Read Online The Secret of the Emerald Sea by Heather Matthews - Free Book Online

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Chapter Thirteen
     
    The Cupid held Jane’s hand and moved forward in the village concert hall, nodding politely to the townspeople. Rich, red velvet drapes shrouded the stage area in delicious mystery. He wedged himself into the crowd, pulling Jane along impatiently. He wanted a clear view of this strange event. They found a place to stand—there were no more empty seats, though they had left so early—exchanged greetings with the people closest to them and talked about the things that they would see.
    “Can you not see into the future, Jane?” one local farmer mocked gently, as she questioned him about the plays and performances. “Should you not be telling us what it is we are about to see?”
    Cupid tensed and prepared to whisper some clever retort in her ear. But Jane only laughed, for there was no malice in his words. The Cupid relaxed. The farmer’s eyes were bright and clear and full of good cheer on this pleasant evening.
    “I only see into emotions,” Jane said quietly. “Into the human heart.” She smiled into the villager’s eyes, and the Cupid thought that she looked beautiful tonight, and much more comfortable in her role. By now, he knew, it was her livelihood to play this part, which had become quite honest and natural over time. She gazed forward at the stage, and continued to speak.
    “Many things are still a mystery to me,” she told the farmer pleasantly, if a little dreamily, “as they are to you, and thank goodness for that.”
    She squeezed the Cupid close to her, picking him up and holding him like the child he appeared to be so that he could see the stage properly. She smiled over at the villager again and laughed. “What a sadness it would be to know absolutely everything!” she quipped. “Don’t you agree?”
    The farmer nodded sagely at her words as the theatre grew darker, and the voices began to grow quiet. The show was about to begin. He answered her in the near darkness, leaning toward her and whispering in her ear. The Cupid had to strain to hear the words.
    “Aye, imagine sorrows that lie in wait that we are blissfully unaware of.”
    “And the joys, too, don’t forget them,” Jane whispered.
    The Cupid’s heart was light and fluttering like a butterfly that moved from blossom to blossom. He knew not why, but this night was important to Jane, and to him... so important : He felt it in his bones.
    * * * *
     
    Jane watched as the village schoolchildren came out and sang carols to warm up the crowd. Their sweet and untrained voices were reminiscent of the mermaid’s chorus, but Jane paid no mind. They lacked the ethereal quality and perfect intonation of Neptune’s courtiers, but still they made one feel the spirit, the soul, the other self, beyond simple appetites and the everyday.
    They sang for a long time, these children of all shapes and sizes, garbed in red and green. They seemed happy and proud to be performing in front of their parents and the people of the town. Luckily, her little Cupid was too young for such a performance. How he would have loathed participating!
    Eventually, the angelic and imperfect voices ceased. The stage was, once again, dark after thunderous applause. The children filed out one by one, and the audience was, once again, full of anticipation.
    Next, a young man walked out onto the stage and stood silently. Lanterns were arranged around him in a half-circle so that his whole being seemed to glow. Jane could not seem to catch her breath as she stared at the person on the stage.
    His tall body was clad simply in breeches and a white cotton shirt. His boots were polished so that they shone chestnut brown. The simple clothes he wore seemed to underscore a beauty that was so pure and so refined as to be breathtaking. There was natural elegance in his body with his wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist and his long, muscular legs.
    His hair was dark golden-brown, his skin a lovely light gold. He seemed surrounded by an aura of pure