A/N

This is my first attempt at writing Romance. 

Taking the opportunity offered by the Romance Profile, I tried my hands in this genre with the first cjallenged proposed. The prompt for this challenge was to write a short story less than 600 words with the theme of Love Letters.

The following story is 589 words, excluding this note and the title. 

I hope you will enjoy the reading.

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I always loved the smell of old books, slightly dusty, the fragrance of vanillin and almond permeating the yellowed leaves. The sound of the thinning paper as I turned the folios ringed as a sweet music carrying the memories of those turning the pages before me.

I always felt a bit nostalgic when reading an old book. All the previous owners, all the past readers were sitting with me while I submerged myself within the stories, their feelings pouring into me while I turned the pages.

I was sitting there, in the attic, sorting out these old books and old toys, collecting dust since many generations. Some were recent, dating from my mother and uncles’ time, some more ancient. I suspected the pile of books lying in my lap was even older than Nanny herself.

The bric-a-brac had been my treasure as far as I could remember. The imagination of my youth found me serving tea to earless bunnies and balding dolls. For the occasion, I was wearing one of the dirty white old gowns usually neatly stored in the wardrobe. After my pretend afternoon tea, the attic turned into a raging see capsizing the furniture-turned-boat and throwing into the waters their cargo of toys, books and clothes. The next day, all was back in order, usually, as if my antics never happened.

This time, I was the one cleaning the remnants of the storm, cleaning and setting straight these books that were all over the place. And as usual, I got lost in the wonder-words. From the little book I had in my hands, some pressed flower petals escaped. When I looked closer, I found a slip of paper, a letter. My hands slightly trembling, I opened the missive and started reading.

“My dear Amy,

Since I saw you your smile is engraved in my mind. It is what wakes me up in the morning, what I think about during the day and what I dream of at night. Every day you are with me in thoughts, and it would make me ecstatic if you would accept to be with me in person.

Please, be my Valentine?

Yours already,

YC”

The message had me smiling. It was sweet and romantic, though a bit clumsy. I wondered who YC could have been; he sounded like a teenager who found his first love. I knew no one named Amy, I wanted to know about them but couldn’t ask Nanny... In the treasure chest, I found a mystery.

The enigma of the lost letter didn’t fade after few days. The Valentine declaration had been stuck in a poetry book for long years and I wanted desperately to find the would-be-lovers. But the time passing, I had other priorities.

My interest in the mystery started to lessen as I got more occupied with the cleaning of Nanny’s house. The place would be rented soon and it had to be checked and estimated. When the man arrived, we started the visit by the attic. In this cluster of furniture, clothes and books, he looked like a boy in a sweets shop, a common reaction to anyone who entered the place.

I watched the stars illuminating his eyes at the sight, glancing sideway so I could hide my smile, when I saw our reflections in a standing mirror. This day, I had my usual jeans and shirt, but my image was encased in a fluid black flapper dress… The man on my side could have been part of Downtown Abbey cast…

... I knew this man...