Love's Fiery Jewel (66 page)

"And this domineering, overbearing, unreasonably
jealous man is yours, Amethyst," Damien responded
softly against her lips, pausing momentarily to add in a
low tone that held a lingering trace of the Damien of old, "but you may believe me now when I say that this time,
Amethyst, I'll never let you go...not ever.. .ever
again..."

Amethyst's wordless reply was the lifting of her mouth
to his and the ultimate, sweet surrender that spoke more
clearly than words.

Philadelphia-March, 1789

The Southwark Theater was filled to capacity,
demonstrating the city's support of the repeal of
Philadelphia's anti-theater law and the American Company's production of By Authority. The first act had gone
well, the combined talent of the troupe, especially the
handsome John Henry, standing them in good stead, but
intermission brought the usual restless stirring in the
body of the audience. The first notes of the haunting
melody went unnoticed as the strains of "Greensleeves"
began amidst the growing din. The slender guest artist
whose efforts had contributed so significantly to the
repeal of the city's anti-theater law, came on stage,
the startled gasps of a few drawing the attention of the
remainder of the audience to the startling beauty of
the woman who moved slowly across its expanse, the
turquoise silk of her gown shimmering in the footlights,
the light of the candles reflected a hundred times in the
brilliants dispersed sparingly over the splendid garment
and around the deep decolletage which glowed with the
greatest concentration of the sparkling gems. Black silky
curls tumbled gracefully from the curving sweep of her
coiffure to bounce against slender shoulders, drawing the
eye to the delicacy of her petite frame. But most arresting
of all was the supreme beauty of the exquisitely
sculptured face dominated by huge, luminous eyes that
sparkled with a beauty more magnificent than the gems she wore.

Her true, soft soprano, the tone light and sweet to the
ear, caught the hearts of the audience as she moved
slowly across stage, the rhythmic sway of her delicate
form further mesmerizing an audience already helplessly
enraptured. Her voice rose in gentle supplication, her
hands clasping in a graceful gesture as the melody moved
on, drawing the hearts and minds of the spectators to well
remembered echoes of futile love.

From the audience, clear, translucent gray eyes
followed the graceful figure with a hint of a deeper
passion than that stimulated by the haunting melody. His
handsome face sober, he sat motionless in the box
nearest the stage, his glance unmoving from the lovely
figure that so entranced him...the woman who was his
wife. From a spot offstage a tall mulatto woman observed,
grasping the hand of a tall, handsome Negro who stood at
her side, the velvet softness of her black, almond-shaped
eyes moving to hold his glance with a warmth indicative
of the strong emotion that bound them together, drawing
them ever closer as the years pressed on.

The clear bell-like tone raised in a soulful cry, extolling
the virtues of love fully accepted and returned, the
brilliant violet eyes of the artist moving to meet the
steady gaze of the broad, tawny-haired man whose eyes
never left her face. Her glance holding his, she sang
softly, convincingly, the truth of her gentle acclaim:

The audience slowly faded away as the two remined
locked in a special world of their own creation, the splendor of their love carrying them on the wings of the
song to memories of ecstatic glory and the brilliant
promise of rapture yet to come. His heart beating rapidly
in his chest, Damien acknowledged the truth of
Amethyst's love, at last accepting it to be as strong and
true as his own, a love that would truly last... and even
grow.