Posted on Thursday, 25 September 2003
The sunshine of thine eyes,
(O still celestial beam!)
Whatever it touches it fills
With the life of its lambent gleam.
The sunshine of thine eyes,
Oh, let it fall on me!
Though I be but a mote of the air,
I could turn to gold for thee."
(George Parsons Lathrop)
"Would you like to go for a walk with me?" Elizabeth asked her husband who had just entered the room looking for her.
He gave her a melting smile and nodded with enthusiasm. "It would be my pleasure, my love."
She got up and, joining him, took his hand. "Come with me, follow me wherever I'll take you."
He decided to play a long with her game. "Well, this is something I'm not accustomed to, I fear. But since it is you asking me I think I'll give it a chance."
She nudged him playfully and responded with glowing eyes. "Well, I wouldn't force you to do anything you despised... After all, you're a man and you make our decisions, don't you?"
"If only it were so!" Darcy sighed melodramatically. "But, you see, I have a very determined wife who wouldn't let me do that because she insists on having her opinion heard." He looked tormented.
"Well, she must be an intriguing woman since you decided to marry her despite all of these flaws." Elizabeth's voice was shaking with held back laughter.
"To tell you the truth, I believe she tricked me into all this." He let forth another sigh, his shoulders slumped in mock sadness. "Her weapons are too hard to resist..."
They had left the house and followed a sunlit freshly graveled path that led them to a meadow. Birds were chirping, bees were collecting honey on the flower-decked grounds and as they came towards the meadow they could see a deer browsing nearby. Walking on they enjoyed their conversation.
"And these weapons are truly as captivating as you've told me? Is it anything a woman can learn or was she born with it?" She still held his hand tenderly.
He swallowed hard at her tenderness. "Well, I suppose she was born with it. First and foremost there are her eyes..." He turned his head to gaze right into her fawn brown sparkling eyes. They were not weapons but jewels, still more irresistible than the chanting of the sirens and certainly more beautiful. The sunshine was dancing in them, glowing in many reflections as if they were secluding warmth and rays of light. The sunshine in her eyes... he mused, totally engrossed by their charm and serenity.
Elizabeth was locked in her husband's gaze and returned it with utmost intensity. As she melted him with her glances she caressed his hand in hers with her fingertips, thus sending beams of warmth through his entire body. Observing his pleasure she grew bolder and brought the back of her hand to his cheek and rubbed it tenderly. At this Darcy took her hand and covered it with lingering kisses. Light, fluttering kisses, as gentle as the touch of a butterfly they were. Hearing her exhale her breath heavily he continued with a malicious smile.
"Well, but I suppose that your fighting back may melt her a bit?" she suggested.
Darcy loved her being flustered and continued his caresses with incredulous ardor but he still kept up the facade of their game.
"Are you telling me that my strategy might lead to success?" he feigned innocence.
Elizabeth felt her resolve to play hard to get weaken with every passing instant.
"I'm not certain as yet but..." She watched him raise his eyebrows meaningfully. "But I'm sure that she'd enjoy it tremendously!" she added hastily.
"What makes you say that?" His questions, combined with his caresses, were pure torture.
She felt her cheeks burning and looked away pretending to watch the beauty of the sunlit meadow.
"Ah, I think that even a heart of ice must melt at such tenderness..." Her face was glowing.
"Elizabeth, you're not ashamed because of your feelings for me, are you?" He put his hand beneath her chin and made her look into his eyes with gentle force.
They didn't know that they had both left behind their teasing, the moment was far too serious and intense for anything else but love. Elizabeth felt her maiden fears melt as she saw the passion blazing in his eyes. How was it possible that their wedding had been just a few months ago? For it felt as if they had always been together, the bond between them was so strong that it frightened her. She felt her heartbeat quicken as her mind returned to the first kiss they had shared... His lips felt soft, warm and virile....
She felt his arms around her waist as she kept watching his beloved face. Had he asked her something previously? She tried to remember but there was no space for words, thoughts or musings. Just this feeling of softness making her skin burn for more, just this craving for being close to him and his breath so close to her that it caused her blood to boil with desire...
When I first saw you... You smiled at me...
You've given me your beautiful smile ever since...
How do I love those eyes of yours, that lovely smile?
If I had known you better...
Our path might have been different...
But does it matter?
Not at all for you're here!
You're close to me and you'll always smile at me...
Your eyes....
At times they shine like emeralds...
And when you're happy they burn like two candles...
Warm rays of light reach right into my soul...
My love....
My promised one...
"William, I'll never feel that way." Her voice tore him from his reverie.
"Pardon me, I was distracted...." He tried to calm himself.
"Were you thinking of her weapons?`" Elizabeth teased meaningfully.
"Was I?" he retorted with a wicked smile.
"Well, for your own good, I advise you to think about her often!"
"I never quit thinking about her... She fills my thoughts, my heart my soul, all that I am with such vigor that there is nothing else left to think about..." He gave voice to his most intimate thoughts.
Elizabeth felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sure that she feels the same..."
"Does she?" His question was sincere.
Elizabeth closed his lips with a lingering kiss. Feeling his arms wrapping her in an embrace once more she sighed quietly. The scent of his cologne mixed with that virility she adored weakened her knees.
"This is just what I meant!" he kissed the lobe of her ear.
"Mmmmmm, what?" She was breathing heavily.
"I'm under her spell. Now and always!"
His words made her soul sing with joy. In the time to come they shared many moments of fun and bliss always remembering this particularly sunny moment which had cast its light right into their souls, wiping away all the shadows and remains of darkness.
"Angels listen when she speaks:
She's my delight, all mankind's wonder;
But my jealous heart would break
Should we live one day asunder."
(John Wilmot)