Chapter 260 - 260

Henry nodded. "I always have people tell me that my business sense comes from my father. I hate it, but I do have to say that when I'm having a moment of doubt I do think what he would do in specific situations.  It is in that same quite true. I know people compare you often to your parents. Would you say your resilience comes from her?"

"I don't know.  But maybe it could be from her. She set a strong example.  You know at that point it was really scandalous for a woman of Chinese descent to be married into the aristocracy. No one would help her when we were living here which is why she tried the green card lottery in the United States when my father was sick.  She was very lucky that someone eventually sponsored her so we could all head to New York. We weren't exactly grateful as we didn't understand why so many changes were happening so quickly. She made it seem like it was all her fault, you know as if my sisters still could do no wrong.  She held her head very high and never dwelled on what she had lost here." Ellie looked at the letters with a strange longing as if she wished to have one final conversation with the departed person before she had passed on. "I always had a sinking feeling as she had always been the only Chinese here when she was the Baroness, maybe she was happy to be with her own people again.  We had such a great ChinaTown in our city that we would soak up when we could. She knew everyone in our city and would try to keep up with all the activities that were happening around us."

He wished that he could feel the same about himself.  But every time someone pointed out his accomplishments or something even remotely impressive, Henry couldn't help pointing out all the people whom had helped ease his way.  Ellie was a complete polar opposite to him in this avenue. He hated being praised by anyone because he always felt that his life had just been handed to him and he didn't deserve it.  He knew his position at the company was only secured because his father had held it before he did. Could he have the same position if he built a company from the ground up?

Ellie touched the swinging sign in front which said that the objects in the display were just a restoration and the real things were being cleaned at Christie's.  The display itself was actually quite nice with a mix of the Chinese furniture her mother had brought from her home with the old aristocratic antiques she was sure had been here since the dawn of time.  It was strange for her to think that an interior designer had not been called and that Henry himself had a small flare for design. There were several alcove seating arrangements all around which provided good vantage points to view the furniture in different settings.  There were little placards which pointed out details and their significance to the viewer. Ellie and Henry had dinner in each of these spots to surmise the full effectiveness of whether these details were visible. Ellie traced the embossed letters with a soft reverence.  "You know this house really is becoming the public attraction you were talking about. I would have never had this vision on my own if I had tried to do this. You know you really have an impressive ability to get things done well and quickly."  

His arm wandered onto hers and he turned her face so he could look into her dark eyes. Henry immediately felt a sense of longing run through him and he didn't want to move just drink in her sights like she was a beautiful landscape he had come to admire.  Huskily he wondered. "What have you been thinking about all alone here by yourself?"

"Me?  What on my mind?  I've been thinking of a lot of things.  Time. A lot about how it's running out sooner than I'd like.  Our time together is coming to a clone and I don't want it to." The melody of her voice was like the echo of a siren over water calling him to the ocean's depths.  "You know I don't like it when people talk about how handsome we look together when we're holding hands.  I don't want you to stop when you're kissing me. I think about what it would be like if you didn't."

Henry drew his closer and pulled her into the warmth of his ċhėst.  Her hand cupped his shoulder and he felt her pulling herself closer to him.  She leaned her head to meet his eyes. Henry touched her chin as she seemed to be nervous at their sudden closeness.  He wondered. "I didn't know that you didn't want me to. You should have told me."

Ellie's eyes widened as she heard this.  She didn't move out of his arms or pull him closer.  Instead she smiled. "I know you. I can't tell you to commit to me if you want to be free of me.  I know you are married to me, but the truth is I can't go further if I'm unsure of you. I've let you do more than I'm comfortable with."

"We've already put forth the motion for a separation.  It's solid that we are both soon going to be single. What if we explored this together?" Henry kissed the top of her head tenderly. "No matter how far it is, tonight no one will know.  There's no problem that could be generated from that now."

"Henry!  How can you say that?  I think it's important that it have some meaning.  I know it's not something you can just--" Her face turned down as Henry could hear her voice faltering.  "I don't think that you're sure that the direction your going is a good one."

Henry put his hand on her back, his fingers touching the smooth skin there as there was a low dip at the back of her dress.  "I feel good when I'm this close to you," he whispered against her skin as he wanted her to understand that he did feel the things she thought he did not.  "I'm no Michaelangelo myself but you make me feel like I'm the most important man in the room. I know the way you ease my mind is literally more than any person I've ever met.  I always want to find you wherever you are and stay close to you. There's no one living who can compare to you. The thought of leaving you does make me sick. I don't want to."

The soft grip of an unsure woman loosened as her darker impulses clutched at him.  "Do you really mean that? You're not just saying that because you think it's what I want to hear?"

Her rougher touch made the blood rush out of his brain as he recalled this was a race car driver after all.  Speed was the name of her trade. This side of her was the part she had been holding back. His breath caught as he tried to sound rational.  "Those have been my feelings for a long time now. I'm not going to take them back. I want to stay here."

She took the phone he'd been holding and put it on the table next to the letters.  Ellie rose up on her tippy toes and the moment her lips brushed against his his he stopped holding himself back.  Her kisses were aggressive and angry as she finally acted on the thoughts she had wanted to fo r a long time. Her teeth grazed against his tongue as he swept it to meet hers.

She had always touched him with a practiced grace of a good girlfriend, however, he now knew that there was more here than she had been giving.  Here was the passion to match the fire she had always hidden behind her careful mask. Her hands moved to behind his neck and he felt her nails as she tried to pull him closer.  He didn't care as he pushed her back against the wall behind him. He pulled her painfully close so he could feel the pearls sewn into her dress poking into his ċhėst.

Ellie pulled back at the opening in his shirt.  Henry immediately began to unbutton it so she could get to touching what she wanted.  She bit his neck playfully as she kissed the soft skin there. Henry kissed her open shoulders as the sweetheart neck was perfect for delicate love bites.  He felt his heart catch as he realized her body had healed back to her usual health. Good, he wanted to touch all of her muscles to confirm that all of it was back to it's beautiful full health.  He felt her hot breath on his back as she kissed him there. The pressure made him gasp as she writhed against him.

He felt his eyes roll back into his head as he pulled her full weight into his arms.  "Today, our marriage will be whole."