The Prodigal Heiress

by Vickey Rogers

  She slipped into the water, washed up, and then relaxed on the padding. She sipped her wine and ate the chocolates until she was satisfied. What a life. She was so very happy with this life. She needed nothing else.

  Suddenly, she noticed what looked like a panel that could be removed from the ledge of the pool. She reached over and tried to open it but had no luck until she pushed down on it. It then rose up; and she saw it was a lighting, stereo, and TV-control system. A panel in the ceiling opened, and a huge screen slowly lowered into view when she pushed the TV button. When she pressed it again, it retracted into the ceiling.

  She pushed the lighting button and found that the lights could get very bright or so dim you almost did not know they were on. The stereo had all kinds of luscious classical music.

  “Aunt Cami, we had so much in common. I wish I had known you better,” Lexi said softly.

  Lexi felt much better after her bath. She dressed and summoned Tabitha to her suite. She sat in a high-backed, cushioned chair that was comfortable and felt like a throne. She put a short-backed, cushion-free, straight chair across a small table from her chair and motioned for Tabitha to be seated when she arrived. Tabitha took the chair, acting quite meek. Not her usual manner, Lexi noted.

  “Tabitha, I wanted to talk to you about your nephew.”

  “I promise he will never come with me again. I need this job, Miss. I support not only myself but my sister and nephew,” Tabitha pleaded. Her eyes were frightened.

  Lexi felt even worse than she had earlier.

  “Why can’t your sister afford to take care of herself and her child?”

  “She has cancer. She’s been fightin’ off and on for three years now. She can’t work. She keeps Demetri at home with her except when she has to go in for a treatment. But we have arranged with the hospital to take care of Demetri when my sister goes in from now on.”

  “How are you able to pay for her care?”

  “Your aunt was very fond of Abbey and Demetri. She provided for them in life and in her will. But there are other things besides her treatment that I pay for.”

  Lexi was shocked she had not learned of this before. Well, they had made arrangements with the hospital; so she need not feel guilty for not wanting the boy here. She made up her mind that all was fine, even though there was a nagging doubt at the back of her mind. She pushed the thought away and stood. Tabitha stood also.

  “Okay. Well then, everything is settled.”

  “Does this mean I still have my job?”

  “Of course… Did you think I was going to fire you?”

  “I should have asked about Demetri instead of springing him on ya. It never occurred to me that you’d not want him here.”

  “I don’t like the messes children make. As long as they stay in their place, they’re fine. I just don’t want them in my space. That’s all.” Lexi smiled, hoping to ease the tension.

  Tabitha looked doubtful but smiled slightly back. “Will you be wanting a late dinner?”

  “No thank you, Tabitha. I dined out.”

  “Very well... Will you be needin’ anything else?” Tabitha asked in a very professional way that did not suit her personality.

  “No thank you, Tabitha. I’ll be retiring shortly. I have a big day planned tomorrow. I want to start inspecting my home and making some upgrades. Most everything is wonderful as is, but I noticed a few things I want to replace. I’ll need your help tomorrow.”

  “Well, that would be Burdia. She is the overseer and—.”

  “No. I’m letting Burdia go. You will take over as overseer if you want the position.”

  “Are ya sure about this? Burdia was with yer aunt for the last thirty years. I have only been here five. I might not be a good choice.”

  “You’ll do fine. There will most likely be a raise in your salary.”

  Tabitha look surprised. She truly wasn’t thinking of a raise with a new position. She looked very unsure, as if she did not believe it. Lexi had not planned any of this. It was like someone else was talking through her. She did not like to see Tabitha so distant. She was the closest thing Lexi had to a friend here, and she did not want to alienate her. She also felt the voice in the back of her head quiet, which was good. She did not want Burdia here anymore either. So it was out with the old, in with the new. Everything would work out fine… or so she thought.

  The next morning, Lexi went through the house with Tabitha in tow. Tabitha made notes of the changes Lexi wanted to make. There were not a lot of them, but one was substantial. She wanted to take down a wall in the main great room to open it up for a larger sunroom. The two rooms were already spacious, but she really didn’t care for the somewhat dark great room.

  Once she had an idea of what she wanted and had Tabitha document it all, she was on her way to summon Reeves to take her to town to do some shopping. Before she could get to the intercom, Burdia stepped in front of her.

  “Miss, I hear you are looking to change some things in this house. I am the overseer, and I tend to all of these things.”

  Lexi was shocked at the way Burdia seemed to think she had any power over her at all.

  “Excuse me, Burdia, but I need to summon Reeves to take me to town. It is no longer your business what I do with my house. I am relieving you of your position. I just need to talk to Mr. Sutton to find out what all I’m required to do by law.”

  Burdia sniffed at her and then grinned. “We will see about that, Miss Hunter. We will see.”

  Burdia turned and walked away with her nose in the air as if she was so much better than Lexi. Lexi was very angry now. Lexi’s fists were balled so tightly her knuckles turned white, and her hands hurt. She stomped to the intercom and hit the button. She called Reeves and had him drive her into the city and to Mr. Sutton’s office.

