Not so faithful

London 1893

Carla loves Frank like she has never loved anyone before.  She knows he loves her too; she can see it in his eyes. He looks at her in such a way that makes her feel like the woman she once was, and the woman she still feels she is on the inside. No one ever makes her feel that way……not even her own husband.

She sits by the fire place, with her anxiety growing and her breath heavy and slow. Her eyes are fixed on the pendulum clock - right and left it goes, following her heart beats. She wishes she could stop the clock so time won’t pass and she wouldn’t have to see him. But she quickly takes her wish back and urges the clock to go faster, for she had missed him so much.

She didn’t care if anyone noticed her nervousness; for she had practiced a thousand times the lies she would tell if she was asked about her mood. She heard the slowing trots of horses and got up to leave the house, asking the maid to inform her husband that she will be waiting in the carriage outside.

She had insisted that they arrive early at Mrs. Rosely’s party, so that he would not be there before her and hence she would not have to start the greetings. She acted pleasant, dancing and talking to the other guests, while her eyes were fixed on the entrance. When he finally came in – alone, her heart tightened and she could barely breathe. The whole party started to blur and he was the only radiant part of it. His eyes seemed to be looking for her amidst the dancing couples, and when he finally saw her, his attempt to hide his smile failed miserably.

Carla was very self conscious. She felt that the whole room could touch the magnet between them. He walked towards her with his eyes fixed on hers, oblivious of the men throwing their hellos at him and women trying to get his attention. By the time he reached her, Carla felt like a million years had passed. She expected his regular courteous and composed “Hello”; but instead, he surprised her with three tender and slowly whispered words; “I love you”.