The Rarest Rose

by I Beacham

  “Oh, really…” Ele blushed and looked down into her lap, embarrassed, but adoring every minute.

  Kier pointed the camera and turned it to get the desired angle. “If you date a photographer, you’ll need to get used to this.”

  Ele stared patiently into the camera and allowed Kier her moment of indulgence. When Kier looked at her again, she saw nothing but love in her eyes. These last few days, cocooned together as if on an island of snow, they had grown so close. It was another thing she knew was right. It crossed her mind that she had known this from the first moment she met Kier.

  Kier rested a hand on her hip. “Now I really need to be on my way. Things to do.” Her eyes narrowed in secrecy.

  “What are you up to, Kier?”

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out later.”

  Ele rose. She studied the seat one final time before following Kier back into the house. “How will I know if this is what John Stafford has been trying to tell me? And what if it isn’t?”

  Kier turned and ran a hand down the side of Ele’s face. “I’m sure he’ll find a way. And if you’re wrong, he can’t be too angry with you because you’re lovely and he’ll know how hard you’ve been trying.”

  “You’re besotted.”

  A few minutes later, as Kier sat in her car, she cast a warning eye at Ele. “Do not arrive at my place before five o’clock. I want to make sure everything is ready.”

  “What?” Ele splayed her arms in front of her. She hated surprises. What plan was Kier hatching?

  “Patience, Ele.” Kiernan touched the tip of her nose. “Everything comes to those who wait.” She waved as she drove off.

  The green sports car disappeared down the drive, and when Ele could no longer hear it accelerating down the country lane beyond, she sighed.

  She stood for a while and looked at the glorious view before her. The snow transformed everything, making it all look virgin pure and clean. Snowdrifts had given bushes and sheds new shapes, and the sunlight bounced off the trees in a peculiar fashion that made her think of fantasy lands. The sound was different too, deadened and muted. It was how she felt now, quiet and empty. Kier’s absence existed like a huge void, and Ele couldn’t wait until she saw her again this afternoon.

  As she walked toward the house, she smiled. Kier had a natural playfulness about her. She loved that. She thought of Kier’s touches, sensuous and gentle. She ached for those again, and she longed to join Kier at her home. There she would have no memories to defile. Her wanting was becoming urgent. Despite their civilized discussions of intimacy versus sex, civilization was losing its battle.

  Featherstone was inside the door watching her. He wouldn’t come outside; he didn’t like snow. It made his precious paws wet. She bent and patted him as she closed the door behind her. Apparently satisfied she was now inside, he moved up the stairs. Ele knew he headed for a back bedroom where sun streaked in through a window and onto a chair; it was one of his favorite spots.

  She followed him. She needed to tidy up and then pack a few things for Kier’s. There was also something else she wanted to do.

  Ele had done a lot of talking to ghosts lately, and yet Beth had never felt like one to her. All through the years since Beth had died, Ele had continued to talk to her and share with her what she was doing and how she felt. When she had thought about converting the stable buildings into a studio, she had sat and talked to Beth, asking her opinion. Of course, Beth never spoke back, but Ele sensed her approval. Others might call it madness, a sign of someone caught in a bereavement cycle, unable to break free and move on. But it was her way of honoring Beth, of letting her know she was still in her heart, in her mind, still cherished. Now she needed to tell Beth something important.

  “I miss you, you know.” Ele sat on the edge of her bed, the one she had shared these last few nights with Kier. “And I don’t want you to ever think I’ll forget you.” Her eyes smarted. “But I think I’ve met someone special, Beth, somebody who makes me feel inside like you used to.” She wiped her eyes with a tissue and grinned. “I expect you’re already eyeing Kier up and making sure she’s good enough for me.

  “It’s why I won’t be here for Christmas this year. I’ve never wanted to leave you before, but now I know it’s time to spend it with someone else, and I hope you’ll understand.” She crossed over to the dressing table and placed Beth’s hairbrush and perfume in a drawer, close to where she’d placed her ring earlier.

