by Bella Benz
The Fortune of Lashire Bluff Book I by Bella Benz
Table of Contents
Title Page
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Copyright
Copyright © 2020 Bella Benz – All rights Reserved
The Fortune of Lashire Bluff
From the author
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Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 Bella Benz – All rights Reserved
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
The Fortune of Lashire Bluff
The clock hanging on the wall ticked loudly, carving out the seconds. It felt like I’d been sitting in the reception room forever, nervously tapping my foot while I waited to be called.
I still didn’t understand what I was doing here. When I got the letter from the lawyer summoning me for a meeting, it didn’t give any details other than to say it was a matter of ‘grave importance’, and the mystery was killing me.
“Ms. Fortune?”
The door to the lawyer’s office finally opened. A short man with greying ash blonde hair in a combover stepped out and smiled reassuringly at me.
“I’m Ronald Sutton. Call me Ron. If you would come with me?”
I followed him into the office.
“Please, sit down.”
He gestured to the chair on the other side of his desk and I perched nervously on the edge, desperate to hear what was so important.
“When it is my unfortunate duty to deliver bad news, I feel that this is best done in person.”
His opening words sent my heart racing. Bad news?
“I’m afraid I have to inform you your Uncle Gregory has passed away.”
I couldn’t prevent the laugh from escaping, my shoulders sagging with relief.
“Uncle Gregory?” I shook my head. “You’ve got the wrong girl. I don’t have an uncle.”
I got up to leave, but Ron gestured to me to sit down again.
“Please, Ms. Fortune. I need you to hear what I’ve got to say.”
I rolled my eyes, but did as I was told. I’d spent long enough waiting around for this meeting. I might as well see what all the fuss was about.
“Your uncle was your father’s brother. The two of them became estranged following an incident when your father was in his late teens.”
“Incident? What incident?”
Dad died in a car crash when I was 16. This was the first I’d ever heard of a brother, let alone a family feud so serious they stopped speaking.
Ron shuffled his papers around. “I’m afraid I don’t have those details to hand. However, your uncle did leave a letter, which he instructed me to give you following the reading of his will, which may well answer your questions. So, if I may proceed?”
“Yes, yes. Proceed away!” I nodded vigorously, desperate to get the will out of the way so I could find out more about the uncle I’d never known. I just hoped he hadn’t left me his cat. I couldn’t keep a pot plant alive, let alone a pet.
Ron picked up the will and cleared his throat.
“It’s very straightforward. Your uncle has left everything he owned to you.”
“Oookay...” I leaned forward, waiting to hear more. Maybe he’d left me a bit of money. With the amount I owed on my credit card, every little bit helped right now.
“This includes his home in the mountain town of Lashire Bluff and all its contents, a number of vehicles and everything in his bank accounts – minus taxes and my fees, of course.”
“Of course,” I murmured, as Ron passed over a statement of accounts. When I saw the numbers, my jaw dropped.
“Are you serious?” I gasped.
“Of course. Those figures have been calculated by our accountants. Your uncle’s final tax liability is here, which was more than covered by his bank balance, so I have arranged for that payment to be made on his behalf. My fee is here and I would kindly request you pay it by the end of the month. Everything else is yours to keep, subject to one or two caveats detailed in your uncle’s letter.”
He smiled.
“I think it’s safe to say you are a very wealthy young woman, Ms. Fortune.”
***
I sat in my beaten-up Ford, too stunned to move. Ron had given me my uncle’s letter as I left, along with a request that I consider the firm of Sutton, Denholm, and Sutton for all my legal requirements.
I supposed I was going to need a lawyer now I was ridiculously rich. I’d never have to work again if I didn’t want to. I could write that novel, spend the rest of my life sitting on a beach in Fiji, sipping cocktails all day.
“Thank you, Uncle Gregory,” I whispered, kissing the letter he’d written to me before tearing it open.
Everything changed when I read it.
My dear Libby,
You have no idea how happy I was to hear of your birth and how it broke my heart to know we would never meet. I will always love my brother, but he was the black sheep of the family and so strong willed. He could never understand the decisions I’ve made and why.
I admire his strength in walking away from his heritage; if I were in his position, maybe I would have done the same. But it doesn’t matter how far you run; the ties of blood can never be broken.
I suppose it’ll sound a bit strange to you to hear I’ve been watching from afar. Just because we’ve never met doesn’t mean I don’t care about you, and I’ve loved seeing you grow, hearing about your achievements, knowing you are every bit as talented and beautiful as I knew you would be.
If I had been blessed with a daughter, I can only hope that she’d have been half as amazing as you. Sadly, fate had other plans for me, so now you are my only remaining family member, which is why I bequeath all my worldly possession to you, and more.