  Lexi burst in on Mr. Sutton and another client, ignoring the protests of his secretary.

  “I’m very sorry to interrupt, but I must speak to you at once.”

  “Certainly,” Mr. Sutton said with a bit of confusion and irritation in his voice—not much, but enough to let his other client know he was just as annoyed.

  Mr. Sutton took Lexi into a side room and motioned for her to sit on a very expensive-looking couch.

  Lexi explained her problem with Burdia and asked Mr. Sutton to draw up a legal form and severance package so that everything would be legal.

  “I’m terribly sorry, Miss Hunter. I should have explained more to you, but time was not on my side. Burdia Wiffles was left her position in your aunt’s will. It was Camilla’s way of rewarding Ms. Wiffles for all her years of faithful service.”

  Lexi was beside herself with rage. “You mean I’m stuck with that woman?”

  “I’m afraid so. But let me assure you, Ms. Wiffles is an excellent overseer. She has kept things going smoothly at Rivenwood Manor for some thirty years. She is very good at her job.”

  “But she treats me as if I’m beneath her. And I have made plans to change a few things, one large thing, take out the wall between the sun room and sitting room, and—.”

  “I’m sorry?”

  “The great room is so dark. I feel taking that wall out will provide much more light.”

  “My dear, you’re allowed to change everything but the structure of the house. You may add rooms and walls, but nothing may be torn down.”

  “Wait. I thought this house belongs to me.”

  “It does, with certain stipulations. I’ll have a copy of the will sent to Rivenwood Manor by currier later today. I’m very sorry. I hadn’t realized the problems a delay would cause. The copy of the will explain everything.”

  Mr. Sutton got up and offered her his hand. Lexi got up slowly, took his hand, and then walked back out to the limousine in silence.

  The drive back to Rivenwood Manor seemed much shorter than the trip into the city. Lexi was not looking forward to seeing Burdia’s face. She knew the woman would be gloating.

  Lexi managed to escape Burdia as she entered
the house. She went up to her room to wait for the copy of the will. What other nasty surprises were there that Aunt Cami had decided to burden her with, she wondered. Her paradise had lost some of its wonderfulness. She almost felt like she was a trapped animal. Well, not quite. She did not have to live here, but how could she not? The bathroom was like heaven on its own. Maybe she could live with that dower-faced, old woman as long as she did not have to come into much contact with her.

  There was a knock at the door. Lexi got up and opened it to Burdia.

  “So, you found out that you can’t replace me. Now, about those changes… Let’s start with the wall,” she said as she walked past Lexi and into her suite.

  “Mr. Sutton told me all about it and is sending a copy of the will. I’d appreciate you not coming into my suite without invitation, Burdia. Whatever my aunt left you, she didn’t leave you the right to invade my privacy.”

  Burdia sniffed and turned to walk out the door with her head up.

  “Burdia, if you keep that attitude, I’ll move to some other house, take the staff, and let you rattle around in this house all alone.”

  Burdia’s head whipped around, and she stared at Lexi. Lexi had struck a nerve. Burdia hadn’t thought she would move out or take all the other servants with her.

  “Miss, do you know what this house is worth?”

  “I’m sure I can’t even imagine. But I won’t be treated this way by a servant. You might have been close to my aunt, but I am now the mistress of this grand manor, and I expect the respect that goes along with it.”

  “Very well, but just remember I know how to run this house. I know all its secrets.”

  Burdia turned and left. Lexi wondered what she meant by secrets and decided that Burdia was just trying to annoy her. She turned back into her room after closing the door and her gaze fell on her aunt’s Bible. She became curious. Had her aunt written anything in it? Were there any clues as to why she would leave this all to Lexi and then put down impossible stipulations? Hmm, she wondered.

  Lexi picked up the Bible and sat in the high-backed chair. She slowly turned the worn pages as she skimmed the text. She noticed that many pages had highlighted sentences and paragraphs. She wondered if her aunt had become senile or if maybe she did it as a sort of game.

  Lexi read some of the highlighted markings and saw things she had heard her mother quote at times. She also remembered a few from Sunday school when she was young. It was very odd. Why had Aunt Cami wasted time highlighting things in a Bible? Sure, it was a nice book that held a lot of good advice for life; but why would anyone mess around more than to leaf through it? Well, she was an old woman and probably bored being stuck in that tiny little closet of a room.

  The word ‘bored’ rang in Lexi’s head. Come to think of it, she was kind of bored now. She decided to take a bath. She had a few more bottles of that wonderful champagne and some of the chocolates left. A little pampering sounded like just the thing to change her mood.

  Later that day, the will arrived. Lexi was thankful there were not too many more bad surprises. She had to put up with Burdia, she could not change the existing structure of the house except to add on, and she had to make sure all the staff was provided for the rest of their lives. A waste of money, she thought; but she could not change the will, so she would go along. She had gotten a lot in return for these pains. She could live with them, she decided.