  “You will always be my special girl, my first love.” Her tears fell. “Merry Christmas, Beth.”

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Ele finished climbing to the top of the stairs as Kier opened the door.

  “Close your eyes,” she said, removing her small overnight bag and setting it on the floor. Kier took her hand and lead her into the sitting room before maneuvering her around, an arm about her shoulder. “Now you can open them.”

  Ele opened her eyes to a colorful festive sight. Wrapped around every corner of the room were minute twinkling lights and garlands of green and red. Sparkling tinsel generously covered every surface and object. Tiffany lamps added to the subdued ambience. Their colored stained glass pushed warmth in small circles around couches and chairs that had now acquired varying sized cranberry, red, yellow, gold, and green cushions. Her gaze was drawn to the far end of the room. The huge ugly plant with big leaves that once sat near the entrance had been moved and now rested by the floor to ceiling glass pane. It was covered in decorations and fairy lights.

  “You’ve moved the tree,” she stated the obvious.

  “You said it would look better here.”

  “It looks so handsome.” Ele was impressed at how it responded to so little attention. Like us all, she thought. She could feel Kier’s breath on her neck and it resonated deep within her, speaking to a need. “Oh, Kier, it’s like the Christmases we used to have at home. My parents would go to such lengths to make it magical. I’d forgotten how wonderful this can be.” She heard the awe in her own low voice. This was what Kier was planning. She was touched, for it was so personal and intimate. It was all done for her.

  “Mine too, but I’ve never bothered before, but I wanted to. I want to make this Christmas wonderful.” Kier’s voice sounded hoarse and gravelly, the way Ele liked it. Sexy.

  Ele swiveled around into Kier’s body involuntarily and kissed her. The kiss was nothing like the one at the pub; a quick, nervous one praying the other would respond. This transcended that, as her entire body reacted to this one kiss that exploded inside her.

  Her animal desire was mirrored in Kier. Every nerve in her body escalated as she felt Kier’s tongue enter her mouth, and arms push inside her coat to circle her back. Kier pulled her close as a wet tongue snaked toward her ear.

  “If I knew a few Christmas decorations were all that were needed…” Kier breathed as she brought a hand to Ele’s hair, pushing her head back. Ele saw desire in her eyes. “I won’t deny I want you, that I want to take you to bed and make love to you, but I don’t want you to do anything you don’t feel like doing. This isn’t what it’s all about.”

  Ele didn’t need Kier’s compassion and understanding. She needed something else. She smiled seductively at Kier as she stepped back from her to slip her coat off, letting it fall to the floor. She moved back close, pushing her hips into Kier’s. She nuzzled up against her neck, smelling her scent. She was hot and aroused.

  “Seduce me, Kier.” She bit and pulled at Kier’s earlobe, panting. “I need you now. Make love to me.” She took Kier’s hands and placed them low around her. Her encouragement was rewarded as Kier pushed them hard into her bottom, thrusting their pelvic areas closer. Kier gyrated her hips and Ele was instantly wet. She felt as if every nerve in her body was exposed and she longed for Kier to bring a hand forward and slip it into the front of her jeans. She arched her back and opened her mouth as Kier’s tongue sought reentry. She moaned, aware that she was being guided to the wall behind her for support. Kier must hav
e read her thoughts; a hand now attacked the belt on her denims.

  Kier broke the kiss and Ele saw her look down as she tugged at her belt. Her physical excitement grew as Kier pulled her jean buttons open and slipped her hand down past her navel toward her sex. Ele could barely stand as she parted her legs to allow Kier better access. Her mental faculties dimmed and surrendered to the desires of her body as Kier’s fingers manipulated her clitoris, playing in circles. Each slow rotation drove Ele crazy. She was ready now and needed no foreplay. Pushing herself down onto Kier’s hand, she begged, “Yes.”

  But Kier stopped and moved her hand away. She tugged Ele along the open hallway and toward her bedroom. Once there, Ele cast off her top clothing as Kier’s hand retraced its way back past her mound and to her sex. Never had wearing jeans felt so good. Ele shook as Kier’s wet lips encircled her left nipple and sucked as fingers served her clitoris. Her legs weakened.