However, there is one condition.
I stopped reading for a moment. Here it came. The catch. Of course there was a catch. Nobody was that lucky without there being some downside.
I love you very much. You are my niece and that makes you very special. But be honest with yourself – you haven’t exactly lived up to your potential, have you?
My fist clenched, crumpling the letter. How dare he? Who was he to judge me? He didn’t even know me. All right, so I’d dropped out of university and had drifted from one dead end job to another, but that didn’t make me a bad person. I was just taking my time to find myself. Why would I want to spend all my time working? Life’s too short to spend it in an office.
“Screw you, Uncle Gregory,” I snarled, tossing the letter on the floor and starting up my car’s engine, ready to go home. Who needed that money anyway?
A moment later, I turned the key back, slumping in my seat. Who was I kidding? I needed that money.
Reaching down, I picked up the letter and smoothed it out to finish reading. I supposed I could at least give
my uncle the courtesy of hearing him out.
So it is my wish that you permanently move to my residence in Lashire Bluff. You must spend at least ten months of every year living there. In addition, you must devote yourself to studying the history of the town and its... quirks. I think you will find it quite fascinating.
Should you choose not to accept this offer, or should you ever move out, you will forfeit your claim to my fortune and will instead receive £500 and your choice of one of my cars. The remainder will be donated to the town’s animal shelter.
Before you make any rash decision, I would implore you to at least visit my home and spend the night there before choosing to stay or walk away. You cannot make an informed choice without at least experiencing what it is you would be giving up.
I’m sure this has all come as quite a shock to you, and I am only sorry that I never had the opportunity to meet you in person. Perhaps in the next life.
Until then, I remain
Your ever-loving
Uncle Gregory
Wow.
It was a lot to take in. When I woke up this morning, I had no family, no career, and no money. All of a sudden, I was a multimillionaire with a home for life – if I chose to accept it.
Pulling out my phone, I googled Lashire Bluff. There was very little information about it. In fact, it was so small, you could barely see it on the map. Did I really want to spend my life in the middle of nowhere?
I typed in my uncle’s home address, but the closest I could get to the place was the entrance to a long, winding driveway. I couldn’t see what the house itself was like.
There was nothing else for it. I was going to have to visit Lashire Bluff.
***
My cat, Shelley, was constantly mewing from his container sitting on the passenger seat of my car.
“I know, I know,” I said, trying to soothe him. “I’d hate being stuck in a box all this time too. It won’t be long now, though.”
We were driving up a long, meandering road that wound through the mountains. I kept it slow, partly because I was worried about having an accident on the narrow roads, but also because I wanted to enjoy the views. I’d never been here before, and it was beautiful. Maybe I could call this place home.
Suddenly, a herd of goats ran into the road. I slammed on the brakes, narrowly avoiding running into them. Shelley mewed angrily as his carrier shifted about.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel as the goats milled about, looking like they were making themselves comfortable.
“Come on, come on,” I muttered, wanting to get moving. I was so close to my uncle’s house. I just wanted to get there and see what it was like.
“Move, you stupid goats!” Finally, I blasted my horn, hoping to scare the goats into moving, but they didn’t bat an eyelid.
Knock, knock!
I jumped at the sound of someone tapping on my car window. I was so focused on the goats I hadn’t noticed the man approaching. He motioned to me to roll down my window, so I did, noticing that whoever he was, he was really rather hot. Tall with tousled light brown hair, and there was a twinkle in his hazel eyes that made me wonder whether he was laughing at me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he advised. “Folks round here don’t like it when you upset the goats.”
“Me? Upset them?”
I shook my head, glaring over at the goats, who were about as far from upset as you can get. “Do they look upset to you?”
“Oh yes.” The man nodded seriously. “Clearly, you’re not familiar with goat body language, but they’re clearly highly distressed. I wouldn’t be surprised if they stay here for the next few hours to get over the shock.”
“Hours?” Oh no. No, no, no. I wasn’t going to be stuck here for the next few hours.
I got out of the car and started waving my arms at the goats.
“Shoo!” I yelled. “Go on, get out of here!”
I ignored the laughter coming from behind me as I shoved at the nearest goat. It glanced over its shoulder at me, but didn’t budge.
“Come on, you stupid creatures.” I could feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. If this was what mountain life was like, I didn’t want any part of it. Uncle Gregory could give his house to the goats for all I cared.
“All right, you lot. I think we’ve annoyed the young lady quite enough for one day.” The man whistled an intricate little tune and started walking away. Hearing the sound, the goats immediately started trotting in his direction.
“Thanks,” I called after him. “Sorry – I didn’t catch your name.”
