"My final letters, were they read? Or were they written in vain?"
Although born in France, Juliette Villeneuve often spent her childhood summers in London. With the passing of each summer, her adoration for a certain Bridgerton boy grew. During thei...
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EIGHT DAYS HAVE PASSED SINCE ANTHONY AND HER UNCLE LEFT FOR PARIS AND JULIETTE IMPATIENTLY AWAITED THEIR RETURN. In that time, Juliette came to realize how impatient she truly was. The days trickled by, each one passing slower than the day before. At some points, it truly felt as if time was beginning to move backwards. It seemed as if Anthony and her uncle would never return. That was foolish to think. To Paris and back by carriage took approximately eight days. At this point, they were not gone longer than expected. Juliette was merely eager to be in Anthony's presence once again and have her dear uncle at home.
Earlier that evening, Juliette attended a concert with her aunt. The event was beautiful and heavenly to the ears, albeit long. Far too long in her opinion. Three hours seated in a small booth was not Juliette's ideal situation, however, she enjoyed the event nonetheless. Another downfall of the concert was that, although she found herself immersed in the music, her thoughts were left to wander. The event did not successfully pose as a distraction as thoughts of Anthony with her father ran wild in her mind.
Juliette really just wanted Anthony and her uncle to return.
At the current moment, Juliette sat in a chair by the fireplace. In her lap lay dozens of old letters from Anthony. Weeks before when Anthony and Simon intended to duel, he wrote her a letter, a goodbye letter. Along with that letter, he left dozens of letters he wrote during the three years of silence, ones he never found the courage to send. Since receiving the stack of letters, Juliette read each at least three times over. The past week alone, she found herself reaching for the words of his heart more than usual. Some of his letters mimic the ones he used to send — recounting his daily affairs and blatant expressions of love. But, most of his unsent letters outline his regret and poor mistakes. She already forgave Anthony and did not hold his past actions against him. Nonetheless, his words were intricately strung with sorrow that ached her heart. He too, during those three years, was in pain.
She couldn't help but think of the hundreds of letters they sent to one another over the years.
All the letters exchanged since their childhood years were locked away in a small wooden box in the back of her wardrobe at the Villeneuve house. She could never bring herself to throw them away, even after Anthony failed to respond. But, she also couldn't bring herself to read them seeing as it would bring her more pain. So, she buried the box of childhood correspondences and young adult love letters under miscellaneous items and forced herself to forget. Months ago, Juliette found no reason to tote the box of letters with her to London, so they, like many of her belongings, were left behind at the Villeneuve residence. However, now, as she impatiently waited for her love to return from Paris, she wished she could reminisce on the old letters and the cherished memories they brought.
Juliette regretted not asking Anthony to retrieve the box for her. But, at the time of his departure, it wasn't even a mere thought.
A small thud sounded on her window, causing Juliette to flinch in her spot by the fireplace. Immediately, Juliette craned her neck to see, and her heart leapt in her chest at the sight. Having scaled the tree outside her window, Anthony was balanced on a large branch, waiting for her. Once he knew Juliette noticed him, he dropped the hand he knocked with to the sill, supporting himself further.
