Past, Present and Passion

Past Passions

Kelsey and Charles spent so long on the phone that Kelsey simply had no time to google anything. Not Charles, not T, whoever he was, not any of the books she have discovered that day. They talked until the wee hours of the morning and then she promptly fell asleep. But she woke up happy and for that, it was worth it.

Upon arrival at work, she was once again greeted by Ms. Smith. Kelsey was starting to get quite aggravated at the owner of this estate never having the time to see her.

“Please, Ms. Smith. When can I expect to speak with Mr. Scottsfield? I really feel he should be kept abreast of the situation and I would really love to hear his thoughts on everything.”

Ms. Smith lifted her head up even higher than her normal level and looked down at her. “Miss, Mr. Scottsfield is a very important and busy man. He can not be expected to be here at your beck and call. He will be here to speak with you when he has time. Until then, you have your assignments. Please continue your work.”

Kelsey felt her cheeks turning red. Not with embarrassment though, just with anger. She really didn’t work for this woman. She shouldn’t speak to her this way. Kelsey started to open her mouth but quickly shut it. She pictured Meredith at home on bed rest. She was so happy about this job, so excited for what it would mean for them. Kelsey wanted partner so badly. And if it meant dealing with this harsh woman for a bit longer, then so be it. She took a deep breath and said, “I understand that he is busy. I will continue my work as requested. But if you could just mention to him that it would be helpful for us to speak, even in an email or phone call perhaps, I would appreciate it.” There. She got her point across but stayed professional. She was pleased with herself.

Ms. Smith seemed slightly surprised that Kelsey handled herself so well but just nodded curtly. “I’ll do what I can”, she said and sharply walked away.

Kelsey let out a huge breath and made her way to the library. Once inside, she quickly forgot about Ms. Smith and remembered how amazing this job was.

She quickly got to work, examining each book. First she looked at the title and author, then inspected the spine and cover for damage. She gave each a number for quality, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best. Most of the books were a 4 or 5. These were all well kept and high quality items. Then she would open to see if there was an inscription inside, this could make the piece worth even more. It could be signed by the author or could have been owned by someone famous. Several of the books so far had been signed. There were also a bunch that were inscribed, but it was mainly just family members so far. Lastly, she would turn the book upside down and give it a gentle shake. Just in case a note or something else of significance had been folded inside. So far she had found a few pictures and some book marks. Nothing too exciting.

Kelsey got into a rhythm and was moving pretty quickly. She picked up a larger book, a romance novel that was several hundred years old. After inspecting and logging, she flipped the book and gave it a little shake. To her surprise, a folded piece of paper fell out on to the table where she was working.

After gently sitting down the book, Kelsey gingerly picked up the folded paper. It was very old, she could tell by the paper, it looked more like parchment than modern day paper. It had been folded for a long time. She gently turned it over in her hand and slowly began to unfold the paper, careful to not let it tear or break. Once she had unfolded the paper she began to read. It was a letter made out to “Father.” Kelsey quickly looked down to the bottom to see who the letter was from before she read it. It was signed, “Your Liz.”

“Oh. My. God.” Kelsey could barely breath. Could this be princess Lizette? Or another Liz from somewhere else in the family? Or even just a random letter that was in a book that the family purchased at some book store? She had to read to find out.

“Dearest Father,

I’m writing to you in desperation. As you now, my loving husband is very ill. The doctor has told me that they do not expect him to live longer than 6 months. We have desperately been trying to provide an heir for his family, but to no avail. The doctor believes he may be unable to provide the seed needed for a child. This is where I need your help. I have spoken to the King and Queen. They agree we must have an heir, at any cost. I made them an offer. I would become with child by someone else, but would never tell a soul. We will tell everyone that I was able to become with child by my husband before he passed. The royal lineage would continue and I agreed to step down as Queen as soon as he is of age and let them raise the child to be King. The only thing I asked is that I get to choose the man. Father, you must know whom I speak of. Whom I love. Whom I have loved since I was a young girl. I am asking you to send him to me. We will tell everyone that he is a Duke from the English countryside. No one will know the difference. We will be married and be happy. Please help me. I have always done as you asked, I have never asked you for anything. I beg of you to help me. I await your reply. Time is surely of the essence.

Your Liz”

Kelsey was too stunned to move. This was most certainly the Princess. But who was she speaking of? Was this the T who gave her the book of poems? Or did her father not help her? Lizette obviously made the situation work. She got pregnant before her husband died and everyone was made to believe it was his. But did she marry the man she actually wanted to marry? Or was she forced to marry someone she didn’t love? And who could she have loved since she was a young girl? Why didn’t she say his name? There were so many questions! Kelsey had to talk to someone about it, she couldn’t wait to call Charles. But she still had several hours left in her day.

She placed the letter in a protective sheet cover and got back to work. But her mind continued to wander back to the princess. The intense love she must have felt for this man. The fact that she had been forced to leave and marry the prince and leave her true love behind. How sad she must have been. But how strong she was also. To go to her in laws and suggest such a plan. She technically could have been Queen as long as she wanted. They were married with out a child. But she choose him “whom she loved”. She didn’t care about being queen. Kelsey wondered if she would ever love anyone so much that she would give up everything to be with him. Or should she have to? Could she have her passion for her work that she had in the past and a passion for a man for her future. Could it be possible? She didn’t know. She did know that Liz had inspired her today to go after what she wanted whatever the cost. She just wasn’t sure what that was just yet.