a/n: I have made a few changes ex. Her baby brother’s name, the spelling of her nickname, some word revision even though these are minor things I needed to change them for other things to be clear in the coming chapters :p thanks for all the reviews thus far!

Summer’s Kiss

Prologue

My dear brother Ackley, eight years my senior, the eldest child of Barton and Mary White, has most recently written a novella, that of which he plans delivery to the publisher in London this Tuesday morning. Indeed, I have read its entirety, for my love of reading grows even stronger from the words upon the tattered pages of God’s gracious gift to my brother. His latest work concerns two lovers, deep in zeal for one another, imprisoned by hearsay, doomed to marry their fiends – hopelessly tragic, yet happily put together in the end.

I am said to be my brother Ackley’s closest companion, even more so than any of the male associates he has found to be daunting. Although, I must say, Ackley and I share more than common ground between that of siblings; we grow nearer the farther we are separated, the stronger the pull against us, the stronger we hold tight. Mother says it isn’t proper for a young girl as I to keep so close to her elder brother, that one day he will go away from Asselby– but I don’t believe her. In fact, she has always chastised my decision to befriend Ackley, when I have a sister so near my age who is in need of a confidant and my baby sister and brothers whom no one has taken under their wing. But what was there to be between us when she cared nothing for me, nor I her?

From the earliest of our years, Alice constantly competed for Papa’s affection and attention; I on the other hand, saw that he was wrapped up in his eldest daughter’s beauty, her perfect snow-white complexion, matching hair, sapphire eyes with specks of grey. It was something I could do nothing about, even if I tried. I was my father’s daughter, light olive complexion, downed with wavy locks of chocolate and exotic eyes my brother tells me.

“Libbie, you’re beautiful in your own way. Bother not with the ideas society now holds, for they’ll one day see Miss Elisabeth White is, indeed, the gorgeous lady whom will marry for love; not propriety nor her snow white complexion. For yours, baby sister is not only bonny, but ravishing past words for the tongue. You will stand out from the others, but it is not to your disadvantage – trust me, baby sister.

So I did the only thing I knew left to do – strive for Ackley’s affection and attention instead of my biological father’s. My dearest brother told me that I was stunning. My father said my sister was better-looking. Ackley often said that it mattered not that my complexion was that of a summer’s kiss, because the mark of beauty upon the left side of my chin outshone the impropriety. He said one day I would find a man who loved me because of me, and not because of the shade of my skin. I have not found that someone yet, but someday I know he will come, for Ackley White gives not his word to be broken. The dear has always fascinated me; what charm he has with the ladies, what guile with gentlemen…