“Good, as am I…” He swallowed the lump in his throat, unable to believe that he was feeling this nervous about something that should not have fazed him. “And with today being so gorgeous, I thought we might spend it together.”
Thalia started in surprise but was quick to recover. “And what did you have in mind?”
“Ah, now we can play this two ways,” he said. “One, I can tell you, so you can decide if it is something you wish to do. Or two, I can surprise you and you can take your chances.”
She laughed. “And if I take the surprise and don’t like it?”
“Then you will have to contend yourself with my company. Think of it as a consolation prize.”
She laughed again. “The surprise it is. And if I hate it…” She sighed and pretended to look content but not thrilled. “I have a good feeling that your company will more than satisfy.”
It was so silly that her simply agreeing to spend the day with him excited Caspian the way it did. As if she might have said no. As if there was a chance that she had better things to do. As if she did not want to spend the day with him as much as he did with her.
She can feel it, as well as I. Something has shifted between us. Something has grown. And while not so long ago, I might have fought against it… that was the old men.
“Perfect.” Caspian walked to where Thalia was sitting. Then he took her hand and kissed it while looking into her eyes. “We will leave on the hour, if the timing suits you.”
“It suits me perfectly,” she said back, looking him in the eyes the whole time.
They left within the hour, as promised. It was just a short carriage ride, less than an hour, and still within the confines of the estate. But that did not take away from its beauty.
“Caspian…” Thalia started when the carriage came to a stop and the doors opened. She peered outside, her brow furrowed as she tried to take in where he had brought her. “This is…”
“Probably not what you were expecting.” He climbed out ahead and offered her a hand.
“In truth, I didn’t know what to expect,” she laughed. “I thought it would be more fun that way.”
He had brought her to a small glade on the other side of the forest that sat on the edges of the estate. The glade was surrounded by tall trees that came to a sudden stop, girt by soft grass that was thick and verdant, and then taken over by a large pond with crystal blue water that sat flush at the very center. Itwas isolated from the world, contained in its beauty, and perfect for the two of them.
“This is beautiful,” Thalia gushed as she looked about the large glade. She laughed when she saw bluejays flocking through the trees. And she gasped when a deer frolicked from the forest, stopped to stare at them, and then vanished back in the brush.
“You like it?” he asked nervously.
“What do you think?” she beamed at him.
“Here…” He walked to the carriage and popped open the trunk attached to the back. Inside was a basket filled with snacks, and a blanket to sit on. “Let me just…” Caspian hurried to lay the blanket down by the edges of the water and set the basket up between them.
Thalia folded her arms as she watched him. “It looks like you’ve done this before.”
“Maybe a few times.”
“Tell me, Your Grace, how many women have you brought out here?”
Caspian’s eyes widened. “What? That’s not what I –”
“I am joking,” she laughed and then swept to him. There, she wrapped her hands around his arm and pulled him in close, placing a kiss on his cheek. “It is lovely, Caspian. I love it.”
Once, such showings of affection, such displays of warmth, would have made Caspian squirm with discomfort. It still did, truth be told. But out here, alone as they were, with nobody to watch or judge them, Caspian was able to ignore those feelings in his gut and simply enjoy the warmth and affection that his wife was giving him.
“I’m glad that you do,” he said with a smile. “I hoped that you would.”
They spent some time walking the edges of the glade together. Holding hands the whole while, it was as if they were both afraid to let go. Thalia took off her shoes and dipped her toes in the water. She splashed Caspian who laughed. There was a small outcrop of rocks sitting over the water and they climbed them.
To many, it would appear like a simple day. But to Caspian and Thalia, the meaning behind it was huge and both seemed to recognize the fact.
Once it was near midday, they chose to sit down on the blanket and unpack the food that Caspian brought. Cucumber sandwiches and fruit, nothing exciting, but the food wasn’t what mattered.
They sat close together on the blanket. Caspian with his legs folded, and Thalia leaning into him so that he could wrap an armaround her. There, they watched the water ripple, they saw birds flutter through the trees, and they basked in the midday sun.
