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Back The Winter Garden
Chapters (54)
  1. COVER
  2. About the Author
  3. ALSO BY ALEXANDRA BELL
  4. DEDICATION
  5. Prologue
  6. Part One
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. Part Two
  15. CHAPTER EIGHT
  16. CHAPTER NINE
  17. CHAPTER TEN
  18. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  19. CHAPTER TWELVE
  20. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  22. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  24. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  25. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  26. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  31. Part Three
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  37. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  48. CHAPTER FORTY
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  53. Acknowledgements
  54. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

September 1836

Dear Beatrice,

How utterly thrilling your travels sound! If I ever found myself in a gaming pit, I think I would die of fright! I regret I have nothing so exciting to report here. Much of my time has been taken up with preparing the clockwork peacocks for the duke. I recently gave him a tour of one of our new London factories. Since then, we have spent a great deal of time together, tweaking the design to his preferences. I do so want him to be pleased with the birds and am determined that they shall be the crown jewel of his pleasure garden.

Speaking of gardens, how’s this for a coincidence? I declare, you’ll hardly credit it. You may be aware that James Sheppard sometimes favours me with small gifts – due to being his best client, you know – well, the other day he gave me an orchid planted in a book, and would you believe it was that children’s book you mentioned on the day of your wedding? None other than The Winter Garden itself!

And gracious, Beatrice, I can certainly see why you were so taken with it. It’s most beautiful, and an excellent example of a pop-up book. The pictures still spring up on their mechanisms just as well as they ever did. How you must have adored the story as a girl, to say nothing of the fact that the main character is called Beatrice! Why, she even looks rather like you. How very sad for the girl that she’s a mute.

And the illustrations are simply exquisite. When I look at the pages they completely draw me in. I feel as if cold snowflakes really do brush against my cheeks, and I can smell the flowers, and hear the birds, and see the outline of the tiger’s paw prints left deep in the sparkling snow. Sometimes I even fancy I can detect the scent of peppermint upon the crinkly old pages!

Anyway, I know that a child’s pop-up book can’t compare with tumbling into game-pits and fleeing from leopards and so on, but it was certainly the highlight of my week!

I hope to hear more of your adventures soon.

Your friend,

Rosa

September 1836

Dear Rosa,

I am extremely curious about the children’s book you mention and would love to see it. If you could bear to part with it, might you be willing to send it with the clockwork pigeon so that I might take a look for myself?

Your friend,

Beatrice