The Shabbos Suitors

By Betty Jeane Korson

Amanda Cornfeld's journey to find true love is a suspenseful, thrilling, and romantic ride. Desperate to not let her mother determine her fate, Amanda embarks on an epic quest to fin

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Leaf Media, LLC
• Release date: Oct 31, 2023
• ISBN: 9781955136877

Book preview

Chapter One

AMANDA didn’t know Yiddish, but she loved reading the English translations of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s stories. She imagined him writing about three suitors her mother had invited on successive Friday nights during her annual visit to the island off Nova Scotia. She didn’t mind her mother trying to alter her single status. At forty years of age, Amanda knew her marriage prospects were dim.

Jacobson, the first candidate, was a successful lawyer in the city ninety miles away. She had heard stories about his massive, all-wheel drive, shiny, black truck; it had big bulldogs painted on the sides, with the motto I WILL BE A BULLDOG FOR YOU emblazoned across the top. She knew his ambulance-chasing would be illegal in the United States, but up here, she thought, anything goes, though his partner had been disbarred. How long would it be before Jacobson faced the same fate?

Amanda dawdled as her mother cooked a traditional Shabbos dinner: roast chicken, braised potatoes, and apple cake. She had even baked a challoh for the occasion. Everything augured favorably for the evening. Amanda found time to take her Rottweiler, Rudy, to the beach for his favorite walk.

What will Jacobson and I talk about? she wondered as she threw sticks into the water for the dog. Suppose he has other girls on the string? Why would he travel all this way just to meet me? She shrugged off her doubts and searched the beach for starfi sh and shells. She knew her father would be able to regale Jacobson with stories. He talked more than enough for all of them.

Her family had summered on this remote island for fi ve years. No one from the States could understand why her parents had chosen this rural countryside for their vacation home, but she loved it the same way they did. Deserted beaches to walk on, trails to hike, and quiet roads for bicycle rides more than made up for the lack of city life.

Why would she give up her autonomy to live with an unscrupulous attorney like Jacobson? It might be fun to be married and not have to worry about income. Amanda mused over the consequences of giving up her single woman status as she strolled along the beach. She considered the second suitor, Neil Belinsky. He had been a publicist for a leading singing group on the island. Now he was head of a new convention center, bringing leading corporations to the city. But he was slight and short. Amanda only liked hunks. Still, she consented to meet him because her mother insisted that he was a viable alternative if Jacobson didn’t work out. She knew her mother’s friends were against Jacobson from the start because of his reputation.

The third man was almost too ethereal to consider. A friend of one of the neighbors here, he would make his annual visit later in the summer. He lived near her in the States and held a responsible job. That he wasn’t Jewish didn’t bother her mother, who dreamed of a conversion ceremony long before a big wedding. But Amanda didn’t even consider him a candidate.

Her parents’ friends, Dean and George, wanted her to meet Neil. They didn’t think much of Jacobson. He had a bad reputation in town; he’d probably gone out with a lot of women and left them dangling. Neil was honorable and came from one of the fi rst families of the island. She would have standing in the community if she married him.

Dean had suggested three trials for the suitors. The first, and most obvious, was to get past her Rottweiler, Rudy. He growled at all malescand wouldn’t let any approach Amanda.

The second trial was more subtle. The suitor would have to present Amanda with a gift. It could not be jewelry or an article of clothing. It

would have to be something that, once she saw it, she could not live without. Yet she would not realize that she had always wanted it.

The third trial was the most difficult. She and the suitor would have to spend hours together and not notice the passage of time. They would be fascinated with one another. I doubt any relationship will reach that stage, she thought as she tossed the stick yet again for Rudy. Will a suitor even come back for a second meeting?

The day was warm and sunny. A slight wind ruffl ed the blue sea. After retrieving the stick from the water many times, the dog threw himself down on the beach.

Had enough, Rudy? Amanda asked as she massaged his tummy. He closed his eyes in ecstasy. She thought how easy it was to please the animal. Too bad men were not so easy to satisfy.

She sat for a while on the rocks to watch the gulls. Th ey never tired of swooping over the sea, diving down now and then for their prey. She thought of her past loves. Were they as prized as the catch the birds seized?

Keith was the most recent. He had helped her with her studies at law school and listened to her travails when she worked for a law firm in Portsmouth. He advised her not to take any abuse from her boss.

Just stand up and leave, Mandy, he told her. It’s not worth it. You can always get another job.

She had tried it once. The boss had gotten nervous. His wife, the office manager, called her at home and told her to come back.

Jules didn’t mean it, love, she said. He’s like that to everyone. You mustn’t mind him. Amanda had returned to the job and received a raise the next week.

Amanda missed Keith. She wondered what would have happened if he had lived.

I’m not someone you can bring home to Mother, he always told her. Still, she had enjoyed his company and followed his advice not to get bothered about her job. It was a great shock to her when he developed cancer of the mouth. He turned down recommendations for chemotherapy and radiation.

Not for me living my last months connected to tubes, he said.

His death left a void in her life. She missed the Friday evenings in the tavern where she would meet him after a long work week. He would joke and make her laugh and entertain her with stories of the many types he met while preparing for trial. She, in turn, would relate the many gaffs Jules committed during the week—mistakes that ==she had caught and rectifi ed in time. But the anxiety of these lapses remained with her after work. Meeting Keith and talking it over helped dispel the bad feelings she took away with her.

All that was in the past. Keith had died, and Amanda left the firm finally. For a while, she cast about, doing patent law for private clients. Then, an opportunity to work for the state full-time presented itself, and she took it. Now, although her pay was small, she enjoyed security and benefi ts and was free to devote her extra time to her beloved pursuits of music and horseback riding.

