The next story, the twelfth, in my collection, When I Am Not Writing Poetry is ‘The Book Binder’s Daughter’ – the second story in the collection to revisit three friends who received brief mentions in The Dark Trilogy. This time the focus is on the second of the two boys and the girl, and once again on the connection – supposed connection, perhaps – between them.
Simon could not quite believe it. He spent the first few minutes after recovering from the shock of that sudden and immediate recognition calculating. How many years had it been since they had last met? It shocked and surprised him to discover that the answer was sixty! But in all those years, she had not changed at all, he thought; older, certainly, but still lovely—instantly recognisable. He wondered if she had seen him, recognised him? But perhaps he had not made the same impression on her all those years ago that her petite features with the slightly upturned nose, the blond hair, the lively eyes and ready smile had made on him. And on one or two of his friends, he thought! His eyes sought her out again across the room and there she was near the windows overlooking the bay talking to, and laughing with, someone in a gown. Simon felt a sudden pang of jealousy.
Sixty years? Could it really be that long… sixty years since he had first fallen in love!
‘The Book Binder’s Daughter’ can be found in When I Am Not Writing Poetry – available here or on Amazon.
