Chapter 3: The Covenant

Emil asked Diana to fetch the jug of cider from the spring house. "We'll drink to our partnership," he suggested.

Diana was secretly flattered that he would suggest cider. She had never tasted alcohol, and the idea of sharing an adult pleasure with Emil excited her and made her feel grown up. She fluttered away to do as he had asked. When she returned, she found him with a well-used guitar. She wasn't surprised. In the time since electricity had disappeared, making music had once again become a popular form of evening entertainment.

"Would you like to sing with me?" he asked.

"You start, and if I know the song I'll join in," she answered shyly.

She saw the glasses he had placed on the table and she poured the cider as he began to gently strum the guitar. The song he chose was a simple ballad of Scottish origin that had been sung in America almost since the arrival of the first white settlers. Diana recognized it with the first chords.

Was in the merry month of May
When green buds all were swelling,
Sweet William on his death bed lay
For love of Barbara Allen.

At the sound of his soft baritone Diana felt a tiny thrill shoot through her body. It was a new feeling for her and she wondered what it could be. She was filled with a tender longing and on the second verse she joined in with a high harmony that was surprisingly sweet and strong.

Emil had been singing by himself for so long that the sound of Diana's voice, so feminine and clear almost brought tears to his eyes. He thought back with sadness to the time when his mother had taught him this song. But soon, as Diana's harmony joined even more closely with his, he smiled. This might not be such a bad partnership after all, he thought.

By the third verse, they had hit their stride, and they both grinned at the discovery that their voices meshed so well. As if by mutual agreement, they moved to sit more closely together on the rough wooden bench.

So slowly, slowly she got up
And slowly she drew nigh him,
And the only words to him did say
Young man I think you're dying.

At the last line in the verse Diana pointed to Emil, wagging her finger and laughing as she sang. They continued through the whole song, sometimes singing together in harmony, sometimes swapping verses, but always on the edge of laughter. For the last verse, they joined together in harmony.

They grew and grew in the old churchyard
Till they could grow no higher
At the end they formed, a true lover's knot
And the rose grew round the briar.

As the sounds of their singing echoed away through the night, Diana clapped her hands together excitedly.

"That was fun! I can't believe we both knew that whole song."

"Let's toast," suggested Emil. He handed a glass of cider to Diana and took one himself. "To us, and to Barbara Allen, whoever she may be."

They touched their glasses together and drank deeply. Then Diana proposed another toast. "To beautiful music. Let's make more together."

At that they both laughed, and then they both blushed, but then they touched glasses again and drank to the bottom.

"Where did you learn to sing so well?" Emil asked.

"My grandfather and I used to sing all the time. We used to sing or play cards at night, but when his eyes started to get bad and we began to use too many candles, we just sang. He taught me to play the fiddle some too."

"We have to get you a fiddle," said Emil seriously. With that he started to strum another song, this one faster and with a funny refrain. Diana didn't know the song, but she joined on the refrain the second time around. And so it went until it was late. They sang together, laughing, trading songs and drinking cider.