The Book Keeper (30 page)

Georgia’s mother stood beside them with a serene smile upon her face.  I smiled at her too.  She had given me the most beautiful gift in the world, Georgia.

A gentle sea breeze played among the bows and ribbons decorating the timber posts as soft music began. Georgia’s identical twin sister led the procession down the isle.  She wore a lapis coloured spaghetti strap long chiffon dress with a wrap, holding a white rose posy.   Once Jordan took her position for the wedding ceremony, Georgia made her entrance.  All eyes of our small family gathering turned to watch her walk down the isle, her hand on her father’s arm.

She was breathtaking in her ivory strapless organza wedding gown. She was so effortlessly beautiful
and graceful. Her auburn wavy hair was perfected into a curly updo style, her light pink rose bouquet symbolic of the very first flowers that I had given her.  As she came closer to me, the world seemed to slow down, and there was only the two of us on the planet.  Nothing else mattered.

Finally, the love of my life stood before me
. She let go of her father’s arm and faced me, smiling shyly, emotionally.  I lifted the veil  from her face with a gentle hand,  and our eyes met. I looked down at her delicate hands as I felt my love for Georgia encompassed me.  It was powerful, overwhelming. I imagined it wrapping around her like an angel’s wings, protecting her for an eternity. I felt it’s energy throughout every cell in my body.  It was like a spiritual connection of our souls.  

‘You look beautiful!’ I whispered to her.  She smiled at me and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.  I breathed in and out deeply, and smiled coyly at her whilst the pastor welcomed us all to our marriage ceremony.

Within fifteen minutes, Georgia Harrison became Mrs
Cohen Darcy, we were declared husband and wife before God and our families, and we left the church floating on our love.

We shared in a
mouth watering wedding breakfast with our families before heading off to catch an international flight to our honeymoon destination, still unknown to my beautiful wife.

I never pictured that the Pacific Ocean was so vast.  It appeared that it would never end until the islands of our destination came into view.  The French Polynesian Islands
. They looked small from the air.  The dark green vegetation outlined by the white beaches and the  the vivid shades of emerald, turquoise, azure and royal blue waters was captivating. Georgia looked mesmerized as we circled Bora Bora before we descended to land.

‘Mrs Darcy,
we have arrived,’ I whispered into her ear.

She squeezed my hand.

‘Mr Darcy, you are incredible. This is every woman’s dream honeymoon.  Definitely a thousand hearts and flowers!’ Georgia said, her voice quiet, and then she kissed me lightly on the lips.

We transferred from the airport to the shuttle boat and then off to the Hilton Bora Bora Hui Resort Spa.

I held Georgia’s hand as we walked along the jetty to our Over Water Villa.  The deepest blue water of Tahiti was here, and our villa sat over it.  I walked in silence beside Georgia.  For one, I was taking in the magic of Bora Bora, and two, I wanted to see and hear Georgia’s reactions to my choice in accommodation where we would spend our first week as husband and wife.

A gentle breeze played with Georgia’s hair as she looked out over the deep blue waters of the lagoon.  Her face was angelic in it’s pure bliss.  Her beauty radiated from within her.  My heart skipped a beat or ten as I ogled this amazing woman who was now my wife.  My. Wife.

We stopped at the front entrance to our Villa.  I unlocked the door, and then lifted Georgia up into my arms to carry her over the threshold.  She giggled in delight as I performed this age old ritual with ease.  I pushed the front door closed behind me with my foot, and then kissed Georgia lightly before I placed her feet back onto the polished wooden floorboards.

She twirled around as she looked at the interior of the Villa.  It was nothing short of spectacular.
The ceilings were high and woven, and were composed of a wood and white theme.
The walls and furniture featured deep, rich woods. A king size canopy bed dominated the room.  It’s dark timber contrasting to the white linen bed dressings, and light airy white curtains hanging from the canopy, gathered at the four corner posts. It oozed romance.

I heard
water lapping underneath the Villa, and was drawn to a glass floor panel that showcased the amazing lagoon and marine life below. We both lay on our stomachs to look through the glass. Immediately, we were held spellbound at the sight beneath our Villa, a marine habitat teaming with life and colour right underneath us. Personally, I was in awe. I rolled over onto my back and looked to my left. Glass opening doors opened to a large deck area where we could dine or sit on the padded sun-lounges.

T
he entire Villa was unforgettable.  It was what dreams were made of. It would hold in our memories forever.  I reached over for Georgia’s hand, and moved it to my lips, brushing them lightly against her skin before I kissed her hand.

‘I love you Georgia.  Here’s to the beginning of the rest of our lives together,’ I said, my voice low, emotional.  Georgia turned her head to the side and smiled at me, melting my heart.

‘And I love you Cohen, the man who captured my heart,’ she replied before she moved over and kissed me teasingly, and then passionately, accelerating my beating heart and my desire for her.

She pulled away as she heard the knock on the door.  I got up and answered it.  It was of course our luggage
, and a note informing us of our dinner that would be served on deck at sunset, a gift in celebration for our marriage.

‘Mrs Darcy, may I serve you champagne out on the deck overlooking the lagoon whilst I unpack our trunks,’ I asked my new wife.  She smiled at me, and then curtsied.

‘Merci,’ she replied.  I took her hand gently in mine and lead her outside to a sun lounge.  I kissed her forehead and then disappeared inside, poured two flutes of champagne and returned to her.

‘Pour ma belle
epouse, for my beautiful wife,’ I said smoothly as I handed her the champagne.

‘Merci mon mari belle
, thank-you my beautiful husband,’ she replied, her voice silky, luring.  I bowed to her and then returned inside the Villa to organise our suitcases.

I returned to Georgia a short while later.  She looked remarkably relaxed. Was it the location or the champagne, or perhaps a combination of the two?

