chapter six: Tale of Victoria lll Hate is a strong word

Jane Tuner
"Tale of Victoria"

My heart goes out to my dear sister Victoria.

We grew up with differences. We grew up as two different people.

We grew up as separate sisters, broken apart by a bond of a different sort. What it was, I'm not so sure. Was it the mistake of our real mother back there in that labor bed of autumn 1927? Might be. Or was it the horse my mother left me, and nothing for my dear sister V, which had left her confused, wondering why her mother didn't love her as much as she loved me? Had she felt the "royalty" I was being treated as first-born by our dead mother?

Maybe.

Jane lay on the ground under the sun the very next day. She was excited that she now had a sister - a twin sister, whom she now can love without being felt like she was being forced to love.

She was laying on the grass being bathed by the sun's light and smiled, as she closed her eyes and dreamed of Sam. Who was he? She only knew that he was Tom's cousin, and hopefully he wasn't conceited and arrogant like Tom was. Hopefully he was different. Hopefully he was the right man for her.

As she lay there, being spoiled by the sun, she suddenly felt darkness. She opened her eyes and saw him.

The him.

Sam.

"See you been enjoying your stay." he says smiling down at her.

She sat up and looked up at Sam. "The garden's very beautiful."

"My aunt was a lovely gardener, she literally had a green thumb, you know."

"Yes, yes, your uncle's been talking about her a lot, she seemed like a fascinating woman."

"She was." Sam says. He sits down next to her and looked up at the sky. "It always seems beautiful in the house. Like the area's always filled with sunshine, and if it wasn't then it would be filled with stars...where do you live, Miss. Turner."

Surprised that he learned her last name, she blushes. "Over in North London. Nothing special like this. A regular mansion."

"A mansion is nothing special?"

"Oh! No! I didn't mean it like that! Oh, God I sound like a spoiled brat - I just meant compared to this -"

Sam chuckles. "A real spoiled brat wouldn't admit that she was spoiled, don't worry about that."

She liked Sam. Not only because he was charming or had the most beautiful eyes she ever saw, but also because he made her feel special. It was nice knowing that, because when she went home, she would feel belittled and a doormat, but with him she felt...different. "I don't see you around," Jane said, careful not to sound disappointed.

"I've been busy, my cousins and my uncle are not really the kind of people you would spend time with, you know."

"Your uncle seems nice. Your cousin Tom, I can understand why you hate him."

"I don't hate him...just, I don't fancy being around him...hate is a strong word, why do you hate him?"

She didn't like where this conversation was going. "Um...what have you been up to lately?"

He was fiddling with pieces of grass and finally threw them towards the air. "The usual. Running back and forth from the country to here."

"The country?"

"Yes, I live there."

"Then, why are you staying here?"

"I'm not."

There was an awkward silence. For a moment they were just watching the trees around them, listening to the birds. "So, Jane," Sam began. "Tell me something about yourself. What do you do?"

"What do I do? School, at the moment."

"School? How old are you?"

"Seventeen." Jane answered truthfully.

Sam eyes were squinted because of the sun, his reaction unclear. "Oh, I thought you were much older."

"What made you think that?"

"I ... I don't know. You seem ... " he was thinking of the right word to use. "A little more mature than most women."

"How old are you?"

I couldn't possibly be in a relationship with a man whose twenty-nine. That's twelve years! He would definitely have more experience than me, know more stories, know more how to act than I do. ... I guess our age wouldn't matter, you would say, but it would be a factor.

"So, after school. Then what do you plan on being?"

Jane looked ahead of her, unsure of what her answer may be. Like most girls, she wanted to be a lot of things. She didn't want to settle on being a normal house wife, even though she didn't have much intention on marrying. Not just yet. Especially when the one man she likes to imagine herself living with is practically her elder! "I don't know...I always love to write, maybe a novelist or a journalist."

"Well, just make sure if you become a journalist, come knock on my door."

"Why, what's your occupation?"

"I own the a publication company in the town."

Jane knew she couldn't possibly fall in love with him even more. "That's brilliant."

"I know - " A voice cleared behind them.

They turned around, a little disappointed that their conversation was interrupted by the butler. "Mr. Stevens, your ... " he turned to look at Jane, then back at Sam. "House is calling for you."

"My house?" Sam asked confused. "Oh, you mean my -"

The butler nodded.

"I'm sorry," he said to Jane. "Let's continue this some other time, okay?"

Jane nodded, a little speechless.

My heart feels like it's floating. And it's bringing me up with it. There's nothing like a feeling of being in love, especially when there are signs that the man may like you back. Nothing could break my joy. Nothing.

a/n: the story is getting juicier. I already have the timeline for this story, so i know exactly what's going to happen. hope you stay tuned!