Dearest Gentle Reader,
It is with no small measure of delight that this author takes up her pen on this most amorous of days—Valentine’s Day. A day that inspires the hearts of many and strikes abject terror into the wallets of quite a few.
Indeed, this occasion, hailed as Lover’s Day, is one that stirs a great chasm betwixt the sexes. For while a legion of eager young ladies—purse and partner notwithstanding—await their declarations of affection with fluttering hearts, their male counterparts oft find themselves besieged by the mounting pressures of grand gestures and emptying coffers. The spectacle of it all, one must admit, is rather diverting.
As in years past, the air is abuzz with plans—some whispered in secrecy, others boldly proclaimed. Flowers shall be plucked, chocolates consumed, and many a grand promise spoken under candlelit settings. But before you, my dear reader, become wholly swept away by this tide of sentiment, permit this author to illuminate the origins of this day, for history oft has a way of slipping through even the most refined of minds.
Saint Valentine, or Valentinus as he was once known, was no mere figure of idle romance but a man of steadfast conviction. A martyr who, in defiance of imperial decree, wedded young lovers in secret, lest they be torn apart by the demands of war. A healer of the afflicted, even to the daughter of his executioner, to whom he restored sight—and, if whispers are to be believed, to whom he lost his heart. Yet above all, he was a man devoted to a love beyond the confines of the earthly, a love that saw him endure a fate most brutal—beaten, beheaded, and immortalized in history.
And so, dearest reader, this author is compelled to inquire: what love shall you extol this day? Will it be Eros, the passion that sets hearts ablaze? Philia, the warmth of friendship? Phileo, the love of self? Or, dare I say, Agape—that highest of loves, boundless and selfless?
This author casts her vote for Agape. But what say you?
Go forth, then, like a wellspring of kindness, bestowing smiles and joy upon all in your path. And know this—should you fail to do so, I shall most assuredly hear of it. For I am Lady Whistledown, and I see all.
Until next time, I remain,
Your Valentine,
Lady Whistledown