Chapter 19: Smitten At First Glance

The Gardens, The Accardi Estate, Verdicci, Sicily, Italy....16th Century...

 Despite a good deal of protest and bitterness on the part of the younger Athan, Sergio Accardi had arranged for his youngest son to meet with his soon-to-be bride for the first time and had thrown something of a party at the estate to welcome the new addition to the family and celebrate the nuptials between his son and future daughter-in-law. Athan had not been privy to the knowledge of whom he was to be wed, it had been his father's choice after all and he was bound by it. He had known all too well that he'd either be forced to tell his beloved Edmond Reeves that they could no longer see each other or Vincenzo would be given the task if he had not been up to it. He'd been dressed in his finest attire something of a vest with dark green fabric and golden trim with matching trousers, leather black boots, and a long sleeves-ruffled white shirt, and made to look presentable given his usual casual approach to interacting with people since he'd returned from studying abroad. His hair had been combed back and his beard more neat than he'd ever liked it to be as he stood, his hazel eyes scanning the courtyard of his father's estate for the moment of truth.

The moment he'd meet the woman chosen for him to wed picked by his father's word. He had not known much about her, other than she'd been the daughter of a fisherman of a vast amount of wealth who had become a shipping powerhouse in the wake of his turn of fortunes and an exotic beauty whom he had wed once the wealth rolled in and he had been someone of note.

Sergio Accardi had done a good deal of good business with the man in the past and Athan had known him as De Savoy, a French man who had been wed to a free woman of color from a noble house of her own. Had there been any prejudice about the De Savory no one had said anything openly as his daughter was rumored to have been highly educated, kind, and distinguished by more than her apparent skin tone, which had not matched her father's nor her elder brother's.

Athan had wondered a bit between the refreshments and his father's watchful eye amid the orchids his mother had planted and the staff had kept up due to his specific instruction, He had not much liked standing idly by as old men chatted amongst themselves about the way they would dictate his future, but he had been resolved to adhere to his father's wishes no matter the case.

He had managed to disappear amid the garden's maze wanting to be as far from the old men as possible as he prepared himself for the inevitable and the heartache of losing his beloved Edmond and never seeing his homeland of Verdicci ever again. He had not meant any harm as far as his love had gone for the handsome Englishman, but it appeared that is just what his loving Edmond had caused to the point of his being exiled from Sicily never to return but to live out the rest of his days on an island he had never seen before so far from the memories of his dearly departed mother and his ailing aged father.

His only consolation was that he'd never have to again live in the same place as the vile Vincenzo and he could at least be given the chance to say his goodbyes to Edmond, whom he had not believed he'd have to live without. Edmond had been his best friend before he'd become his lover and having grown from a lonely young lad to one gifted with friendship had been something that Athan would never forget. He had a feeling of course, that Vincenzo had meant to do Edmond harm once Athan had been shipped off to the Isle of Cantelina.

As Athan pondered what his vile brother had planned for him next, he had not noticed when a rather lovely young woman of a darker complexion approached him, she'd been more beautiful than any woman that Athan had ever seen before and regal from head to toe. She carried herself with a kind of electric poise and grace despite her looks and had long flowing black hair that reached down her back and the most hypnotic eyes Athan had ever seen before. He had grown slack-jawed for a moment as his hazel eyes remained focused on her and the ruby-red color of her full lips. She was dressed in a red elegant gown with modest gold trim as she approached him.

His palms had begun to sweat and a bout of nerves suddenly overtook him as he gazed upon the sheer beauty that had been this mystery guest. He felt the stirring of his sizeable cock as it bulged the front of his trousers and attempted to will it down despite having been uncharacteristically attracted to her the moment she appeared. She had taken his breath away there and then making him feel dizzy and light-headed from the sheer atmosphere of her presence. He could have sworn his heart skipped a few beats as she approached her graceful steps unmatched by any he could think of as she reached him.

"I seemed to have gotten myself lost in such a beautiful garden," she said in quite fluent English. "Would you happen to know the way back?"

Athan had tried his best to gather himself and not appear as strange as he believed she had thought him to be but it was quite difficult as he'd been at a loss for words on his account due to them being lost in translation.

She guessed that he might not have been able to speak English so she showed off her rather impressive ability to speak Italian.

