Dearest Sister,
I am fine here and I hope this letter finds you in the pink of your health. I sincerely wish the wellbeing of Mother, and my sisters.
I am settling fine in this university, three weeks have passed, and I am yet to have any truck with adversity. My studies are well, and I made a few friends, whom I couldn't care less about. But still, I am eager for the holidays, so I can visit you all again.
On that note sister, I did meet Michael. To be honest, he is completely immersed in his studies and the only respite he has from that is you. He has never been unfaithful, or even have had the thoughts of another woman.
For the explanations regarding the particular letter, Michael Fletcher and Michael Adamson (fiancee of Miss. Agathe Summers) copied the same text. That was the whole confusion about. I would gladly testify in lieu of Michael, that he has never been an infidel.
Send regards to mother, and greetings to my younger sisters.
Your brother,
Harvey.
____________________________________
"So you're telling me, that that library boy still writes to your sister?"
"Yes," Harvey nodded, taking a huge bite in his French bread, as he replied to Fane O'Sullivan. "He just writes another one for both Michael's."
"Is funny, mate!" Jubilant clapped Harvey's back loudly; making him choke again.
"Stop hurting me, would you?"
It was nice, the weather, the classes, the professors, and his friends⦠and well; the library boy Ansel Dawson.
Harvey hadn't talked to him after that incident, daresay how could he? He had made a big fuss out of nothing, and then almost assaulted a person who was physically smaller than him, and then poured his heart out while on the verge of sobbing, and finally dashed out without a word of apology.
"To think bout 'im, names Dawson, lives in the library and is the grandson of the librarian." Jubilant sighed, "And you think lot bout 'im mate."
"No I do not, that's a false accusation." Harvey cleared his throat.
"Accusation? Why would anyone accuse you for thinking about a person?" Fane spoke up.
"I know not. Ask your brother, but if you two are brothers, how do you speak so well and heâ¦" Harvey pointed at the tall blond guy, who was smiling like an idiot now.
"Long story," Fane breathed in, "but I was raised here, Juby, grew up in the mountains. We're first cousins actually."
"That'd make sense."
The boys saw Jubilant stand up and run up to a very finely dressed boy, with elaborate jewelries, "Oye Faizy!"
They saw Jubilant pull on the boy's ponytail and then the short boy started yapping angrily, "Hands off- disgusting peasant! How dare you⦠You should call me Your Highness⦠useless bruteâ¦"
"Doesn't he get tired?" Fane narrowed his eyes.
"Well if I spoke that much, my jaw would definitely hurt."
"Speaking of jaw, Harvey did you finish the assignments on series expansions?"
"Yes, yesterday night. What about you?" Harvey couldn't help but pride himself. Finishing his work two days before the deadline was definitely something to be boasted about.
"Well, it's to be done today itself."
"You lowly people! How dare you think I'll eat the same as you do-" Faizal Mohammed Karem Yilmaz the Fifth was still squeaking complaints even though he was eating the fried potatoes from Jubilant's food box, "Well you should be grateful that I accept your food."
And Jubilant was smiling like a daft head, while watching Faizal yap nonstop.
"Both of them, idiots." Fane sighed.
"Couldn't agree more."
____________________________________
A week passed, and Harvey got a reply from his sister. It said that she sorted it out with Agathe the day after Harvey left, and it was nothing more than an unfortunate coincidence.
In fact, she'd even written a long letter to Michael about how she had doubted his affections for her, which, in Harvey's mind were perfectly worthless.
But, her sister was beautiful. Harvey knew that, and also that beauty had different forms. But this boy before him, sitting on the rosewood desk, his ink quill resting against his slightly parted lips, and the way his curl
brown hair fell on his face-
"Thanks, I didn't quite notice."
Notice?
What Harvey didn't notice was himself going twenty metres in distance to tick a stray hair behind Ansel's ear, and then lean down to stare at him.
"Are you okay?" Blue eyes⦠going wider⦠"You look red in the face!"
"Nothing-" Harvey snapped, and Ansel backed away.
"Have a seat?" He smiled.
Harvey sat down promptly.
"I thought you disliked me," Ansel let out a soft chuckle, his voice smoothing over the edges as he continued to scribble over the parchment.
You smell like ink.
"What are you writing?"
"Nothing to interest you." His reply, none in a bit was rude, just amusement masked with politenessâ¦
Ink that's freshly drawn, just from stone.
Harvey scoffed, "Bold of you to assume what I like."
Written on parchment,
"A story." He didn't look up. Kept on writing.
"On what?" His handwriting, even in rough, looked like art.
"Romance."
"Can I read?" Harvey's mouth moved in his own, before his sane mind could stop him.
"Would you?" Ansel's eyes had this twinkle, this spark that captivated anyone watching him-
"Christ I grew up with three sisters, Austen's books fill up my house."
"Three sisters?!" Ansel stopped writing to look at Harvey, and he laughed, "please do tell me about yourself."
Ego? Harvey had never felt it rise before.
"Well⦠it wasn't too good, as the neighborhood boys kept on coming, and my younger sister, Aggripina, she gets into a lot of trouble honestly, my mother always had to argue with everyone," for the first time, Harvey smiled.
"And Livilla? She's a rabbit maniac!"
"Rabbit maniac?" Ansel asked, pleasantly surprised. "What's that?"
"You won't believe it, but she can apparantly talk to them? God it's a hilarious sight to behold-" Harvey found himself chuckling. And that boy⦠his icy blue eye, which were warmer than anything else-
"The eldest one?"
"You write letters to her." Harvey's face fell, "you should know."
"You're still bothered about it?" Ansel whispered gently.
"Not any more," Harvey stood up abruptly, and Ansel followed his sight. "I don't mind it at all."
"I am sorry if I hurt you." Ansel's eyes looked genuinely sad. And Harvey wanted to stare in those blue eyes-
"I should go, I have work to get done."
"Whenever you need me, I'll be here." Ansel whispered softly, his gentle smile never leaving his face.
Ansel might not be how he looks like. ð