Free Flowers of the Bayou by Arlene Lam Page B

felt about Jasper, and she swore her to the strictest of confidence. That was a secret nogirl wanted to get out.
    "It is so," Bernadette hurled back.
    "Oh leave her alone," Jasper said, speaking up for the girl who in recent weeks had become his shadow.
    “Come on, Margaret. I'll walk you back to the house."
    Taking his hand, Margaret began to walk down the hill to the big house, turning back to glare defiantly at her cousin and most of all to Bernadette.
    "You have to stop spying, Margaret." Jasper began.
    “I don’t spy,” She lied.
    “Then what do you call it?"
    "Why do you even like her?" Margaret had to know.
    “Why do you like Edward?”
    Margaret was shocked. She did not like Edward, Edward fancied her, and mother made her indulge him. “I do not like him.”
    “I can’t tell. You’re both always together. Edward is real nice, Margaret. He likes you and talks about you all the time. Why don’t you spend some time with him?” Jasper teased.
    “I don’t like Edward,” Margaret retorted. “He is awful nice and a real good friend but I have someone else in mind.”
    Jasper sighed; he knew just who else she had in mind. It wasn’t hard to figure out, even if you were daft. The girl sure was forward and perhaps if Margaret wasn’t Margaret, he’d allow himself to try and see more in the girl.
    She was pretty and sweet and he did care about her, but she was Margaret, Jordan’s irritating cousin! He couldn’t like her. “You might change your mind about Edward when you get a little older like me." Jasper informed her.
    "Older!” Now that was rich. “You are only three years older than me, Jasper.”
    “The difference in maturity is astounding, isn’t it?” He teased. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Sighing, Margaret stopped in her tracks and asked sincerely, "Why do you like her?"
    "What a silly question. Everyone likes Bernadette but you. Besides, she’s the prettiest girl I ever saw?" Jasper could have kicked himself for the last part, but the words just flew out. Bernadette was the prettiest girl he knew. Well, maybe one of the prettiest. “Why do you want to know anyway?”
    "I just do." Margaret pulled her hand from his to walk ahead of him. His last statement stung.
    "Why?" He knew why but was hoping to silence her.
    "You know why." Turning around she faced him dead on. “I may not be the prettiest girl, but I’m smart you know.”
    “Yes I know.” Jasper had been bested by her in numbers on more than one occasion. “And I did not say you weren’t pretty even with that face full of freckles.”
    Margaret thought about this and gave a giggle. “I swear, you and Jordan like all the wrong type of ladies. I’m going to remedy that, you know.”
    “Really, how do you plan to do this?” Jasper laughed nearly doubling over at her new-found confidence.
    Margaret stopped to peer up into glistening hazel eyes then. He'd have to find out sooner or later. “Because one day I'm going to marry you. As for Jordan, I guess we’ll have to protect him from the wrong sort together." She awaited his response on abated breath, and Jasper took a moment to let what she’d said sink in before he doubled over in laughter.
    After that day, Margaret had avoided Jasper for a month and would turn beet red if he ever glanced her way. It took another month for her to start talking to him again, after he pestered her about her silence a good week. Finally, he told her he missed her pestering and apologized.
    That day, as she walked back home from her lessons, he’d accompanied her. It was nice and they talked about any and everything. 
    They found that they had a lot in common and Jasper made it a habit to walk her home from then on, every day. She hoped it was not because he felt sorry for her. Deep within herself, she somehow felt that was not the case.
    When her mother found out about the walks, Jordan was forced to join them but Margaret didn’t care. She found that she could not wait to get to her lessons