grinned.
-
As Damian and Matilda walked away from the bar together, their hands intertwined and their bodies close as they talked and laughed, a shadow pulled away from a building. It crept stealthily forwards as the couple turned a corner, making sure to stay in the shadows as much as possible to prevent being noticed.
The figure was of a man, tall and lean, but with wiry, powerful muscles under his dark clothing. Although his face was shrouded and a dark cap pulled low over his eyes, the man’s close-set eyes could still be seen, dark pools of black with a faint glitter reflected from the fading evening sun. His thin lips pulled into a bitter, satisfied smile as he raised a digital camera, snapping a picture of the oblivious couple as they walked down the street, without a care in the world.
-
Matilda was both nervous and excited as they wound their way through the streets of Georgetown and down towards the river. She wondered where they were going—whether he was really leading her somewhere exciting or whether he was making it up as he went along. When she questioned him about it, he merely smiled mysteriously, telling her to wait and see.
“I’ve been to DC dozens of times,” he explained finally, as they left the roads of the city for a small, beautiful trail which wound its way through the trees and along the river. “I’ve found all the secret spots where you can be at peace, away from e veryone else. I love the city—its bustle, its people and its history—but sometimes the places where nobody ever goes are the best of all.”
“Where does it lead? This trail?” she asked, looking on ahead at the endless green, the river flowing gently to their left.
“Oh, it goes on for miles and miles—all the way to the ocean if you follow it far enough. But what I wanted to show you is just a little bit further up…”
Matilda followed him, unable to help admiring his confidence and mysterious air as he led her further and further up the river. Nobody had ever done anything as spontaneous with her before. Every date she had been on was tame, carefully planned and uninspired. Every holiday she had experienced had been littered with public engagements and marred by bodyguards and crowds of staring people. Making her way into the countryside, following a rushing river, was almost like a dream for her. She felt more like a real princess than ever, being singled out by the handsomest of princes. Why couldn’t being a princess always be like this?
Finally, Damian led her from the path and into a thicket of trees next to the river, pulling her towards a tiny, run-down gatehouse hidden from the view of the path or the river.
“Here,” he said with pride. “I discovered this many years ago, when I was hiking around this trail. Even though it’s only a few miles from the city, it’s a part of the Chesapeake National Park which nobody ever really goes to. Hang on a sec.”
Matilda watched as Damian strode towards the little hut, then looked back at her, grinning.
“It’s not locked — come and see!”
Matilda followed him towards the small shack and he opened the door, showing her the interior. Inside was a small rowing boat, unchained and seemingly waiting for them.
“Surprise,” Damian grinned at her. “I found this ages ago. There’s nothing more incredible than taking a rowing boat out on the quiet water in the moonlight, all by ourselves. Are you game?”
Mati lda could only nod. She was delighted that he would share this secret with her, of all people. She felt like she was being invited into his own private world, and it was like magic.
As she watched Damian rowing them out into the still, clear water of the small lake separated by a thin stretch of land from the river, she felt as if her heart had always been missing a piece, and now it was complete. How was it possible for him to make her feel that way in such a short space of time?
“I always think more clearly out here,” Damian told
-
As Damian and Matilda walked away from the bar together, their hands intertwined and their bodies close as they talked and laughed, a shadow pulled away from a building. It crept stealthily forwards as the couple turned a corner, making sure to stay in the shadows as much as possible to prevent being noticed.
The figure was of a man, tall and lean, but with wiry, powerful muscles under his dark clothing. Although his face was shrouded and a dark cap pulled low over his eyes, the man’s close-set eyes could still be seen, dark pools of black with a faint glitter reflected from the fading evening sun. His thin lips pulled into a bitter, satisfied smile as he raised a digital camera, snapping a picture of the oblivious couple as they walked down the street, without a care in the world.
-
Matilda was both nervous and excited as they wound their way through the streets of Georgetown and down towards the river. She wondered where they were going—whether he was really leading her somewhere exciting or whether he was making it up as he went along. When she questioned him about it, he merely smiled mysteriously, telling her to wait and see.
“I’ve been to DC dozens of times,” he explained finally, as they left the roads of the city for a small, beautiful trail which wound its way through the trees and along the river. “I’ve found all the secret spots where you can be at peace, away from e veryone else. I love the city—its bustle, its people and its history—but sometimes the places where nobody ever goes are the best of all.”
“Where does it lead? This trail?” she asked, looking on ahead at the endless green, the river flowing gently to their left.
“Oh, it goes on for miles and miles—all the way to the ocean if you follow it far enough. But what I wanted to show you is just a little bit further up…”
Matilda followed him, unable to help admiring his confidence and mysterious air as he led her further and further up the river. Nobody had ever done anything as spontaneous with her before. Every date she had been on was tame, carefully planned and uninspired. Every holiday she had experienced had been littered with public engagements and marred by bodyguards and crowds of staring people. Making her way into the countryside, following a rushing river, was almost like a dream for her. She felt more like a real princess than ever, being singled out by the handsomest of princes. Why couldn’t being a princess always be like this?
Finally, Damian led her from the path and into a thicket of trees next to the river, pulling her towards a tiny, run-down gatehouse hidden from the view of the path or the river.
“Here,” he said with pride. “I discovered this many years ago, when I was hiking around this trail. Even though it’s only a few miles from the city, it’s a part of the Chesapeake National Park which nobody ever really goes to. Hang on a sec.”
Matilda watched as Damian strode towards the little hut, then looked back at her, grinning.
“It’s not locked — come and see!”
Matilda followed him towards the small shack and he opened the door, showing her the interior. Inside was a small rowing boat, unchained and seemingly waiting for them.
“Surprise,” Damian grinned at her. “I found this ages ago. There’s nothing more incredible than taking a rowing boat out on the quiet water in the moonlight, all by ourselves. Are you game?”
Mati lda could only nod. She was delighted that he would share this secret with her, of all people. She felt like she was being invited into his own private world, and it was like magic.
As she watched Damian rowing them out into the still, clear water of the small lake separated by a thin stretch of land from the river, she felt as if her heart had always been missing a piece, and now it was complete. How was it possible for him to make her feel that way in such a short space of time?
“I always think more clearly out here,” Damian told
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