Barton Hollow

Emmalynn and Clare Barton frowned at each other as they passed each other on the stairway. Clare was headed to the kitchen to help the remaining servants make dinner for the Yankee officers who had invaded their home.

"Miss Clare!" An officer named Johnny said as he saw her passing. She looked at him cooly and raised an eyebrow. He took her hand and she nodded as she slipped a piece of paper in his hand. It wasnt a love note, as Johnny kept hoping, but a list of needed things for the house. The sisters, unhappily, took care of the officers so that they wouldn't harm their sickly father.

"Thank you." Johnny smiled kindly.

+++

Emmalyn walked into James' bedroom without knocking. He was just finishing buttoning his shirt.

"Don't you knock?" He asked.

"It's my house." Emmalyn said matterofactly.

"Knock dear." James said nicely but firmly.

"Your shirts are cleaned and mended." Emmalyn handed him the basket of folded shirts.

Clare sighed and leaned toward him, "I'll very much appreciate if you would take me with you. I need to get linens so I can make the servant children some clothing that'll suit the weather."

Johnny nodded, "we will make the trip tomorrow. Will your sister be accompanying us?"

Clare smiled slighty, "someone has to be here to run the house."

Johnny sighed deeply, "You and miss Emmalyn do so much for the people you hate so much. If it would please her to go, I'm sure your servants can handle everything."

:;:';'

James looked at her discreetly. He thought she was so beautiful.

"I will speak to her about it then." Clare smiled widely, even her eyes glowed.

*&*

"Do you need anything Miss Emmalyn, tomorrow from town?" James asked.

"My sister will give Johnny the list of what you need for the house." Emmalyn said dryly.

"I know that, but is there anything YOU need or would like?" He asked charmingly.

"No, thank you." Emmalyn said quietly, looking out the window slightly.

Johnny took her and kissed it softly, "thank you for everything."

;:;:;

James raised an eyebrow, "johnny and I were going to have you and your sister accompany us. If you'd like."

Clare looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

*&*

Emmalynn thought for a moment, "That'd be nice." Then she smiled fakely. It'd be nice to get off the estate, when she looked around seeing what has happened to all her father worked for, she felt sick.

Johnny stood up straight and walked off. Clare stared at him for a moment before she could recall what she had been going to do in the first place.

;:;

James nodded, "We will have everything ready to go before daybreak. Expect to spend most of the day there."

As she walked into the kitchen she still felt shocked by what just happened.

*&*

James was very handsome, Emmalynn hated him a little for it. She nodded, "What would you like for supper?"

James shrugged, "I'm not picky. I'll eat what you eat."

"Okay." Emmalyn said, then left to go help cook dinner with her sister.

(*(

"Hello Clare.." Emmalyn smiled at her sister as she walked into the kitchen.

Clare smiled as she cut up some vegetables, "johnny asked us to go into town. I agreed."

Emmalyn grinned, "james told me too! We will leave before daybreak and should expect to be gone all day."

"It'll be nice to get away from here a little bit." Clare said.

"I agree!" Emmalyn smiled, "Feels like they've been here forever."

Clare nodded, "at least father seems to be getting a bit better."

Emmalyn smiled and nodded. "They are at least holding up their end of the bargain."

The next morning, the girls were waiting on Johnny and James.

They men came down and smiled, surprised the girls were on time.

They failed to remember that the girls had been basically confined to the house since they'd taken command of the house.

"Ride with me?" James asked Emmalyn.

"Sure!" She smiled and he helped her on the horse.

Johnny did the same with Clare.

"Go that way." She told him when they came to a fork in the road. It was a longer route to the city and Clare wanted to talk to Johnny privately.

Johnny signaled to James that he was diverting and headed the way Clare asked.

***

"I hope we haven't caused you too much trouble." James said. Emmalyn merely rolled her eyes.

Clare rested her head agaist Johnny's shoulder, "when will you men leave?"

"When we win this war."

;:;

He tried again, "we just want what is best for everyone."

Clare sighed.

*&*

"That's a little hard to believe." Emmalyn mumbled.

"You have been here almost a year."

)_)_)

"You think it is right to force people to work for free and under fear of a whip because of their skin color?" James asked.

"I know." Johnny sighed.

*&*

"No I do not. But do you think ransacking towns, raping women and killing children, is the best way to prove your point?" Emmalyn snapped.

"Stop." Clara ordered.

"I wasnt-" johnny started.

"No. Stop. This is why I wanted to go this way." She got off the horse and lead it toward an entrance into the woods that he would never have noticed, "Em and I call this Barton Hollow. It is our spot. Now I'm sharing it with you."

.,.


"I haven't killed innocent women and children." James retorted.