Down at the Cove

drop of water

Charlotte was disappointed about his sudden disappearance, but could understand it after a while. They could be discovered at any time. And what would happen then? She could no longer breathe. This heavy air that lay over them. His caressing made this urge in her even more unbearable. It almost hurt. This pressure and this pulling. She had so many questions and he had answered none. Only more questions had been raised in her. She was breathing more and more heavily, she had to get out of here.

She picked up her coat and put on bonnet while she went out too. On the left was the hotel, she wanted to avoid it and ran in the other direction. She took a detour to get down to the beach. There she had the feeling she could finally breathe properly again. Her thoughts whirled around in her head. So many impressions. His eyes. So dark and warm. Lovely. His hands, those tender touches that set her body afire. She wanted more. The thought of it made her body react, like it had done since the cove, whenever she thought of him. The only thing that helped was cold.

So Charlotte overcame herself and went over to the bathing machines, she paid and was drawn to the water. When she had changed, she wished she could bathe naked like Sidney. The robe was so heavy, it sucked her down. Although that was all right. She let herself be pulled down. Weightless. All forgotten. Of course, she resurfaced, and soon her time was up. As she dried off, her thoughts wandered back to her encounter with Sidney. Shaking her head, she tried to shake off the thought of him.

When she arrived at Trafalgar House, she felt nothing of the fresh. Suddenly she felt infinitely tired. Mary also asked her if she was unwell and if she might even have a fever. Charlotte immediately denied this, but then apologized for the rest of the evening when she saw Sidney coming out of Tom's study with Tom.

Sidney had a guilty conscience. Probably he was the trigger for her behaviour, he had certainly taken it too far and then he had left without any further explanation. Since Tom fortunately had the great idea to go to the beach with his children and wife, Sidney stayed behind alone, supposedly to do some paperwork.

But no sooner were his brother and his family out of the house than he ran up the stairs. He took two steps at once. He had the deep urge to explain himself to her. In front of her door, however, his courage left him for a moment, he thought about whether he should really do it or whether it wasn't too dangerous now that nobody was at home.

He knocked on her door. A part of him wished she would sleep and not open it for him, but of course the door was slowly opened at that very moment. Her eyes widened, she probably hadn't expected him.

Her hair, still damp, lay close to her head. He spotted a drop that slowly rolled down her forehead. He resisted the urge to wipe it away and followed the drop with his gaze. Over her blushed cheek, like a tear, he didn't want her to cry over him ever. His fingers were tingling, he wanted to touch her. The drop continued to run down and as she leaned her head to the side, as if she was asking him what he were doing here. The drop rolled down her long neck. Sidney's thoughts drifted away, he wished he could follow the drop. It came to rest against her collarbone and he took a deep breath. His gaze wandered all the way back and was sucked into her eyes. Though he lost himself in it, he raised his hand and touched her cheek tentatively.

She gasped for breath. Tenderly, he let his fingers run across the side of her face. Charlotte closed her eyes and swallowed hard as two fingers slid down her neck. And slowly, so slowly, came to rest on her collarbone. With his thumb he caressed her so light as a feather she could hardly feel it. Wiping away the drop by following her collarbone to her shoulder. There he remained for a moment. Her breath was fast, she swayed a little and he too felt a little dizzy.

It was a warm sensation that moved up his arm and spread throughout his body. Sidney grabbed her shoulder a little harder. Her breath shivered and she continued to breathe with her mouth open. It shone seductively and the need to kiss her was so strong that he moved one step closer to her. But something held him back. It was too much. His fingers moved gossamer-like down her arm. She was wearing a short-sleeved dress and her cool skin was covered with goose bumps. He did this to her.