The Dreams We Share

Chapter 17 Coming Home

Lucas darted out of bed just as dawn approached. It was going to be a beautiful day. Sun or no sun, rain or no rain, it didn't matter; he was going to see her.

He contemplated his wardrobe and pulled out his favorite suit. Then he thought better of it. He had told her not to fuss, that it would just be the two of them and he liked her just as she had been when they had gone to the beach. He decided perhaps that he would not be as casual as their trip with Jack, so he compromised. Dress slacks, white shirt, and a favorite vest. He left the jacket and tie in his closet.

He brushed his hair into soft waves; he had thought to get a haircut while he was in Hope Valley, but decided he liked the idea that she might want to run her fingers through it and left a haircut for another day. "Okay Lucas," he thought to himself. "Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." But he did walk over to his dresser and take a bottle of his best cologne and dabbed just a bit on. It had been a Christmas present from his mother. His father had winked at him indicating that it had a helpful effect on the ladies. "She says it has 'notes of vanilla'. I am not sure about that, but it seems to please the ladies," he had told him, making Lucas feel awkward in the process.

He headed downstairs to see Marcus off and then check in with Gustave. He saw that Gustave had placed a vase of flowers on the table in the dining room. A lovely bouquet of wildflowers that he knew Arawyn would find fanciful.


Arawyn was so excited about his return. She had looked through her outfits and had changed twice, but finally settled on one that Lucas had not seen her in. It was casual but very feminine; a pale green color that she knew complimented her eyes. It left her shoulders almost bare, with a flounce around the top. Her aunt had told her it looked very much like ones she had seen on a trip to Mexico a few years before. The skirt was also several ruffled tiers, and fell to mid-calf. She left her hair loose, knowing he would prefer it that way, and wore silver hoops in her ears. To round out her outfit, she wore a small silver and turquoise cross around her neck that had belonged to her grandmother.

She had about a half an hour before the carriage he was sending to pick her up would arrive. He had loaned his car to Marcus for his trip and had to pick up one at the Ministry later. She went downstairs to say hello to her aunt and uncle while she waited.


At 8:30, Lucas planted himself by the window in the front parlor. He would read his newspaper while he waited for her arrival. The gates were closed so he would meet her there as soon as he saw the carriage pull up. He had shown her how to enter a smaller gate to the side for visitors on foot so he knew she would know how to enter from there if he was not waiting for her.

He was expecting her by 9:00. He got anxious and finally decided to head out to the gate. He set his paper down and stepped outside just as the carriage stopped. The driver helped her down and she went to open the gate and slip through… and then she was running towards him. He hurried down the steps as fast as he dared, and he swooped her up just as she reached him and twirled her with all the joy he felt inside. He then held her close for a minute as he whispered how much he had missed her. He then set her back so he could see her.

"Just as I remember, only even better if that is possible," he told her. He traced his finger down her nose and across each cheek, following the dusting of freckles and then cupped her cheek with his hand. I told you I want to kiss each one and someday I may try," he told her making her laugh at the thought. He looked at her with a smile," shall we go in?" he asked. Reaching down for her hand. She nodded and together they climbed the steps to the house.

"Are you hungry? We can have breakfast if you like? Or I can bring our tea and we can have it here on the couch," he asked as he led her into the parlor.

"To tell you the truth, my stomach was filled with butterflies from the thought of seeing you. And now it is filled with butterflies from seeing you," she said openly.

"Something I adore about you, Arawyn, you are honest and open. No pretense, no put-on airs. You make yourself vulnerable in doing so. But you are brave, and you make me feel brave too. Come sit here. I will just be a couple of minutes. I will bring some tea and some scones that Gustave made. We can have that and then eat more, closer to lunchtime. He squeezed her hand and headed out but returned almost immediately with the vase of flowers. "Gustave put these on the dining table especially for you. He thinks you may fancy wildflowers. I will put them here so we can enjoy them." He turned back to his mission… getting them some tea.

Gustave placed the tea service on a tray and put scones on a plate with clotted cream and jam in case she might like it. Lucas had a thought that for now she might just eat them plain. He too had a few butterflies …. But maybe clotted cream and jam a bit later after he said what he wanted to say.

