Disgraceful

Chapter 13

Day 5

When she arrived this morning, he was standing before the lake, staring at the distance as though he was deep in thoughts. She pointedly ignored him and headed to the door, not bothering to make a polite greeting. She swore she would not say a word to him ever again. She entered the studio and changed her clothes quickly. When she was walking to the settee, something caught her eye.

A picture of a beautiful woman put on an easel next to the painting collection. Deeply fascinated, she moved closer, staring thoroughly at the painting. Although the woman in the painting held a little resemblance with him, she knew immediately who she was. She had a tender looking pair of hazel eyes. Unlike him, her whole expression was kind and gentle.

"You're right."
His voice startled her all in a sudden. She turned her head instantly and saw him standing beside her. He was staring at the picture.
"She wanted me to remember her."

"How did you know?"
All the intention for absolute reticence during the hours slipped away, unintentionally forgotten in his presence.

"I found a letter from her."

"A long lost letter?"

"It wasn't lost. Actually I have abandoned it for years."
He made a short pause, as if he was scared his voice would crack and tremble.
"I left the last gift from her unopened in over a decade, until last night."

There was something about him that so sad and forlorn, and an unexpected tenderness roused inside her.
"It's not supposed to be easy, isn't it? To go through such experience at an early age. Not many who can undergo a situation like yours."

He turned his head to meet her eyes and said softly.
"I have to thank you. If not for you, I would never find it."

Her cheeks crested with embarrassment, and she said something to divert his attention.
"It must be a heartfelt gift."

His eyes darted down at something in his hand.
"She gave me this, along with the letter."

In an unconscious ease, she approached him to have a look at the necklace in his hand. Contrasting to the size of his hand, the beautifully engraved locket looked tiny and delicate. He opened the locket in his palm carefully, the portrait inside stared back at her. Knowing that he shared something meaningful from his past with her evoked a queer feeling, mixed with a slight wistfulness.

"It's a very thoughtful gift. Why don't you wear it?"

He considered her question for several seconds.
"I don't wear jewelry."

"I think she gave you a necklace with her portrait inside with a purpose. She wanted you to hold her next to your heartbeat."

"Really? How did you know?"

"I read it in some book."
She knew some people wore a tiny painting of their beloved as a bracelet close to the pulsing vein or a pendant close to the beating heart. She always thought the idea was so romantic.

"Do you think she would want me to wear this?"

She nodded, smiling at him sincerely.
"Close to you is where she truly belong. I'm sure there's nowhere she'd rather be."

He lifted his gaze to hers and looked straight into her eyes. He looked mesmerized as if she just cast a spell on him, but his eyes had their charm too, they held her spellbound. For a moment, they just stood and stared into each other's eyes. Something shifted and stirred in the air around them. Suddenly she got aware of the peculiar sensation, the curious atmosphere that always surrounding her in some certain moments with him. She stepped back, as though she wanted to step out from the invisible mystic fog.