“I’m Matthew,” he replied, turning to wave at me.
“Thanks, Matthew. I’m Libby.”
“I know.”
***
Night was drawing in as I pulled up outside my uncle’s house, but even in the dim light, I could see that the place was huge. Getting out of the car, I couldn’t take my eyes off the mansion in front of me, struggling to believe it was really mine if I wanted. I took Shelley’s carry case out of the car, and he stopped mewing, as if his silence meant he approved.
Steps led up to a covered porch with a large, ornately carved wooden door. As I approached, the door swung open, and a large woman with a sweet smile stepped out to greet me.
“Ms. Fortune? Libby?”
As I nodded, she swept me up into a big bear hug.
“It’s so good to meet you!” She held me at arm’s length, looking me up and down. “You’re even more beautiful than in your photos. Your uncle would be so happy to know you’re coming to live here.”
“I haven’t decided that yet,” I said. “And who are you anyway?”
“Didn’t your uncle mention in his letter?” My rudeness seemed to completely pass her by. “I’m Rose. Rose Fincham. I’m the housekeeper and cook. Come in, come in.”
She gestured for me to come in, shutting the door behind us as I stepped over the threshold.
I placed Shelley’s case on the floor and opened the door so he could stretch his legs. Instead of dashing out like I expected, he cowered at the back of the case.
“Shelley! Don’t be so silly.” I reached in, stroking his fur and tapping the floor in front of him to encourage him to come out.
“I suspect he’s just feeling a little travel sick,” said Rose. “I’m sure he’ll come out in his own time.”
“Probably.”
I left Shelley sulking in his carrier and took my first real look at my new home.
I was standing in a large reception, which was larger than the whole of my old apartment. There were a number of closed doors all around and a staircase winding its way up to the first floor. Pedestals dotted about at regular intervals featured vases and busts while the walls were covered with oil paintings.
“That’s the library, that’s the lounge, the dining room’s through there, that’s where your uncle’s office used to be...”
As she took me through to the kitchen, Rose pointed out where everything was, but there was no way I was going to be able to remember it all. Heck, I was already lost and we’d barely seen anything of the house!
Rose took me through a small, nondescript door to the side of the stairs which opened into a large kitchen with a central table.
“Your uncle used to prefer eating in here rather than the dining room,” she explained. “Said it was more homey this way. But if you’d like a more formal experience, I’ve already set out a place for you.”
“No, no,” I reassured her. “Here’s fine.”
“Wonderful.” Rose’s beam lit up her face. “Now I didn’t know what you liked to eat, so I’ve prepared you a lovely stew for dinner with some home baked bread. I’ve made up the bed in the main guest room for tonight, but once you’ve had a chance to explore, you can choose which room you’d like to make your own. It’s the second door on the right as you go upstairs. Now please. Sit. Eat. You must be starving, you poor thing.”
I sat down at the table, where there was a loaf
of bread and butter already waiting. Rose cut me a couple of slices and put them on a plate, putting it in front of me along with a butter dish and knife.
She then went to the oven and took out a generous bowl filled with stew, placing it in front of me. I inhaled deeply, the aroma making my mouth water.
She picked up her bag and grabbed a coat which was draped over one of the chairs.
“There’s more stew in the crockpot,” she advised. “If you let me know your favourite dishes tomorrow, I’ll make sure to cook them for you. Nothing like a good meal to make a place really feel like home. See you in the morning.”
“Don’t you live here?” I asked, as she turned to leave.
“Me? Live here? Not for all the money in the world!” Rose laughed, a loud laugh I could hear all the way down the hall until the door shut behind her, leaving me in sudden silence.
“How strange,” I said to myself, shrugging as I tucked into the stew.
Oh. My. Goodness. It was the best stew I’d ever had. Rose certainly knew how to cook. The beef practically melted in my mouth and the vegetables were cooked to perfection.
It would be worth staying here for Rose’s cooking alone.
When I was done, I rinsed out the bowl, leaving it on the side to put away later. I wanted to explore my new home first.
Going back into the reception room, I could hear Shelley yowling and complaining, still in his carry case.
“You stupid thing,” I said, shaking my head as I went over to him. “Look. You can get out now. The door’s open. You just have to step through.”
I put my hand in the case to show him, but he hissed at me, refusing to come out.
“Right. That’s it.” I reached in and grabbed him firmly by the scruff of the neck, lifting him out of the case. As I pulled him out, he scratched me hard.
“Ow!” I dropped Shelley at the sudden pain and he raced off into the shadows.
“Stupid cat!” I yelled after him.
My arm was really sore, but I had no idea where my uncle kept his first aid kit, assuming he had any medical supplies at all.