Gemotions

The tiny, leather-bound book sat on the top shelf, nestled amongst travel guides for destinations they'd only ever dreamed of visiting. Amelia reached for it, her fingers trembling slightly. She’d been tidying the spare room, a task usually relegated to weekends, and this slim volume had caught her eye. It felt impossibly light, like a feather.

She carefully opened the first page. It wasn't a diary, as she'd initially thought. Instead, the neat, meticulous handwriting listed dates and amounts. Deposits. Big ones. Her breath hitched. She traced the numbers with her fingertip, her heart beginning to pound a staccato rhythm against her ribs.

A wave of… what was this feeling? A sort of dizzying wonder washed over her. She knew they weren’t wealthy, they lived simply, and yet, here it was. Proof of something hidden, a secret reservoir of wealth.