Eternal Spring
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Part 4
As April led into May the weather warmed and the storms less frequent allowing more sailing time. Toni decided she needn’t have worried about him missing the sea. He took advantage of the weather sailing up and down the coast. Sometimes they would go ashore in the villages and seek out a meal. He’d finally convinced her to dive in the ocean with him and shivering and blue with cold she would climb back onto the boat and wrap them both in warm towels.
Toni was still in awe of him but now she was comfortable with him. She was his mate, his partner, his playmate, and their love grew with a blue intensity that burned when they came together. One rainy afternoon found them in his whirlpool bath.
She lay her head on his shoulder, “I’m thinking of the first time I got in the bath with you, you wouldn’t tell me you wanted me here, it was the bath’s invitation.”
“Yes I knew what I was doing Toni. I was falling in love with you but I was not really your season if you recall, I was sent here under orders. It had not been my plan to stay at all only to calm things down and see that you called someone to be with you. That changed when I met you. I wanted you to want me.”
“You were the best thing that could have happened to me at that time. I did come to want you Jack I fell in love with you too but I didn’t think it was fair of me to try and hold onto you. I would look at you and think he longs to be at sea and not here and so I let you go.”
“My mind and my heart were at war. The mind won the battle but the heart would not give up, would not be taken or conquered and now it is yours,” he tightened his arms around her and kissed her cheek.
“I treasure it Jack,” she turned and looked into his eyes and watched them focus on her mouth, he kissed her long, slow and thoroughly and pulled her around his hips.
Spring was drawing to an end the warm days of May more like summer than spring. They’d been sailing and were now sitting on a piece of driftwood on the beach below the house. Magically they had a bottle of wine and were sharing it between them drinking from the bottle.
“I’m glad you came alone this time.”
“I shall always come alone, bare and stripped to the bone, this is who I am.”
“No formality.”
“Not between us. My station in life elicits a certain formality but when I am with you I am only Jack Aubrey, husband of Toni Aubrey.”
“Only Jack Aubrey, you have no idea,” she took a drink from the bottle and handed it back to him.
The night before he left she planned a candlelight dinner with music and afterward he treated her by playing his violin along with the music. She watched him play in awe and wonder that he was hers.
“That was beautiful Jack,” she wiped tears from her eyes.
He reached over and took a drink from his glass of port, “would you like another?”
“Yes, please.”
As she listened to him play she could feel the love and warmth around them if it was as he had said her own magic that controlled this house then he must feel it too, it must wash over him like a warm tropical breeze, a wave pulling him even deeper into the arms of love and into her heart.
He sailed with the tide the next morning leaving her at the base of the cliff path. She ran up to the bluff to watch him sail out to sea and disappear around the point of their bay. A warm breeze lifted her hair as she sat on the bench and she could have sworn it repeated the last words he spoke to her, “I love you.”
The circle is now complete what was begun in summer was finalized in spring. The rings symbolize the circle of love. She has committed herself to each season and they to her as Jack explained to her before placing his ring on her finger. She and her seasons now hold the magic of love, the magic that is this house and this place. We are content at last.
There will come a time when she will have a decision to make it may be painful or not depending on what she may do. Do not fear the time has not come for this, many, many years will pass for true love is eternal is it not?
HO4S