Chapter 7 Inheritance

• "Mr. Andre...." Came the head stewards surprised voice, as he looked at the jaw dropping beauty before him. Wow! Graham really birthed a charming prince why did he have to cheat on his first wife for his mistress.
• "I'm not surprised that you are surprised Edward." He said plainly to the head steward. He rarely came to the house except he needed to cause a fuss. Edward was simply worried that he was here to cause a commotion at the reading. He was not fond of his step mother and step Brothers so what was he doing coming here. Even though they had expected him as his father wished he was present at the reading.
• "My boss is here for the will. He is the first son of the late Mr. Graham after all. So he is right to be here except everyone thinks otherwise." James said to Edward explaining the situation. He could see the tensed up reaction he had and knew his boss was going to turn into a snub towards him.
• "Alright I will lead the way. They just finished with lunch and have proceeded to hear the will."
• "Oh... Then I am unavoidably late. Hope their temper would be in check?" Andrea asked rhetorically. He adjusted his tie and pinched the edge of his shade. "Not like I care." He smirked before following right behind Edward and his assistant behind him, holding his suitcase.
• "What a weird family." Matilda muttered. It was weird eating in silence throughout, no one said a thing and she couldn't bring herself to start a conversation, that would be disrespectful. They were now out of the dining and in another room where the reading was to be held. She had a long couch to herself as well as the lawyer while the rest of the family sat on one side. It felt chilly staying on her own and Miss. Charlotte kept giving her that smile that held a sarcastic tone within.
• Bruno seemed to be the only one with no resentment in his heart towards her, even the lawyer behaved like she didn't exist but what did she care, all that mattered was her inheritance. Like a sting in the retina her eyes bulged remembering her resolve not to accept the offer. She sighed, it was easier to say than to do. She was weighing her options now. How could she miss out on a life changing opportunity.
• "Matilda is it? Miss Charlotte's voice came at her.
• "Yes." She answered just immediately, startled from the wake of her absenteeism.
• "You need to pay much attention or you might miss out on your name during the reading she said trying to sound as polite as she could but Matilda could see through her mask. She smiled back at her giving her a single nod.
• "Please go ahead now that you have everyone's attention." Miss Charlotte said to the Mr. Robert the lawyer. The reading began, Matilda had her mind lost again as the lawyer was made to read a long note of appreciation which Graham had written. She wasn't going to listen to a thing until she heard her name.
• "Wait!" Andre said almost yelling bringing everyone to a halt. Their eyes moved to look at him at once and they caught his unpleasant looking expression.
• "Any problem sir? James inquired while trying to figure out a meaning from his expression.
• "Is miss Charlotte in there?" His voice was a little shaky as he spoke but not because he was nervous but he was getting angry at the thought of his father's mistress being there.
• "Unfortunately." James said regretting that he had to say it and even more. "Pardon but I don't know how you'd take this. Your father...." He paused as he caught Andre's glare at him. "Mr. Graham included another person as the list of people to be present during the reading." He said and gulped hard as if saying the words had choked him. Andre's eyes narrowed in interest and a bit displeasure.
• "Who?"
• "The lady that had taken care of him the last eight months before his demise."
• Andre took a laid back position breathing out softly to release his squeezed up chest that was burning in anger. He let his head fall in disappointment and scoffed unbelievably. His father had a way of disappointing him even in death.
• "James...." He called his voice deep bearing his anger. "I think I made a mistake coming here. We are going back this minute."
• "What?" James was taken aback by his sudden change of heart. Edward cursed himself regretting his act of letting much information than was required.
• "Stay if you want to lose your job." Andre said coldly and began making his way out of the Graham's mansion.
• "I better go after him then."
• The reading had gone on and Matilda had almost started to doze off, she caught herself just before she fell and Miss. Charlotte held a ridiculing smile on her face as she watched her. She bit her inner lip filled with embarrassment but this whole thing was getting boring already. Back to the reason she woke up, she heard the lawyer mention Mr. Graham's first son in the will but didn't grab his name. She just heard the part of To my first son...." Her mouth dropped at the mouthwatering inheritance he had given to him. Mr. Graham must really love his first, it got her scared that nothing might be left for her with all that was given to him.
• She looked across the room and caught the disappointed and envious look on the face of the Miss Charlotte and her sons. They probably felt scammed by this.
• "That's unacceptable!" Miss Charlotte yelled standing up to her feet while her son's tried to calm her down.
• "You can contest in court after Miss. Charlotte, Im simply reading your ex-husband's will. So please let me finish." Robert said. He continued listing out all that were bestowed to his first son and then it was about time, the time she was waiting patiently for.
• "And to the wonderful damsel who has stayed by my side in the worst time faithfully looking after me...." He continued in a moderate note of appreciation filling Matilda's heart with bliss. "And to you Mati, my Sweet Mati...." Matilda's shoulders were hiked , her heart threatening to explode from anticipation and excitement.
• "Just get on with it already I'm dying of impatience." She said within as her heart pounded hard against her chest.
• "... I give the most treasured wealth I have. Seeing how much you loved and took care of this treasures no one deserves it better than you. I give you, my heartbeats, the dogs you and I own that I named after you and my second son. I give to you Matilda and Bruno."
• She stopped breathing, everything went silent for a while, her head was spinning. How was this happening? She couldn't get herself to think but she found herself standing up, her body vibrating in anger. Then came one of the house stewards with the dogs and the moment her eyes fell on them streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.