Rendezvous

Cordia Pike had never even imagined doing anything like this before in her whole life. Except for her rash trip to Springfield, she had always been extremely honest with her parents—almost to a fault. Now, here she was, lacing up her boots at 1:45 in the morning to sneak out.
She had wondered, at first, about the possibility of going out her bedroom window. There was a tree branch that overhung the roof, and she had thought it might be possible to swing onto the top of a little shed from there and then jump down. Though Cordia usually found it hard to admit, she really was scared to commit such daring feats. So, she decided she would do the most obvious thing and take her chances sneaking out the back door. She was too frightened to bring a lantern with her. Instead, she used what little moonlight fell across the stairs to navigate her way down them and into the hallway. Her parents’ bedroom was upstairs, as was Frieda’s, and none of them seemed to be following her as she made her way out the back door. One slight creak of the screen door, and she was free. She took off running across the backyard, the sweet smell of freedom before her.
She ran all the way to the little bridge, dodging tree branches, tree roots, and mud holes as she went. When she finally reached the modest structure, she paused to catch her breath and waited for Will—half afraid that he was going to sneak up on her again.
He didn’t though. In a few minutes, she saw him appear out of the shadows of the trees. He was walking very slowly, cautiously, as if he was unsure that it was really Cordia waiting for him.
He stopped at the far end of the bridge. Though the moon was not full, they were certainly illuminated standing out in the open. Cordia decided maybe they would be better off beneath one of the stately pine trees, and she walked briskly over, grabbed his hand and led him away from the rickety old bridge.
“Hello,” she said when she could finally pause to look directly at him.
His deep brown eyes seemed to peer right through her, as if he was studying her very soul. He was holding both of her hands in his and the look of serenity on his face calmed her nerves and assured her that what she had done, even if there were consequences, was right.
She leaned back against the trunk of the tree. The lowest branches were still several feet above their heads, and for a moment, they could pretend that they were safe from the rest of the angry world. Finally, he spoke. “I wasn’t sure you would come,” he said, still studying her face. “Your parents… if they found out….”
Cordia shook her head. “I don’t care,” she explained. “I couldn’t let you go without….” She paused, trying to collect her thoughts, yet distracted by the closeness of his perfect lips. “Without seeing you in private.”
He nodded, his hands moving up her arms and then encircling her. Instinctively, her hands went to his chest, and for a moment they just stood there, looking longingly at each other. “Cordia, I am so sorry that it has to be this way. I’d give anything to stay.”
“I know,” she interrupted. “I know. You don’t have to explain. It’s just that, I will miss you so much. Every day that passes without being with you, my heart feels heavier and heavier, until it’s like a rock beating in my chest. And I don’t know when I will see you again. It might be….” She paused again, not wanting to say the word. She realized that tears were sliding down her cheeks. “It might be years.”
He pulled her to him now, holding her in his strong arms, one hand tangled in her hair. “I know.” He couldn’t help but agree with her, having no idea when he would be back. Not only was he leaving the state, but he had enlisted for two more years. “But Cordia,” he said, pushing her back enough to look into her face again, “I will return to you. You must know that. I will always return to you.”
Somehow, she believed him. She nodded. And then he began to kiss her. Each time his lips fell on hers, she locked that moment away in her mind, trying to remember each detail of how he felt, how he smelled, how he tasted. She knew she would need these memories to get her through the long journey ahead.
He kissed her ear and then her neck. They slid down the tree to the ground, still locked in an embrace, barely able to breathe as their love became a passion. Cordia had lost herself in this man that she loved. In this moment, she was ready to become his wife, preacher or no, regardless of what others might think. And just as she began to grow certain of Will’s intentions, he pulled away, as if suddenly waking from a dream.
“Will?” she asked, looking at the almost stunned expression on his face. “What’s wrong?”
He sat back on his heels, leaving a few feet between them. “I’m sorry Cordia. I almost got carried away,” he said. Though he wanted more than anything in the world to be with the woman that he loved before he left for battle, he knew he couldn’t do it. Not like this. She was the most angelic person he had ever met, and he could not disrespect her in such fashion. He smiled at her, “Well, now I will certainly have something to return for.”
She smiled at him, the distance clearing her own head. She knew that, if he had not stopped, she would not have either. Part of her was relieved, the other part knew that she would not have been as remorseful as one would have expected. She was beginning to see that, in times of war, even those virtues that people know to be their very core believes are sometimes questionable.
“Cordia,” he said, after what seemed like a very long period of silence. “I do have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a narrow gold band. “It’s nothing fancy. Doesn’t even have a diamond on it. But it was my ma’s, and I would like for you to have it.” He held it up for her to see, the moonlight glinting off of its shiny surface.
She gasped in surprise and held out her hand. “It’s beautiful, Will!” she exclaimed. Somehow, it didn’t matter what it looked like. It was from him. It was perfect.
“I know that you won’t be able to wear it publicly right away,” he said, as he slid it on her finger. “But, I thought, maybe, someday, when I come back, you would consent to wearing it—and being my wife?”
Cordia’s eyes darted from her hand to his face. She felt the tears streaming over once again. This time, she also knew she was beaming. “Yes,” she said, leaning over and hugging him. “Of course, I will be your wife.”
“I know it might be difficult to hide our relationship from everyone, but I think we should do so, until the war is over, and I am home for good. Otherwise, people might not understand.”
Cordia nodded her understanding. “I will wait for you,” she promised.
They held each other for several minutes then, melting into each other. Finally, Will began to stand up, pulling Cordia with him. “We should get back to where we are supposed to be before anyone notices we are gone.”
Cordia nodded, not wanting to let him go but also not wanting to prolong the inevitable. “I love you, Will,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck again.
“I love you, too,” he said. He kissed her lips one last time, and then pulled away, reluctant to release her hand until her outstretched arm could no longer reach. “I’ll see you at the train station in the morning.”
Cordia watched as he disappeared into the shadows. She heard a faint whinny and then hoof beats leading away. She stood for a moment beneath the branches of the pine tree to gather her thoughts and try to remember exactly what it had felt like to be kissing Will. Finally, she straightened her hair and began to pick her way back toward her house.
It was a little slower going this time. Not only was she walking up hill, but no longer was her heart light with the idea of meeting Will. Now, the trip back to the house seemed endless. She thought she had only been gone for about an hour or so, and she was hoping that everyone was still sound asleep. As she reached the back door, she pulled it open as quietly as possible. She peered inside and was relieved that no one was standing there waiting for her. She carefully made her way across the dining room and to the stairwell. She paused for a moment, listening. Not a sound. Cautiously, she began to climb the steps. With each new height, and no bedroom doors being flung open, she felt she could claim a small victory. Finally, she reached her bedroom door. She slowly drew it open, stepped inside, and closed it gingerly behind her. She released a deep sigh of relief and turned on her heels to make her way back to bed.
“Where have we been Miss Cordia?”
Cordia jumped. Someone was sitting in the shadows on her bed!