1814

twenty two

I was finally able to see him again, awaiting me at the bottom of the, what felt never ending, staircase. He hadn't noticed me yet, so I slowly crept from behind him and wrapped my hands around his eyes. "can you guess?" I asked, trying to imitate his deep voice. "umm your grace is that you?" he replied, in a rather higher pitched voice, indicating that he was trying to do mine in return which was fair enough. However, I was slightly offended by his tone, so I took my hands away from his face and hit him in the side playfully.

He rubbed his arm as if to say that I had hit him hard, "what was that for?" he questioned, squinting his eyes and taking a deep breath through his closed jaw. "oh please James." I replied, ringing my arms around his hurting one. He took his hat from Herbert and we left our house together for the first time.

A beautiful carriage awaited us at the bottom of the extremely wide, stone stairs. James followed me in and we sat facing opposite each other inside. "if I may ask, where are you taking me?" I asked him, with a small smile dancing on my lips. He only smiled in return and then turned to his side so that he could look out the window and the endless fields of countryside grass and greenery. Although I was confused by his confusing answer, I gave in and decided to join him in embracing our surroundings. Every now and then I saw children dancing around and groups of workers carrying wooden buckets of water and stone.

The journey was long and tiresome, we road for what felt like hours but it was probably only one. As soon as I decided to go to sleep I was awoken by the carriage stopping and James patting me on the leg while he was getting out. 

When I followed, I was greeted by a huge green field, with an infinite forest of trees behind it. I looked at James who was smiling at my clear adoration. "I will race you to the big willow tree in the middle." He announced, getting into a running stance. "you're joking." I replied, mocking his readying. "if I was joking would I be running right now?" he teased, before setting off for this big race of his. "thats not fair!" I shouted, chasing after him and waving my arms around in the air. Eventually I crashed into him and we both fell on the floor, I lay on top of him and we immediately both burst out laughing until our stomach's actually ached. "tha- that wasn't f- fair." I finally stuttered some laugh covered words. He let out another huge burst of laughter before flipping us over so that he was now on top of me.

We both stopped laughing and just smiled softly at each other before he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. I softly held my bottom lip with my top and put my finger to my mouth from the fact that I still got shy and flushed whenever he's do something sweet. He got up and held his hand out for me to grab, and with that he pulled me up after him. "are we going to have this picnic or what your grace?" he asked me, walking backwards towards the carriage for the food.

I felt my heart flutter from the fulfilment he constantly fed to me as if it was the first time I had ever received it. I let out a small chuckle, purely because he'd done all of this for us. For me, and my happiness. "a picnic?" i replied, placing my hands on my hips and frowning, trying to hide my eagerness. "yes, my love, a picnic." he shouted as he was quite far away now.

Once we had set everything up including, plates, cups and a range of foods, he lay on his side and watched me as i sat cross legged opposite him reading my book. "are you ever going to put that book down Diana?"he moaned, putting a grape into his mouth. I lowered it down and closed it before placing it beside me, "see, I am perfectly capable." I assured him, holding my head high and squaring my shoulders. he raised an eyebrow at me and shook his head, "you're doing it again." he announced, eating another grape. "doing what?" I asked, returning to my slight slouch, also taking a grape from the basket. "that- that thing you do when you try and prove a point." he answered, "you try to make yourself look all proper, you did it when I first encountered you and you wanted to make yourself look well done at the dinner we attended together." he added. "I do no such thing." I denied his accusations, knowing full well I do. "you just did it!" he exclaimed, now laughing again. he regained his breath, "ahh, that dinner and the night we settled on our little arrangement." he reminisced.

I sat there and watched him rake his hand through his hair that flowed in the wind as he looked off into the distance. "you know, part of me only agreed to that arrangement because of the amount of time I knew I was going to spend with you." I told him, cupping his face in my hand and stroking his face. he waited for a moment, and only looked my direction, "all of me agreed to it because of that reason." he said in return, taking my hand off his face and entangling it with his own.

James pushed all the food out the way and shifted his body weight closer to mine. He took hold of my face and pulled it into his so that I was kissing him. my whole body went weak and the heat between our bodies only grew. I hastily undid the buttons of his waistcoat and shirt as he did the top of my dress, and he sent quick and eager kisses all the way down my neck and torso. I brought his face back up to mine and put my lips on his all the while laying down and rolling him over so that I was on top of him again. The big ray of sun plastered all over my body as he entered me while flipping us over again so that he could grab my thigh and part my legs. We didn't take our eyes off of each other except from when they were closed and once we were finished I just lay in his arms again and stroked the top of his chest.

"well, Diana, I have to say, considering that was only your second time..."he said, trying to catch his breath. I looked up at him, "second, not the last." I replied sitting up and bringing my dress back onto my shoulders again. He did the same and we simply ate and talked to each other for the rest of the day. We discussed moments we shared and books we've both read, quoting our favourite lines to each other.

The sky slowly became more orange, and we took that as our cue to leave. We sat back in the carriage except this time i was next to him and I fell asleep on his shoulder with his arm wrapped around me. A small smile lingered on my face when we were able to go inside our house again and go to bed. I put on my nightgown and walked towards my dresser to do my hair, while James went downstairs to talk to Herbert.

As I took my hair down and brushed it out I heard, "Diana" whispered. I jumped and immediately turned around but couldn't see anything. "Diana, come home." was whispered again. I slowly turned my head to the side and came face to face with the same blue light that had brought me here in the first place. My eyes welled up with tears as I walked towards it, I listened the beckoning and whispers when they slowly to over my body and consciousness. Suddenly a deeper and more real "Diana?" came from behind me. I didn't listen and slowly outstretched my arm to the portal. "Diana!" the realer voice came again, and even though I didn't listen, I was instead pulled away. When he turned me away from the portal to face him, I could see the blue reflection in his eyes. my face was in his hands and tears were streaming down my face. "Diana, look at me!" he shouted over the loud noise of the blue whirlpool.

All of a sudden it was gone, the noise and the portal itself, but I didn't flinch or even turn around. I stayed in James's hands because it was the only place that I felt I wasn't going to be hurt in. However, quickly his hand were taken away and he took steps back almost as if he was scared of me.

"Diana...what was that?"