Chapter Four

Ars Longa, Vita Brevis – 'Art is long, life is short'

October 10th 1988

00.04am

Autumn can at times be viewed as a mellower season; and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits. Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. Neither spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace, as some have seen in one autumnal day. We must all take time to sit and watch the leaves as they turn, find the art in the most sensational season. Art is not about what you see; it is about how you see it, how it makes you feel and how it changes you. Art is something which is undeniably conducive to happiness; the art of an autumnal day stays with you forever, imprinted in the brain, a vision of beauty; much like Henry admiring the work of art in front of him tonight; Elizabeth.

Henry watched as Elizabeth sat with her legs tucked underneath her, a dark bottle green blanket sprawled across her legs as she leant into her sofa sipping on some wine.

'What?' she giggled

'Sorry, I was just admiring your beauty' he smiled; despite being intoxicated his words fell without hesitation. Elizabeth dipped her head and blushed, her cheeks flooding with a crimson colour. Henry shifted further towards her on the sofa and took the wine from her hand. She looked up into his eyes and immediately smiled.

'You really are' he grinned

'Thank you' she placed a hand on his cheek, her fingers splayed across his jaw line and lingering to the side of his ear

'I've had a wonderful first date, Thank you Henry'

'Me too' he leant forward and connected his lips with hers for the second time that night, their lips parted and tongues dances, their taste buds learning about a new flavour. Elizabeth rose to her knees as the kiss grew in passion. Henry placed his hands around her body, lingering one on her lower back, causing her to arch into him. Henry broke apart first

'I didn't have you down as the soppy type Adams' he teased her

'I didn't have you down as a good kisser but here we are both proven wrong' she pulled her bottom lip through her teeth, setting back onto her heels.

'Oh my skills far exceed my kissing ability' he winked

'Oh is that so? Do you have to boast about it to make up for smaller things?' she ran her tongue along her top teeth as a smirk crept onto her lips, Henry was surprised at her forwardness, but he loved it. It was something else about her that made him never want to leave her side; he wanted to keep coming back to her side.

'Well what can I say, I noticed that you had small feet and you know what they say about men with small feet...' she raised an eye brow at him, she watched as a confused look spread over his facial features. She un-tucked her legs from under herself and stood up.

'Small socks' she laughed and walked into the kitchen area taking both their glasses with her. Henry laughed and shook his head this woman he thought as he followed her. As he walked into the kitchen he watched as she turned the radio on before she started to wash up. She flashed him a smile

'Red wine stains' she offered an explanation before returning to the soapy water before her. Henry decided to have some fun. He turned up the radio as the music began to fill the room. Peter Frampton, Baby I love your way.

Henry walked behind her and tugged at her hips, turning her around to face him. She laughed as he started to mess around and dance before her.

'What are you doing?' she giggled as she watched his hips move

'Ohhh Baby I love your way, everyday, I want to tell you I love your way' he began to sing grabbing her hand and twirling her around, encouraging her to dance with him. Laughter filled the room as Elizabeth and Henry danced together, they started out messing around, completing their own version of a ballroom dance, their lungs full of happiness as they let the alcohol take over and relax. As the song drew to a close their bodies drew closer to one another. Their arms entwined as they began to gently sway to the music.

'I should go, it's gone midnight' Henry explained reluctantly. Elizabeth stepped out of his arms and nodded

'Yeah, I was beginning to get bored' she joked and he started to tickle her, her body twisted under his touch, soft giggling escaped her mouth as she tried to push him away, in doing so she stumbled backwards and he caught her stopping her falling.

'Honestly, what would you do without me?' he mocked, his body towering over hers as she remained in his arms, in a slight horizontal position from falling. Elizabeth was too intoxicated by his eyes to reply with words, instead she shrugged. Henry stood her upright and smiled at her.

'Goodnight Henry, I look forward to the next date'

'Oh yeah...where you taking me?' he teased and pecked her softly on the lips.

'Goodnight Elizabeth'

She watched as he left her home. She had spent the last six hours or more with him and she instantly missed his presence when he left. She smiled and swayed her hips in happiness as she entered her bedroom and got ready for bed. She closed her curtains and glanced out of the window; the rain was finally stopping, the only evidence of rain now being in the form of tiny puddles on the ground. For the first time Elizabeth noticed just how picturesque the evening was; how strikingly beautiful it is when the leaves allow themselves to fall.

Henry left her home early hours in the morning, his mind, soul and body infatuated by her. As he walked home he looked down at his feet, his shoes splashing in the tiny puddles dotted along the walkway as damp leaves clung to the bottom of his shoes. The golden colours reminding him of her hair, her skin tone. There was something about Elizabeth that was simply that, golden. Like a precious piece of art, the kind that not many appreciated for its whole worth, much like the autumnal season.