The bath was a sequence of blissful moments, which made Nora lose herself in Martin always more irretrievably.
The instant she let him lead her inside the lake, slipping and sliding on smooth rocks covered in a layer of water plants she could not perceive in the candlelight, the warm water encased her body in its embrace just like Martin's arms, hands, and fingers that never let go of her, caressing, teasing, suggesting, promising so much more in their whisper-like touches, making her anticipation and impatience grow as the seconds passed, tempting her own hands to become more courageous, her body more relaxed and inviting.
She had fallen in love with Martin, she would tell him soon but tonight she just... couldn't focus on anything but his touch, she... wanted to feel him in the most intimate way... they needed each other... Her thoughts came in flickers like the candlelight, vanished with her breath each time he made her heart trip with another caress, making her legs feel so weak that she was afraid that she would not be able to walk out of the lake without stumbling when Martin proposed they leave upon seeing the gooseflesh forming on the exposed skin of her shoulders. She nodded as soon as he said that, impatient to follow him out of this cave, back into reality, to spend the night with him, knowing that this night would change... everything between them.
Nora shivered slightly at the touch of Martin's trembling fingers which had gotten her permission to peel the wet swimsuit off her, and wrapped her in one of the towels, her heart soaring at seeing the look in his eyes, feeling that he was just as elated about this night, about them, as she was.
He kissed her deeply before grabbing his clothes and leaving her alone to get dressed, coming back once she was ready to gather their swimsuits and towels into his backpack.
"I've almost forgotten," he said as he pulled the iron ring with keys and a small bright envelope from one of the backpack's side pockets. "If you still insist on coming to the ball alone, you'll need this. They won't let you in without the invitation."
"As official as that, is it, my lord?" Nora smiled at him, pushing the envelope into the pocket of her coat. You must remember the dress! she told herself, knowing that at this point, she would have to accept anything Magdalena had left or improvise something at home. She almost laughed as she imagined herself attending the posh ball in something homemade. She could be... a ghost, it would only take one white sheet to create a dress... But their game was on; she needed a dress in which Martin would not recognise her.
"Only because the ballroom can accommodate a certain number of dancing couples without making it feel overcrowded," he explained, scattering her thoughts.
He bestowed a kiss on the tip of Nora's nose, then led her to the entrance of the cave, leaving her there while he made his way around the lake to blow out the candles, the fog-like steam raising from its placid surface stealing him from her for moments too long, making her want to follow him, the scent of smoke and melting wax filling the place around her like a spell, moving in swirls in his wake.
Then he was next to her again, his lips claiming hers, her hands laced around his neck, his closeness making her feel overjoyed, dizzy like a glass of the best Champagne.
"Let's go home," he muttered, his forehead resting against Nora's in the near perfect darkness as he collected his breath.
Nora strengthened her hold around him, revelling in the moment, loving to see his response to this moment, their closeness, her... She nodded finally, and, hand in hand, they mounted the spiral staircase, blowing out more melting candles as they moved upwards, the fantastic, secret place flickering out of existence with the last trembling flame as they reached the rotunda again and Martin lowered the trap door smoothly and silently into its place, rendering it almost invisible.
They walked through the arched door then side by side and Nora let her eyes stroll through the snowy night, committing the beauty of the place to memory while Martin locked the tower, then led her across the bridge.
The huge snowflakes fluttering from the black velvet of the night seemed to belong to the infinity of butterflies fluttering inside of Nora, making her feel buoyant and lightheaded, forgetting where she was every time Martin stopped to pull her into him for a kiss, gathering her in his arms for long moments, making the short walk towards the castle whose bright walls they could already glimpse through the dark tree branches feel much longer, almost infinite. But she didn't mind, she was in love, they were together, and they would have the entire night for themselves, and then the days that would follow.
Martin pulled himself from her with increasing difficulty after each kiss, and finally, he dragged her from beneath the trees into the stronger light flooding the cobbled lane, which the gravel path joined not far from the drawbridge.
They were nearly there, Nora could see the bridge spanning over the moat a few metres from them. And even as she observed it, a couple of figures stumbled out of the castle's Entry Hall, the taller of the two, unmistakably male, spotting them immediately and waving in greeting.
Nora watched the stranger who moved fast towards them, causing his companion to stumble on the frozen wood of the bridge. She looked up at Martin when she felt his eyes on herself, her eyebrows knitted in confusion as he said, "I'm sorry, Nora. He was supposed to come tomorrow night."
She watched Martin run a despairing hand through his black hair as they walked on, before she turned towards the strange couple and now, up close, recognised them finally as Victoria and... Eric.
Her shock of meeting Eric after all these years, here and now, in the moment she wanted to meet him less, wasn't over when she realised how drunk he was. And Victoria was worse.
The moment Eric let go of her to reach theatrically for Nora and pull her away from his brother, his companion almost collapsed onto the cobblestones, Martin's arms catching her at the last moment.
"Goodness gracious me you changed, look at the duckling grown into a swan!" Eric exclaimed. He took Nora by her hand and spun her around unexpectedly, making her land against his chest and struggle to free herself as he continued, "Daniel didn't do you justice when he said you were pretty and I couldn't wait to see you since he mentioned you were back."
"Eric," Martin warned, one of his arms reaching for Nora to help her disengage herself from his drunk sibling, the gesture making Victoria almost fall again. "What have you done to her?!" he accused his brother, looking apologetically at Nora as he retracted his arm from her to be able to keep Victoria on her feet.
"Oh, she did that to herself and got me drunk too." Eric laughed. "I met her in front of your flat hours ago. She didn't look particularly happy. We've been waiting for you in the hotel's bar, she cried when you ignored her phone calls and texts... and so we had a drink or two..."
He teetered dangerously, forcing Nora to step closer to him to support him.
"You were supposed to come tomorrow. The hotel's full tonight, where do you think you'll sleep?!" Martin said, his voice almost a hiss.
"Your place, of course. Why, it won't be the first time you let me crash on your sofa." He spread his arms in the air, making Nora duck her head at the last moment.
Nora had never seen anyone this drunk before. She looked at Victoria-- the woman looked even worse than the still cheerful Eric. She was not moving, just stood still, almost passed out, leaning against Martin.
"Nora," Martin said, his voice begging her to meet his eyes. "I must take her home."
"Of course you do," she agreed. There was no doubt about it; the woman would never find her way home alone in this condition, and neither would Eric, even if he knew where she lived. "I... Just call me when you can." She shrugged. "I'll take him back to the bar and then go home, you can pick him up when you are back."
Martin sighed. "You don't have to stay with him any longer than you want to. Here," he added, pulling a set of keys from his pocket, bringing it to Eric's face. "You can find your way to the flat, can't you?"
Eric took the keys from him, first nodding, then shaking his head vigorously, the effort landing almost all of his weight on Nora, making her stagger.
"I'll call you soon. I'm so sorry," Martin muttered, leaning in to kiss her where she stood under Eric's right arm, his movement making Victoria teeter dangerously.
Inhaling deeply to summon strength and courage, Nora simply nodded, taking a step towards the castle's Entry Hall, taking Eric with her while Martin and Victoria started to walk down the lane, towards the small town sleeping under the hill, beyond the silent park.