He returned with the tray and poured their tea. He handed her a napkin which she placed over her lap, and she took a sip. She felt the warmth of the tea sooth her as she waited for him to join her. He too took a sip and then placed his cup on the coffee table and took hers and placed it there too. He took both her hands in his and shifted himself to face her.

"Arawyn, I am prepared with a speech, and I rehearsed it many times. But it just does not feel right at this moment. So, I am going to drop all the fancy words and just speak from my heart in the plainest and simplest terms." She smiled at him, and he felt encouraged to continue. "I told you not long ago that you had bewitched me and that is true. From the moment I saw you. But I knew there was so much more behind the ethereal beauty; just your presence at the university alone told me there was more. And in just these past couple of weeks I have found that there is no one that I have ever met that makes me feel the true freedom to speak my mind, no one who has been free to speak to me in kind. I told you on that day I called from Hope Valley many of the things I find so attractive about you. Both in body and mind. But I stopped short of telling you this… I am falling for you Arawyn; I have been floating on air since we met and yet there is a sense of falling too. And when I land, I want it to be with you. Will you take the leap with me my sweet Arawyn? Will you let me ask your uncle if I might court you in earnest? I can call your father if you like. I want to be free to win your heart completely; and if it is not too soon to say this, I envision the day that I might ask him for your hand." He paused so she could speak.

"I am glad you dropped your speech. You are a poet at heart and yours is a big one. I have been floating on air as well, floating with the butterflies it seems. You make me want so many things that always seemed so far in the future or perhaps not for me at all. But now I believe that when you find the right person, it is like you are no longer your own person; that you are not whole without them. That is how I am feeling; I am no longer me without you. I will take the leap with you Lucas. I think we both know what we want; but now that I have found it, I will not be too patient I am afraid," she told him looking straight in his eyes.

"Nor will I, sweet Arawyn," he whispered. He could feel the pull now, she was trying to keep her gaze on his, but her eyes would drop to his lips. He freed one hand and cupped it around her neck, stroking her lower lip with his thumb. He felt rather than heard her moan as he then stroked his thumb along her jaw and lowered his mouth to hers. "Sweet heaven," he thought to himself as his lips touched hers. She reached up to circle his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. She pulled him towards her wanting more, but not even sure what that meant. He wanted just to feel, to take this kiss as far it would go, but he also sensed that she was an innocent and did not want to take more than she knew to give. So, he did not deepen the kiss but rather pulled back to trace her lips with the tip of his tongue and finally to do what he had been wanting to from almost the first moment he had seen her; he gently bit that full lower lip and tugged. She moaned audibly now, and he kissed her lower lip where he had bitten it. He drew back so he could look into her eyes. They had been closed but she opened them now with a look of longing and he was sure that her eyes had changed color; somehow the blue was more pronounced and the green a shade deeper. He leaned in to kiss her forehead and then leaned his against hers gently running his nose against hers as he did.

"I have dreamed about this moment for weeks now and not only while I was asleep. It far surpassed anything my imagination conjured, and I have a very vivid imagination," he whispered to her.

"I've read about this moment for my whole lifetime, and nothing described came even close to what I felt or how I feel right now," she told him.

He raised his head to look at her, her face was rosy as he had expected, but the flush had reached her neck and all the way to the ruffle of her dress. Her eyes were dreamy pools, and he could see the desire there.

"You are so beautiful, my Arawyn." He reached up and ran his fingers through a wayward curl bringing it back over her shoulder.

"Do I embarrass myself and tell you that other than Danny Ivers who kissed my cheek when I was twelve, that was my first kiss? I have never felt the draw before; never let myself be in a position where I would let a man have my first. Never wanted to," she said.

"Well, I am glad that you waited for me," he said. He hoped it had been special for her.

"It was…" she said. "I can hear the wheels churning and you are too much of a gentleman to ask me, but you can ask me anything, tell me anything. Remember that," she said.

