Chapter seven

William sat in the library, as far away from Miss Anne as he could manage without actually leaving the room. He couldn't be near her, even from this distance his attraction to her nearly overwhelmed any lessons in propriety that he had ever learnt. He wanted her, more than any proper gentleman should ever want a lady, but he couldn't help himself. His feelings were overpowering him, he was drowning in them and he honestly had never felt better or worse. It was obvious that she would never feel anything for him as strongly as he felt for her. Every look, every smile, every laugh she gave him robbed him of yet another piece of his heart that he knew he would never get back. He watched a small frown crease her forehead and he wondered what the cause of it was. Her book, no doubt, as if an insignificant man like myself could ever enter into her thoughts. He shook his head and forced himself to look away from her. He was in love with her, he had known it ever since he had seen her on the floor of the museum, perhaps even before then, perhaps he had been in love with her since he first met her, but he couldn't allow himself to show her that, not only was it improper, but it was wrong, she would never even consider him. Her breath against the side of his neck startled him and he nearly leapt up from his chair in surprise, even though he was almost constantly aware of her presence, she still managed to sneak up on him when he was least expecting it.

"What are you reading?" she asked, gazing over his shoulder, almost touching him, the scent of her was intoxicating and he couldn't seem to remember what was the title of the novel in his hands. He practically jumped up out of his chair, in an effort to put some distance between them, he couldn't look at her, couldn't look in those unbelievable brown eyes without confessing his feelings.

"It's of little consequence, it's only a book." Even though he wasn't looking at her, he could feel her eyes on him, searing into him, trying to look into his very soul. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her cross her arms over her chest.

"Alright, now I now something's wrong." He was shocked into looking up at her for a fraction of a second.

"Whatever do you mean?" She smiled, stealing away another piece of his heart.

"I have working here for nearly a month and I have never once heard you speak badly of any type of literature. You can tell me, I can keep a secret." Her face was honest, open and he had to stop himself from staring at her, open-mouthed. He looked down at the book in his hand, more just to have something to distract him from her face and the title emerged in his swirling thoughts.

"Um, Romeo and Juliet, I'm reading Romeo and Juliet. It's a favorite of mine." He blushed easily, the only thing that came easily to him when he was near her.

"I've never actually read it" Again, she shocked him into looking up at her.

"You've never read it?"

"No, well, I saw the movie . . . . I mean the play but I've never read it." Ignoring the wild beating of his heart, he strode swiftly over to her, eyes filled with passion.

"But the play cannot do it justice. The words speak of hidden passion and longing that can never be fully portrayed by actors speaking lines. Every line is filled with such unbelievable heartache that you feel your very heart break along with the characters." William was suddenly aware that he was spilling his heart to his own Juliet and immediately repented.

"I am truly sorry, Miss Anne, I don't know what came over me." She gently laid a hand on his arm, the heat of it sending delicious shivers throughout his body. He tried to move, he really did but he couldn't quite get his brain to relay the message to his muscles.

"Please, do not apologize, William, there is no shame in speaking about what you are passionate about. Passion drives us, fuels us, it keeps us alive." He was weak, God help him, he almost confessed everything there, almost swept her up into his arms and let all of the ardor that had welling up inside of him spill over. She was close, too close for polite society, but there was no society here, only the two of them, and the maid, he mustn't forget the maid. The remembrance that there was someone else in the room other than the two of them cooled his fervor; he couldn't tell her anything where there was the possibility of being overheard. He drew back reluctantly and thought he saw a spark of disappointment deep within Miss Anne's seemingly impenetrable eyes.

"Passion is nothing but misguided thoughts and emotions." He said, unable to tear his eyes away from hers and he was sure she could see past his lies.

"You don't believe that, do you, William?" his body thrilled as she said his name and he pushed his feelings down, knowing that he had to preserve her honor.

"No, I don't" His voice was husky and he cleared his throat, 'But polite society demands that I say so." The pain in her eyes was visible but he couldn't fathom the reason behind it.

"Have you ever been in love, William?" Her question came out of nowhere; he didn't have time to formulate a lie, but that didn't mean he had to divulge everything.

"Yes"

"Then you know what passion really is, the uncontrollable urge to be theirs, only theirs and have them be yours forever." This was the closest he had ever been to her and he could feel the sparks of electricity flowing between them. He swallowed hard,

"Have you ever been in love, Miss Anne?" His question seemed to quell her fiery mood slightly.

"I have, he broke my heart." She smiled bitterly, remembering some past torment and his heart broke for her.

"I guess you could say it was a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet."

"I'm sorry" he told her honestly. He was sorry, sorry she had had her heart broken, sorry that she was still obviously in pain about it but most of all he was sorry that his feelings could never match up to the love she had felt for this ex-lover.

"It's over; it's been over for a while." But he could see in her eyes that it would be haunting her forever, always in the back of her mind. He nodded, finally tearing his eyes away from her, breaking the spell. He turned to leave, but Miss Anne kept a firm hold on his arm.

"William?" Her voice was throaty, quietly pleading. He turned back, knowing he had to leave soon or he wouldn't be able to stop himself from doing something he could never take back.

"Yes?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice even.

"Could you read it to me sometime? Romeo and Juliet, I mean. I can't think of anyone better to introduce it to me." He nodded, no longer trusting his voice, he turned once more to leave, but she stopped him again, swiveling him around so he was facing her again. She pressed her lips to his so gently that at first he wasn't sure if he had imagined it all but when she pulled back, for an instant, he could see reflected in her eyes everything that was buried within his.

"Thank you" she whispered and before he could react, she swept from the room, leaving William more confused then he had ever been.