Thomas scrutinized the envelope, turning it front and back. He glanced at Rose, and she looked up at him eagerly. He took a step back, putting some more space between them.
Rose did her best not to move forward, following after Thomas. If it were up to her, she would have climbed onto his shoulders just to see. Not like that would make any difference—she couldn't read.
He pulled on the wax seal, and Rose heard a snapping sound as it broke. She instinctively held her breath as he pulled out the folded letter.
Thomas handed her the envelope, and Rose accepted it as though it were the greatest gift ever. She stretched out both hands as she collected it graciously. Thomas gave her another odd stare, but there was no anger in his eyes.
He turned his attention to the folded paper and unfolded it. His eyes did a brief scan, and Rose shuffled on her feet as she waited for him to begin reading.
"Dear Rosie,
