The sound of the ocean greeted Catherine as she woke, the warmth of the sun kissing her face and washing over her long, auburn hair. She smiled as she looked into the sky to see a few solitary clouds, billowing like the sails of a ship with birds flying through as if they were circling the mast. She stood slowly, stretching her long limbs which were stiff from sleeping on sand. She turned to take in her surroundings and her eyes fell upon a man sitting at the edge of the water.
The man was tall and slender with skin browned by the sun. His long, brown hair, braided and knotted, was tied back with a faded red scarf and decorated with coins and beads. His worn leather vest and breeches complimented the billowing muslin shirt he wore, now yellowed with age. Catherine smiled as she looked at this solitary figure that appeared in front of her. She didn't know why, but a feeling of overwhelming contentment washed over her as she looked on this man who sat with his feet in the ocean and his head titled towards the heavens. Hearing the rustling of her skirt in the ocean breeze, he turned.
The man rose and walked towards her with a boyish smile illuminating his coffee brown eyes and his arms open wide. Catherine ran into his embrace and felt his strong arms surround her. She felt completely safe and happy in the arms of this fascinating stranger. He kissed her neck and played with her hair as she wrapped her arms tighter and tighter around his shoulders, not wanting to let go of her new found sanctity. For once in her life, her frustrations with the world were replaced by a feeling of complete bliss. She felt content. She felt safe. She felt loved.
Catherine Swann awoke to the sounds of a carriage flying down the drive of her home, the mansion of the governor of Jamaica. As she gradually left the world of the night behind and gained full consciousness, she recalled something as if from a dream. She remembered a beach, with the sun on her face and the ocean breeze in her hair. She remembered a pair of arms encircling her and a feeling of love like nothing she had ever known. She often dreamt of a love that would make time stand still, but she never remembered these night time fantasies for more than a few moments after she first awoke. Every morning she would wake, recalling the dreams of the night before and the ones which preceded them and prayed that they would stay in her mind. Today, like every other day, she could not win the battle over her psyche and her dreams began to fade from her memory
As these visions gradually slipped away, a single tear fell onto her cheek. Even in her dreams, she could not find a lasting love. Her soul longed for a companion to stand by her side and face the world without fear or constraint, a companion who would stay with her for always and would never leave her alone in the dark. Catherine's heartache faded as quickly as the dreams of the previous night, and she rose from her bed unaware of the workings of her unconscious mind. She walked to her window and looked out over the familiar streets below and felt something quite unfamiliar. She couldn't place why, but today was different. Something would happen today, something that could change her life. She looked over at the form of her sister, Elizabeth, still asleep in her bed and then turned back towards the window. Yes, she thought, today would be very memorable indeed.
