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Lucy wrote her last letter to Edmund on Friday June 28th 1850. It began: " In a few hours, Edmund, I shall be taken from my home and thrown upon the cold heartless world. It is true I have one kind friend who is now anxious for my welfare; but death or circumstances may even deprive me of her, and then! - but I must look above, and entreat him to pity, pardon, and watch over me; and unto him alone, to his throne of grace, shall my prayers ascend for all of us, my beloved husband. Whatever may happen, and wherever you may be, your poor lone Lucy will never cease to love you". |
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Lucy clearly loved Edmund desperately. Further on in her letter she wrote: "All the noble kindness and consideration of your conduct throughout has created in me a deep feeling of regret that I never seemed to know you before. Never did I think such deep warm feelings were concealed in your breast, dearest and best of men - forgive me. How deeply I have wronged you in all ways my unsleeping conscience will evermore whisper; and now that I am to lose you and my children for ever, oh! my heart bleeds for my lost treasures never sufficiently valued until now; in dreams can I alone be with you all, and think of you constantly by day"....... " I make no excuse, can make no excuse, or palliate my sin and deceit in any way; but I too have been sinned against, and exposed to temptations, fears and doubts which, perhaps, no other woman has gone thro; left to myself amidst utter strangers, cold and heartless my husband gone for years! Oh! Edmund, why were we fated to endure all this?"..... " Farewell, farewell, my beloved Edmund, God's Blessings on you and my babes, earnestly prays your Lucy. farewell". And a final postscript.. "How I longed to see you last night, but dare not after what you said on that fearful night. Edmund! Death would have been far, far preferable than that fatal 'No!' I felt I had been shot! EDMUND".
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| Lucy left Edmund and their two sons for ever. Edmund's elder brother William took Lucy to Southampton and arranged to send her to Jersey. We do not yet know what happened to Lucy, who her 'kind friend' was, or the fate of her latest child. We have some hints that she emigrated to Australia: research is continuing. We expect to fill out this part of the story at some later time. |