It appeared to be someone's diary. She studied it closely and a single sheet of paper dropped out onto her lap. While Trevor went to get more wood for the fire, Janet unfolded the letter and read it softly out loud:

ALGERNON, WHERE ARE YOU? It is weeks since I even caught the slightest glimpse of you that day in the town square. You were back in the shadows, keeping me in sight as you always were, and I could feel your eyes on me as if you were right by my side. I was miserable. There were dozens of people all around me, but the only one I cared about was so far away.

"What Babe? I couldn't hear what you're saying," Trevor said as he added wood to the fire. Janet was surprised that he'd overheard her, and she read the next part a little louder:

NOW YOU'RE GONE, and as sure as I was that you'd return to me somehow... I find myself running out of hope. How could you hurt me so deeply? You swore it was best for everyone. But I don't even know what that means any more. No one else could feel this heartache. No one else could understand how close we've become.

Trevor became very still on the last line.

REGARDLESS of what you may have promised... there must be some way I can convince you that we can overcome anything that's been said in the past.

Janet's voice slowed to a thoughtful crawl as she spoke these last several words. Both of them stole sideways glances at each other just before she dove her eyes back down to the bottom of the letter.

PLEASE tell me, Algernon. I said I'd do whatever it takes to keep you here, and I meant it. But how can I fight for you when you won't let me try? I don't even know where I can send this letter, but I must hope your heart hears it just the same. I truly believe it could. I don't know that I can stay in this world much longer without that feeling--

"That's it. And it's not signed... where did you find this?" she asked, her eyes still on the letter.

"It was tucked under a floorboard in the back room. You could say I 'stumbled' onto it," he replied, clearly pleased with his pun. Janet was not so happy.

"Trevor, this girl sounded like she wanted to die."

He shot over to her. "So much for light reading, huh? It was a bad idea. I'm sorry."

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to get that thing out of your hands," he said, "and into the fire."

"Not on your life!"

Ignoring the haunting qualities of the letter for the time being, Janet simply held tight to the book and said, "I'm just going read a little of this and see what happened to the girl, okay?"

Trevor smiled at her curiously. "As you wish, madame," he shrugged, and went back to tending the fire.

Janet opened the yellowed pages of this very delicate artifact and read a date: July, 1897. "This book is over a hundred years old," she said, amazed.

"How do you know?"

She ignored him for a moment and read out loud:

I WRITE TONIGHT by the light of the moon, out by the South Barn, for fear that someone will take one look at me and know that I have done the unthinkable. I swear I never meant to kiss Algernon!

"Uh-oh, shame on her," Trevor chuckled.

She read on silently:

AFTER EVERYTHING he has done to this family... how could I be swayed by this man's joy? How did we get from the past to the present with him a changed man and me falling for the changes? No one will ever understand this. I barely understand it myself.

"So, what is that? A diary or something?"

She read aloud:

PERHAPS it would be best if I keep from his sight for awhile. Perhaps these feelings will fade in time. Perhaps... but they still cloud my mind from even remembering my own name at times.

"Great. So we've got no name for her, but the guy's name is... Algernon?" He had a good laugh over that. "Algernon. You've got to be kidding... sounds like a loser to me."

She checked the letter again for a date. There wasn't one. "Hmm... this must've been written before the letter, don't you think?" She turned the page and found a new entry. "Here she goes again. This one's from late August..."

I JUST RETURNED from the longest night of my life. When the rumors started circulating two days ago that Algernon and his... associates were thought to be on one of their searches, I had to excuse myself from one of Father's biggest charity dinners for 10 minutes while I composed myself.

"Charity dinner? Uh-oh, this is starting to sound like that Beauty and the Beast flick Amanda's got on tape," he shook his head and went to scoop more snow up from outside.

NOW ALGERNON has told me that the searches are not anything like they used to be and I believe him, despite public opinion. Still... what if something had gone terribly wrong? By nightfall I found myself questioning my decision to try and forget the bond that he and I have been forming over the past several months. Nothing seemed as important as having him back in my arms again.

"Trevor, listen to this," Janet said.

AFTER ALL, I've already watched enough men in my life slip away from me much too soon.

"She's a widow-- maybe twice widowed," Janet concluded. She knew this would get to him; it hit too close to home for it not to.

"Amen to that," Trevor responded, almost to himself.

She looked over at him with a glimmer of sadness, then went on reading to herself. "Oh, her name is Priscilla," she announced.