Read Online Twin Passions by Miriam Minger - Free Book Online Page A

the luxurious cloak shortly after their
first meeting. She remembered how he had wrapped it about her shoulders,
gently, yet possessively. She had felt too shy to look up at him, so he had
lifted her chin to meet his gaze. She would never forget the searing intensity
of his blue eyes, and her whispered name upon his lips . . .
    She leaned against a tree for a moment and closed her
eyes. The memory was alive and vibrant, as if it had been only yesterday.
Suddenly she heard her name shouted aloud, breaking rudely into her thoughts.
Her eyes flew open to find Gwendolyn looking at her quizzically.
    "I said, we are almost to the stream bed,"
Gwendolyn repeated impatiently, shaking her head. Not hearing Anora's footsteps
behind her, she had turned around to find her sister resting against a tree, her eyes closed dreamily, a secretive smile upon her
lips. God's blood! She thinks of him all
the time! Men!

    Giggling sheepishly, Anora ran toward Gwendolyn and
took her hand. "Come on!" She laughed, a
flash of apology in her eyes. They dashed together down a steep hill, their gay
laughter echoing in the narrow ravine.
    At the foot of the hill, a clear stream surged through
the ravine on its way to the river. Gwendolyn once again took the lead as they
walked along the stream's grassy banks. The grotto lay just ahead, hidden
beneath a large outcropping of rock.
    Gwendolyn finally spied their secret hideaway from the
bend in the stream. She whooped with delight and stepped eagerly across a
natural bridge of jagged rocks that stretched across the stream bed.
    "Gwendolyn, please wait!" Anora had tried to
follow her, only to find herself balanced precariously on a large rock in the
middle of the stream. She looked dubiously at her sister. This was the only
part of their adventure she disliked. The rushing waters of the stream never
failed to make her feel nervous and unsure of herself. She did not move until
Gwendolyn stepped back out onto the rocks and grabbed her outstretched hand, guiding
her safely to the far bank.
    Hollowed out years ago by an ancient river, the grotto
was set into the side of the ravine a short distance from the stream. A pool of
tranquil water, glistening with the first early rays of sunlight, rested at the
mouth of the grotto. A soft haze hung over the pool, lending an almost ethereal
air to the quiet scene.
    Gwendolyn stretched out on one of the flat rocks that
surrounded the pool, breathing a sigh of contentment. Anora unfastened her
cloak and spread it across her favorite rock, then knelt down along the edge.
Flushed and warm from the exertion of their walk, she cupped her hand and took
a drink of icy-cold water, then delicately splashed some on her face.
Refreshed, she settled comfortably onto the rock and gazed about her.
    "I will miss this place," she murmured
softly, a hint of sadness in her voice.
    "Aye, it will not be the same without you,"
Gwendolyn agreed, sighing. Turning over onto her side, she propped her head on
her hand. The early morning sun felt warm upon her face, and she squinted
against its brightness. The sky was gradually lightening to a vivid blue as the
sun inched higher above the horizon.
    Trailing her hand in the water, Anora watched the
gentle ripples float on the surface of the pool in ever-widening circles. The
stillness of the grotto was like a calming herb, lulling her into a strange
sense of detachment. Childhood memories came flooding back to her, and she
recalled the many happy hours spent with Gwendolyn in this mystical place.
Suddenly she laughed.
    "Do you remember the time you tried to spear that
huge fish with your hunting knife, and you fell headlong into the pool?"
Anora asked, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she recalled the image of a very
wet and bedraggled Gwendolyn sputtering indignantly in water up to her waist.
    "Not without a helpful shove from you!"
Gwendolyn countered, laughing. Stretching languidly on the rock, she leaned
over the edge and gazed at her reflection in