  Ele was pushed back onto the bed. As she lay there, she saw Kier desperately stripping off her clothes, the excitement hot in her eyes. Ele saw the trim, toned body before her as she somehow managed to push the shoes from her own feet. She was attempting to discard her jeans when Kier frantically pulled them off her in one move before yanking her back to the edge of the bed, leaving her legs dangling over the side.

  Kier pushed herself down on top of her. Their naked bodies rubbed together as Kier started moving up and down her rhythmically. Ele responded, the ache between her legs almost unbearable. Tongue to tongue, breast to breast, sex to sex, she heard Kier’s heaving breathing and felt her wetness on her.

  “Now, Kier. Now.”

  She guided Kier’s hand between her legs again and felt the electricity as fingers played with her, the occasional teasing brush against the entry of her wet vagina. She pushed down, enticing Kier to go where she badly needed her. A double joy of stimulation, she felt a wonderfully wet tongue snake its way down to her breast, and then lips and teeth pull and bite a nipple, as playful fingers finally pushed into her and started the rhythm she ached for.

  The bed moved with them in unison, its little creeks announcing to the world that their crescendo was building. Kier started the pace slow, her thumb caressing Ele’s clit. Ele raised her hips in time with pushing fingers that searched for depth. She felt a chill on her nipple as Kier pushed back up her and returned a seeking tongue into her mouth while simultaneously manipulating one of her legs to open Ele’s wider. The intensity within Ele mounted as she rocked back and forth with Kier, their speed increasing as forceful fingers pushed deeper with every thrust. Her breathing was labored. She groaned and whimpered. She moaned. Her body arched one final time as it trembled and her muscles strained as the climax hit her. Seconds later, she heard Kier cry out. They continued to rock until both stopped in exhaustion.

  Ele moved up the bed and lay still. She grinned as Kier crept with her and curled up beside her. Sated, she placed a hand on thick auburn hair and turned over onto Kier’s sweating body. “I love you,” she whispered. She heard the words returned.

  *

  Kiernan sat close to Ele on her cream couch, surrounded by multicolored cushions of every size. Her arm was around her and she listened as Ele spoke. She wasn’t sure what she was saying, and really, she didn’t care. She was content to listen to her beautiful accent and admire her in her state of semi undress.

  They had showered and eaten. Now they were sat together relaxing, Ele wearing a white cotton dressing gown that was several sizes too small. She didn’t seem to mind. Neither did Kiernan as they drank wine.

  Kiernan sat with her feet tucked beneath her and wished she could save the moment forever. Music played softly in the background as she listened to Ele talk enthusiastically of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race, and why she always supported the former. Kiernan knew little of the race other than it was an historic annual rowing contest between two rival universities on London’s River Thames every April. She understood its importance to Ele who chose to support Oxford because it was Beth’s alma mater.

  It no longer worried her that Ele spoke of Beth, and those moments seemed to grow less frequent now they were together. But in many ways, Kiernan was thankful to Beth. Whatever existed in their relationship, it had left Ele the person she was, warm and decent, loving and nurturing. Kiernan accepted with ease that Beth would always be a part of Ele, but now, she was too. Everything was balanced.

  “Let’s go next April and see them race.” Ele’s zeal was contagious as she spoke like a teenager going to her first rock concert. “It’s a great day out, and the race itself is less than twenty minutes. We could go into London and take in a show or something.”

  “I’m for that.” Ele could have asked her to go to a sewage farm, and she wouldn’t have said no. She could deny her nothing. Any time with Ele was time gloriously spent. What would she have lost if she’d backed away from her? She listened as Ele spouted dull facts about which team had won the most races, and she silently nodded in support, aware that the statistics could have been water volume through her mythical sewage works. She didn’t care. All she cared about was Ele. Kiernan was in love.

