Forever Yours
29 April 1835
Dearest Frederick,
Charlie and Ms. Amador send their regards. Friday afternoons at the tavern aren’t quite the same without you. How are we to play a good game of cards without our fourth player?
Last Friday was a slow night at the tavern, and with Ms. Amador and yourself absent only Charlie and I were there for much of the evening. I will confess, I took him up on his offer to fill in some of the gaps you left in your history as I know it. It was selfish and nosy of me to do so, but the temptation was too strong.
He told me the story of Peter, your lover from two years back. He told me of your infatuation with him, and how he used it against you. I need not list the details of it here. Suffice to say he gave me the full story. It breaks my heart to know your first romance was with such a selfish, manipulative creature. You deserved much better.
I want you to know that you are nothing like him, because I fear the thought may have crossed your mind that you were something similar to me. That is simply not true. You may have stolen into my affections, but you did not do so selfishly. You always returned the love I dedicated to you, and never once did you use it against me. There is a difference, Frederick, between the love that we shared and whatever fraudulent affections that bastard may have shown you. I hope you can understand that.
Please, I beg of you, answer my letters if you can. You need only to write under a false return address and I’m confident no one will think it suspicious.
Affectionately yours,
Robert
Charlie and Ms. Amador send their regards. Friday afternoons at the tavern aren’t quite the same without you. How are we to play a good game of cards without our fourth player?
Last Friday was a slow night at the tavern, and with Ms. Amador and yourself absent only Charlie and I were there for much of the evening. I will confess, I took him up on his offer to fill in some of the gaps you left in your history as I know it. It was selfish and nosy of me to do so, but the temptation was too strong.
He told me the story of Peter, your lover from two years back. He told me of your infatuation with him, and how he used it against you. I need not list the details of it here. Suffice to say he gave me the full story. It breaks my heart to know your first romance was with such a selfish, manipulative creature. You deserved much better.
I want you to know that you are nothing like him, because I fear the thought may have crossed your mind that you were something similar to me. That is simply not true. You may have stolen into my affections, but you did not do so selfishly. You always returned the love I dedicated to you, and never once did you use it against me. There is a difference, Frederick, between the love that we shared and whatever fraudulent affections that bastard may have shown you. I hope you can understand that.
Please, I beg of you, answer my letters if you can. You need only to write under a false return address and I’m confident no one will think it suspicious.
Affectionately yours,
Robert