The Prodigal Heiress

by Vickey Rogers

  Tabitha looked at her again to make sure she understood Lexi.

  Lexi again gestured and said, “Please.”

  Tabitha sat in the chair.

  “Tabitha, I’m not proud of the way I’ve been acting for quite some time. I’ve been cruel, insensitive, and boorish. I want to change, and I need your help, starting with your nephew.”

  Tabitha watched Lexi’s face intensely. She knew that something was going to change, and seemingly for the good.

  “I would like your sister and her son, if she feels comfortable with the idea, to move into the cottage on the grounds. We’ll take her son in when she needs to see the doctor.”

  “Miss, are ya sure about this?”

  “Yes. I have so much and nothing worthwhile to do with it. The cottage is so beautiful but has no one living in it. Your sister and her son can live there for free. Tabitha, I’ve come to the realization that my true friends are those around me, those who take care of me and are so loyal to me. The people I’ve been associating with are lonely, lost souls who are pulling each other down. We were drowning in our own desperation. I can’t live like that anymore. I want a real life where I can help people who need help, not spoiled brats who can never get enough.”

  “Mistress Camilla said this would happen.” Tabitha’s face darkened with a blush.

  “What else did my auntie say?”

  “I can’t say anymore. But she knew ya were a good soul. That’s why she gave ya everything. She started to realize why God had given her all this, but the time had not come. It’s you who will do what yer aunt started. I really can tell ya no more. But I know she was very wise in choosing ya.”

  “Thank you, Tabitha.”

  Lexi smiled at her, and Tabitha breathed a visual sigh of relief.

  “Please make all the arrangements for your sister’s move today, if that is acceptable to her. I also want to make available to her all the best doctors and treatments for her condition. I have so much money I can’t spend it all in my lifetime, so whatever she needs, it’s a gift from Aunt Camilla, all right?”

  “Yer a good soul, Miss,” Tabitha jumped up and hugged Lexi tightly. “I knew it too. I saw it in yer eyes.”

  “One thing, Tabitha...”

  “Yes, Miss?”

  “Forgive me, what are your sister and her son’s names again? It’s been a while, and I want to make sure I remember correctly so I can let my mother know who will be joining us.”

  Tabitha laughed happily, “Abbey and Demetri.”

  “Well, let’s get Abbey and Demetri here ASAP.”

  Tabitha ran happily from the room to get started on the day. Lexi found Miranda sitting in the sunroom, finishing up her breakfast of grapefruit and toast.

  “Tabitha’s sister and her son will be moving into the cottage sometime very soon, if it’s all right with her sister. Their names are Abbey and Demetri.”

  “Wonderful.”

  Miranda looked very happy. It burned into Lexi’s heart. Her mother was becoming her best friend. She knew this even though she had never had a best friend or a real friend at all. She knew that no matter how many people would now enter her life; her mother would always be the most special.

  “Mama, I love to see you smile,” Lexi said as she took Miranda’s hand and kissed it.

  “And I love to see you smile,” Miranda said as she squeezed Lexi’s hand.

  “It’s funny how different I’m feeling. I’ve never felt excited to get up in the morning except for my first day of work. That went away quickly. But I somehow know that from now on, every day is going to feel like this, a day I can’t wait to start.”

  “That’s wonderful, my sweet Lexi. It’s what I have always prayed for you.”

  Lexi got up and kissed her mother’s cheek.

  Chapter 8

  Lexi’s life became better than anything she had ever dreamed of. She no longer cared about showing off or how much money she had. She lived every day to see Miranda happy. It healed her guilt, and yet that wasn’t why she was doing it, which made it so much better. She found that her mother was a very inspiring person and so very generous. Growing up, Lexi had thought her mother was wasteful when she dropped money in the poor box at church and when she gave money she had intended for new furniture to the family down the street whose house had caught fire. Now she saw her mother in a different light. Her mother was someone to be looked up to, someone to strive to be like, not embarrassed of or avoided.