"I will tell you that I want to kiss you again. I feel hunger and want to explore that with you. But I also want to savor this. Like with our friendship, I want to learn everything about you and what pleases you," he said.

She understood what he meant; he did not want to rush this experience. He wanted to peel back the layers and uncover these feelings between them. To savor rather than just give into the heat. Let the passion build, it was like the dance, a seduction that she was a willing partner to.

"Shall I warm your tea for you?" he asked. She nodded and he poured a bit more in the cup and passed it to her. And I hope that you will try one of the scones…. are the butterflies gone? Perhaps you can take it with cream and jam?" He told her.

"Yes please. The butterflies are gone for the moment, now I feel something just short of painful…." She stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, my goodness did I just say that out loud?"

Lucas laughed at the stricken look on her face.
"You are simply perfect," he told her as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. He then took a piece of a scone and slathered it with the delicious, clotted cream and added a dallop of jam and then held it out for her to take into her mouth. He had to look away to keep from staring at her mouth while she savored the bite. He shared the pain she spoke of. He had the feeling this was going to be a very short courtship. He wondered absently what she might think of a wedding at Christmas. Five months, could he wait five months?


They had stopped in the library to find a book of poetry that Lucas liked. He asked if she would read to him while they sat outside in the little garden at the back of the house. It was an English style garden but not rigid and formal. It was filled with both wild and cultured flowers of every color and size. The garden had been designed when the house was built; later on, when the Ministry had purchased it from the former owner, they had decided to maintain it.

They had brought along a blanket to lay on and chose a sunny spot. The aroma of lavender and the sound of buzzing bees filled the air. Arwyn removed her shoes and sat on the blanket as she opened the book and found a page she wanted to read.

"Do you like Yeats?" she asked.

"Very much," he replied. He encouraged her to lay back against him. "I heard that he has won the Nobel Prize for Literature, this year in fact. Ireland must be very proud."

"Yes, we are. The buzzing bees remind me of one of his poems, 'The Lake Isle of Innisfree'."

"I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

."

Lucs listened; he conjured the picture to Yeats' words to the melody of her voice. She read others, some of her favorites and several of his including Shelley and Dickenson. From time to time he would take one hand and kiss it. He captured these moments in his mind… the smells, the sights, the sounds, and that beautiful voice reading from the greatest bards.

They remained in the garden for nearly two hours. She read for perhaps an hour before they switched to telling one another stories from their pasts. Just getting to know one another more as they lay side by side on the blanket holding hands.

"Lucas, what time are your parents arriving?" Arawyn finally asked.

"At four," he replied and took out his pocket watch to check the time. "It is half past twelve; there is plenty of time. You said you were hoping to spend some time in your office this afternoon. At what time shall I escort you?"

"Anytime really but perhaps we should go soon. I know that you still need to pick up a car at the Ministry. Why don't you arrange for a carriage now and then you can drop me off at the university on your way," she told him.

They headed inside so that Lucas could phone to have a carriage come by to pick them up. There was not one available in time, but he was able to get a car for hire. He had the driver take them to the Ministry offices where a car was loaned to him for the next few days. They then made their way over to the university.

Lucas escorted Arawyn to her office where she thanked him for their time together. "Thank you for the lovely time today. Please give Gustave my compliments on the scones; they were positively delicious."

"I will let him know," Lucas said.

"I loved reading to you, we will have to do that again soon only this time you can read to me," she told him.

"I would like that," he replied. He was waiting for her to get to what she really wanted to tell him, but he was enjoying listening to her get there.

She looked at him a little perplexed at how to say it. "And I very much enjoyed my first kiss," she said quietly.

"And I very much enjoyed your first kiss," he told her. He took her hand and held it to his lips and kissed it. "And I want nothing more to take you in my arms right now and kiss you again, but I will not compromise your reputation here at the university. "I had better go now and leave you to your work. May I call you to say goodnight?" he asked.

She nodded, "I'd like that." And then he kissed her hand again and turned and left her office.

She walked to her desk and sat. She felt safe with him. He would protect her even if it was from herself for she felt ready to throw caution to the wind.