‘Mon amour, my love,’ I said as I sat beside her on the sun lounge.

‘Mon amant, my lover, soon to be,’ she responded, looking into my eyes seductively. I leant in to kiss her, lightly at first, until she deepened the kiss making my head spin.  I pulled away from her
, having difficulty catching my breath.

‘The sun is setting, dinner will be here soon, my Heart,’ I said, my voice husky.

‘Aye,’ she responded, running her fingers over my lips, leaving an electrical trail in their path.

And right on cue, the doorbell rang. Dinner had arrived. I left Georgia once again to open the door for room service. With professionalism, an amazing assortment of
delectable foods was placed upon the outdoor dining table for us, adorned with five candles to set the romance of the evening.  As I seated Georgia at the table, I looked over at the sunset.  Everything was perfect.

I picked up my wine glass.

‘To my beautiful wife, thank-you for everything, merci,’ I said, starting to choke up as I spoke the words. Georgia smiled shyly at me.

‘To my amazing husband, you make my heart sing, merci,’ she said, and then clinked her glass with mine, and sipped her white wine, our eyes lost in each other.

After the sun had melted into the ocean, and the first stars twinkled in the night sky like diamonds, the dark clouds moved in.  And with them the first drops of rain.

Georgia and I rushed inside the Villa, closed some windows and then stood and listened to the rain falling upon the roof. I stood behind Georgia, wrapped my arms around her and pulled her against my body.  She relaxed against me, and rested her head against my shoulder.

‘J’aime la pluie,’ she whispered.

‘I love the rain too my love,’ I responded, then lowered my head and kissed her bare shoulder, and then her neck and below her ear.

‘I’m so in love with you Georgia,’ I said, becoming hungry for her.

She turned around in my arms facing me,
and then ran her hands up my chest to the back of my neck.

‘And I’m deeply and madly in love with you,’ she whispered against my lips before I kissed her passionately.
She moaned as I deepened the kiss, and then her fingers worked busily unbuttoning my shirt, and removing my trousers, my underwear.

‘Mr Darcy, you’re not running away from me tonight?’ she asked teasingly as she ran her fingers lightly over my skin, sending tingles throughout my entire being.

‘You are the fox that is making me melt,’ I answered her, covering her face and neck in kisses.

‘Then do I have permission to eat you up Mr Darcy?’ she asked licking her lips.

‘Certainly Mrs Darcy, I surrender myself to you. I am all yours, now and forever,’ I answered looking deeply into her eyes.

‘Cohen,’ she whispered before kissing me again.  I pulled away.

‘Turn around wife, so that I can undo the thousand buttons that keep me from caressing your beautiful body,’ I ordered.  Georgia smiled at me before she about faced.

I kissed her skin at each button that I unfastened.  Her skin was so soft, so warm, she smelled sensuous sending my senses into overdrive.

At the last button, I ran my fingers over her perfect back, and then pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting her outfit fall to the floor. She stood naked before me. 

I kissed her shoulder and her neck, and then turned her to face me.  Her body was unblemished,
sensuous.

‘Georgia,’ I whispered, as I moved my lips to hers and caressed her body before pulling her body against mine.  I was struggling
to keep my strong desire for her under control.  I had to take my time.  I couldn’t rush anything.

I bent down and picked her up in my arms, and carried her to the king sized bed.

Gently I placed her in the centre of the bed.  She looked up at me longingly, and then pulled me down on top of her.

‘Mon amant,’ she whispered.

As the rain fell with more intent on the roof of the Villa, and the lightning lit up the heavens with its applause of thunder, Georgia and I sealed our love, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, our hearts beating as one.

I had given her my gift of purity, as she had done also
to me.  Our emotional, spiritual and physical bond could not be broken.  Our marriage vows were sacred, written across our hearts.

I could never have imagined that our love could be so powerful
, so encompassing.  It has been said, that love conquers all, and now I truly believe it, understand it.

This was the beginning of our lives together, and I was truly blessed, and deeply thankful.

Chapter
25

It was time to burst our bubble of wedded bliss, and return to the land of the living after an absolutely mind-blowing honeymoon on the Tahitian Islands.

Our return to reality was bumpy as we sorted out our belongings, moving my possessions to Georgia’s apartment.  Perhaps I should have taken her up on moving my stuff before the wedding, and then we could have spent our time indulging in desires of the flesh. But then again, being forced to wait for our physical union seemed to make it even more sweeter, more intense.

As I lugged the last box of my belongings out the door of my old apartment, Jack came running up to me.  He held something in his hand.

‘Mate, you left this behind,’ he said huffing and puffing as he held up a brown leather book.

‘Oh, yeah, the bloody book,’ I remarked.  He flicked through the pages, I could see writing everywhere on every page, even illustrations or diagrams or such. I raised my eyebrows surprised that I could now see the text. 
Bloody book!

‘Strangest book that I’ve ever seen.  Blank pages don’t come bound in brown leather jackets like that anymore
,’ Jack remarked, and then smiled at me. ‘I’ll miss you buddy.  And I’ll be looking for you at work.  Don’t be a stranger!’ he said as he patted me heavily on the back.

‘Right back at you, and ah…..thanks….ah…..thanks for everything,’ I managed to launch out of my jumbled mouth.  I nodded to him and then turned to venture to load my car, and head off to my new life with my amazing, beautiful wife.

I parked the car on the side of the busy road, grabbed the old torn box, and then hoofed it across the busy road.  In doing so, I heard the dull thud of the object that had slipped off the top of the jammed box.  Once I reached the pavement, I turned to see the bloody book sitting in the middle of the road.  And within ten seconds, a truck came along and ran over it, and then a car, and a bus, each time the bloody book moved towards the opposite side of the road until it was sitting in the gutter.