Julia kissed him delicately and snuggled closer in his arms.
“I spent too long in the shadows.” Gabriel’s voice brimmed with emotion. “I’m looking forward to being in the light. With you.”
She placed a hand on either side of his face, forcing him to see her. “We’re in the light now. And I love you.”
“As I love you, Julianne. I’m yours for this life and the next.”
He kissed her lips once more and led her back into the bedroom.
Fin.
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to the late Dorothy L. Sayers, the late Charles Williams, Mark Musa, my friend Katherine Picton and The Dante Society of America for their expertise on Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy, which informs my work. In this novel, I’ve used the Dante Society’s conventions of capitalization for places such as Hell and Paradise.
I’ve been inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s artwork and the incomparable space that is the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. The cities of Toronto, Florence, and Cambridge lent their ambience, along with the borough of Selinsgrove.
I’ve found several electronic archives to be quite helpful, especially the Digital Dante Project of Columbia University, Danteworlds by the University of Texas at Austin, and the World of Dante by the University of Virginia. I’ve consulted the Internet Archive site for its version of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s translation of La Vita Nuova along with the original Italian, which is cited in this book. I’ve also cited Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s translation of The Divine Comedy. The text from Abelard’s letter to Héloise was taken from an anonymous translation dated from 1901.
I am grateful to Jennifer, who read the first draft of this story and offered constructive criticism at every subsequent stage. This book would not exist without her encouragement and friendship. I am grateful also to Nina for her creative input and wisdom. Kris read and offered insightful suggestions on the manuscript during the revision process.
Thanks are due to the fine staff of Omnific, especially Elizabeth, Lynette, CJ, Kim, Coreen, Micha and Enn. It has been a pleasure working with you.
I would also like to thank those who read a previous version of my story and offered criticisms, suggestions and support, especially the Muses, Tori, Elizabeth de Vos, Elena, Marinella, and Erika.
Finally, I would like to thank my readers and my family. Your continued support is inestimable.
-SR
Lent 2012
About the Author
Sylvain Reynard is a Canadian writer with an interest in Renaissance art and culture and an inordinate attachment to the city of Florence. As an author, Sylvain has been trying to increase awareness about various charities. You can find out more about these organizations on Twitter: @sylvainreynard
