The Amish Midwife - By Mindy Starns Clark Page 0,129

then why don’t we start with the most basic question? Who was Ada and Lexie’s biological mother?”

Mammi and Marta both whispered her name at the same moment: “Giselle.”

Ada gasped and gripped my hand more tightly, her head turning toward Klara, the woman she had always considered her only mamm.

Klara wouldn’t meet her daughter’s eyes, but she spoke in a near mumble.

“I couldn’t have any children of my own. When Giselle got pregnant the second time, I agreed to take the child, on one condition.”

“And what was that condition?” James asked gently, but Klara merely shook her head and would not answer. After a beat, he spoke again. “Okay, we’ll come back to that. At least we know that Giselle was the mother. So, moving along for now, who was Ada and Lexie’s biological father?”

Ada and I both looked at Alexander hopefully, but he looked back at Ada and shook his head, pausing to brush a tear from his cheek with thick, rough-skinned fingers.

“In my heart, I always was and always will be your father, Ada,” he said, the pain of this moment clearly written on his face.

“You’re exactly right,” James said, “but right now, we’re asking about the biological father,” James reminded him. “Are you their biological father?”

Sadly, Alexander shook his head no.

“Who, then?” I demanded, looking to James, wondering if we would have to do something more drastic to get to the truth.

“Burke Bauer,” Mammi said simply. “I already told you, Alexandra. Your father was Burke Bauer. What I didn’t say was that Burke was Ada’s father too.”

I let go of my sister’s hand so I could massage my temples. I had a terrible headache, but I needed to stay focused.

“Why don’t you give us some details?” James suggested, making eye contact with Mammi.

In response, my grandmother launched into the same story she had laid out for me before, explaining how the beautiful Giselle had obtained a job at the nursery and fallen into a very secret, very discreet affair with her wealthy, older, and married boss. When she got to the part about Bauer’s hold over Giselle, about how the girl couldn’t seem to stay away from him because “he was like a drug to her,” James interrupted, asking if Bauer had been a harsh person, if he’d had a cruel streak.

“Not that I know of,” Mammi replied.

“Quite the opposite,” Marta added. “For all his faults, Burke Bauer was a very gentle man. Almost to a fault, actually.”

I stared at Marta, wondering how she would know that. She had only been a young girl at the time, just eleven years old or so when Giselle and Burke and had first become involved. Why would Marta have had any sort of interaction with Bauer at all?

“I see,” James said, interrupting my thoughts. “Then their relationship is fairly understandable, though of course still inexcusable. We know that Giselle was terribly mistreated by her own father when she was young. It’s not much of a stretch to see why she would be drawn to an older man later in life, especially one who seemed kind and gentle. My guess is that Bauer’s love soothed the wounds inside of Giselle, wounds that had been inflicted years before by her own father.”

Mammi seemed to process that, as did we all. I knew there was never, ever an excuse for infidelity, but at least James’s logic helped us better understand what kept driving Giselle back to Burke Bauer’s arms—even though she knew it was wrong, even though he already had a wife and child.

“Please continue with what you were saying,” James prodded, and I recognized the reassuring half smile that he was giving to Mammi. “If Giselle and Burke were so discreet, how did you find out about their affair?”

Mammi’s eyes filled with tears.

“It was all my fault,” she said. “If I hadn’t sent Klara over to get her that night, if Alexander hadn’t gone with her and then gone inside…”

She began to sob quietly, and when it was clear she couldn’t continue, James tried another approach.

“Alexander? If you know what she’s talking about, why don’t you take it from there.”

Nodding, Alexander cleared his throat and then spoke.

“Klara and I were courting,” he said softly, “and I was over to see her one evening. Of course, Giselle and Marta were still living here as well.”

He glanced at Marta, who gave him an encouraging, sisterly nod. He continued.

“Mammi got word that Giselle would have to work late at the office but not to wait up,