Sinking through time (#Wattys2014)

Chapter 25 - A message from the past

"When was this taken?" Lucy asked.

"I have no idea," John replied, studying the picture closely. "But I do know who the people with you are," he continued in disbelief.

"You do?" Lucy asked. "Who?"

"My great grandparents and my great-great grandparents," John replied, still in shock at what he was looking at.

"Your what? Are you joking?" Lucy asked, not believing what John had said.

"I wish I was. I don't know how you can be in this photo Lucy. You didn't photoshop it, did you?" John asked.

"Why would I?" Lucy replied.

"Well, did you? Is this a joke on me? Do you really remember and you're just pranking me?" John asked, thinking that he'd worked it out.

"No! Why would you say that? Do you think that I'd go to the trouble of photoshopping a picture and have a lawyer send it to you, just to tell you that I really remembered you all this time? Do you think I'm really that cruel?" Lucy asked, her anger growing as she spoke.

"Calm down Luce. Look, I know your sense of humour, okay? I wouldn't put it past you to photoshop a photo, but I know you're not cruel and you're right; you wouldn't hurt me like that," John replied.

"Fine!" Lucy said, still upset.

"Fine!" John replied, mimicking Lucy's tone and smiling.

Lucy couldn't help but smile back.

"So if it wasn't me and it wasn't you, who was it?" Lucy asked.

"You said it yourself; it came from a lawyer. Let's see what else was in there," John said, picking up the other contents of the parcel that Lucy had spilled out onto the table.

Amongst the items was an envelope with a red wax seal stamped onto the back. It looked intriguing so John started with it.

"Look at this, Luce," John said. "Should we open this first?"

Lucy took the envelope off John and studied the seal. The initials W.P. were stamped into the wax.

"W.P." Lucy said out loud.

"W.P.?" John asked.

"Yes, here in the wax seal, it says W.P." Lucy replied.

"W.P. is both my great grandfather and my great-great grandfathers' initials," John told Lucy.

"Really?" Lucy asked. "Here, you open it then," she continued, thrusting the envelope back towards John.

"Okay," he replied, taking the envelope and ripping it open.

John took the letter out of the envelope. It was written on thick, good quality parchment paper. He opened the letter up and read the first few lines in his head.

"Well, what does it say?" Lucy asked. "Read it out loud."

John shook his head in disbelief.

"John? Did you hear me?" Lucy asked.

"What? Ah, yes, I heard you. Hang on," he said, reading a little more to himself before looking up.

"You're not going to believe this!" John exclaimed.

"What? Tell me!" Lucy said in frustration, eager to know what was written in the letter.

"Okay, but I'm not sure how you're going to take this. I don't know if I can believe this myself," John said.

"Just tell me!" Lucy said, almost shouting.

"Okay, but don't tell me you weren't warned," he replied.