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What in blazes was so inconceivable about kissing him? He had thought their relationship had begun to turn around and head in the direction it once was long ago when she used to follow him around like a devoted puppy.
But, her reaction to the thought of kissing him only showed her attitude toward him had not changed. She still thought of him as nothing more than a vulgar farmer.
The costume was far too tight, so he had to forgo the tights and wear a tunic throughout the majority of the play. Which would have been fine, if it hadn’t been so damn hot that evening.
Erika on the other hand, looked beautiful. As she usually did. More so lately than ever before. Why he began to notice, he wasn’t sure. He already knew what a pretty girl she had grown into, but as of late, he found her beauty breath taking.
Like he did the other day by the railroad bridge. Her soft flawless skin had the slightest trace of a pink hue, and those magnificent blue eyes glittered brighter than any sapphire. She had chosen to wear her hair loose for rehearsals and he had never noticed how magnificent her golden tresses were. He had been disappointed tonight when she chose instead to plait it back in a severe braid.
Dragging his wandering thoughts away from Erika, he focused instead on the task ahead of him. He hadn’t really wanted to help, but she had looked so devastated when she realized Ryan wasn’t coming. Jay would throttle his brother the first chance he had for putting such utter sadness in her eyes.
The play began as it always did in rehearsals, and Erika shone as the star. Jay would have gladly taken a seat in the front row and watched her all evening. Her pleasure in her craft shone brightly. As well as her talent.
The odd time her brilliant blue eyes would bestow him with a look, would have him catching his breath. The words pouring from her lips and the emotions spilling from her eyes touched him greater than he could have ever imagined.
Even rehearsals hadn’t been this profound. It made him wonder if she always saved all her energy for the actual show. He knew Madeline Lynton, the theatre’s opera singer, wouldn’t speak for days before her performance to save her voice. He wondered if perhaps actors were the same.
When she suddenly launched herself at his feet crying, “...kiss these feet that walk upon my soul!” Jay reacted without thinking.
He automatically bent down, took her by the shoulders, and pulled her back up to her feet. The moment he saw the look of surprise in her eyes, he realized his mistake and quickly dropped his hands and fumbled with his lines. “Be still my heart.”
She turned from him, carrying on with her lines, and Jay sighed with relief. Maybe volunteering wasn’t such a good idea after all. However, considering everything she had done to help get this bylaw passed, Jay more than owed her in return.
He tried to remain distant for the remainder of the play, but her deeply moving words drew him further and further in. So enthralled was he that the audience began to fade and nearly disappear from his conscious, to the point it felt as if it were only he and Erika upon the stage.
When she came to him and clutched the front of his tunic, her eyes burned of such sincere pain he thought his heart would break right then and there. “Thou bitter family shall not keep us apart. Nay, not even death. For if my lord part from this earth, I shall throw myself upon his grave and await my own tragic demise.”
Something clenched horribly in his chest and he impulsively reached for her hands, closing them within his. “Don’t ever do that.”
“W-what—?” she muttered, taken aback by his unexpected burst.
Jay grimaced at his mistake once again, but did not release her.
“Er-um—” She tugged at her hands and he let them go reluctantly. Then placing one hand over her heart, she said, “My bosom belongs to you for within is my wretched heart”
His gaze dropped to her hand covering a silky covered breast and he felt his insides do a gut wrenching twist. Lifting his eyes, he stared into her curious gaze. It amazed him that she was having so much effect on him, but wasn’t affected herself.
Sighing, he reached for her hand and, unscripted, brought it to press against his own chest where his heart beat rapidly beneath. “And mine is yours.”
She blinked and remained motionless for a split second, simply staring up at him. He knew his heart was pounding furiously beneath her fingers, but he did not release her hand. Moreover, she did not pull it away.
Erika stared into Jay’s eyes and saw something she had never seen before. Such profound and undeniable emotion. They held her prisoner and refused to abandon their hold. The warmth of his hand covering hers created a tingling sensation beneath her skin. She had an overwhelming urge to turn her hand around and grasp his.
With a start, she realized silence hung over the entire outdoor theatre. Not a single audience member so much as uttered a sound. Not even a cough, which was always guaranteed in a performance. In that crazy moment, she lost all sense of reality. It took her a few seconds before she remembered where she was.
Blinking, she thought frantically of her next line. Needing to clear her head, she tugged her hand free. She looked up into his face and regretted the instant she did. Though he relinquished his grip, his eyes on the other hand would not release his intense gaze into her own.
Erika swallowed hard and with a start, discovered her legs were beginning to feel shaky. Closing her eyes, she spun on her heel and put her back to him, searching desperately in her befuddled mind for her next line. It took a moment, but it eventually came. Thankfully, she didn’t think the audience noticed. So captivated were they by the scene on the stage.
She had no idea what was happening to her. Never before had she lost it during a performance. It was all Jay’s fault. Why was he looking at her like that? Then it struck her. Of course. He was acting.
How could she be so gullible? Truth was she had never seen him perform in anything before, so how would she have known what to expect. Good Lord, if they handed out awards for acting, he would get top honors.
With tha
t thought, she was able to breeze through the rest of the play. She didn’t give Jay and his heart-stopping expressions any more thought. Until, that was, the very last scene.
She stood above him in the balcony and clutched a small canister in one hand and her other outstretched as if she were reaching for something. “O thou my love, your murderous death shall not separate thee. For in thy hand is the poison that shall suck the life from thy breath.”
