When Stars Intertwine

Chapter 20

Harry rubbed his face, his heart was racing so hard. He looked at his hands and noticed that they were shaking a little.

"I don't know how to put this in the right words....I've been thinking about a moment, but I can't seem to find one."  He paused.

"This has nothing to do with me being kind," he continued, "it has nothing to do with the difference between us, or whatever is happening in the world around us. It's about me and how I feel about..."

"Sir!" James interrupted banging on the door.

Goddammit James! He couldn't pick the worst time to come back.

"Sir are you in there?!"

Harry got up and opened the door.

"The bridge is flooded I couldn't get the carriage across," James said apologetically as he walked in.

"I left Carl with the carriage, I was worried because it started getting very cold and he said he hides his tinderbox because his afraid the wondering Indians can burn down his cabin."

"Wouldn't they just start their own fire if they wanted to?" Harry said irritably, but it wasn't the hidden tinderbox that made him irritable.

"My sentiments exactly," James said looking around the room. 

Anna was standing next to the fire place facing him with her hands crossed. James looked at the blanket, the wine, the fire and realized that he may have just interrupted something important.

"I see you found the tinderbox,"  he said awkwardly and continued, "I can come back later."

"No, no we were just.... talking," Harry said and cleared his throat awkwardly, "the place you crossed, can we cross too?"

"Yes but we have to hurry before it floods too."

                                          ****

It had been two days since the lake cabin. Nick had gone to visit Harry. They had been talking about general things for an hour.

"I should head back soon," Nick said.

"I forgot to ask....how did it go with your love?" Harry asked.

"She doesn't like me."

"I've never heard that one before."

"Well she doesn't want to commit, she just wants.... Pleasure she says....but just from me."

"I thought you'd like that."

"I've never felt so used in my life," Nick said pensively. "I'm In love with her Harry and all she wants is to sleep with me like I'm some cheap male prostitute."

Harry muffled a laugh. "I don't know how serious you are with this Nick."

"I'm very serious."

"No woman wants to just sleep with a man in this town without any attachments, unless that's her profession," Harry said lazily stretching in his seat.

"This one does, and trust me she's not a whore....she's a decent woman."

"From my experience, widows like such arrangements....I'm afraid Rose is turning into one too, I received a message that she snuck a man in her room," Harry said with concerned in his voice.

Nick choked on his drink.

"That's...." He trailed off. "Did they see the man?" He asked, his heart pounding hoping Harry was not luring him in.

"No," Harry said placidly, "but I'm sure it's Adam."
Nick felt relief surge through his body.

"I mean what kind of married man sneaks into...."  Harry trailed off as if calming himself down. "He's taking advantage of her, he needs to be stopped. Apparently they didn't even have the courtesy to keep their affair down. Everyone in the house could hear them....in broad daylight. He stayed there all day and snuck out at night."