  She was now able to talk frankly and openly with Miranda about the past and her feelings now. Miranda never hesitated to remind Lexi that she should not be so hard on herself, that she was evolving and growing as a person. Miranda tried to get Lexi to go to church with her, but that was just not something Lexi was quite ready for yet.

  “One of these days, I might surprise you. But, Mama, I just don’t feel any urge to go; but maybe one of these days.”

  Miranda looked at her daughter with a wistful look in her eyes, and yet the determination underneath was evident to Lexi. She smiled at her mother’s strength.

  The fall breeze was starting to become brisk when Lexi started to think about her friends. Houston and Appel were the only ones from her old circle of friends she was actually starting to miss. She decided to call and invite them to lunch. She was unable to get a hold of Appel, but Houston said he would come.

  He arrived at exactly noon. He brought a bouquet of long-stem roses and a bottle of sparkling apple cider. Lexi thanked him and had Tabitha put the roses in water and serve the cider with lunch.

  “Thank you so much for coming, Houston.”

  Houston nodded.

  They walked to the back of the house, to the sunroom, which overlooked the ocean. The day was sunny and a bit chilly but not too chilly to sit outside on the patio.

  Lexi motioned for Houston to have a seat at an eloquently set table.

  “Lexi, your home is beautiful,” Houston said as he looked around. It was more than he had ever said to her.

  Lexi’s heart beat a little faster at the sound of his voice. She had never realized how deep and rich his voice was.

  “Thank you, Houston. I love this house,” Lexi said and smiled. Her eyes met Houston’s and locked for a second before they both looked away shyly.

  “You’ve never had the group over for parties. I see why now,” Houston said knowingly.

  “Yes. I couldn’t have this beauty trashed,” Lexi said, nodding her head. “Or find people passed out or draped over the stone wall…” This time when their eyes met, they both smiled and shared a small laugh at their pasts, which alleviated a lot of their shyness.

  “That’s very smart,” Houston said. Lexi realized he wasn’t just good looking, Houston was devastatingly handsome. His white teeth were the perfect contrast to his honey colored skin. For the first time, she realized his eyes were not brown, but a deep, dark green.

  They had a delicious lunch of lobster tails, a Caesar salad, and hot rolls that were Chris’s specialty. It was a very satisfying lunch, and the sips of cold cider went well with the food. Lexi had gotten up her courage by the end of lunch to speak frankly with Houston.

  “Houston, I asked you here because I’ve missed you.”

  Houston looked at her, his face showing he was surprised at her words.

  “When my father died, it brought a lot of things into perspective for me. That kind of life isn’t really any kind of life. It’s more hiding from life than anything.”

  “You’re right about that,” Houston said, looking out at the ocean. Lexi could see his jaw working as he ground his teeth.

  “But, Houston, you don’t belong with those people. You’re not like them. Why do you hang out with them,” Lexi asked, taking Houston’s hands in hers. Houston looked at Lexi, and she saw his eyes start to water.

  “Because they’re the only ones around who would give me a chance,” he said looking deeply into her eyes. Lexi could see a lot of pain in his eyes.

  “I don’t understa
nd,” she said as she leaned towards him. Houston gently took his hands from Lexi’s, got up, and turned away from her as he walked over to the three-foot stone wall with the ocean view. He looked out at the ocean as he told her what caused his deep pain.

  “When I was twelve, I took my father’s car without permission. I was very wild in those days. I took it and went joy-riding with four of my friends. We’d brought along some beer. I didn’t know how to drive very well, and drinking didn’t help. But I managed to get fifty miles from home before I lost control and killed all four of my friends.”

  “Houston!” Lexi got up and ran to him, grabbing his arm.

  He looked back at Lexi quickly, tears of pain filling his eyes.

  “Do you want me to leave now?”

  “Of course not… It was an accident. You mean no one has wanted anything to do with you because of an accident?” Lexi held his arm tightly and kept looking into his eyes.

  “Most of these people are related. They hate me for the death of my friends. I hate myself.”

