Cherry and Plum

by Toxy

September 2002, Firthness Challenge Entry

Rated PG

Author's Note: Spoiler alert... I had not intended to write a challenge story because I am such a slow writer. (I figured I would never get anything written on Avalon.) After being stalked a little by Kerry (don't let her know that it worked), I decided to post a scene from an upcoming chapter in Avalon. So, what I am trying to say is, if you don't want to know about Elizabeth and William's first Avalon kiss, then you should definitely not read this. 


Returning to the house, Elizabeth began to peel off her navy pea-coat. She looked up at her companion and smiled, thinking of their long walk through the vineyard.

William noticed the blush that covered her cheeks as the temperature of the air drastically increased. Touching her cheek lightly, he noted, “You’re cold. Where can we warm up?”

“Why don’t you meet me in the wine room?” she said, taking a hold of the hand that grazed her cheek and squeezing it lightly. “It’s down the hall, second door on your left. I’ll join you in just a minute.”

As Elizabeth headed up the stairs, William was able to locate the wine room easily. He paused inside the door to take in his surroundings. This was not the type of room that you would find in most homes. On his right was a massive stone fireplace that dominated the wall it protruded from. Two of the walls in the room were lined with bookshelves, full of photos and knick-knacks as well as books. The rich cherry wood spanned from floor to ceiling and had been built around the window on the far wall and over the doorway. The wall that opposed the fireplace had obviously given this room its name. Made of a style similar to the bookshelves, the intense wood was put together in a cross-hatching fashion to hold dozens of wine bottles.

Moving around the room, William paused next to the large bar that stood in front of the wine rack. He noticed several framed pictures grouped together on one side and selected one from the center of the group. It was a snapshot of a young Elizabeth and her father. No more than twelve, in her hand she held a glass of wine that she had clearly been swirling.

“That was the summer I learned the intricacies of wine tasting,” Elizabeth’s voice reached out from behind him.

Turning to greet her, Darcy looked from the picture in his hand to her face and smiled. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself here,” he said, placing the picture back on the bar as she walked around him.

“Well, wine tasting is a big deal for the Bennets, a right-of-passage of sorts,” she replied as she stepped behind the bar and began searching the wall of wine. Standing on her tiptoes, Elizabeth selected a bottle from one of the upper nooks.

William watched as she deftly removed the cork and set it on the bar next to the bottle. “This wine is around five years old, so it needs to breathe for about thirty minutes.” Looking at the bottle, she ran her finger over the label. “1997 was a great year for Avalon. This is a favorite vintage of mine.”

Moving out from behind the bar, Elizabeth guided William around the room, sharing stories as they looked at pieces of her history. In front of the fireplace she paused, looking up at the picture that was displayed proudly above the mantel. “Jane painted this when we were in college.”

“Ah, I see that she and Charles share more than just their mutual regard.” He watched as she smiled at his comment, her eyes never leaving the painting of her family home. Glowing in the firelight, her eyes danced with affection for Avalon.

“I love just sitting in here, relaxing on winter evenings,” Elizabeth said, turning to look at him. “It’s my favorite room in the house.” She moved to the bar, pouring two glasses of wine. “I can hide-out here, away from the noise of the kitchen and the television.” Returning to his side, she offered him a glass.

“So,” he accepted the wine from her, “tell me about the picture.” Taking a sip of wine, William gestured towards the photo on the bar.

“Well…that was a great day. Jane and I felt very grown-up when my dad taught us how to properly taste wine. You know, the three basic steps – Look, Smell, Taste.” Elizabeth held her wine glass out in front of her, tilting it to one side. “An initial check for rim color, and then the swirl.” She looked up at him. “Just look at the body of this wine. Seductive, isn’t it?”

William watched as she swirled the contents of her glass, her wrist twisting subtly. Although not unfamiliar with the artful techniques of wine tasting, William found himself captivated as he gazed at her. He was still trying to formulate an intelligent answer when Elizabeth moved on to smell. Noticing the rise of her chest as she inhaled deeply, he made the quick decision to set his wine glass on the table. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth took a taste of the wine. He watched as she rolled the wine around in her mouth, enjoying its flavor. As she swallowed, he once again found his voice. “Open your eyes, Elizabeth.”

Taking a step closer to her, William reached out to tuck a few of her curls behind her ear. With his other hand, he took the glass of wine from her and set it on the table next to his. Leisurely, he caressed her cheek, sliding his thumb over the silky flesh.

Elizabeth found herself caught by William’s intense gaze as she ran her hand up his long neck, playing nervously with the edge of his ear. Her senses heightened, she could almost hear the swoosh of the blood rushing through her vessels. All of their disagreements and uneasiness fell aside as he ran his thumb across her bottom lip, lightly skimming the rim of moisture on the inside of her mouth.

William watched as his thumb lightly massaged her full lip, still stained red from the wine. Intoxicated by the tingling her fingers created as she ran them along the nape of his neck, he could barely bring himself to speak. “And how does it taste?” he asked, unable to pull his eyes from her mouth.

“You should try it for yourself,” she replied, allowing her eyes to slip shut as she enjoyed the tenderness of his touch.

“I think I will.”

William ran his hand from the side of her mouth down to her jaw and lifted it gently. Slowly, he lowered his lips to hers until they met in a delicate kiss. Hesitant at first, William allowed himself to deepen the kiss when he felt her other hand move up his chest and encircle his neck. His tongue ran lightly over her bottom lip, tasting the lush flavors of cherry and plum as they coalesced on her warm flesh. Reluctantly he left her mouth, leaning close to her ear to whisper, “Spicy.”

William paused for a moment, basking in her scent, lavender mingled with the aromatic offerings of the wine. Gradually, he began a deliberate journey down her jaw line, feathering kisses along the way.

Elizabeth could feel her anticipation building with each light caress. As he finally returned to her lips, she felt his long fingers wind through her thick hair – reaching up to cradle her head. She relaxed into his arms and enjoyed their mutual exploration.

Startled by a sudden crackle from the fire, Elizabeth pulled away and rested against William’s chest. Giggling, she admitted, “You know, the last time I made out in my parent’s home, I was in high school.”

Laughing lightly, Darcy ran his fingers up through her hair again. “Should I be worried about your father discovering us?”

As she stepped back, Elizabeth could feel his fingers graze her neck and then drop slowly down her arm, clasping her hand. Feeling her skin come alive in the wake of his touch, she raised her eyes to meet his and reluctantly replied, “No, but I should say goodnight. Will you be able to find your room?”

“Yes,” he responded, his voice rough as he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her cheek. With a final squeeze to her hand, William released her. “Sleep well, Elizabeth.”

Copyright held by Toxy - 2002