Brief Encounters

Timeline 1 (Part 4)

I was supposed to be reading, but instead, I found myself scrolling through my laptop in Buckingham's quiet library, typing Jeanna, musical actress.

My screen lit up with results. Her Wikipedia page came up first, and I clicked, intrigued.

Jeanna de Waal, born March 1, 1982, in Germany. Attended theatre camps, graduated with a degree in theatre. Top of her class. I scrolled further. Roles in Waitress, American Idiot, Carrie... Quite the list.

Then, curiosity got the best of me. Exes. A sly smile spread across my face when I read dated Henry Cavill. Not bad, I thought. And no current boyfriend.

"Whatcha doing, big brother?" came Harry's teasing voice from behind. I practically jumped and slammed my laptop shut, which only made him laugh harder. "Think Granny would love knowing you're Googling girls instead of reading actual books?"

I scoffed, but a laugh escaped. "Oh, she'd be thrilled," I said, still grinning. "She's practically leading the find William a wife campaign these days."

Harry tossed a folded piece of paper at me, which landed squarely on my keyboard. Jeanna's number, scrawled in his familiar handwriting.

"I hate you," I muttered, though I couldn't help a smirk as I picked it up.

Harry just grinned, strolling off as he called over his shoulder, "Love you too, mate!"

I slipped the paper into my pocket, feeling half-ridiculous but also strangely...hopeful. I could still picture Jeanna from that rainy day on the mountain, laughing at her own jokes and somehow making a bumpy jeepney ride feel like a grand adventure. She was real—no pretense, just herself.

Before I could indulge in that thought any further, a quiet footstep pulled me back. Granny entered the room, her gaze immediately catching my distracted state.

"Everything alright, William?" she asked, offering me a small smile.

"Just...doing some research," I replied quickly, a bit too quickly, which made her eyebrow arch slightly in that knowing way.

"Well, don't forget about dinner tonight. We have a few friends of the family joining us," she said. Her gaze lingered for a moment, and then a faint, amused smile tugged at her lips. "Perhaps tonight, you might have a bit more sparkle in your conversation. It seems something's caught your attention."

My face grew warm, and I chuckled nervously, watching her disappear through the doors. How was it that Granny could read me like a book?

That evening, dinner was in full swing, and the table buzzed with conversation. My father sat beside me, casting a curious glance my way.

"So, William," he said with that usual parental interest. "When will you be introducing us to someone special?"

Before I could dodge the question, Harry—always one to keep things interesting—leaned in with a wicked grin. "Oh, big brother here's taken quite a fancy to a certain lady we met recently."

I shot him a death glare under the table, stomping on his foot. He exaggerated an "ouch" but didn't let up.

Dad perked up, intrigued. "Oh really?" he asked, leaning forward with a mischievous glint. "And who might this lady be?"

I cleared my throat, trying to downplay it. "She's a musical actress we met yesterday, that's all," I said, hoping it sounded casual.

"A musical actress, you say?" Dad repeated with a slight chuckle, as if the very idea amused him. "And here I thought you might go for someone with a quieter life."

"That's exactly what we don't need," Aunt Anne interjected, her eyes twinkling as she shot Dad a look. "William has enough sense to make up his own mind."

Granny, watching it all with a small, approving smile, cut in. "Yes, yes, enough of that," she said. "Now, where are those desserts?"

At the mention of desserts, Harry leaned in, his voice low but teasing. "Remember last night? I swear that dessert spoon was half the size of a ladle."

The memory made me chuckle—Harry, grandly waving around this oversized spoon at the restaurant, insisting on only ordering desserts while everyone else had dinner. He held it up like a trophy, making Jeanna laugh from across the table. Her laugh had this effortless beauty that drew me in, and I realized then that she was the most striking woman in the room.

I snapped back to reality just as the doors swung open, and the desserts arrived, drawing cheers from Harry. He picked up a spoon, raising it dramatically. "If this dessert doesn't make us forget all about our waistlines, I don't know what will!" he said, earning laughs from the family.

Moments like this reminded me of Mum—her ability to make everyone feel at ease and to laugh, even at the little things. I missed her more than I could put into words.

And I couldn't help but think that if she'd been here, she would've seen right through my attempts to keep Jeanna on the sidelines of my thoughts. She would've known that the name on that slip of paper in my pocket was a little more important to me than I was letting on.