A Leap in Time (14 page)

When he didn’t respond right away, my stomach churned nervously at the silence. A small part of me wondered if this was too fast for his comfort level.

“Stop fretting, Lexi. I am speechless and honored by your decision.” He leaned down and kissed me, still a little too quiet for my liking.

“How do you do that?” I asked.

“Do what—read your thoughts?” He laughed and caressed my hair.

“Uh… Yes.” I smiled feeling a wave of happiness settle over us.

“I just know how your mind works.” He slid down on the couch so our faces were mere inches from one another. “In that case, we should talk about the real important stuff—like marriage.”

God help me, I needed him in a way that was crucial to my survival.

“What about it?”

“We both agree we want to spend the rest of our lives together. And we both agree we want to spend the majority of our time in Pompeii. Yes?”

“So…it doesn’t make sense to prolong the courtship. We should be married very soon so we can live together like husband and wife…in our own home.” He ran his fingers nervously though his thick ruffled hair.

Holy hell! I’m about to agree to marry Marcus, the same Adonis I met seven months ago in ancient Pompeii. My mind reeled as I digested the insanity of this moment. “I would love nothing more than to be your wife as soon as humanly possible. So, how do we do this?”

Marcus laughed and kissed my face, mouth, and hands, holding me so tight, I squeaked. “Once we’re home, I’ll talk to my parents about having the magistrate come to officiate our wedding and then the festivities will take place, of course. You’ll need a dress. Catina can help with that, and I’m sure my mother will be happy to help too,” he rattled on.

“Ah… Okay. When do you want to do it?” Could we pull it off during our two-week visit to Pompeii?

“Well, we’ll need time to work on details. Maybe we could have the wedding next Saturday. What do you think?” His excitement was infectious.

I had no intention of putting a damper on this beautiful moment, but I had to tell him what was on my mind. “The only sad part for me is that my family and two best friends won’t be part of it.”

There would be many sacrifices in my future and sadly this was one of them. If this was the worst sacrifice, I considered myself blessed gladly accepting them in exchange for the biggest prize in the world—Marcus.

“That’s not a problem. We’ll have another ceremony here for your family and friends. I know it’s not the same as having both our families and friends in one place, but...”

I buried my face in his neck as the certainty of my future folded me in an inner peace that until recently had been unknown.

After Marcus went to bed, I called Charlotte and Kate and told them the news. When they yelped with joy at the news, I almost fell off the couch in surprise. They were both genuinely excited for my adventure.

“Lexi, are you there?” Charlotte said.

“Yeah,” I said, speechless.

“What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy,” Kate said.

“I am happy. I’m just… I thought you would try to talk me out of it.”

“Lexi, we truly are happy for you. Since meeting Marcus, we can see how happy you make each other. He’s a great guy, so of course we’re supportive,” Charlotte said.

“We hate the idea of you not being here every day, but if you promise to come back once a month, we can live with that,” Kate said. “About your apartment… Charlotte and I have been talking and if it’s okay with you, I would be happy to move in permanently.”

“Really? Are you sure?”

I was over the moon with joy. The puzzle pieces had finally come together. Nicely done, Universe! I crawled in bed next to Marcus for the last time as a single girl. The next time we’re here, I’d be Mrs. Marcus Cassius.

Chapter Sixteen

The sweet familiar smell of the Pompeian air was welcoming. I reached for Marcus’s hand as we had done so casually and mindlessly in Los Angeles. He pulled away, shaking his head and reminding me of where we were. How did I forget the hour-long conversation about public displays of affection? Or the story about the wealthy merchant stripped of his assets simply because he hugged his wife in public?

We reached his parents’ house early in the morning hours to find everyone bustling around the kitchen preparing breakfast. Marcus’s mother beamed at the sight of her youngest son. Juliana ran to him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, showering him with kisses on both cheeks. Still in her embrace, he smiled sheepishly at me. From her demeanor, I knew she would be accepting of me as Marcus’s future wife. Marcus walked over to embrace his father. The two men were clearly very fond of each other. I stood in the doorway feeling a tug on my heart for the infrequent visits I’ll have with my parents from now on.

