Free The Lost Sapphire by Belinda Murrell

certainly had their fair share of tragedy. Who told you that?’
    â€˜Just some kid I met,’ Marli replied. She thought about Luca and his surly manner. ‘He was probably making it up.’
    â€˜I’ve been thinking about my mother a lot since I got the letter,’ said Didi. ‘She was always very adventurous and never seemed afraid of anything. My parents were passionate about travelling to exotic, faraway places all their lives. But she was also kind and compassionate, always helping other people.’ He stood up and fetched a large oval box from the sideboard. It was decorated with peacocks, flowers and ferns in a faded swirl of turquoise, green and lavender. ‘I finally remembered where I hid Mother’s old hatbox. She stored some of her treasures in here, including her scrapbook from 1922 – it must have been a special year for her.’
    Marli felt jittery with anticipation as Didi untied the turquoise ribbon around the box. He pulled out a black leather scrapbook with the words My Memories embossed on the cover.
    Didi opened it to the first page and showed her the inscription in neat, loopy handwriting:
    Violet Hamilton
    Riversleigh, Riversleigh Grove, Hawthorn
    November 1922
    There were two black-and-white photographs on the front page. The first showed a girl, aged about fifteen, with long, wavy hair hanging loose, wearing a white dress. The second was the same girl, with her hair cut short in a curly bob, wearing a stylish 1920s evening dress. A caption underneath read, December 14, 1922 – The Russian Ball .
    â€˜What a beautiful photo,’ Marli said, taking a closer look. ‘She was just a year older than me when this was taken. She certainly looks very glamorous.’
    â€˜The 1920s was a glamorous time,’ Didi replied. ‘Especially for the wealthy families of Melbourne like the Hamiltons. But it was also a time of huge social change after the First World War.’
    Didi turned the pages carefully. The scrapbook was crammed with invitations, newspaper articles, sketches, tickets, menus, dance cards and black-and-white photographs with captions written in the same neat calligraphy. There were informal shots of a spotted Dalmatian and an aristocratic cat in Riversleigh’s garden, and more formal photos of garden parties, dinners and balls. It was a fascinating insight into a long-ago life.
    â€˜These photos are amazing,’ Marli said. ‘Look at that fantastic old car.’
    Didi turned the page. ‘Here’s a photo of the house in the grand old days. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to see it like that?’
    â€˜And look at all the servants in their uniforms, lined up out the front in a reception line.’
    â€˜They probably had lots more servants than that before the war,’ Didi replied with a laugh. ‘Those grand houses needed a lot of staff to run them in the old days.’
    â€˜There are ten of them,’ Marli said. She pored over a photograph of a factory that had a large sign painted on the wall: Hamilton’s Fine Gloves and Bags.
    â€˜I thought you might like to take the box home and go through it, Marli,’ Didi suggested. ‘I always meant to give it to you.’
    Marli felt a thrill of excitement. It was like being a detective trying to solve the mysteries of the past by sifting through the evidence. ‘I’d love that, Didi. I promise I’ll take good care of everything.’
    â€˜I have some of Violet’s jewellery in the safe too,’ Didi added. ‘There are some beautiful pieces, but you might find them too old-fashioned now. I was saving them for when you get a bit older.’
    â€˜Thanks so much, Didi,’ Marli replied enthusiastically. ‘I actually love old jewellery. Mum and I look at antique pieces at the markets and imagine who might have owned them and what their stories might be.’
    Marli showed Didi the engraved silver bangle that she always