patience for whistlers."

"I don't know what whistling has to do with anything," Ada said, trying to pick a fight where there wasn't one.

"I am simply pointing out that Kate comes back and my husband cannot get a thing done at Nathaniel's workshop because the boss is whistling all the time. I think Kate has made the boy very happy."