Juliana’s kitchen was well lit from the dining room, which in turn was exceptionally lit from the adjoining garden. The kitchen was spacious by Pompeian standards with an oven, a sink, shelves that housed jars of different sizes and colors, and a small worktable prepping the meals. Another cluster of shelves housed cooking utensils, pots and sealed baskets that could have stored anything from dried grains to dried fruit. For all I knew, the large clay jars held pickled foods. I prayed I wouldn’t be expected to pickle our own food or dry our meats in our kitchen. We would starve for sure. God help me! I was an adventurer not a domestic goddess.

The house itself was airy and spacious, again solidifying Marcus’s background and social standing. The elaborate, decorative walls were covered in murals, mosaics and portraits. The dining room where we sat had a huge fresco on each of the walls—of an outdoor garden that was as breathtaking as the real thing.

I was pulled back to the present when Marcus took my hand. “Mother, Father, I’d like you to meet Alexandra.” Marcus proudly led me toward his parents who stood side by side.

“Welcome Alexandra, we’re delighted to meet you. Marcus has been talking about you for months now. We’d begun to wonder whether he fabricated you to avoid being set up with someone of our recommendation.” His mother smiled teasingly at Marcus and to my surprise, she took me in her embrace, kissing my cheek warmly. “You’re even more beautiful than he described.”

“Thank you. Uh…” I was unsure of whether to call her Mrs. Cassius or Juliana.

“Please call me Juliana. And this is my husband Maximus. He returned from Rome just last night and will be going back at the end of this week or next. I think he missed me too much in Rome.” She touched his arm affectionately.

“We’re happy to meet you, Alexandra. Please join us for breakfast. We want to hear about your travels, and more importantly how you managed to tame our Marcus. We had just about given up hope he would settle down and give us grandchildren.” He chuckled and put his arm around Marcus’s shoulders.

“All right, that’s enough of the teasing. Let’s eat. I’m starving.” Marcus tugged me toward a room adjacent to the kitchen overlooking a beautiful blooming garden with a water fountain of a goddess extending her hands in front of her lifted face, gracefully tilted toward the heavens. I had no doubt this was the goddess of love, Venus. Her presence added a whimsical tenor to the already-romantic garden before us.

His parents were on our heels, excited and eager to hear every detail from our first encounter to my adventurous travels. I wondered how excited they would be if they knew about my real travels. We sat around a wooden dining table. Before the last chair was pulled into place, the maids had every inch of the surface covered in platters of food that smelled so good, I feared drooling. I couldn’t help but notice that despite the simplicity of the furniture, the legs were carved with decorative and ornate designs.

The meal consisted of everything from eggs to dried meats to an assortment of fruits and cheeses. Everything looked and smelled mouthwatering. The spices on the meats filled the place with an exotic aroma. Marcus ate ravenously, sampling from each plate, hardly pausing for breath. There was an unmistakable joyful vibe. I didn’t know whether it was related to my appearance or the fact that their son was home, but they smiled and exchanged knowing glances throughout the entire meal. It was endearing watching their easy interaction and lighthearted banter with one another. His parents were almost flirty without crossing the cultural boundaries.

They asked about my parents and my life prior to meeting Marcus. I answered everything honestly, only leaving out time and location differences. I caught a glimpse of Marcus smirking a few times and avoided his gaze lest I blurt out some of the truth.

When every morsel was finished and every drop of herbal tea enjoyed, Marcus took my hand, meeting his parents’ silent gaze that tracked our every movement throughout the meal.

“Mother, Father, as you may have guessed, I’m madly in love with Alexandra. I can’t imagine life without her. With your blessing, I would like to marry her. We would very much like to be married as soon as possible…this coming Saturday. We anticipated the wedding to take place in Rome because I thought Father was there already, but we could just as easily marry here in Pompeii.” Marcus clearly tried to contain his excitement while they exchanged glances. I felt like a schoolgirl waiting for permission from a teacher.

