PROLOGUE:
"I can't wait for the boys to be back," said Faith Meredith, her bouncing golden brown curls a contrast to her gloomy tone. "It will be four months before we see them again."
Una smiled, her dark blue eyes wistful. "It isn't the same without them, is it?"
Di managed an impish grin. "Well, Nan can flirt as much as she likes and Faith, you can ride as many pigs as you want to."
Faith and Una laughed. "Where is Nan?" asked Faith presently. "She's been gone for hours."
Di laughed again. "Oh you know Nan," she said, her green eyes twinkling. "She'll go and get a ribbon and then end up becoming a princess locked in a tower spinning her gown for the ball."
Faith giggled. "Maybe she met Prince Charming!"
The blithe girlish voices echoed among the glowing spruces of Rainbow Valley, golden in the autumn air. Up at the Glen, a bell rang solemnly as the sun displayed the last few hours of its majesty, bathing the afternoon with warm, shimmering tints. Anne Blythe, upon hearing the laughter in the grove, smiled and then sighed as she thought of the coming time when Kingsport and Redmond would take the place of Rainbow Valley and Ingleside.
"There she is!" said Una, pointing to a slender figure in pink, looking and walking like an airy, dreamy fairy.
Di sighed teasingly. "Her head's up in the clouds again," she said, watching her twin amusedly.
The two pairs of sisters couldn't have been more different from each other. While the Blythe twins had inherited their mother's slender build and delicacy, they had nothing else in common. Di had her mother's wavy red hair, green eyes and milk white skin but had her father's sense of humor and practicality. Nan, on the other hand, with her glossy nut-brown hair, hazel eyes and flawless, peaches and cream complexion, had inherited in full her mother's dreams and imagination. Different as they were, however, the twins shared a special bond, as only twins can.
The Merediths were very different too. Faith, impulsive and lively as ever, with her golden brown curls, brown eyes, and crimson cheeks was, as Susan Baker once said, as pretty as a picture. In contrast, Una, with her pale skin, ebony hair, and dark blue eyes, was shy and sweet and quiet.
Nan reached them, her eyes sparkling. "I just love sunsets," she said, looking at the fire and splendor around her dreamily. "It just soaks everything with golds and pinks and yellows and makes everything turn into a fairy garden."
Di poked her. "Aren't you forgetting something, Nan?"
Nan turned. "Wha-oh! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed, getting a few envelopes from the basket on her arm. "Jem, Jerry, and Walter's letters all came today, addressed to Rainbow Valley."
"Which should we open first?" asked Una.
Faith shut her eyes and picked one. She grinned. "It's Jem's." Opening it, she read aloud,
Hi Girls,
Jerry and I are pretty much settled in. The boarding house is okay, but I miss Susan's cooking. I'd give anything for one of her monkey-face cookies now. Classes just started last Monday and I already have a literature exam tomorrow on Shakespeare. I'm working as hard as a horse. Well, almost. Speaking of Shakespeare, I have to write old Walt and ask him a few things, and I promised Mother I'd write her too, so Nan, don't flirt, Di, knock some sense into Nan, Una, stay as sweet as ever, and Faith, don't do anything crazy. I'll write more when I can. I'm off to study,
Jem
Nan looked indignant while Faith tossed her head. Before they could say anything though, Una hurriedly took another letter. "This one's from Walter," she said, her pale face not betraying the flutter she felt.
Di, Nan, Una, Faith,
I wouldn't be surprised if you all are reading this in Rainbow Valley. I miss it already. Nothing in Charlottetown can compare to that dear old fairyland of dreams, but I like Queens well enough. Whenever I feel like I need quiet and trees, I go to this old, old graveyard a few blocks away. Now don't think it morbid, but it is a beautiful, old site, a city landmark, practically untouched by modernity. It seems to me a place haunted by old dreams, old loves, old romances and old stories that have long since been forgotten, never to be lived again, but lingering still, hoping to be remembered. It doesn't seem right somehow, to live and then be forgotten forever.
I suppose now you think I spend all my time in the graveyard, thinking of times long gone, but don't worry. I've been getting quite a lot of invitations to soirees and parties and concerts that it makes me wonder if people here do any studying at all. Ken will drop by sometime next week too, so you see, I don't lack company. I have to read the Odyssey, so I'm off to sail beyond the sunset and onto the unknown.
Walter
Upon reading Walter's letter, Nan, Di and Faith burst out laughing. "Walter's getting to be a hit with girls," said Di merrily.
"And a brooding poet is quite romantic," Nan added, her eyes twinkling.
"Walter doesn't know how good-looking he is," added Faith laughing. "Wont he and Ken make a stir walking through Charlottetown!" Nan, Di and Faith laughed again as Una smiled, hiding her wistfulness.
When the laughter subsided, Nan brought out the last letter. "And here's Jerry's," she announced, opening it and reading aloud,
Girls,
How's the old Valley? What I'd give for one of some of our trout right now. Our landlady's cook got sick today and we haven't had a decent meal. Just some burned mutton and rock-hard potatoes and sardines. I'd rather have Aunt Martha's ditto. Well, maybe not. I might have forgotten how awful it is.
What's this I hear about Matt Taylor, Nan? One of his sisters is my English classmate and she says he's crazy about you. You're lucky I haven't told Jem…yet. Faith, don't you go around breaking hearts. You too, Di. Una, take care of yourself. I'm off to study Hamlet.
Jerry
Hundreds of miles away at Kingsport, three tall young men walked home together.
"What'd you think of the girls?" asked Jack , his eyes blue eyes twinkling. He was slim and blond.
One of them, with curly red-hair and hazel eyes laughed and shrugged. "They're an okay bunch," he said non-committantly.
"Yeah," the other agreed absently. He was dark and good-looking, with flashing black eyes.
Both boys however, were thinking about the other's sister and reflected on how the Redmond girls paled in comparison to two certain spunky beauties, one, impulsive and roguish, the other, dreamy and ethereal.