The Inheritance - Part One

Ice crunched under Ellen’s feet as she stepped gingerly out of the car.

“Well here we are Morton cottage” the lawyer’s voice dropped as he too got out the car to look on the view ahead of him. “Are you really sure you want to move in right away?” The dark of the night was already curling around them and the stone cottage ahead, on first glance, gave no sign of welcome.

Ellen cast him a glance, the look in his eyes was the same she’d had from everyone she told about her move from the city to reside in the country. It simply said ‘You’re mad’. Turning to glance again at the cottage, she stubbornly refused to listen to the voice in her head telling her the same thing.

“Yes, I am perfectly sure” Her voice sounding far firmer than she felt and was as crisp as the cool air. With a final look, her companion led the way to a little side gate, while he struggled with keys in a frozen lock. Ellen once again wrapped herself in her own thoughts. An exciting new life adventure had been bequeathed to her by some long forgotten relative was the story she sold to those who had asked. The truth was slightly harsher.

City life was all Ellen knew, it was her life, the bright lights, the wine bars, shops, lots of shops, but then why not she earned a good wage, correction she had earned a good wage. The failure of the banks had seen Ellen’s life crumple around her. In no way was this a new start the Ellen of old would have chosen, yet finding she had been left a cottage in the middle of nowhere was a life line. A life line that came in the same week she was due to be evicted from her apartment.

The squawk of the raven jolted her back to the present as the lawyer finally managed to push open the gate. Ahead the undisturbed snowy path led directly to the cottage door.

“It’s a good strong cottage, structurally very sound despite its age.  As the sole beneficiary you will find the cottage is still fully furnished as the deceased left it. The only clause in the will, as we discussed is to the erm, land attached" his sentence seem to drift at that point and Ellen just nodded absentmindedly, in truth she could hardly remember much of the conversation held little over a week ago in the plush offices of the lawyers in London. She wasn't a gardener but then up until now she'd never consider herself a country person either. She was sure that even she could manage  some weeding and mowing, if that was needed, it hardly seem like it would be a big problem.

She sensed the lawyer looking at her quizzically again but just walked on, not wishing to reveal feelings and thoughts she herself did not yet understand. He was now chattering to her again and had once more put on his, look on the bright side voice "As soon as you get a fire going, I’m sure it will feel more like home” he rambled on.

“Fire, he expected her to know how to make a fire” Ellen’s mind began to race

The door to the cottage thankfully opened much easier than the gate and soon they were standing inside a compact but cosy living room, already warm from a lit and roaring fire.

“Oh, strange,” the lawyer was frowning “I thought we had the only keys” Ellen barely heard him, too busy looking over her new surroundings, as far as she was concerned, who ever had kindly lit the fire for her arrival had done her a favour. May be she would find a friend even in the middle of nowhere. The lawyer was beside her and followed her gaze as it rested on a beautifully stitched sampler on the wall.

“Ah Latin, Mors janua vitae” he noticed her quizzical look

“It means death is the gate of life”

With that he briskly sorted the paperwork that needed to be signed and he was gone, back in his car, back to the city where she belonged. Leaving her behind to a life she had not asked for, yet was gifted all the same.

Two golden amber eyes had been watching her and now Obsidian thought that it was time he said hello. Uncurling his soft black body he leaped down from his resting place.