  “Houston, when an accident happens, whether you were doing something wrong or not, you must learn to forgive yourself,” Lexi turned Houston towards her and put her arms around him. Houston stood without moving for a moment, and then slowly moved his arms loosely around Lexi’s waist. They stood that way for a few minutes, and then Lexi sat down on the wall and patted the stones for Houston to sit down also.

  Lexi realized that she sounded just like Miranda. Her mother was right. She had not killed her father either. The revelation brought a peace Lexi had not known in a very long time. She felt deeply compelled to tell Houston about her situation. When she finished, there were tears in both their eyes.

  “Lexi, no one has ever talked to me like this before. Even my parents are ashamed of me.”

  “But that’s their problem. They need to forgive themselves also. When we harbor bad feeling against ourselves like this, a lot of times we take it out on others. Try talking to your parents about it. You might find that they’re blaming themselves for what happened and not realizing what they’re doing to you.”

  “Maybe… I’ve never had a very close relationship with them to begin with. But I guess it wouldn’t hurt. My father did keep me out of reform school.”

  “Try it. Whether or not this is the problem, I’ll be here for you when you need me, just as you cared for me during my stupidity,” Lexi said, squeezing his hand.

  “You are as beautiful a woman on the inside as on the outside,” Houston said, lifting her hand to kiss it.

  “Thank you, Houston,” Lexi said leaned towards him and kissed his cheek.

  This time, Houston smiled rather than blushed.

  “I hate to say it, but I need to get going,” he said after checking his watch. “I have a 2:30 appointment I can’t miss.”

  They stood up and headed back to the front door.

  “I hope to see you very soon,” Lexi said, holding onto Houston’s hand and looking into his eyes when they reached the door.

  “I’m all yours. Invite me over, and I’ll be here,” Houston said as he gently squeezed her hand.

  Lexi smiled and bit her lip. She rolled her eyes around playfully then said “Great… Tomorrow… Dinner… I’d like you to meet my mother.”

  “Uh, are we getting serious?” Houston teased. He grinned so wide Lexi felt short of breath.

  “In more ways than one,” Lexi said with a smile. Then she winked and let go of Houston’s hand to open the door. “See ya tomorrow.”

  Houston raised one eyebrow, turned, and walked out the front door. He had a spring in his step that Lexi had never seen before. She felt oddly like stopping him and asking him to stay. It made no sense. Well, he would be back for dinner tomorrow.

  Lexi went to find Miranda, who she found in the kitchen, talking to Chris.

  “You’re the most marvelous chef,” Miranda was saying.

  Chris’s face was beet red, but Lexi saw that he was enjoying the attention anyway.

  “I must agree,” Lexi stated, startling Chris, who turned away and was about to begin preparing things for the dinner hour.

  “Chris, you can have the afternoon off, with pay of course. Mom and I are going out. I know we won’t find the quality of food you prepare, but I want to show my mother some new sights.”

  “Yes, Miss,” he said, smiled, and left to put the food in the pantry.

  “Chris, when was your last vacation?” Lexi asked when Chris returned to the kitchen. She believed that he had been there seven days a week since she had been there arrived at Rivenwood Manor.

  “I think it was about five years ago,” he said scratching his chin and looking at the ceiling.

  “Well, that won’t do. I want you to take a month off and go get some relaxation time.”

  Chris looked worried.

  “It’s an earned vacation, and you’ll be paid as such. In fact, I believe a bonus is in order.”

  “Thank you, Miss,” he said, his eyes wide in disbelief.

  “No. Thank you, Chris. Your dedication and your wonderful, mouth-watering food is more than I deserve,” Lexi said touching his arm gently to show her earnestness.

  Miranda smiled excitedly. “Can I help you plan your vacation? I won’t try to talk you into anything, but I am pretty good at suggestions.”

  “Thank you. I wouldn’t know where to start. I could really use the help,” Chris smiled gratefully, but still looking confused as he tried to come to terms with his employer’s new personality.

