Together on Ecarte Island

The Tempest

The same three cadets from the nautical academy loaded several trunks onto The Lux for Gilbert and Violet to take back to Ecarte. Two held much needed clothing for all the seasons on Ecarte Island, where the summers were very warm and the winters would sometimes see snowfall, and the eastern wind was constant and oftentimes relentless.
The remaining trunks held a load of reference and fictional books, various tools and other items Gilbert felt could be used in his classroom.
In Violet's arms was a small stuffed toy dog Benedict and Iris had brought with them.
"Thought I'd bring this," Benedict had said , the toy dog in his outstretched hand. "He seemed terribly lonely without you in your old room. Besides, Claudia said the space could be my new office when I become Vice President of the company."
At that Claudia nearly choked on his drink.
Violet took the dog and held it at eye level, staring into its sewn-in bead eyes. She then looked at Claudia who had bought her the toy dog so very long ago and had remained nearly the only decor in her room. She smiled, hugging it to her breast. Claudia grinned and looked away sheepishly.
She then looked back at Benedict. "Thank you for bringing him. Ecarte will be a lovely place for him to live now."
Dietfried had grown weary of persuading them to stay and finally gave it up all together. When the time came to pass along the family estate, well, that distant bridge would have to be crossed when they came to it. It was no use luring them with it right now.
Dietfried thoroughly inspected the sailing vessel top to bottom himself. Sailing to Ecarte Island with good wind and favorable weather should not pose any problems, but just to be on the safer of sides he radioed  Captain Capelli, who was scheduled to sail another passenger ship from Leiden back to Gardaria.  With known coordinates, Dietfried was able to stay close, but not too close to the passenger vessel.
     Violet and Gilbert stayed up on the deck, enjoying the view, the sunshine and the cool sea breeze. 
     Violet left her hair loose, letting the long silver blonde tresses blow back from her face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, the sea wind forcing her to steady herself by holding fast to the deck rail. 
     Opening her eyes again, she sought out Gilbert who was undergoing an approved therapy of manning the ship at the great wooden wheel, something he had not done in many years.  Her love for him knew no bounds, watching him in a sailor's stance, finding new balance now that a replaced right extremity had properly shifted his center of gravity. Dietfried was nearby, to guide (bark at) both Gilbert and the constantly racing about cadets.  The cadets scampered with every order. Gilbert would obey, but for the most part ignored his older brother, and enjoyed his time at the wheel, a smile of boyish delight on his face.
     As evening closed in, Dietfried retired to his sleeping compartment after the frustration of  losing yet another round of mancala to his younger brother.
      "Sore loser, that's Dietfried." laughed Gilbert putting aside the game they had not played since they were boys.  "Mancala was never his strong game, but the backgammon board went missing."
     Violet gazed at him from across the room.  Another one of his old novels was open on her lap. Gilbert recognized it to be 'Ivanhoe'.
     "Are you ready for bed?" he asked stifling a yawn and switching off the desk light where he sat.
     Violet sat still, hands folded on her lap.  "No. . . I mean, yes. . ." she said, rather quietly sitting the book aside.
     Gilbert sensed her discomfort and came to her, taking a seat on the chair's ottoman in front of her.
     "Violet? What is it?" he asked gently.
     She kept her eyes on her resting hands, then reached for his right hand, turning it about in her own.  She held it up to her face.  "Can you feel it? My face?"
     Gilbert gave her a short nod, watching her blue eyes shine in the low lamplight. She lowered his right hand and slid the gloves off of her own mechanical hands. She flexed the fingers, then sat them in her lap, clasped together.
"Do you still want to have me as your wife?" she asked, head bowed.
Gilbert lifted her face with a much better controlled index finger of his right hand. "More than I have ever thought possible." he replied, leaning in for a light kiss on her cheek.
"But. . . children." Violet clinched her hands tighter together.
Gilbert smiled warmly. "And what about them?"
"My hands will always be too cold."
Gilbert covered them with his right hand and laid his left hand upon her chest between her breasts. "But our children will always feel warmth by what lies here. I ought to know. You've kept me warm, even when the world was unbearably cold."
Violet kept his hand against her chest for a good while longer. "I did not understand what I felt for you. There was no word in my scant knowledge for it, I just knew I felt it ever since you lifted me up from the floor and held me against you. And then you gave me a word, but I did not know that word meant what I felt, so I went in search for it. . . And arrived here, in paradise. . . but. . "
"But what?"
She struggled for the words. "I am aching so badly for you. . .and you've been so patient, teaching me how to kiss properly. That is all I know how to do. . .all I want is to please you, and I know this ache I am feeling will be relieved if I do."
Gilbert sighed and leaned back. "Are you for certain you want this?"
Violet nodded, removed her beloved emerald brooch and began unbuttoning her blouse. Gilbert opened his mouth to stop her, but then closed it again, deciding to let her do what came naturally.
Violet stood from the chair and unfastened her skirt and let it fall to the floor, leaving her in a thin chemise hemmed in delicate lace. Gilbert sighed again, a little shakily now. Violet did not realize how much she pleased him already.
"Touch me." she pleaded, in a whisper, "So that I may feel you."
Gilbert, still sitting, caught her to him. Control. Keep control. Do not frighten her. Her past trauma runs so much deeper than your own. But his body growled menacingly as he stood and lifted her in his arms and easily carried her to their bed.