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it?’ agreed Joel. His excitement was growing now. This was fascinating, he’d had no idea any of this was here.

      They started flicking through the bundles of letters, some addressed to Mr and Mrs Handford, some to Lily, some to Harry Handford. And several from Edward to Connie, talking about the work she was doing as V.A.D. in France.

      ‘Oh look,’ said Kezzie, ‘this is from Edward to Lily.’ She picked up the letter and began to read.

      Lahore, June 1893

      My dearest Lily,

      Every day I am away from you, I feel my heart ache just that little bit more. I cannot tell you how much I long to see you again. I wish you had after all been here at my side. The work here is long and arduous, particularly in the heat, and the man they have given me as an assistant is by no means as diligent and attentive as you. It is of some satisfaction to me that I will be able, I hope, to bring home some new species of plants that will be of interest to Kew.

      Edward went into a lot more detail about the exhibition he’d been on, before ending, But however much pleasure I get from my work, not a day goes by, my darling, without my wishing to come home to you, and our beautiful garden. To think that in less than a year we will have a new family, is a joy beyond measure. With all my love to you as ever, my darling,

      Your Loving

       Edward.

      Lovelace Cottage

       September 1893

      My dearest Edward,

      The worst has happened and you are away from me. The dark days of winter draw in, and I cannot summon the strength to raise a smile, now I know there will be no happy event in the spring.

      Mother tells me it is God’s Will. I daresay she is right, but do you think it very wicked of me to question why God should have willed that our baby should have died before it even saw life?

      I think of nothing else but what might have been. I fear your mother thinks I am overindulgent in my grief, but how can I not be? Our future has been stolen from us. I feel my heart has broken and you so far from home. Hurry back to me, my love,

      Your Lily

      ‘Oh and look at this.’ Kezzie had uncovered a diary, which was lying underneath the batch of letters she’d been reading through. Joel peered over her shoulder and shone the torch on the spidery handwriting. ‘I think this is Lily’s diary.’

      October 1893

      Today is a better day. The best in a very long time. Edward is home, come back to me at last. Together we have mourned our baby. I feel stronger and able to stand it now he is once more by my side. He took me out in the garden and he promised he’d plant something in memory of the baby we have lost, once the spring is here. And he took my hands and whispered, ‘Do not fret, there will be more babies’ and he is right. My future hasn’t been stolen from me. Just postponed for a while.

      ‘Oh, how very sad!’ exclaimed Kezzie. ‘Just think of them having that lovely garden, and hoping to plant flowers in it to celebrate the births of their children and then they lost a baby.’

      ‘Tragic,’ agreed Joel. ‘I have a feeling they had a lot of tragedy. I think Lily might have died quite young, but I’m not sure. I should ask Mum.’ He felt a sudden odd surge of kinship with Edward, who’d clearly known heartache too.

      ‘This is amazing,’ Kezzie said, ‘real social history. You must show Eileen – you know, who lives on our road. She’s interested in all this stuff, and wants your help on the committee. I reckon a gardening museum would be interested in this. It’s fascinating.’

      ‘And it’s taking up an awful lot of our time,’ said Joel. ‘I think we’d better get this trunk downstairs and look through it at our leisure.’

      By the time they emerged from the loft, blinking in the sunlight and covered in dust, Lauren had fed the children, put Sam down for his nap, and produced a monster pile of bacon sandwiches. She was sitting in the lounge watching CBeebies with the twins.

      Joel popped his head round the door with a plateful of sandwiches, while Kezzie went to freshen up.

      ‘Thanks for this,’ said Joel, ‘you didn’t have to.’

      ‘No, I didn’t,’ snapped Lauren waspishly.

      ‘Oh, no. Sorry.’ Joel felt wrongfooted, but then Lauren’s tone softened as she said, ‘So did you find anything interesting?’

      ‘Yes, it was incredible,’ said Joel, who was really feeling fired up by the morning’s discoveries. ‘There was a trunk with loads of letters in, and Lily’s diaries – that’s Edward’s wife – and pictures they’d both done, but no sign of any plans yet.’

      ‘That’s a shame,’ said Lauren, but she didn’t really seem interested. ‘Come on girls, it’s time to go.’

      ‘Oh, do you have to go so soon?’ said Joel. ‘I was hoping to get back in the garden for a bit this afternoon.’

      ‘Well, you’ll have to hope won’t you,’ said Lauren, with exasperation. ‘I do have other things to do, you know.’

      ‘Yes, of course,’ Joel ploughed on. ‘Sorry. I thought maybe the money could be useful …’

      ‘The money is always useful,’ exploded Lauren. ‘That’s not the bloody point. I’ve got to walk the girls to their granny’s for a sleepover so I can work a late shift in the pub. I don’t have much of a life, but not all of it revolves around you and Sam.’

      ‘Oh,’ said Joel, ‘I’m really sorry, I didn’t think—’

      ‘No, that’s the problem,’ said Lauren. ‘You never do. Come on, girls, time we were off.’

      ‘Oh,’ said Kezzie, looking embarrassed, as Lauren swept past her. ‘What was all that about?’

      ‘Me putting my size elevens in it again,’ groaned Joel.

      ‘Well, you do treat that poor girl like she’s a bit of furniture, sometimes,’ said Kezzie.

      Joel looked a bit rueful.

      ‘I know,’ he sighed. ‘I don’t mean to. She’s so much better with Sam than I am.’

      ‘Not better, necessarily,’ said Kezzie. ‘Just different. I think you need to spend a bit more time concentrating on being a dad and not letting other people do it for you.’

      ‘So you wouldn’t help me by getting Sam up from his nap then?’ said Joel as a telltale sound of gentle wailing proclaimed Sam was waking up.

      ‘Nope,’ said Kezzie. ‘I’m nobody’s nursemaid. Least of all yours.’

      Edward and Lily

      1893

      Lovelace Cottage

       Heartsease

       February 1894

      My darling Edward,

      I trust this letter finds you well. I wish I could be by your side drawing all your discoveries, as I used to when we went on our country rambles, here in Sussex. I cannot imagine how you manage in such a hot climate, with only poor Mr Salter to help you. He doesn’t sound as though he is the best or most interesting of companions!

      I long to see you, and hope that you will be back in Heartsease in the summer when our son – I am sure it is a son, he kicks so lustily! – will be born. Won’t it be lovely to have a baby in the summer, sitting out in our beautiful garden? I cannot wait to see him or you.

      Hurry home to me soon, my love, we both grow impatient!

      Your loving wife

       Lily

      Delhi

       March 1894

      Dearest Lily,

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