Grenwhich Abbey

Strangers; but not.

Chapter Four... 

Wren and Aylee wandered about the Abbey, each feeling intimately the presence of the other; they held hands like age-old lovers; the smiles on their faces showed how intensely absorbed they were in this moment, how intensely happy they felt.

They searched for some silence, passing rooms that had other people intent on being alone and some rooms that simply had too many breakable items to feel comfortable in.

           “I feel as if I’d break all the glass,” Aylee said, looking into another dusty but regal room filled with tables and shelves holding expensive glass antiques. “I’m terribly clumsy you know.”

           “Well I don’t know about that,” Wren said, watching her walk before him. “You seem to be pretty graceful from where I’m standing.”

           She laughed. “One night is not long enough to know certain things. I promise, I’m not as graceful as I seem tonight. I’m the girl who trips over nothing, knocks over carefully stacked cans in grocery stores and walks into swimming pools. You’ll see that at some point.” Aylee smiled assuring at Wren—not at all embarrassed to be admitting her faults.

            Wren felt guilty suddenly and disappointed. His smile faltered and Aylee noticed.

            “What’s wrong?” She stopped walking and touched his shoulder gently.

            “You talk like you and I will see each other after tonight.”

            Aylee smiled, unconcerned and started walking again—her hand pulling him along the corridor. “Well we will, won’t we?” 

            “Adie and I are just passing through…” Wren said hesitantly, making Aylee stop walking again. “We have a train tomorrow—going to Greece.”

            “Oh…” she seemed at a loss for words. He felt his emotions mirrored hers. They had connected tonight—something that didn’t often happen to Wren and something, Aylee felt, could turn into a beautiful future, not just a memory. Eventually she let out a sigh and straightened. “Well then, we better make the most of the time we have.”

           “But-“he started to protest but Aylee pulled him into the closest room with such force he stopped.

           “No one’s in here,” She looked around at the bedroom. A large bed with a dark green cover lay in the center facing a ‘wall’ of sorts—windows from the floor to the ceiling stretched across the twenty foot floor.

            “That’s got to be the most modern thing in the house.” Wren commented, looking at the elegant windows overlooking the dark forest and bright stars that made up Grenwhich Abbey’s backyard.

            Aylee laughed at him, closing the door. “Alone at last, “they both looked up as a bell sounded overhead—announcing the New Year. She looked back at him, catching his undivided attention. She reached her arms up around his neck—her eyes inviting him to a romantic communion of unbelievable intensity.

            In a moment of heated passion Aylee, standing on tiptoe, kissed him hungrily and quickly. She pulled back, her eyes bright but hesitant as if she worried she assumed too much. Wren couldn’t find his breath and wondered if his heart had stopped. Never before had anyone or anything affected him so—Aylee seemed to be dangerous yet vital to his well-being. The starlight set upon the brilliant darkness highlighted her flushed cheeks and pale cool skin. Wren could feel himself getting lost in love for her as he had so wanted to do since she’d pulled him from the crowd earlier—but he remembered that they had only just met. Maybe he had drunken too much or maybe it was this house or maybe it was just Aylee.