Almost a whole year had passed since my acclamation of love, and we were better than we had ever been before. It was as if the past seven years never happened.
We hardly ever went to the treehouse now; it was something we had outgrown. Instead, most of our time was spent on the hill, or in the bakery, or at the local library.
I found that I liked listening to you read.
In the autumn of 1934, you were reading Pride and Prejudice. You were not particularly fascinated by romantic literature, but I asked you to read it, so you did.
It was midday and we were sitting on a bench by the duckpond in the park. I had my head on your shoulder, eyes closed as you immersed me in a world of breathless romance. The book was in your hands, and I was content to stay like that forever, listening to the words pour out from your lips.
We were up to the part where Mr Darcy was convincing Bingley to forget about Jane when you stopped suddenly, leaving half a sentence hanging in the air.
I opened my eyes. "Is that the end of the chapter?"
Shaking your head, you told me it wasn't. I waited for you to continue, but you didn't. Instead, you said, "I don't see the appeal in Mr Darcy."
"Of course you don't, Johnny," I said easily. "You're a boy. You wouldn't understand."
"He's an awful person."
"Not entirely."
You ignored me. "I know the book doesn't revolve around Jane and Bingley, and they probably end up together anyway, but it's cruel of him to stand between them."
"Darcy will probably justify himself later on," I said.
"But that's not the point." You were frowning, a little dent forming between your eyebrows. "It's wrong to stand between true love."
"True love?" I repeated, curious.
"Yes."
"You believe in that?"
You nodded, looking at me like I had just offered you a jam tart or a lemon cake. "Of course I do. In the same way that Elizabeth will clearly end up with Darcy, or that we have ended up together, Jane will end up with Bingley. Because that's just how it is –true love."
I smiled at you then, smiled because of how strongly you felt about something so inconsequential in a book you hardly cared about, smiled because of how important you thought true love was, and I swear I never felt more in love with you than I did at that moment.
Slightly longer chapter this time, to make up for the slow updates. You guys are the best! I hope you liked it :)
