2. 1 | With Love, Ansel ✓

1. Letters

His letters were always expectations packed in a piece of paper.

A piece of paper which had the potential to create ruckus in the Goldshaw mansion, and cause a young girl of twenty to frolic around like a happy frog, that piece of paper was home.

"Drusilla, calm down!" Mother yelled, running after the blond girl, whose long pigtails fluttered behind her. Drusilla grabbed a pillar with her left hand, swinging around it dreamily like a monkey would, her pigtails jumping up and down behind her.

Well, there she goes.

Drusilla was a lady. A gentle, beautiful lady full of grace whose poise and honour was famed throughout her town. But once every month, she showed her true colours.

Bewitched, entranced by this flimsy parchment in her hands, she swung round the pillar, her adorably sighs following as she read the contents of that paper, while Harvey sat on the verandah, watching her with eyes full of disgust.

There she goes, he thought bitterly. Getting mad over this person... Harvey chewed on a tiny grape, the juice splashing around his mouth and onto his book which sat atop his lap.

"Oh my Harvey," Drusilla swung her lean arms around the eighteen year old's neck, "Harvey my darling brother!" Her voice was sickly sweet, full of maple and sugar and sweet things, the thought of which made Harvey retch. The bangles on his sister's wrist itched his chin.

"What?" He scrunched his nose.

"Michael says he loves me," Drusilla sighed, hearts shining in her eyes, "He says he can't wait to see me... and hold me— "

"I suggest you stop there, sister." Harvey closed his book, struggling to get out of his elder sister's wrapped arms.

"He says such beautiful words, brother... I don't think I can spend a night without longing for him!" Drusilla squealed in some high pitch tone, sounded like a tone deaf cuckoo to Harvey.

"Just how good is he?" Harvey grumbled, snatching the piece of paper from her sister's hands, and now the paper smelled like roses and creme cheese from his sister's hands.

Drusilla,
My darling bride,
The love of my life,
My beautiful beautiful lady
This heart longs for you. How much nights do I have to spend alone, for a single embrace of yours?

My heart pines for you, my darling bride. But I am shackled, my arms and legs bound by this world. How many times I imagined myself running towards you, holding you close to my heart and burying my face in those golden tresses of yours? My beautiful Drusilla, I adore you.

A picture of you stands by my bedside, and every night I stare at your face, wishing just that your picture was you itself... after all, what artist can ever capture your true beauty on a canvas?

Drusilla my darling, await me. For this year is going to be perilous and weary, as I drudge myself away from you, just your memories and your longings my only motivation in this journey ahead of me. Pray, pray for your lover that I finish my studies and come home back to you, and ask for your hand in marriage.

My heart pines for you.

Yours truly
Michael.

"Wasn't Michael studying surgery?"
Harvey stared at the paper, the beautiful inked words standing contrasting against the muddy colour of the parchment.

"Yes, why?" Drusilla swung her legs, her silken skirt fluttering in the wind, lifting off her ankles to show off her silver anklets (courtesy of Michael).

"Since when did that man become so fluent in literature?" Harvey raised an eyebrow. Language was not his skill, and Michael from next door was always interested in cutting animals up. Harvey didn't like seeing his sister go awry for this person, like he was some kind of God.

Well, but according to the letter, he definitely treated Drusilla like a Goddess though.

Harvey narrowed his eyes, his fist subconsciously clenching around the paper.

"Hey-" Drusilla smacked his wrist, "Don't spoil it!" She snatched the letter, running off again inside the house. Squeamish screams came from inside, and Harvey wanted to pierce his ears from the sounds.

Well, he did grow up with three sisters.

Drusilla Goldshaw, twenty years old and the eldest child of the Goldshaws. She was set to be married to Michael Fletcher next year, when he completed his degree from the University and returned home. He was a simple fellow who used to be a neighbour of the Goldshaws until he turned nineteen, and went to the Capital to study medicine.

Then came the second sister, Aggripina Goldshaw. She was turning sixteen in the coming November. Her recent adventures included running off from her home classes to play with another girl somewhere in the fields.

Harvey liked her to be honest, even though she got into an immense number of fights.

The third sister, Livilla Goldshaw was a child- a girl ten summers old. She was quiet and pensive, unlike her older sisters, but she had an unhealthy obsession with rabbits and was often found surrounded by rabbits (no one knew where those rabbits came from).

Also, Harvey suspected that she ate paper.

Harvey covered his ears when the screams grew louder, and he knew it was his sisters fawning over Michael's letter.

Just get over it!

The boy glared at a small rabbit which had somehow found its way to the verandah, and was now awkwardly looking at Harvey with its big rabbit eyes. Mixed emotions erupted inside him- which included squishing the rabbit inside a box and petting it at the same time.

Well Michael, let's see how good you really are...

The book bore the brunt of Harvey's mixed emotions. It was futile anyway, because he, his mother and his eldest sister were soon heading to the Mayor's house, for the admission letters to be processed.

Harvey Goldshaw had been accepted into the Central University, and was
heading there the forthcoming week.

Hello everyone!

Are you here from SCENERY or from DOOFBAG?
Then you know me. :)

Those all of you new readers, I am Doof, and I will be popping up now and then in these chapters.

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