I was sat across from his boss during dinner. He rememberd me from the only other time we'd met, at the Summer Ball. (Damnit, I knew I should have worn a different dress). He said all the usual small-talk stuff (nice to see you again, you look lovely, etc.), and then he said something that really stunned me. He said, "I'm sorry I had to send your man away. I know you two had only just met, and then I took him away for 3 months. It's a hard thing to love a pirate. I'm sorry. I wish I didn't have to do it." I got rather choked up. It was nice to know that his boss is so humane and sensitive to the needs of his employees and their families, but it was also a chilling reminder that this fall will not be the last time he's sent out. It is indeed a hard thing to fall in love with a pirate.
Saturday, after a long and lazy lie-in, we decided to drive down to Salisbury. I'd never seen the cathedral there, and I'd always wanted to. We got in the car, put on Classic FM, and hit the road, winding our way through country lanes and taking ever long and scenic detour we could find. The cathdral is stunning, the most beautiful I've yet seen. (Probably because it's one of the few that was built in a relatively short period of time and all to one master plan, unlike most other cathedrals which took 600+ years to complete and are a patchwork hodgepodge of architectural fads.)We wandered the isles and transepts, reading enscriptions on various tombstones, staring in awe at the medieval stained glass windows. We stood under the pillars supporting the spire (tallest in England) and saw how they've bowed with the years. We went to the chapter house and spent 20 minutes staring at one of the only 4 (and most perfectly preserved) surviving original copies of the Magna Carta. Magnificent!
We wanted to stay for the candlelight Advent procession, but it didn't begin until 7 pm, so we left and had an early dinner in a fantastic Italian restaurant (my red pesto Angus beef burger was scrumptious), and then wandered around the old city of Salisbury, poking around the shops and markets until they began to close up for the evening. And I caught him looking in a few jewelers' windows.
Then time to go home, stop in Tesco's on the way to pick up some groceries, and toddle back. After all the glitz and glamor of the past couple weekends it was so nice to do plain, normal things. To go grocery shopping, come home and fold the laundry, cook together. I enjoy the fancy parties, the posh restaurants, but what I love most is to do all the normal things in life, only do them with him.
I'm so stupidly in love. If he doesn't propose soon I swear my head will explode.
Today I spent the afternoon marking my students' essays. Red Pen of DEATH. Oh yeah.
And if you want to see a photo of Prince Harry with a boner, click here. Courtesy of Frobisher.
13 comments:
Wow, you guys look fan-tabulous!
Ooh, you do both look great. Fingers crossed for the diamond jewellery ('tis the season for it and all).
Oooh, the pirate does look rather haughty. Nice dress (yours, that is).
Ahhh.
Thanks for the link CB! - I hope I don't get a load of weirdos turning up on my blog.
Trying to work out Pirate's rank from his sleeves?
val: thanks!
patroclus: ta. although personally i prefer opals to diamonds (fuck DeBeers: buy opals!), i don't care what i get so long as it comes from him.
tb: he does, rather. that's a trick of the camera angle, though. my flatmate was kneeling down on the floor when she took the pic.
dave: gee you're getting a lot of mileage out of that comment!
frobi: you're welcome. and don't try. i almost didn't post this pic because his outfit gives away too much info, but he's just so damn handsome i couldn't help myslef.
Cathedrals should be patchwork hodgepodges of architectural fads because Christianity is a patchwork hodgepodge of theological fads.
Manila and Barcelona have nice cathedrals. Maybe Catholics are better at that sort of thing.
tim, catholics ARE better at that sort of thing. remember England's cathedrals were built (mostly) before the Reformation, when England was still Roman Catholic. The Protestants have no sense of aesthetic. Have you seen what they've done to Westminster Abbey??? Tragic.
Goshdarnitanyway!
That was a wonderful heartwarming rendition of your perfectly romantic weekend.
You should save that pic in sepia to give it that timeless feel and put it in a frilly Victorian frame.
Here is hoping (crosses fingers)that he does get down on one knee...just in case...You had better not go to the theatre to watch Blood Diamond.
Such romance. How I weep. It's very nice to hear about.
Screw the festive spirit: I'm all jealous now!
Beautiful couple! Sounds like a great night. I SO know what you mean about plain, normal things. It's what we all look for. Or should. Good on ya for recognizing it. I have to share these lyrics with ya. Linda Eder's Little Things:
It's the whisper of the rain when we're sleeping
The familiar way the scent of you clings
In the coolness of the night
It's the little things
It's the honest way you ask how I'm feeling
And the way you still agree though I'm wrong
It's the little things in life
That carry me along
And it's the peace that I find
When it all slows down
And I feel something in the air
Keeps me from losing my mind
In this crazy world
When there's some little thing to share
'Cause all alone here with you
The little things will do Everyone's always reaching for brass rings
As for me, I'm content with the view
When the afternoon shadows play
With the breezes at end of day
There is nothing I need to say
Let the fireworks start
Let the band begin
Those things don't really matter at all
'Cause when the crowds all go home
And I look within
The extravagant gestures seem small
It's not castles and kings
It's the little things
It's not castles and kings
It's the little things
It's the whisper of the rain when we're sleeping
That's fair warmed my cockles, that post. Nothing nicer than doing ordinary things with an extraordinary person.
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