Page 69 of Right Place, Right Time
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‘The Hundred and One Dalmatians!’ I say triumphantly, holding up a copy of the book. We had to search through several boxes of my grandparents’ things before we finally found it. And now we have, I am ecstatic. I just know this is going to mean something significant. ‘Now we find out if my theory is correct!’
Slowly I open up the cover of the vintage hardback book, but, to my surprise, I don’t find pages of text inside, but a small, flat box.
‘It’s a fake book!’ Adam looks as amazed as I am by what we’re seeing. ‘I’ve heard about these, but I’ve never actually seen a vintage one like this.’
‘I’ve had a few pass through the shop,’ I say. ‘But they tend to be generic leather-bound volumes, used by people to hide important and valuable things. Definitely not children’s books.’
I lift out the plain wooden box, then try to open the lid.
‘It’s locked,’ I say, looking at Adam.
‘Then there really must be something inside that no one else is supposed to see. What sort of a lock is it – not a combination again?’
‘No, it needs a key this time.’
‘Any idea where the key might be?’ Adam asks hopefully.
I think about it for a moment before my face lights up.
‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do!’ I race back up the stairs and pull open the bottom drawer of my chest of drawers. Then I lift my grandmother’s old jewellery box out from under some winter jumpers. I quickly open the lid to see if what I’m looking for is inside, then I hurry back down the stairs.
‘It’s in here,’ I say, opening up the jewellery box again. ‘My grandmother used to wear a silver key on a chain around her neck. I bet it fits this box.’ I lift a silver chain with a tiny key hanging from it and try it in the lock. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is going to fit and my thoughts are confirmed when we hear a satisfying click. I lift up the lid of the box to see what’s inside and find a neat stack of three identical envelopes.
‘What do they say?’ Adam asks excitedly as I lift them from the box.
‘The first one is addressed to Sarah,’ I tell him. ‘Do you think that’s my grandmother?’
‘It must be, if it was hidden in here with her things? What about the other two?’
I pause on the first envelope for a moment, before putting it down.
‘The next one saysEveon the front, and the third is addressed to you.’ I show Adam the envelope with his name on. ‘They’re all in different handwriting, though.’
‘Why would there be one addressed to me?’ Adam asks, looking puzzled. ‘Your grandparents didn’t know me, did they?’
‘Not that I’m aware of.’ I stare at the three envelopes. ‘Should we read them, do you think?’
‘They are addressed to us.’
‘But which one first? Oh, there’s a tiny number on the back of this one and the other two as well. So there’s clearly an order in which we’re to read them.’
‘There you go, then,’ Adam says. ‘What are you waiting for?’
I hesitate with the first envelope in my hand. It’s the one addressed to Sarah.
‘I don’t know. What if it’s private?’
‘Eve, you must see we’ve clearly been led here to this moment? Someone wanted us to read these letters – otherwise why would they have all been hidden together like this, and two of them addressed to us?’
I nod. ‘You’re right. Of course you’re right.’ Carefully I open the first envelope that hasSarahhandwritten on the front in black ink, and I read aloud.
‘My beautiful Sarah. If you are reading this letter, my darling, then I am not with you any more. Please never think for one moment I did not care for you or love you. I absolutely adored you – you were my whole life and I would have done anything for you.
‘But I had to put right our mistake. I had to give another mother the chance to love and care for her own child, just as I did mine. It was my fault that the chance was taken from her and I had no choice but to try to right a terrible wrong.
‘You will grow up not knowing me, only your father. Remember, he is a good man and nothing that has taken place is his fault, so please don’t blame him. The fault lies entirely with me. Sometimes the right thing to do in life is not always the easiest. But I hope by now you understand that.
