Boy this has taken me a long time to update and for that I'm really sorry! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story, I really appreciate the constructive comments you've given to me. I'm really sorry if there is any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes but I have no one to proof read my stories and although I read through them more often than not I miss things!
None of the characters belong to me I'm afraid; I'm just toying with them!
Neither Joseph nor Clarisse were aware of how long they had been dancing by the lake, yet they both knew that they never wanted to stop. Clarisse was only too aware of the butterflies fluttering away within her stomach; butterflies she had never known before, they were the butterflies of Love. This was a Love that had found its base within a strong friendship and nourished until it burned away inside without either of the participants being directly aware. She let out a contented sigh.
"Clarisse? Are you happy?"
Joseph enquired pulling away slightly so that he could see her face in the dusk. His eyes traced her features, trying to memorize every detail down to the last freckle; she met his gaze head on.
"For a long time I wasn't. I mean, I had my boys of course and I love them so much but that never stopped that lonely ache inside of me. There was something missing and I didn't understand what it was."
They were still clasped together in their close embrace and Joseph was tracing circles on her delicate hand with his thumb, listening to her in a way only a man can do when the woman he loves is revealing a part of her to them; enraptured. Clarisse untangled herself from his arms and walked to the edge of the lake and wrapped her arms around her body as though protecting herself from what she was going to say; what she was going to feel.
"My marriage to Rupert, as you know, was arranged when I was just 15. My parents had it all figured out!"
She exclaimed bitterly.
"I was going to marry the heir to the Genovian throne, produce 'the heir and the spare' and live happily ever after with my Prince Charming head over heels in love with him."
Joseph walked slowly to stand next to Clarisse yet still giving her some distance, distance that he knew she needed right now.
"I did love him Joseph, I truly did…just not in the way I needed to to be happy. The piece of my heart that needed filling couldn't be filled by him, he was my best friend but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't feel with him the way I feel now!"
Clarisse had tears running silently down her face as she gazed out over the lake. Joseph reached out to her and slowly turned her to face him brushing away the traces of her tears with the pad of his thumbs.
"Why are you telling me all of this now Clarisse?"
He asked softly.
"No matter how much you don't want to hear this Joseph…I've fallen in Love with you. I tried so hard to fight it but I can't. I don't know when it happened all I now is that I was in the middle before I knew it had started and that scares me! It scares me feeling so strongly about someone who won't Love me back! I come across as being cold and unfeeling but I know that if I start to cry I won't ever stop and I can't let people see that weak side of me I just can't!"
The corner of Joseph's mouth had been inching up into a dazzling smile as she was speaking and he was now looking at her incredulously.
"Clarisse! How can you not realize that I Love you and have done ever since the first time I laid eyes on you! You're not cold and unfeeling by any stretch of the imagination…you're simply wonderful, you're a wonderful woman and I want you to know that I don't see you as my Queen but as the keeper of my heart."
Overwhelmed with emotion Clarisse lent into Joseph's touch, leaning into him for support their foreheads touching. Joseph cupped her cheek with his calloused hand as their lips touched for the first time, soft, probing kisses that spoke volumes of more to come.
When they broke apart they gazed at each other in adoration processing what had just taken place. Joseph was the first to break the silence.
"Where do we go from here?"
"I think we need to take things one step at a time with just this feeling inside to guide us."
Done and dusted! This story is now finished and I would love feedback as this is the first story I've written so it would really help if the writing bug bites me again! Thanks for reading guys I appreciate it Cat xxx