Amanda left the beach and returned to her parents’ home. Preparations for the meal were almost complete. Amanda noticed that her mother had laid a white cloth on the table and that her father had brought down extra chairs from the loft for the feast. Amanda arranged the fl owers that her mother had picked from the garden.

You can set the table too, her mother said. Amanda selected blue-flowered plates and gold goblets for the table. She put out silverware and special forks for dessert. Then she went to her room to dress for dinner. She chose a deep blue blouse to match her eyes and a lapis necklace and earrings to wear with it. She put on a pair of black pants she had just bought, and she thrust her feet into a pair of sandals. She put on makeup to accentuate her large blue eyes and white skin. With her clear complexion and long blond hair, she made an attractive picture in the mirror. There was only one drawback. Since early adulthood, she had been overweight, and now she was heavier than she had ever been in her life. How would she attract a suitor? When she dated Keith, she had reduced down in order to appear attractive to him. But after he died, she had put it all back on and a little more. Earlier attempts at weight loss had met a similar fate. After graduating from college, she went on a liquid diet and lost over a hundred pounds. But once she returned to solid food, she gained everything back.

Since Keith’s death, she had not tried to lose weight again, convinced that any attempt would fail. She made do with exercise and walked Rudy whenever she could. Although she could still wear designer clothes, she feared she would repel most men including Jacobson.

The time for the evening meal drew near. Her mother placed candles on the table. Her father opened a bottle of red wine and fi lled four goblets. He selected a classical CD to play on the stereo. Th en he carried his wine out onto the deck and sat on a chair and watched the sunset. Amanda wished the evening could remain as peaceful as this moment. Th eir quiet was interrupted by the sound of a motor. Jacobson was ascending their long drive in his all-wheel drive , black truck. Rudy began barking wildly.

Amanda grabbed his collar and sent him down to the basement and closed the door. They heard the car stop and the door open. Then the doorbell rang.

Chapter Two

AMANDA heard Jacobson enter the house. He and her father were standing in the hall. Amanda quickly went out to the deck, out of sight. She heard her father usher him into the great room.

Welcome, she heard her mother say.

Come on out to the deck, her father said. Then you can see the view. Amanda heard them approach. She stood up as Jacobson appeared. She waited for his double-take. Either he was schooled in courtroom discipline, or he had heard about her weight. He didn’t blink.

I’m Jacobson, he said as he held out his hand to her. Leon Jacobson. The man standing before her was tall, with broad shoulders. His black eyes, framed by dark hair, pierced her body like a laser. She turned away, hoping to defl ect the sharpness of his gaze.

How about a glass of wine? her father asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere, or would you like something stronger?

I’ll have a scotch straight up, if you have it. What a place you have here, he marveled, looking at the river from the deck.

I’ll give you a tour of the grounds, her father said. He was proud of his lawn and garden. He led Jacobson under a trellis near the house where roses climbed headlong. Th ey followed stepping stones out to the garden. Hostas sporting purple flowers bloomed along the walk. Her father pointed out the raised octagonal beds. One featured an old-fashioned hydrangea bush bursting with large white flowers. Another contained mixed foliage, and a newly planted garden was on fire with red and yellow gladioli. The two men engaged in earnest conversation.

He seems like a pleasant sort, her mother said.

Well, how else can he behave? Amanda asked. He’s trapped here.

Why do you say that? her mother asked. He’s lucky to have a good meal, not to mention your company.

Oh, Mother Amanda replied. You can’t be serious. He must have a million places he could be tonight.

But he chose to come here. He must not be as busy as you make out.

We’ll see.

Her father and Jacobson drew near the house.

Dinner is almost ready, Amanda said as they approached.

How about another drink? her father asked.

No, I’m fine, Jacobson said. He seated himself next to Amanda. She sipped her wine nervously.

Is this your first trip to the island? she asked, hoping to deflect his unwavering gaze.

No, I’ve been here many times. He continued to study her relentlessly.

Oh, where? her father asked.

Somewhere south of here, Jacobson answered in a monotone. I don’t remember the name of the village.

Was it the salmon fishing that brought you here? her father asked. Amanda wondered if he noticed Jacobson’s attention to her.

No, I’m not one of those obsessed sportsmen. How about you? Is that how you ended up here? Jacobson asked her father, finally dropping his eyes.

Oh, it’s a long story, her father answered. Amanda shuddered. She had heard him tell it so many times. She got up to see if she could help her mother.

We were bike riders.

Do you ride too? Jacobson asked her as she retreated into the kitchen.

No, I horseback ride, myself, she said, standing with a drink in her hand.

I ride sometimes, he answered. I rode on a dude ranch once in Alberta.

That must have been very picturesque, her father said.

It was spectacular, Jacobson kept his eyes on Amanda.

I would like to go to the west myself, said Amanda, trying to deflect his gaze. She felt claustrophobic. How would she endure this evening?

She looked out at the view. Clouds took on a pinkish hue as the sky darkened. The river refl ected shades of violet and orange, intensifying the colors.

You don’t get that in the west, her father remarked, gazing at the sunset. The colors disappear all at once there.

How long have you lived here? Jacobson asked her father.

How long has it been? her father called to her mother.

About five years, her mother answered. But we came here long before that.

At last, her mother announced dinner was ready.

At the table, her father lifted his wineglass and made a toast. L’chaim, he said.

Amanda offered up a silent prayer. Let this evening go well, or if not well, then quickly.

Her father broke off a piece of the home-made and recited the blessing for bread. He filled everyone’s glass with wine and said the traditional prayer. Jacobson served himself chicken