February Sneak Peek – Forever and Ever

New sneak peek today! (If you missed any of the others, you can find them all here.)

All was dark and silent when Lily crept up the stairs and tiptoed back into the bedroom.

The rain had slacked off at last, and the thunder was only a distant rumble as she hung her dripping dress in the wardrobe. Spreading a towel underneath for her squelching wet shoes, she hoped both would be dry enough by morning not to arouse any questions.

Slipping back into her nightgown, she wrapped an afghan around her shoulders to keep the damp hair off her neck. Warmth began to creep deliciously into her fingers and toes once more, and she was suddenly overwhelmingly drowsy.

Even still, her bare feet were almost dancing on the smooth wooden floorboards. Such a light, airy feeling of relief had followed her home from Lowther Gardens, that she could hardly keep from swing-dancing around the room in the dark. Too bad she had to be quiet.

In a neat stack next to the lamp, Freddie’s letter lay tied with a crimson hair ribbon. The telegram was still lying by itself, off to the side. Sliding it onto the stack with the others, she stood just looking down at them a moment, tracing the ribbon’s outline, her fingers brushing softly over familiar pages. Dear Freddie. How many hours he must have spent writing all these letters! She was not nearly so consistent about writing him back.

On impulse, she scooped up the whole stack and carried it back to bed with her. Sitting there in the dreamy hush of earliest morning, while the rest of Lytham lay silent and sleeping, she unfolded one letter after another, tracing the lines with her finger in the watery moonlight. Though the clouds were beginning to clear off, it was still too dark to make out more than a word here and there.

Except when it came to the last line. The one that was always the same.

With all my love, forever and ever.

She could read those words clearly at the end of every letter, bold and powerful as the promise they held.

Happiness throbbed warmer and stronger in her chest. How wonderful it felt, just to read that beautiful sentence again and again. And to feel that at last, at last, she could truly promise him the same. All her love. Not just almost all, with a tiny slice held back for the old dreams and plans. But all of it. Every breath. Every moment. Every heartbeat.

Clutching the last of the letters to her breast, she smiled into the darkness.

“I choose you, my sweetest Freddie.” she whispered, happy tears pricking her eyes as she pressed the paper to her lips.

“I choose you. For ever and ever.”

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