“My son, we couldn’t be happier. Of course you have our blessing and our help in any way you need it.” His father got up to embrace Marcus and then bent and kissed my cheek. “Welcome to the family, Alexandra.” Maximus’s voice sounded a little choked. I hadn’t counted on the men of this time period to display such open emotion.

I felt like the luckiest girl in both worlds.

“If you want to be married this coming Saturday we have much to do and much to plan.” Juliana wiped her tearstained cheeks. “Alexandra will need a wedding dress and the wedding veil, and of course you’ll need a new tunic, and we must have some stolas tailored for Alexandra to wear after you’re married. And the rings and…”

“Mother, please keep this simple. We don’t want to impose on you financially or physically. As long as the magistrate is here, a small gathering of family and friends is all we want,” Marcus said.

“Nonsense. The wedding needs to take place in Rome so we will leave tonight. Your brothers and all our friends are already there. Tomorrow morning, Alexandra and I will go to Gustavos’ shop to be measured for the wedding clothes while you and your father purchase the rings and speak to the magistrate.” His father might be the head of the household, but his mother ran the show, no mistake about that.

“Is there any other news you want to share with us?” his father said before leaving the kitchen?

“What do you mean, Father?”

“Why such a big rush for the wedding? Is Alexandra with child?”

“Of course not, how could you think that? We wanted to be married as soon as possible so we can live together as husband and wife. We don’t see the point in prolonging the courtship. Are you in disagreement with our decision?”

“Not at all, Marcus. I don’t know why I jumped to that conclusion. Forgive me. Please forgive me, Alexandra. It’s just that suddenly you’re attached to this beautiful woman and you’re ready to race to the altar. We underestimated the power of love and we’re glad you’ve finally found it, or it found you. Don’t look so worried, you have our blessing.”

While Marcus and I lounged in the atrium talking about our upcoming travels later that day, his parents gave the maid instructions on getting the house ready for their departure. Juliana instructed the maid on what to pack and then gave her specific directions on what bread, dried fruits and meats to pack. Interestingly enough, they were all Marcus’s favorites.

“Is your mom seriously packing you snacks?” I had a hard time containing my laughter.

“Uh hmm,” he murmured, snuggling next to me on the sofa.

“Marcus, your parents might walk in.” I giggled at the thought of Juliana packing snacks for her thirty-year-old grown son…my soon to be husband.

“They won’t. Just a little kiss, please. I won’t be able to touch you again ‘till we’re in my parents’ home tomorrow night, or maybe even the night after. And that’s unbearable.” He kissed my neck.

A quick glance at the empty atrium doorway assured we were alone. We kissed passionately. Marcus had my tunic hiked up around my waist before I could stop him. I wanted him completely, and my half attempts at behaving modestly were a wasted effort. I gave in to the desire and surrendered my body and soul to the Adonis lying on top of me tucking at my clothes. We made love in the late morning hours oblivious to everything around us. We stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms in the aftermath talking lazily about the wedding arrangements.

On some level, there was no urgency to join in the chaos of planning. We knew his parents would handle everything and their only expectation of us was to show up. I welcomed relinquishing control of the planning.

Catina’s voice talking to Juliana brought us to our feet. I straightened my clothes and tousled hair. Her squeals of delight confirmed that Juliana had shared our news. I hurried to the other room

“Hello, you two.” Her eyes twinkled. “Well, there’s no mistaking what you’ve been up to this fine morning.” Catina came forward to give me a warm hug. Marcus kissed her cheek affectionately.

“I suppose you’ve heard the good news?” Marcus said.

“Of course. I couldn’t be happier for you two.”

In the safety of his home and in the company of our trusted friend, he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me squarely on the lips. One of these days, I’ll need to ask Catina what she really thought of this public display of affection. It wasn’t the norm in their culture and yet Marcus didn’t seem to care one bit.

Catina giggled with delight, eager for every detail. I expected she would be happy, but I didn’t realize just how happy. Her emotion brought on more tears of joy. I felt truly blessed for this wonderful friend. Who knew our random encounter at the marketplace would lead to all this?

Catina rattled a to-do list faster than his mother had a few hours ago. She’d turned from sweet soft-spoken Catina to a wedding planner on speed. We both laughed.