Later that evening, they changed into their honeymoon clothes, a dark suit for Gabriel and a purple dress for Julia, and sat side by side in a chauffeured car that he’d hired.
Soon the car was pulling up the drive that led to a villa near Todi. The very same villa that Gabriel had rented when they visited Italy the year before.
“Our house,” she whispered, as soon as she caught sight of it.
“Yes.” He kissed the back of her hand as he helped her out of the car. Then he was taking her in his arms and carrying her across the threshold.
“Are you disappointed? I thought you’d prefer some quiet time to ourselves, but if not, we can go to Venice or Rome. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.” He placed her on her feet.
“This is perfect. I’m so glad you decided to bring us here.” She threw her arms around his neck.
At length, he pulled away. “I think I should carry our luggage upstairs. Are you hungry?”
Julia grinned. “I could eat.”
“Why don’t you see if there’s anything tempting in the kitchen, and I’ll join you soon.”
She leaned forward with a devilish look on her face. “The only thing in the kitchen that would tempt me would be you on top of the kitchen table.”
Her sultry suggestion hearkened back to their previous visit, when they’d christened that table several times. With a deep groan, he quickly carried their suitcases upstairs as if someone was chasing him.
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In the kitchen, Julia found the pantry to be fully stocked, as was the refrigerator. She laughed when she saw several bottles of cranberry juice lined up on the counter, as if they were waiting for her. She’d just opened a bottle of Perrier and finished preparing a cheese plate when Gabriel returned. He seemed years younger as he raced into the kitchen, boyish even, his eyes bright and his expression cheerful.
“This looks delicious. Thank you.” He sat at her side, glancing at the kitchen table significantly. “But I have to say that I’d rather our first few times occur in bed.”
Julia felt her skin flush. “This table has happy memories for me.”
“For me too. But we have plenty of time to make new ones. Better ones.” He gave her a heated look.
She felt the flutterings of desire increase.
“Was the wedding everything you hoped for?” He gazed at her eagerly, pouring two glasses of sparkling water.
“It was better. The Mass, the music — having the wedding in the Basilica was incredible. I felt so at peace there.”
Gabriel nodded, for he’d felt that way too.
“I’m glad we only invited family and close friends. I’m sorry I didn’t have much of a chance to talk to Katherine Picton, although I saw you dancing with her twice.” Julia pretended to be offended.
He eyed her in mock surprise. “Really? I danced with her twice? That’s pretty impressive for a septuagenarian. I’m surprised she could keep up with me.”
Julia rolled her eyes at his pretentious choice of adjectives.
“You danced with Richard twice, Mrs. Emerson. I suppose we’re even.”
“He’s my father now too. And he’s an excellent dancer. Very elegant.”
“Better than me?” Gabriel feigned jealousy.
“No one is better than you, darling.” She leaned over to kiss away his pout. “Do you think that he will ever marry again?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He took her hand in his and caressed her knuckles gently, one by one.
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“Because Grace was his Beatrice. When you’ve experienced a love such as that, anything less would seem like only a shadow.” He smiled sadly. “Strangely enough, it was the same in Grace’s favorite book, A Severe Mercy. Sheldon Vanauken never remarried after his wife died.
“Dante lost Beatrice when she was just twenty-four. He spent the rest of his life mourning her. If I were to lose you, it would be the same for me. There will never be anyone else. Never,” he emphasized, a fierce but loving look in his eyes.
“I wonder if my father will marry again.”
“Would it trouble you if he did?”
She shrugged. “No. It would take some getting used to, but I’m glad he’s dating someone kind. I’d like him to be happy. I’d like him to have someone kind to grow old with.”
“I’m looking forward to growing old with you,” said Gabriel. “And you are certainly kind.”
“I’m looking forward to growing old with you too.”
Husband and wife exchanged a look then finished their food in relaxed quietness. Afterward, Gabriel stood and stretched out his hand. “I haven’t given you your wedding gifts, yet.”
She took his hand and her fingers touched his wedding band. “I thought our gifts were our rings and the inscriptions inside them: I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.”
“There’s more.” He led her to the fireplace and paused.
When they entered the house, Julia hadn’t noticed that the artwork that hung over the fireplace previously had been removed. In its place was a large and impressive oil painting of a man and a woman in a passionate embrace.
She took a step closer to the painting, transfixed by the stirring image.
The male and female figures were wrapped around each other, the male naked to the waist and slightly underneath the female as if he were kneeling at her feet, his head resting on her lap. The female figure was bent forward, naked and wrapped carelessly in what appeared to be a bed sheet, clutching the male’s back and sides and resting her head between his shoulder blades. In truth, it was difficult to tell where his body began and her body ended, so entwined they were, almost like a circle. Need and desperation leapt off the canvas,
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as if the couple had just made up after a fight or found each other after an extended absence.
“It’s us,” breathed Julia as she blinked in shock.
The male’s face was partially hidden by the woman’s lap, his mouth pressed against her naked thigh. But it was Gabriel’s face, of that there could be no doubt. The female’s face was Julia’s, eyes closed in bliss, a small smile playing at the edge of her full lips as she faced the viewer. She looked happy.
“But how?”
Gabriel stood behind her and placed his arms around her shoulders. “I posed for the artist and provided photographs of you.”
“Photographs?”
He leaned forward to kiss the side of her neck. “Don’t you recognize your posture? It’s a study of some of the pictures I took of you in Belize. Do you remember the morning after you wore your corset for the first time? You were lying in bed…”
Julia’s eyes widened in remembrance.
“Do you like it?” Gabriel’s usually sure tone sounded surprisingly uncertain. “I wanted something — ah — personal to commemorate our wedding.”
“I love it. I’m just surprised.”
His body relaxed.
“Thank you.” She took his hand and gently pressed her lips to his palm. “It’s a lovely gift.”
“I’m glad you like it. But there’s one more small thing.”
He walked over to the mantelpiece of the fireplace in order to retrieve a familiar looking golden apple.
“How did that get here?” Julia smiled.
“Open it, Mrs. Emerson.”
She lifted the lid and found a large, old-fashioned key inside. She met Gabriel’s eyes quizzically. “A magic key? To a secret garden? Or to a wardrobe that leads to Narnia?”
“Very funny. Come with me.” He caught her wrist and brought it to his lips, hesitating against her skin.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
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He led her out the front door, closing it behind them. They stood on the porch, surrounded by darkness that was illuminated only by the lights that hung on the stone walls.
“Try the key.”
“What? Here?”
“Just try it.” Gabriel rocked back on his heels, trying to hide his sudden anxiety.
Julia put the key in the lock and twisted. She heard the lock click and with a flick of her wrist, it unlocked and the door swung open.
“Thank you for becoming my wife,” he whispered. “Welcome home.”
She looked over at him incredulously.
“We were happy here,” he said softly. “I wanted us to have a place that we could escape to, somewhere with fond memories.”
He reached out to lightly touch her arm. “We can spend our holidays here when we aren’t in Selinsgrove. You could write your dissertation here, if you want. Although I couldn’t bear to be separated from you for more than a day.”
Julia kissed him, thanking him over and over again for his lavish gift. They stood there for several minutes, reveling in one another’s touch, their heartbeats quickening.
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