"Mi sembrava di essermi perso in un giardino così bello." she said surprisingly fluent in Italian as well. "Conosceresti per caso la strada del ritorno?"

"As you wish," replied Athan finally finding his voice.

He had instantly known why he'd forgotten it, the older villagers had always talked about something called "The Thunderbolt" and how it would hit any unsuspecting young man or young woman in the blink of an eye if they had ever found their so-called "Soulmate". He had not believed it then when he'd been a boy and often dismissed the older people as having spent too much time in the sun but there in that moment he had known exactly what they had meant.

Nothing, not even his dalliances with Julia Mills, Byron Miss, Rita Haywood, nor even his beloved Edmond had come anywhere close to the way he felt about the beautiful woman standing before him. He'd been almost sad that he'd been getting married as he began to get ahold of his senses.

"Forgive me for not speaking before, I understand quite a few languages and might I say your Italian is quite good," he replied coming to his senses and turning on the brand of charm he'd been well known for.

The lovely lass smiled at him as the misunderstanding had been cleared between them.

Her smile was the brightest thing he'd seen since the days when his dearly departed mother had roamed about the gardens in his boyhood.

"Let me properly introduce myself, I am called Athan Accardi son of Sergio Accardi, and the late Antonia Accardi, second-born son of House Accardi and soon-to-be wed," said Athan rather smoothly.

The lovely lass smiled once more growing quite comfortable as she stood before the man who had been chosen to be her husband for the first time and he had been none the wiser. She took this as an opportunity to get to know him a bit before letting on about being his future fiancée.

"Well handsome Athan Accardi, I am called Audra and I have been wandering around this lovely maze for quite some time with so many questions about its history and artworks, would you be so kind as to escort me about and perhaps enlighten me as to the reason for such beauty and of course escort me back to the exit as I have been quite lost for some time." said the lovely Audra.

From the moment the lovely Audra had taken his arm as he escorted her about telling her the rich history of the garden and the Accardi estate, there was a kind of pulse that ran through him like that of a thunderbolt and he had only wanted to know more about her and be closer to her the rest of the world be damned. In his heart and his head, he had been gladly willing to marry if the lass had been even remotely as beautiful and wise as this Audra had been.

Following the tour of the gardens, Athan had escorted Athan back to the main part of the courtyard and found that his father and De Savoy had still been chatting and sipping their collective glasses of wine. Both elder men had been quite pleased to find that Athan and Audra had found their way to introducing themselves to one another.

"Ah Athan I see you've met my lovely daughter, Audra," said De Savoy. "She'll make for a fine wife she will and it seems she's quite fond of you already with you to be her husband."

Athan had been caught off guard by this and arched a confused brow.

Audra chuckled lightly and kissed him on the cheek.

"It was a pleasure to meet you handsome Athan Accardi, my future husband," she said amused.

Athan looked at his father in disbelief and then back at Audra before taking her hand in his and kissing it.

"The pleasure was all mine, Audra De Savoy, my future wife," he said in a baritone voice dripping with Sicilian charm and his native accent both.

Athan couldn't believe his luck when he looked over at his father noting his approving smile before turning his attention to another glass of wine. The Accardi's and the De Savoys proceeded with their dinner plans and chatting all the more before sundown and the departures came.

Athan had not wished to part from Audra but knew they had much to do before they were wed. Sergio placed a hand on Athan's shoulder as they watched the De Savoy's carriage pull away from the estate, a smile filed across the older Accardi's face for the first time in a long time as he looked over his son.

"Young love," he said fondly. "You were hit by the Thunderbolt, were you not my son?"

Athan did not know what to say as he stared after the carriage that carried his future wife and in-laws.

Sergio chuckled once more and sighed.

"At last I have finally seen the day," he said. "I had a look on my face much like the one you are wearing now the day I first met your lovely mother."

Athan turned his attention to his father.

Sergio smiled once more and kissed Athan on the cheek before heading back into the house. Athan stood alone still with his eyes on the street where his soon-to-be wife's carriage had disappeared from his line of sight.

He had loved Audra De Savoy and felt it all the way deep down in his soul, a love that he now understood he had never before experienced no matter how many times he had believed it. One thing had been for certain, he had known not how to address this with Edmond when he declared his newfound love for his soon-to-be wife to his young lover.