" They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Certainly, in a house such as this, there is much beauty to behold. Gilt. Glass. Gold. Everywhere you look, precious treasures beckon. Only nothing seems to shine as brightly as she does. She is a flower- a natural treasure- unfolding in the light.
Her transformation is so obvious: the candlelight catching in her hair; the color rising on her cheeks; the flames of desire burning in her eyes. She is lit up- her allure irresistible. A flame, enticing the moth ever closer. How does he not see her blossoming, right here under his nose?
For this is the trouble with beauty: it can never be enough simply to revere or admire it. With beauty comes desire- a yearning to touch- a need to possess. The coveter's grasp moves ever closer, reaching out to seize and steal, to hold too tightly that which must not be taken. "

― Hannah Richell , The Peacock Summer