Dust Buddies
It started with a bit of construction inspection. But instead of the usual debris, a stack of yellowed paper had been living with the old dust bunnies.
As they read the beautifully scrawled words, a long-lost story of love and bitterness started to unfurl. Who knew their home kept such a heart-breaking secret.
New Home
It was the start of something monumental.
Instead of handing out rent money, Georgia Walker and James Morris were finally able to buy their forever home in Malvern, Worcestershire. The couple had big plans for their two-story dream. But there was one thing in their way.
Saving Up Again
The down payment had drained most of their savings.
It was beyond frustrating for the eager DIYers to live in rooms that screamed to be painted and walk on floors that begged to be varnished. Georgia desperately wanted to move forward. But when lockdown happened, things changed.
Renovation Time
It was like the stars had aligned.
Not only were their savings back up, but the lockdown gave them plenty of time to tackle the long list of projects they had been salivating to tackle. Little did they know that the first thing on their list would lead to the amazing discovery.
Floor Inspection
It was simple, James would go through the second story floors to see if there was anything critical to fix.
It wasn’t a shock to hear wood cracking under the weight of a heavy hammer, but one powerful blow ended leaving a hole that went straight through. That’s when the magic started.
Living Like Potter
Georgia had been standing in the room directly under James.
Dust fell from the hole like fuzzy snow, and with it came a shower of yellow envelopes. It was like living out the scene from Harry Potter where he got his Hogwarts invitation! Georgia excitedly yelled for James to join her.
King Stamp
The first thing they noticed was the stamp.
People nowadays were used to seeing Queen Elizabeth on British stamps. But this had a king! It had to have been around the 1930s or 40s. Their hands trembled with exhilaration as they carefully opened the old papers and started to read their contents.
Turning Sour
It started happy – a pleasant chat between two women, Gat and Betty.
There was simple “chat” about family and daily-gossip. But when Georgia read “currants in the wedding cake”, her jaw dropped. It seemed that Betty was about to marry Gat’s brother. The missives, however, quickly turned sour.
Give It Back
There was mention of “giving back the silks mother had gifted” Betty.
But the knife in the heart became clear as soon as they read “give back the ring.” Georgia and James looked at each other in shock. Someone had cancelled the engagement. But that wasn’t all.
Sell It
It might have happened decades ago, but the couple could feel the discomfort and sadness through the perfectly folded notes.
Gat demanded that Betty give back the ring so they could sell it. She also wanted the bank account book back. This made the couple realize there could be more under the floorboards.
Looking Again
They scoured the area where the letters had been hidden, but the only thing they found was an old newspaper.
It seemed that Betty had either done as the family had asked or got rid of the items altogether. But there was one burning question that lingered in the air.
Sleuthing Answers
Why? Why did the engagement end? It was clear that Betty had made the major, life-altering decision.
However, any satisfying details were frustratingly not there. Considering the time line, Georgia and James crafted a hypothesis – one that grew from a single piece of key information.
War Time
The date pointed to a time when the worlds collided in war. Families were torn apart and lives ruined.
It wasn’t a stretch to imagine that the young woman had caught some form of cold feet or found herself in a set of tragic circumstances that made her call of a wedding that seemed brimming with joy.
Amazingly Preserved
“It’s amazing how well they’ve been preserved - everything is completely legible and you see exactly what’s been written."
"We knew the house had a bit of history when we bought it but never expected this.” Georgia said in one interview. Despite the mystery, they were sure of one thing.
Interesting Story
It was an incredible find and a wonderful story to go with their forever home.
They would keep the letters preserved and framed so every visitor could enjoy them. It also made them wonder ... maybe during their own renovations, they should hide some of their own letters for someone in the future to discover.