Juliana entered the upstairs nursery. The small room was near the attic. It had not been used in years, so it surprised Juliana to see the light coming from under the door. Slowly she opened it to reveal a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl sitting with her legs tucked beneath her, a box on her lap and letters spread in a fan before her.

"Annabelle? Whatever are you doing in here?"

Annabelle looked startled until she realized her governess and closest friend Juliana discovered her. She gave a deep sigh of relief.

"I am packed and ready to leave tomorrow." She watched the sorrow flicker in Juliana's eyes. Juliana knelt before her.

"I shall miss you terribly."

"Clara is still here," Annabelle offered, but they knew that in a year or two her sister Clara would follow Annabelle to her Aunt's to be presented for her season and then Juliana would be left alone in this house with no one to love her.

Annabelle hated the very idea of her friend being left in such a state. "You've been such a wonderful governess to Clara and I. I am certain you could ask for letters of recommendation from Mother once Clara leaves and perhaps you can find a new home and family."

Juliana smiled. "There is no need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. It is you who I am worried for."

"Me?"

"Yes. Why are you here, all alone, the night before you are to leave?"

"Well, I am to go to my Aunt's to be presented. To find a husband and I guess I wanted to look over the letters from my other suitors to know what I should expect or perhaps what I should be looking for?"

"Other suitors?" Juliana asked with a sly grin. In truth, she knew of Annabelle's secret box of letters, and her suitors. With Annabelle's beauty it was to be expected, and with her sweet disposition and penchant for getting into trouble it was more of a given.

Annabelle blushed. "There have been a few that have written quite lovely letters or poetic verse. I never replied to any of them of course but it was rather sweet of them to write. I've kept them all here in this box and hid the box from Mother in this room."

"Shall we read them together?" Juliana asked, conspiratorially.

Annabelle giggled. "Yes, let's!"

For hours the girls giggled together over the feeble attempts the boys had made to win fair Annabelle's heart. Letters like...

Dearest Annabelle,

Quite lovely weather we are having but not nearly so lovely as you. What sun could compare to your radiance? You glow from within and have lit my heart ablaze. Please, save me from being completely consumed and tell me you'll be mine!

Yours truly,

William Kelsey

Or

My Dear Annabelle,

Red the rose is as it grows

So does my love for you

Blue is the forget me not

Please tell me it holds true

Violet is the sweetest smell

Crushed upon a heel.

And crushed I may be

For it is my heart you did steal.

An Admirer from the Shire

"Oh, what poor boy did you do this to?" Juliana admonished.

Annabelle shrugged. "I have not the foggiest."

"So, which has been your favorite thus far?" Juliana inquired.

Annabelle scanned over the letters and picked the one she was looking for, "Undoubtedly, it must be this one..."

My Lovely Annabelle,

Will you permit me to compose a sonnet about your glorious hair?

"Oh, no!" Juliana fell into a fit of laughter, "Say it isn't true?"

"I would but I fear it is all too real, and well just horrid really. I doubt this boy even knows what poetry is let alone having the skill to compose an actual sonnet."

Both girls laughed until the tears needed to be swiped away.

"I guess there is not much chance of you finding advice on true love among these sages or poets then?"

Annabelle looked at the letters sprawled across the floor. "No, I guess not." She looked suddenly sad or perhaps concerned it was difficult to discern.

"Annabelle?"

"It is a bit frightening, is it not? To think I may be married in just a few short months. Oh, Juliana! I had so hoped it would be for love. I so wished one of these boys would have been brave enough to come to our door and steal me away from here, so we could live happily ever more."

Juliana hugged her friend and charge. "You will find love, Annabelle."

"How can you be so certain?"

"It is who you are inside that will draw that man you seek. Like a moth to a flame he will not be able to resist and he will stop at nothing to love you."

"Like Richard loves you?" Annabelle asked.

Juliana felt the pain of hearing Annabelle's brother's name. "That ship has sailed long ago I am afraid."

"I know my brother loves you," Annabelle stated adamantly.

"Perhaps he did once love a girl but that girl has been gone for quite some time and so has your brother. I am certain he has forgotten all about me."

"Never!" Annabelle cried. "You will see. One day he will return and steal you away from all of this. You will have your happily ever after, Juliana. Never give up hope."

"I shall try," was all Juliana could offer as she knew better than to argue with Annabelle and did not wish to disappoint her friend. "It is getting late."

"Yes, of course," Annabelle said and started to scoop up her letter and place them back in their box. She wished she had not mentioned Richard. That she could get back the laughter and gaiety of a moment ago.

"I think that is the last of them," Annabelle said but as she was about to lock the box Juliana had handed her one more.

She looked at the envelope strangely.

"What is it?"

"This letter? It is opened but I do not remember it being from my box," Annabelle turned the letter over. There was no address; only the words scripted that read,

To My Love.

