Her long black hair hung in loosely waving locks about her heart shaped face. Large brown eyes framed by heavy curly lashes below black winged eyebrows arched in query. A straight nose with a slight tilt at the end, a rosy bow of a mouth currently shaped in an “O” and creamy off-white skin with its usual blush of health seemed suddenly to glow bright pink as she continued to look into his eyes. Small high arched feet usually dancing on tip toe to be tall enough to be noticed and expressive birdlike hands were suddenly stilled.
It was torture to be so suddenly aware of her and to know she shared his awareness: to smell her scent of roses mingled with the lilacs blooming nearby, to see her inhale and exhale every breath, to know that here, for all the right reasons and at the worst possible time in their lives, was the one female he would never be able to resist and knowing too that she was his for the taking. And she was only fourteen. He blinked, let out a breath he did not know he was holding, flexed his fingers, removed her arms from his neck and set her back from him. He folded his hands behind him thankful for the long riding cloak covering his reaction as he walked with her down the gravel path to the veranda and on to the house asking about the puzzle and inquiring about her summer. After leaving her with his mother, Edwin walked down the hallway to the library, closed the door and stood with his forehead and fists leaned against it as his breath came and went in shudders. When he finally felt sanity return, he went straight to his father and requested a diplomatic posting in Italy. For the next three years they were seldom together except for one day out of time. . . .
****
The sound of shovels drew his attentions from the past. Most of the crowd of mourners had moved away. Stephen stood away to one side speaking with the Rev. Hurdle. Rosey stood very near to the nearly filled grave, her eyes gazing on the coffin and her arms cradling her chest as she swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the shovels’ scoop and drop. After a tamping down was finished, the noise stopped. He took three steps and caught her as she crumpled and nearly sank to his knees with bittersweet longing. He locked his knees and more firmly grasped her head to his chest as he carried her to his carriage.
It was torture to be so suddenly aware of her and to know she shared his awareness: to smell her scent of roses mingled with the lilacs blooming nearby, to see her inhale and exhale every breath, to know that here, for all the right reasons and at the worst possible time in their lives, was the one female he would never be able to resist and knowing too that she was his for the taking. And she was only fourteen. He blinked, let out a breath he did not know he was holding, flexed his fingers, removed her arms from his neck and set her back from him. He folded his hands behind him thankful for the long riding cloak covering his reaction as he walked with her down the gravel path to the veranda and on to the house asking about the puzzle and inquiring about her summer. After leaving her with his mother, Edwin walked down the hallway to the library, closed the door and stood with his forehead and fists leaned against it as his breath came and went in shudders. When he finally felt sanity return, he went straight to his father and requested a diplomatic posting in Italy. For the next three years they were seldom together except for one day out of time. . . .
****
The sound of shovels drew his attentions from the past. Most of the crowd of mourners had moved away. Stephen stood away to one side speaking with the Rev. Hurdle. Rosey stood very near to the nearly filled grave, her eyes gazing on the coffin and her arms cradling her chest as she swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the shovels’ scoop and drop. After a tamping down was finished, the noise stopped. He took three steps and caught her as she crumpled and nearly sank to his knees with bittersweet longing. He locked his knees and more firmly grasped her head to his chest as he carried her to his carriage.
