Page 34 of Never Have We Ever
“Let’s say I’m not surprised you had such difficulty for your basic skill level.” A piece of printed paper accompanied the copy of André’s letter. “He employs a lot of literary techniques in the letter. I was thrown off a time or two until I realized that.”
“And?”
“Let us say… when he talks about sights and food, he is not necessarily talking aboutthem.Well, ah… I tried to make it clear inmy translation. Forgive me, Madame Dubois. I’m used to scandalous articles in my line of work, but there are times when things get personal even for me. But I think you will like the letter. It was written after your honeymoon, yes?”
“Yes.”
“Then you are quite the lucky woman. That’s all I’ll say.”
Valeska had no idea what to do with that information. Besides take it back to her townhouse andhave a look at the translation.
This could be a ploy for all I know.Her husband had recommended the translator, after all. Yet what did André have to gain from feeding his wife false translations of his letters? She could easily get them verified by someone else. Although if Monsieur Michel was right… then these letters were “scandalous.”
Valeska asked for hot tea to be delivered to her room.She checked in with the temporary nanny taking care of Thomas before sequestering herself in her room long enough to change and receive the tea she requested.
Only then did she read through the translation. She picked the armchair by the window to enjoy herself.
Yes. That was the word.Enjoy.
Who wrote this? Are they really André’s words? Or are these the translator’s?
Because scandalous didn’tbegin to cover it!
“My dearest wife,
It pains me to be this far from you so soon after I’ve made you my wife. The fact I’ll be home before you realize I’m gone does not bring me any comfort.
This place reminds me so much of where we honeymooned, that I spend every night in mourning when I notice that you do not sleep by my side. How could so little time pass and make me already acclimatedto your presence? It makes me think that we are somehow made for one another. A thought I had every day of our honeymoon when we made love and got to know each other in ways we couldn’t have hoped before the wedding.
Can I tell you a secret? It’s something I’ve wanted to tell you since the moment we met in the restaurant, but I was afraid that it would frighten you away from me. Now that we’remarried, though, I suppose it’s as good a time as any to let you know how I’ve always felt about you.
I’ve known quite a bit about you for a while now, Valeska. The first time I saw you was at a party two or three years ago. You wore a white gown reminiscent of your wedding dress, and from the moment I saw you, I knew you were meant to be mine. I didn’t think twice about it. I saw a beautifulwoman who hit me so hard in the heart that I swore to God that you would be my wife sooner rather than later.
But before I could approach you, your mother whisked you away and you were gone. I asked the host of the party who you were, and when he said the name Reiter, I thought it was too good to be true. Because everyone knows that the Reiters are inclined to arranged marriages, and I thoughtthat might be the perfect way for us to meet.
Sounds silly when I write it down, but it made perfect sense in my head. So, I guess my great confession is that I’ve wanted you from the moment I first saw you. I didn’t care that you already had a boyfriend. As soon as I heard you two had broken up, I approached my parents about arranging a marriage with you. It took a few months for your motherto agree. I daresay she was shocked to hear some affluent French family wanted to adopt you. Once we convinced her, however, you were as good as mine.
I greatly enjoyed our courtship in the year leading up to our marriage. Now that I know your real feelings the whole time, I curse myself for not being more forward with you. Trust me, I wanted to be. I wanted to ask you out that day we met. Iwanted to take you to dinner, dancing, and woo you into my bedroom. I can’t say why I decided to hold off until the wedding night. Perhaps I wanted to give you the opportunity to walk away before my heart could be too broken. If we made love and my heart became too attached… ah, I sound like a weak man when I say it.
Valeska, you are without a doubt the most remarkable woman I have ever met,and I know that we can have a blessed marriage full of romance and a never-ending need for one another. I hope that you are waiting for me. When I get home, I will take you to bed and make up for my absence. Know that I think of you every night. My memory of you shall be my constant companion on every trip I take.
Yours, André”
“My dearest wife,
I am a slave for you. Whatever whimyou have, I will see it through at a moment’s notice. I would rip out my heart and give it to you to feast upon if you were famished for nourishment. I would pull my entrails from my body and offer to save you from the cliff’s edge. I would travel through sleet and snow with only my bare feet to carry me if it meant I could see you for another day. Every day I think of you and how much I cannot waitto be with you once more.
When we build a home together, I will think of it as the Palace of Versailles. You and I will be the King and Queen of our own land. You will have a garden as beautiful as the aura you carry, with flowers as tender as your heart, and enough sunlight to bring out the smile on your face. If we have children, they will be princesses and princes of our kingdom. I can onlyhope to God that they will be as beautiful as their mother.
Four days away from you is too much. Instead of preparing for my meeting tomorrow, I am staying up to write you this letter. If I try to focus on anything else or force myself into bed, the only thing I will think about is your supple body and how sweet you taste. How does a man suffer like I do? All I can think about is kissing yourradiant skin from head to toe. I will worship your body like the pagans worshiped their goddesses. When my kisses are not enough to sate our needs, I will make love to you until the world ceases to spin. I will not stop until your nails are in my skin and I have spent every last ounce of myself. We will not rest until you beg me to let you rest. I won’t be able to hold myself back until you utterthose sacred words.
I want so badly for you to love me as much as I have always adored you. Now that I am your husband, I will strive to be the only man you need. Every day we will share something new with one another. I want to learn everything there is to know about the woman I call my wife.
Until then, I will torture myself with those recent memories. I will also promise myself that you andI will make more memories as soon as I return home.
I hope that this letter reaches you when you are well… and that you are able to understand my intentions.
Yours, André.”
