Darius studied her. “Why were you crying? Is the telescope not working properly?” His frown was clear in the light from his own lantern.
“Oh, not at all. I mean, it works perfectly. I can see the stars better than I have ever seen them. While I have read about their beauty, this is my first glimpse of it. That is why I teared up. The Pleiades are so trulycelestial.” She swallowed to keep from tearing up again.
“The Pleiades? The Seven Sisters from Greek mythology, as I recall.” He looked up at the sky. “Are they not visible in the Taurus constellation?”
Pleased that he was familiar with them, she pointed at the stars. “Yes. Just follow the line created by Orion’s Belt and you can see the star cluster.”
“I admit, that particular star grouping has always bothered me. It appears unorganized, almost like a smudge on the night sky.”
She was not surprised by his thoughts, as some of her own classmates had made similar remarks, though not quite in thatway. “I understand, but I think if you see them through this telescope, you may change your mind. Would you like to see?”
His brows rose. “I suppose I can be open to an alternative view on this.”
She stepped back to allow him to look, anxious to see his reaction.
He bent and put one eye to the telescope. In less than a minute, his head snapped up. “That is truly the Pleiades?”
She nodded, excitedly. “Are they not beautiful?”
He looked up at the sky once more before putting his eye to the glass again. This time he remained there for many minutes.
She’d begun to wonder if he were trying to find the right words to disagree with her, when he lifted his head.
“I stand corrected. They are not a smudge. They are a stain.”
“What?” For some reason, she took umbrage at his conclusion.
His lips quirked up a bit. “A breathtakingly beautiful white stain that spreads a brilliant blue across the cold, dark black of the universe.”
As her mind comprehended his image, she returned his smile. “I do believe I agree.”
He stepped away from the telescope and closer to her. “They are much like you.”
“Me?” Her hand found her chest as she struggled with the idea of being any kind of stain, though she was quite sure her mother would enjoy such a metaphor about her.
“I do not pretend to be a poet, but I have noticed how your enthusiasm for life spreads to others, enveloping them in the warmth of your personality.”
“Oh, Darius.” No one had ever given her such an absolutely perfect and very personal compliment. Her heart swelled, not because it was a compliment, but because in their few daystogether, he’d paid her close attention and truly recognized who she was as a person.
With the back of his knuckles, he stroked her cheek, sending tingles to run along her skin. “I am grateful to you for marrying me. You have brought a warmth back to my home that it hasn’t seen in over a generation. We all feel it.”
Her eyes started to tear again because his appreciation was so sincere. “You don’t know what it means to me, to be here. I feel as if I have finally come home. It is I who is grateful.”
He stepped even closer, his hand on her face moving behind her head.
Her heartbeat turned sporadic, as she knew what that meant. She let her eyes drift closed and waited to feel his kiss on her lips, her whole body almost vibrating with anticipation.
“My wife.” His words whispered over her lips before she felt his own on her forehead.
She opened her eyes to see his head moving away. Unable to help herself, she wrapped her hand around his neck, stopping his retreat, and lifted onto her toes to press her lips to his. It was just a touch, but it filled her with happiness. Letting ago, she could see his surprise in the dim light of her lantern and sought an apology for her bold actions, but couldn’t bring herself to form one. She may be a maiden, but she was his wife. Surely women kissed their husbands.
He recovered quickly, and his hand once again came to her face, but this time he cupped her cheek. “Ellie.”
Her name on his lips caused her to sigh silently just before he pressed his mouth to hers. Not expecting the kiss this time, she opened her mouth only to have his tongue slip between her lips. Her knees weakened at his invasion, and she grabbed a hold of his arms to steady herself. Then, before she could commit the feeling to memory, he pulled away.
“I did not mean to disturb your observations. I only wished to discover if you found my gift acceptable.”
Still off balance from his kiss, she couldn’t quite form the words, so she nodded.
