Twin Willows: A Novel by Kay Cornelius Page B

had made her become.
    Does he think of me as often as I think of him
? Anna wondered. With the slowness of the post, it would probably be at least another week before her letter would reach him, and an equal or longer amount of time before she could expect a reply. At any rate, letters were a poor substitute for the manner in which she wanted to express her feelings to Stuart. She would much rather feel his arms around her and hear again his whispered pledge of love, which she would answer. Then, without interruptions or postponements, their love could truly be consummated.
    Anna stroked the cover of Stuart’s book and remembered when he gave it to her on Christmas Day, the same day he kissed her for the first time. She pressed her fingertips to her lips and sighed.
    “Oh, Stuart, how I wish you were here,” she murmured.
    “I thought I might find you over here.”
    Anna looked up, startled to see James standing only a few feet away. She didn’t like to think that he had been watching her; perhaps he had even heard her speak Stuart’s name. Hastily she pulled at her skirts and stood. “Am I wanted in the house?”
    “No, no—sit down. Do you mind if I stay here awhile?”
    Anna shrugged. “If you like.”
    In response to Anna’s somewhat grudging tone, James opened his arms wide, as if to show that he had no hidden weapons. “See? I’m not carryin’ any pine cones”
    “Ah, yes, I recall that you and Henry often pelted me with them when I came to the cabin, knowing Aunt Agnes couldn’t see what you were up to.”
    James sat down beside Anna. “I reckon we weren’t very nice to you in those days,” he said.
    What do you mean, ‘in those days’? Since when have the Barfields ever gone out of their way to be nice to me
? Anna forced herself not to voice the words.
    “You weren’t,” she agreed.
    “We might’ve acted pretty bad sometimes, all right, but a lot of it was due to bein’ jealous.”
    Anna stared at James in surprise. “You and Henry jealous of me! You must be joking.”
    “No, I’m not. Look at it this way—bein’ as you’re younger and a girl, we both thought that Momma favored you over us. I guess it sort of stuck in our craws.”
    “At least you admit it,” Anna said. “I don’t think Henry would.”
    James idly picked at splinters in the doorframe. “I know you’ve not been happy since you got back, Anna. What would it please you to do?”
    Marry Stuart Martin
, she thought immediately, but James had no power to grant that wish, in any case.
    Anna thought for a moment. “If I had the money for passage, I’d go to Kentucky and ask Father to take me to the place where my mother lived. He promised to, but then the war came along, and now he can’t leave his claim.”
    James looked oddly at Anna and took one of her hands in both of his. “If that’s what you really want, I’ll take you there.”
    Once more, James had surprised Anna, and she said the first thing that came into her head. “I didn’t know you had any money.”
    “Momma left me a stake—not much, but enough to get us to Kentucky.”
    Anna’s mind whirled. Going to Kentucky appealed to her, but doing so with James did not. “’Tis a long, hard trip, I’m told. If you’d just give me loan of the passage money—”
    “No!” he exclaimed, then his face reddened. “You don’t understand, Anna. I’m thinkin’ you an’ me—we’d—we could get married first.”
    Anna’s mouth fell open in amazement, and it took a moment for her to recover enough to speak.
    “Married? You and me?”
    James released Anna’s hand and leaned back against the doorframe. “Is the thought so bad as all of that? You’d think I’d said I intended to burn you at the stake.”
    “I’m sorry, James—I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, but you must know that I never thought of you in that way. We’re too close kin.”
    “’Tis not against the law,” James said. “I know a dozen families where first cousins have