CHAPTER 2 Angst

For Camilla, this was interesting news. 'How did you get her to agree?' shifting excitedly to face him. 'The things we do for love, I told you that I'd get her to give in, didn't I?' Camilla leaning forward, cupped his face with both hands. 'You know what this means for us?.. ' her eyes searching his for understanding, '... It means we finally get to be together, no inhibitions' 'But her Grandfather, the Viscount, was a great confidant to my father and..' Placing a finger on his lips she hushed him completely Very slowly but measuredly she lifted herself and leaned closely to his face, bridging the distance between them: 'Shh.. shh.. shh.. Surely, you're not implying that her grand father tells you what to wear, what to eat, whom to see, or whom to love, now are you?' His face flushing with pride, he looked away. 'No one tells me what to do' —he said, turning his back to her 'You know, while I was away, I must have cried at the thought of being separated from you. You were my everything' she said, wrapping her arms around his chest with his back turned to her. 'Surely, you must have been with a boy or two…' he pursued, '... We were only kids when you left, remember?' 'I was with a boy' she replied, stepping around to face him. 'He was quite a handful'. 'How do you mean?'lines of disbelief etched across his face. 'Well for one, he was quite controlling, eh.. authoritative and not romantic' she paused, reaching into her cleavage where she produced a locket. 'Do you remember this Fredrick?' she said, as she lifted it, so that the warm sun rays seeping in from the pocket of fissures in the wall illuminated its silhouetted hue. 'Oh Camilla, you still have it?' —his eyes widening in amazement. Continuing as though she did not hear his question, 'You gave me this as a token of your love to me, and I wore it around my neck, never pulling it off for any reason whatsoever'. 'When you left without saying goodbye, it felt as though my world was turned on its head, I lost appetite for months, and would not leave my quarters until I was sought for by my father' Replacing the locket back in her bossom, she covered the distance in one stride, until they could both inhale each other's breath. 'Fredrick, I've always loved you..'—her fingers snaking their way around his neck, '... Nothing will keep me from you ever again, I'm here to take my rightful position beside you, as your wife'. 'A n d, I'm y o u r s f o r the t a k i ng' ––his voice husky with emotion. In the soft light of the study, they stood close, her hands already around his neck, pulling him gently towards her. Their eyes met, speaking volumes in a silent exchange of love and longing. With a soft, almost imperceptible movement, she pressed her lips to his, a tender and heartfelt kiss that spoke of deep affection. Her toes curled on the floor as she leaned into him, the warmth of his embrace enveloping her. In the intimate embrace within the study, a long mirror hung behind him, reflecting the room's warmth and the pair's closeness. Yet, as they held each other, her reflection remained absent from the mirror's surface, unnoticed by him in the moment. Their bodies pressed together, her hands wrapped around his neck, drawing him closer as their lips met in a soft, tender kiss. Her heart swelled with love, but a strange sensation lingered as she noticed her absence in the mirror's reflection. He, oblivious to this anomaly, deepened the kiss, lost in the moment of their connection. The mirror, a silent observer, held the secret of her invisible reflection, a mysterious occurrence unperceived in their shared embrace. As they parted, a smile played on her lips, though a hint of unease flickered in her eyes. He brushed it off, attributing it to the intensity of their embrace, unaware of the enigma the mirror held, her reflection concealed from view. 'I have to go Fredrick'–– she said, turning to find her bonnet, which must have fallen off her head during the passionate exchange. 'Please stay darling, you needn't go now, I will prepare a carriage for you at first light' ––he persuaded, maintaining a vice like grip on her elbow. 'Father would be displeased, I made him a promise that I'd return before sunset. Please let me go' Reluctantly and with a sigh, he let go. 'When next will you grace me with your presence? A forthnight, two?' he asked, pursing his lips. 'Don't be dramatic, I can't stay away from you that long. In a week's time my love…' she replied, rising up on her toes to kiss him. He followed her, as she hurriedly left the study and walked down the stairs onto the courtyard where her carriage stood alongside its coach man. With a sigh of longing mixed with loneliness, he watched as the carriage trotted away, leaving in its wake a trail of dust. *** Even as her maids consoled her, she sobbed profusely. He was her first love. Where have I gone wrong? She remembered all the promises he had made to her, how they had been inseparable. When she learned she was betrothed to him, she hadn't been enthusiastic. But when he had courted her, she found that she had fallen head over heels for him, because he was both good looking on the eye, and charming. Coupled with her father's proddings and goadings, Andrea was left with no choice but to give in. Now it was him she would blame; first of, she'd ask him why he wanted her to marry him, and why he didn't give her a chance to find someone she was most likely compatible with. 'B r i n g me my S h a w l' ––she ordered, her voice already hoarse from crying. 'Yes your grace' a maid replied, leaving her side to go get her shawl. 'Your grace, if I have found favour in your eyes, please allow me to speak freely before she returns', ––one of her favourite maids, implored. 'Okay Agatha, I'm all ears' ––turning to face her. 'Eh.. I think your husband may have been bewitched' 'Why would you think so?' 'Well, I for one knew how doting your husband was, you both were infact almost joined in the hips when you were both married'––she paused for emphasis, 'I suspect foul play, something fishy stinks about this situation' 'And what do you propose, I did about it?' 'Well, naturally, I'm a Wiccan, and we understand the cosmic forces of nature and its application' 'Hmm, so are you suggesting I delved into the arcane arts to save my marriage?' 'No, your grace, I believe I see strong signs of voodooism being employed in this case, and if you give me permission, I'll undo it for you.' Her interest now piqued, she asked: 'What must I do?' 'Get the sand from his footprint, cut at the helm of any of his garments…' the conversation cut short as the maid returned with the shawl and a change of clothes for the growing chill outside. 'Thank you Ágatha, that'll be all for now. We'll pursue this line of discourse when I return' ––walking to the mirror and pulling on the change of clothes and donning the shawl tightly around her neck, as she made herself ready to leave. Nobody saw the pale face outside the window as it slunk away, on its way to report what it had learned today.