Chapter 3 – The Letter Beneath the Hem
Margaret suddenly remembered something.
"The dress."
She knelt with surprising determination despite her age.
Everyone watched as she carefully lifted the bottom hem.
Hidden inside the inner lining was a tiny stitched pocket.
The assistant gasped.
"I've worked here six years..."
"I never knew that existed."
Margaret carefully removed a yellowed envelope sealed with faded wax.
The handwriting on the front was elegant.
For my daughter... if she is ever found.
Sofia's hands began shaking.
"My daughter?"
Margaret nodded slowly.
"Eleanor stitched that pocket herself."
"She told me one day the truth would need somewhere safe to hide."
Sofia carefully opened the fragile letter.
Inside was only one page.
The ink had faded, but every sentence remained readable.
If you're reading this... someone kept us apart.
Never believe the story they tell about me.
Trust the woman who remembers the embroidery.
And never trust Evelyn.
The final line stopped everyone's breathing.
If my daughter survived... tell her I loved her every day I was forced to live away from her.
A tear rolled silently down Sofia's cheek.
Across the room, Evelyn staggered backward until she reached a chair.
May you like
Her secret was no longer buried inside the walls of the Ellington estate.
It was written in Eleanor's own hand.