  “Wonderful.” Miranda grabbed a pen and pad of paper from a drawer and sat at the kitchen table. Chris laughed and went to join her so they could start planning.

  Lexi felt so good. She knew it was time to look after the other servants, also. She knew they had also worked round the clock for quite some time. They had days off but no real vacations. She decided they all deserved a good, relaxing vacation. Even Burdia was doing a nice job of running things smoothly. She definitely deserved some time off.

  Lexi called a meeting of all the servants in the sunroom. They all came with perplexed looks on their faces, all but Chris, who knew what was up.

  “Please, all of you have a seat.”

  This really made them confused. Miss Camilla had ever been this friendly, except toward the end of her life when she had changed so drastically. They sat down and listened intently while their new Lexi told them that she had just realized that they had worked so hard for so long and without complaint. She was giving them all a month off with pay, a bonus, and her mother would gladly help them plan any vacation they had in mind.

  The room was very quiet.

  Then Burdia stood up and asked, “What about the house, Miss? It needs taking care of.”

  “Of course; I will leave it in your very able hands to find a caretaker to step in while you’re gone.”

  “What about you, Miss? Who will attend to you?” Her face reflected her satisfaction with Lexi’s confidence in her.

  “That won’t be a problem. Mother and I will stay at the country club. There’s so much to do there. We’ll have a great time.”

  “Lexi, that sounds wonderful,” Miranda said as she clasped her hands together.

  “It’s a beautiful place, Mom. It has swimming pools, gardens, and even its own theater. It’ll be so much fun.”

  “It really sounds like fun, just us girls having the time of our lives at the country club,” Miranda smiled happily at her daughter. Lexi smiled back and realized that this was something she would never have believed just months ago. She actually wanted to spend time with her mother.

  “But, Miss?” Burdia’s eyes held a perplexed look.

  “Burdia?”

  “Why do the servants get to go? What about the Mistress of the house?”

  Lexi felt a strong liking for Burdia she had never felt before.

  “Well, I’ve been pretty much on vacation since coming to Rivenwood Manor. You all haven’t had vacations in too long a time. It’s only fair
.”

  Burdia then did something that both shocked and made Lexi feel wonderful. She hugged Lexi and planted a kiss on her cheek before exclaiming, “Our Miss has become the true Mistress of Rivenwood, and a truly godly one!”

  Lexi hugged Burdia back; and then everyone was excused, wiping their eyes free of the joyful tears that the scene had caused.

  Later that evening, Lexi and Miranda were sitting out on the patio, sipping lemonade and watching waves crash on the shore.

  “Lexi, you’re changing at a very fast rate. Honey, I want you to be careful of the things you do. I mean, they’re wonderful. Don’t get me wrong. But I want more than anything else for you to be happy with things and never regret anything.”

  “Mom, I know. I just have so much inside me that needs to get out. I’ve done a lot of selfish things in my life, and I feel so horrible about all of it. This helps me feel better. And it’s not just that. I love seeing other people happy. I never knew what kind of feeling that gives a person. It’s the feeling I’ve looked for all my life but thought it would be found in money. In a way, I guess it has been. But not by spending it on myself, but by giving it away.”

  “I see your point. But at the same time, God works these things out. We need to pay attention to what He is saying. We can’t know what another will do with a large sum of money, but God does. Honey, I know you don’t want to go to church, and I’m not going to push you, but please pray about this money and see what kind of answer God gives you. He gave you this money for a reason.”

  Lexi stared at Miranda. Not once had she thought that God had given her the money. She never thought in those terms.

  “All right, Mama. I will. I think that’s very good advice. I’ll pray tonight and tomorrow, and I’ll keep praying until I know exactly what God wants me to do with all this money. I can feel there’s a purpose. It’s not my own selfish wants but something much bigger and something that’ll make me very happy, so it must be something to do with making people happy.”

  Miranda smiled brightly. “My little Lexi is becoming a very mature and generous person. I saw that in you as a child. You were only three, but you made sure all the kids at your third birthday got equal-sized pieces of cake.”