  As she listened, she massaged Ele’s shoulder with her hand. Kiernan wondered if she was happy too. She smiled as she thought of their lovemaking and knew her question was redundant. There was too much passion to not believe Ele was as head over heels in love as she was. Kiernan thought how she would make it her objective to love and nurture Ele, and to never let her regret leaving the sanctity of Beth’s memory.

  “Where have Chrissie’s CDs gone?”

  Ele had noticed the clear expanse of floorboards where the pile of discs had once sat.

  “I packaged them up this afternoon. I’ll post them on to Chrissie after Christmas,” Kiernan said. She no longer wanted them. It was time to close the very last chapter.

  The change of subject awoke a thought in Kiernan. She sprang off the couch, explaining she still had photos of Ele taken by the stone seat. She hadn’t had time to download them, and now she was keen to see how they had turned out. She reached for her camera and laptop off a nearby table and returned to sit by Ele. She slipped the small disc from her camera into the computer and manipulated keys. All the time, she felt Ele leaning over her, her breath on her neck. She knew neither of them would get much sleep tonight. She could handle that. But for now, she forced herself to concentrate on her task.

  She opened the folder, and seeing three shots, clicked the one that looked best. There appeared little to choose between them, such was the abundant beauty of her subject. Yes, she was in love. As the image filled the screen, it satisfied her photographic standards. She had caught the right amount of light, and the setting was well configured. The expression on Ele’s face was perfect, and she was pleased with the results. But as she enlarged the photo to show Ele, she blinked hard. She could no longer trust what her eyes saw. The photo morphed and became something impossible. She gasped, and Ele shifted closer to look.

  “What’s wrong?” Ele knew enough to know that photos taken at the old vicarage had a tendency to surprise. Kiernan’s heart plunged. She hoped there would be no more photos like these. But she was wrong.

  At fleeting glance, it was a picture of Ele alone on the seat, staring with affection at Kiernan. But before their eyes, an image of a man materialized—John Stafford—looking young and happy, sitting close to her, his arm around Ele’s shoulder. Fear gripped Kiernan. What happened next made her question her sanity. Ele’s face began to fade out, and slowly, another’s profile appeared. A familiar face grew recognizable, more delicate and lean, hair darker and its style of an age long ago. She knew they were looking at the face of Harriett Stafford.

  Kiernan felt Ele’s hand on hers as they watched the screen. They drew breath at the same time as the next alteration occurred. The photo began to oscillate, and as it did, it moved slowly—impossibly—as if it were a piece of film footage. John Stafford was looking lovingly into the eyes of his wife, but then he and Harriett
looked toward the camera and smiled. In their eyes, Kiernan saw the unmistakable look of gratitude. The image held for several seconds before fading into nothingness and leaving only the original photo of Ele. Alone.

  Neither of them spoke. Nor did they move. Their temporary paralysis stayed with them until Ele managed to find words.

  “Did you just see—”

  “Yes.”

  “They smiled,” Ele whispered.

  “Yes,” Kiernan said.

  Ele put steepled fingers to her lips. “What does it mean? Is it over?”

  Kiernan didn’t know and said so. She looked at the other two photos, but they appeared simply as they were, photos of an attractive woman in her late thirties sitting amidst a winter backdrop with sunlight in her hair. Nothing disturbing happened.

  “I need another drink.” Ele stood and Kiernan, without words, thrust her empty glass toward her.

  As she waited for Ele to return, a thought crossed her mind. She accessed the other photos she had taken, the original ones where she had first captured John Stafford and his pointing finger.

  She didn’t find it surprising that as she opened each photograph, they were the same. Every single image of Captain John Stafford was gone. He was no longer in any photo. It was as if he had never existed at all.

  Kiernan put the laptop down and followed Ele into the kitchen. She stopped at the door jam. “Ele, you asked how you would know if you’d done the right thing, if replacing the garden seat would stop the haunting.”

  Ele looked at her, her eyes wide.

  “I think the answer is yes.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because in every photo I took of John Stafford, he’s now gone.”

  Kiernan had to show Ele each photo to prove it, that Stafford had really disappeared.