Page 82 of A Touch of Charm
Right then.
“Rasinu kalatin plomp?” He rasped. “Is that in her language?”
“It means whatever you wish for it to mean inQuinovinum.” Now Thea tilted her head slightly and smiled, but her gaze fell from his eyes lower.
He hoped it was to his mouth as he closed the distance. “You have an affinity for languages, Princess.”
His lips touched hers.
“I have an affinity for you,” she said in his mouth just before he inhaled. “I’ve fallen in love with you.” She opened her mouth to receive his and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.
“Me too,” he managed before there was no more time to speak.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cloverdale House wasfull of patients, and with the other doctors back, Andre finally had time to see the patient Thea had mentioned before, a woman reluctant to receive the discharge order required before her husband would come to pick her up. Odd, truly, because patients were usually eager to go home after extended recoveries.
The aroma of freshly brewed tea wove through the air, blending with the soft sounds of birds chirping in the garden. Andre ran a hand through his hair and shifted the leather medical bag. As he stepped further down the hall, he heard excited women’s chatter, and when he recognized Thea’s voice, he couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps he could say hello to her before retreating into the exam room with the next patient. Much had remained unsaid between them, and he didn’t know how to forge the future he so desperately wanted with her, but, at the same time, the most important words had been uttered. With those words, Andre had a newfound hope that life would turn out alright.
He followed her voice into the south-facing parlor room and noticed Thea sitting beside a woman with her back toward the door. Both had delicate porcelain teacups cradled carefully in their hands. A flicker of warmth washed over him as he caught Thea’s optimistic words floating toward him.
“Once your leg heals, I shall take you for a stroll through the gardens,” Thea said, her voice brimming with hope.
Andre felt the familiar pull of emotions as he turned his gaze to the patient’s leg. She sat with a bandaged leg propped on a cushioned stool, a grateful smile lighting up her face. Sunlight caught her golden hair, framing her like an ethereal vision.
In that instant, Andre felt his heart tighten; it had been too long since he had seen her. The recognition struck him like a lightning bolt, illuminating a past he thought was forever lost.
His gaze remained locked on Anna for a moment longer, sensing her struggle to anchor herself amid the conflicting emotions. He instinctively glanced at Thea, catching her furrowing her brow in concern; she must have realized something was underway. Then, his eyes returned to Anna, and when they met, a jolt of recognition surged through him. It was as if the air crackled with unspoken words, heavy with the weight of their shared past. In that instant, everything shifted—time seemed to hold its breath—as they stood on the precipice of rekindling a bond tarnished by silence.
As he stood there, frozen in the moment, he first noticed how the sunlight glinted off her hair, reminiscent of his father’s. It was a striking reflection of the von Dürer lineage; only the von Dürer side of the family sported such blonde locks. She looked so familiar yet different—a hauntingly older and sadder version of the sister he had cherished in his youth. It was as if the weight of the years had etched sorrow into her features, revealing the toll of sleepless nights and tears shed in sorrow.
Andre watched as Anna’s chest rose, and she held her breath. A growing drumbeat from his heart echoed joy and apprehension when he realized she’d recognized him, too. The corners of her mouth twitched instantly; then she pursed her lips as if to say something. Instead, she inhaled deeply, and a warm and inviting smile appeared on her lips, yet it felt almost foreign to him. It was a smile that hinted at shared memories and the companionship that had anchored her through tough times. But as quickly as it emerged, it faded, replaced by a wave of uncertainty that washed over her.
“Anna,” he whispered, almost inaudibly.
In her gaze, he saw echoes of their childhood—but the years of separation had weighed heavily upon them, infusing the air between them with unvoiced pain and an undeniable sense of loss. Andre felt a deep ache in his heart, recognizing the distance that had formed in the absence of their shared lives.
As Anna’s smile slipped away, a painful twist of emotion knotted in his stomach. Memories of their last encounter flooded back. His mind raced, but time felt inexplicably slow. A flood of vivid and poignant childhood memories surged through him. But now, as he looked at her, she had transformed into a lady—a stranger yet undeniably his sister. The emotions churned within him, a storm of joy and disbelief.
Then, in a moment that felt like a scene from a dream, she dropped her teacup with a clang, the sound sharp against the silence that enveloped them. The hot liquid nearly spilled onto her lap, and without thinking, Andre instinctively reached out, catching the cup with the saucer just in time.
“Andre,” she said, her voice a melody that stirred something deep within him, a connection that transcended time.
It was then that Thea broke the spell, her curiosity piqued. “You know each other?” she asked, her eyes darting between them.
His heart tightened. “I thought I’d lost you forever.”
*
Thea sat inthe corner of the drawing room, the light filtering through the lace curtains, casting delicate patterns on the polished wooden floor. Her mind buzzed with disbelief and bewilderment. With trembling hands and eyes wide with shock, she watched as Anna pushed herself up from the floral-patterned chair.
“Andre!” Anna’s voice trembled, barely a whisper yet filled with urgency and surprise. She moved towards him, her steps quick and unsteady, a mix of hope and disbelief in every stride.
Andre froze for a moment, his eyes locking onto Anna’s, a myriad of emotions flitting across his face—astonishment, joy, a desperate yearning. He closed the distance between them in two swift strides, pulling her into a fierce embrace. Thea felt her heart skip, the intensity of the reunion almost palpable in the room’s heavy air.
Was he Anna’s lost flame?
But he wouldn’t reunite with her, not in front of Thea. Not after they’d… and then realization dawned on her.
