Yours,
Henry
No reply
Chapter 15
Ellie’sfootstepsechoeddownthe empty hallways of the Villa Borghese, the clack of her heels jarring in the solemn, crypt-like atrium. Having spent the last hour strolling through the gardens, she and Alice were desperate for the shade and relative cool of the galleries in the 17th-century villa.
The ladies had left the gentleman among the blossoms, Henry scowling over his sketchbook while Miles peppered him with commentary on the fall of the Roman empire. She and Alice strolled past sculptures into cavernous corridors lined with oils by the masters, Rubens, Titian, and Corregio.
Ellie sighed, stopping to take inDanaë,the graphic scene captured in oil so lifelike she thought she could reach out and touch the warm flesh of the mythical princess of Argos. “Absolutely stunning.”
Alice tilted her head in contemplation and twisted her lips. “I agree, although in truth I have no idea what is happening. I doubt I would be so calm if a nude angel arrived in my bedroom and started pulling off my bedclothes.”
Ellie stifled a laugh. The quirky literature professor had already become one of Ellie’s favorite people. She admired the woman who had clawed her way to the top of her field, despite academia throwing every possible obstacle in her path. After being denied tenure and a publishing opportunity at Harvard, Alice marched to the president of Radcliffe College and demanded a classroom. The woman’s dry humor and sharp wit, coupled with remarkable humility, made Ellie want to keep Alice close.
They turned a corner and paused in the shadow of an enormous marble depiction of the Satyr and Hermaphroditus caught in the throes of passion. “My gracious,” Ellie remarked, pushing her spectacles up her nose as her cheeks warmed.
“Indeed.” Alice put her hand to her chest. “They seem to be… enjoying themselves.”
Ellie let out a nervous laugh. “I realize it’s art, but that position seems somewhat unrealistic.”
Alice tilted her head to analyze the acrobatic pose more closely and shrugged. “Not at all. You simply need the proper chair.” Ellie stared at her, aghast. “Oh, don’t look so scandalized. You’re a married woman.”
Shoulders stiff, Ellie diverted her gaze. “Oh, well—it’s—” She swallowed hard. “I suppose we haven’t tried… that position much…”
“Well,” Alice said, as though considering precisely how friendly they were becoming, “it’s particularly satisfying for the woman.”
Ellie blinked. “I hadn’t considered… the woman’s satisfaction.”
Alice caught Ellie’s elbow and turned her so they were facing each other before lowering her voice. “You can’t tell me that delectable husband of yours isn’tsatisfyingyou.”
Ellie shook her head and walked away on trembling legs, suddenly desperate to escape the conversation. She couldn’t let her thoughts go down the secret track, illuminating the fantasies of Henry filling her nights.
For years, her imagination had brought Henry to her bed. Night after night, he slid back her bedclothes and removed her nightdress before delivering her delicious pleasure, even if she could not identify precisely how he would do it. The hand slipping between her thighs as she waited for sleep was not her own, but Henry’s, his careful fingers making her cry out in a way she never had with her husband.
Alice, tenacious as she was, caught up quickly. “Forgive me for being forward, but looking at Henry, I would never guess he’d be a cold fish in bed.”
“It’s not like that,” she hedged, dropping her voice and continuing her blind track down the gallery. “He’s wonderful, of course.”
“But…” Alice prompted.
Ellie stopped with a sigh. How could she possibly escape this without revealing their deception or insulting her friend?
Perhaps with a bit of truth. “I suppose intimacy makes me nervous. My first marriage was not… pleasant.”
“Oh, my darling.” Alice stepped closer and gave her an understanding nod. “Of course you’d be nervous. And Henry understands your past?”
“Yes, he does,” Ellie replied with alacrity. How would she know? But somehow she was certain, were they romantically involved, he would treat her with the utmost care. A pang of longing struck deep in her gut.
“Then you need to discover what it is you enjoy,” Alice said, sweeping her hand as though she had solved all the world’s troubles.
She laughed. If it were only so simple. “And how do I go about doing such a thing?”
Alice gave her a wry smile. “Experiment. Try new things.” She fixed Ellie with a pointed look. “If Henry does not look after you, it may be worth seeking a lover.”
“Oh,” she said on a rush of air, “I don’t think I could.”
