Castaway

Chapter 10: Forever and Always

Charlotte cleared the plates from the table and took them to the kitchen sink. Sidney rose from his chair. "Let me do that," he said in a reassuring voice, taking the dishes out of her hands. "You put Molly to bed. She's tired." Molly was indeed yawning away, her head dropping onto the table.

"Thank you," said Charlotte quietly.

When she emerged from Molly's room a little while later, Sidney was not sitting on the porch, as was their usual custom, but was in the parlour, next to the unlit fire, his long legs stretched out, apparently deep in contemplation. Still in her simple white muslin dress, she approached him silently. They had long since removed their floral adornments, but the small daisy ring was still tucked around her finger. Without saying a word, she stood in front of him, holding out her hand. Sidney's fingers gently coiled around hers as he rose to his feet. "Come," she said, leading him by the hand, up the stairs and towards the door of her chamber.

Very soon, the door was shut fast behind them and, before Charlotte even had a chance to catch her breath, Sidney's mouth was upon hers and he was kissing her with all the strength and passion he possessed. She was transported back to that morning on the clifftop, six long years ago. She was that young girl again, naive and innocent, enveloped in the arms of the only man she had ever loved. All the loneliness and hurt of the last six years vanished in an instant, as everything fell into place once more.

He broke away, pausing for breath, overcome with emotion, shaking his head in awe and wonder. "Sorry," he said, with a bashful grin, "I couldn't help..."

She reached up to caress his still-sunken cheek, covered in rough stubble. "You do not need to apologise," she smiled softly.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist. "I am not the same man," he sighed. "I do not even know what I can offer you."

Charlotte laid her head on his broad, yet bony shoulder. "I have no need of anything. Only you. Nothing more." She raised her head hesitantly. "I am not the same woman."

"No," he smiled, "you are even more wonderful and beautiful than before."

Their lips met once more and this time, Charlotte pressed her body fully against his, as his hands travelled the length of her back. Before long, her thin white dress was being lifted over her head, her bodice was being gently released, she was falling back onto the bed, watching as he stepped out of his breeches and tugged his shirt impatiently over his head. With equal impatience, she discarded her drawers, and now they were both as naked as the day they were born. Charlotte had never once bared her whole body to her husband's gaze, but here she felt no embarrassment, no discomfort, only love, desire and acceptance. As he lowered himself onto the bed, he stopped to admire her beauty and absorb the enormity of the moment, and then the whole world fell away around them and they were kissing and touching and exploring all those places that had been denied to them for so long.

Sidney's mouth was on her neck and his hands and his lips were on her breasts and she let out a cry that she had never heard herself make before, and then his head was between her legs, and what was he doing, she could hardly bear it, and before long he rose up and she saw his member standing tall and proud, and she reached out and coaxed it towards her and then he was inside her and it felt like nothing she had ever experienced, ever. And she looked up and there were tears streaming down his face and she was crying too, they were both crying and smiling and loving and caressing and kissing and thrusting and groaning and there were stars in front of her eyes and exploding in her brain and a warmth flooding her entire being, and when she opened her eyes, his face was contorted in such intense pleasure and he suddenly let out a cry so loud it shook the rafters. And then he was staring at her, just staring in shock and disbelief, and curling himself around her as he wept, they both wept, and she whispered him words of love as his breathing calmed and his body shuddered into silence.