A Charming Bequest

Sophie's only living relative on her mother's side is her Great Uncle, Charlie, and he believes she's a good researcher, so he sets her the challenge of discovering the life story of his sister, Sally.

Charlie gives Sophie a charm bracelet, which had belonged to Sally, telling her that the charms each had a special meaning. Sophie is puzzled-how can she possibly learn what event or memory each charm represented? Memories and meanings are personal. However, she has the feeling that some guiding spirits are urging her on.

She begins, as many of us do, with internet searches to try to find out about Sally as she has so little to go on initially. She doesn't know much about her family history-there have been a spate of early deaths, perhaps there's a jinx? There are just a few resources, tucked away to look at one day, and she'd been avoiding them because she knows It will make her sad. But she receives encouragement to follow her intuition.

On an internet forum she meets Philippe, who is looking for the whereabouts of an old friend of his grandmother. From their initial exchanges there seems to be a tenuous link-they might possibly be looking for the same person. All very mysterious!

Sophie and Philippe build up a rapport online, and eventually he invites her to visit him, and his grandmother, in the Bordeaux region of France. Sophie secures some commissions to do while she's there and is excited to be travelling to meet them.

It's soon confirmed that they do seem to be researching the same person, though how? Through Philippe, Sophie meets some interesting people and gleans unexpected information from them. They've remained tight-lipped over many decades, never recounting their experiences, and Sophie is told more stories than she could possibly have imagined.

Sophie and Philippe soon realise they have fallen in love and begin a romance. Although they enjoy getting to know each other, and resist moving too hastily at first, they soon share fun, erotic and physical passions, as many of their forebears did.

Philippe takes Sophie to Paris, to the streets of Montmartre, where more stories are unexpectedly revealed, helping Sophie to decipher yet more of the charms.

Eventually, she returns home to Devon, with Philippe, and fills in the gaps in Sally's story when they meet Jonathan in London. Jonathan had been expecting Sophie to visit, and he's pleased to meet her.

Charlie is very happy with the outcome of his challenge. Sophie's true family history is complete and she receives some wonderful surprises, one of which is tucked away in a remote cove in Cornwall. Sophie and Philippe are destined to live a happy future together.