The woman so adored by Henry

"She'd glided down the stairs, flutterings of luxurious 'lingerie lingerie' undulating about her. ¶ 'Dinner's not quite ready.' The aroma wafting through from the braise must have exposed my lie. Rich Karoo mutton had been giving up its bones all afternoon. It was the idle evening that had been rare. She'd settled on the couch, drawing her feet in under her skirts. ¶ We'd savoured a shiraz and the fire as we nestled. Fragrant, warming, and a little smoky. ¶ She'd smelled faintly of lotion. The firelight had embroidered rosy wisps back into hair that I imagined had blanched appreciably over the past few weeks. It suited her, especially when she wore it as she had this evening, gathered with a length of teal ribbon."