  Chapter 4

  The next couple of days turned into a couple of weeks and then into a couple of months. Time seemed to move slowly, one day melting into the next. Unsurprisingly, a letter arrived from Lexi’s mother. She had changed her cell number and purposely not given her mother the number so she didn’t have to deal with her questions. She really had no interest in reading the letter, so she went to take her bath before dinner.

  When she finished her bath, the letter seemed to be calling for her attention; so she opened it and read it.

  Dearest Lexi,

  Hello, sweetie. Your father and I hope you are doing well. We tried to call but could not get a number, so I decided to write to you.

  Honey, I hate to tell you this with you being so far away, but your father is ill. He is not in the hospital or anything like that, but he is not going to be able to work for quite some time, so he’s at home. I know if you could call and say hi to him it would make him feel a lot better. He misses you very much, as do I.

  He is very depressed now and knows the company won’t hold his position for the length of time his doctor says he will most likely be off.

  How are things out on the West Coast? It must be beautiful this time of year. I always wanted to live on the west coast, but your father’s work kept us here. Now would be a perfect time for us to visit you because your father’s not working, but at the same time we have to watch every cent. Funny how life works sometimes, huh?

  I know you are very busy taking care of all the things I am sure need your attention with all the responsibilities that you have inherited, but if you could please call or write us dear and let us know how you are doing. We miss you greatly.

  Love always,

  Mama and Daddy

  Lexi felt aggravated with the letter. She knew she should probably feel bad that her father was ill, but her mother said things in such a way that she did not want to contact them at all. Lexi certainly did not want them coming to visit. It was nice not having her mother call every couple days to see if she was still alive, as if she could not take care of herself. And the thinly veiled request that she pay for them to come and visit was not lost on her. Her mother had some nerve! She decided to send a telegram. She summoned Tabitha and told her to send a telegram to her parents. The telegram would say, “Hope you feel better soon, Dad. I’m fine but very busy. Love, Lexi.”

  Tabitha gave her an odd look.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, Miss. I, uh…”

  “What is it?”

  “Your parents…your father is ill?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss.” Tabitha turned and left.

  Lexi knew there was more that Tabitha wanted to say, and she knew it would have angered her; but at least she had the sense not to say more.

  More time drifted by, and it was now November; and the weather was getting dreadful. The slight boredom Lexi felt shortly after her arrival at Rivenwood Manor was starting to become more pronounced. She had so much and was already tired of it, tired of the baths and relaxing. She was even bored with spending money. She did not think that was possible, but she could not think of anything she wanted that she had not already bought. It was unreal to her.

  The fancy lunches she had at fancy restaurants were just not that fun by herself. Spending money on clothes only the staff saw left her feeling lonely and took the fun out of it. Having all this money and no one to be envious was flat and unexciting.

  She decided that she needed to make some friends. As much as she did not really care for people, she realized that they were a necessary distraction. Not only that, but she could also show them how classy she was. What good was all this wealth and luxury if there was no one to notice? The problem now was how and where could she make friends? She had a few acquaintances from college and her previous job, but where would she go to meet people of her stature? She decided to talk to Mr. Sutton. He should be able to give her a few ideas, and she knew he would keep it confidential.

  So the next morning, she set out for the city, this time waiting until Mr. Sutton was free.

  “Miss Hunter, what a nice surprise.” Mr. Sutton smiled.

  He seemed much happier to see her this time than the last. She was relieved since the matter she had to talk to him about was fairly embarrassing.

  “Hello, Mr. Sutton. Thank you for seeing me without an appointment.”

  “It’s always a pleasure.”

  Mr. Sutton directed Lexi to take a seat in the chair across his desk, and then he sat in his own chair. “How may I be of service?”


  “Well, I have a bit of a problem. I know it might not be the usual thing a lawyer helps a person with, but I don’t know anyone else to talk to.”

  Mr. Sutton watched her intently. He seemed very interested in her problem. This made Lexi more comfortable and at the same time a little more embarrassed to ask. She knew of no one else, and she could not bear being in that house much longer with no changes.

  “I worked very hard through high school so that I could attend college on scholarship. What my scholarship did not pay for, I worked to cover.”

  “Yes. Your aunt told me quite a bit about you. She admired you greatly.”

  “I never knew.”

  “Yes. She was looking for an heir, and I would say she couldn’t have chosen better.”

  “I wish I could have known her better.” Lexi was silent for a moment and then decided to just get the question out. “Mr. Sutton, I have no old friends or new ones. I’m going insane with boredom and need some relief. Where could someone like me go to make suitable friends?”

  Mr. Sutton seemed bothered by her question. “Suitable?”

  “You know, I can’t go to regular clubs. People would want to be my friend just to try to get at my money.”

  “Ah. I see. Well, have you thought of renting a cottage on the beach? People wouldn’t know of your wealth if you were to have a place to entertain that was nice but not too nice.”