With shaking fingers Annabelle lifted the flap of the envelope and carefully pulled out its contents. She unfolded the page and scanned the words. Tears sprang to her eyes and she felt an ache grow in her heart.

"What does it say?"

Annabelle composed herself so that she might read...

My Love,

Subtly you move in close to enter the shadows of my heart

to reach the very depth of my soul.

Together as one we shall face the world,

and for once it doesn't seem such a hard cruel place.

For your love grows within me

and my spirit stirs with happiness.

While my heart waits patiently

for when we shall be together again,

and my soul aches to love you once more.

I realize that when I reach for the stars

for that angelic figure in the sky.

You were my goal, my hearts dream.

My soul whispers softly, words of love and passion

so sweet to coax you, my angel, to earth

to fill my heart with unending love

that can only be found in loving you.

To be apart from you is torture to the highest degree,

but to love you is to know the meaning of ecstasy.

Say that you'll love me forever

and I will be yours till the end of time.

Both girls paused and stared at the letter. Such love and devotion poured from a pen has never been heard before. Suddenly as if snapped out of a dream, Annabelle blinks and in a panic turns the letter over several times.

"No! No! No!" She states in quite a fit.

"What? What's wrong?" Juliana asked, feeling Annabelle's sense of alarm.

"It is... It is not signed!"

"Are you quite certain?" Juliana questioned.

Flipping the letter over again several times and rechecking the envelope turned up nothing. "Yes! Oh, Juliana how could I have missed such a beautifully written letter?

The man who wrote it must have loved me, and I carelessly tossed him aside with all the others."

Annabelle looked simply miserable. 'That's it! I am not going!"

"What!?" Now it was Juliana turn to be alarmed.

"How can I leave now when my true love is here, waiting for me?" Annabelle scanned the writing it seemed familiar but she could not place it. Why couldn't she place it? How could she have been such a fool to let such a treasure slip through her fingers?

Juliana took the letter from Annabelle's hand and folded it back to its original state. She slid the note into its sleeve. "Annabelle, there is no way to find the one who wrote this letter, but you came here seeking answers, did you not?"

Annabelle slowly nodded, yet she still held the look of panic in her eyes.

Juliana took the letter and placed it in Annabelle's hands. "You were meant to have this letter. You were meant to find it now, tonight of all nights. Let it guide you. The words spoken within were spoken with the truest of intentions. Look for those intentions among the men you will meet. Settle for nothing less."

Annabelle had taken several deep breaths. "For nothing less," she whooshed out from her lungs on the last breath. "Of course, you are right." She clasped the letter to her chest. "You are quite certain I will not find him if I stay?"

"Quite," Juliana stood firm.

"Then I shall search for him in London. One of my suitors must be worthy of such words, such ideals. Yes! This is my ideal partner and I will settle for nothing less!" Annabelle resolutely stated.

"Now, you really ought to go to bed. Your Aunt has arranged for a carriage to pick you up early tomorrow morning."

"Oh Juliana, do you really think it possible to find such a man in London?"

"For you, I have no doubt."

Annabelle crushed the letter slightly as she embraced her best friend of all time. Juliana was truly like a sister to her, and she was going to miss her terribly.

Juliana stood a moment and soaked in the love from that embrace. Knowing its like will never be felt again. She kissed the top of Annabelle's head. "Now off to bed with you. I will see you to your carriage tomorrow with Clara to be certain."

With tear filled eye Annabelle pulled away. "Promise?"

"I promise," Juliana said, giving her a small shove out of the nursery and into the hall. She handed the box of letters to Annabelle but Annabelle shook her head. "No, leave them here. I have the only one that matters, and I shall be taking it with me."

Juliana smiled and tucked the box back in to its hiding spot in the nursery, blew out the candles and escorted her friend to her bedchambers.

"Good night, Juliana."

"Sweet dreams, Annabelle."

Annabelle did indeed have sweet dreams although she could not see his face; she knew it was he, standing across the room. Suddenly a pair of eyes pierced the darkness and she felt entranced by them. Her stomach fluttered and her heart leapt.

She watched quite stunned as the figure moved slowly across the room. Coming ever closer, so close the man stood within inches of her grasp, yet she dared not touch him for fear this apparition may disappear.

"It is you! I knew you would come. I knew you would find me."

A playful smile appeared upon the face that still refused to come into full focus.

"How could you ever doubt? We are meant to be. Nothing can stop Love from finding its counterpart. Nothing."

"I swear from this moment on I shall never doubt again," Annabelle whispered to no one in her sleep. "Tomorrow, my love the search for you begins.

Entry for the #OpenNovellaContest - I used Prompt #4 Love Letters and the word count is exactly 2000 words.) Hope you enjoy!