Righting a Wrong

The small drops of water fell softly from the sky above.  They made a soft pinging sound as they hit the window.  Light streaked across the sky and a loud boom followed shortly after.  The wind whipped the trees back and forth.  The wind slammed itself into the mansion that stood in the face of the storm.  Only one light shown from the windows.  A figure stood staring out into the storm.  The face of the woman was reflected in the glass in front of them.  Her arms were clasped behind her back.  Her white hair was pinned back in a bun and her black eyes glittered with unshed tears.  Turning her back on the storm the women strode back to the desk.  Bringing one of her pale hands forward she gripped the paper that sat there.  Formal words filled the paper and her signature laid elegantly across the bottom of the page.  The signatures of the men that had just left were scrawled there too.  It was done.  She turned to the final person left in the room.  A lawyer.  The man she would in trust with her will.  Folding the paper into an envelope she handed it to the man in front of her.  

The young man gave her a small smile as he reached to grab the envelope, “Are you sure about this, the others won’t like it.”

The woman paused in handing the letter over to him, “Of course I’m sure.  Are you sure Andrew?  Can I trust you?”  Her black eyes searched for any sign of mistrust.

“Of course I’m sure Grandmother, This should have been done generations ago” He swallowed, “But the others won’t like it.  They’ll slander your name.  Mock you.  I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

The woman gave a gentle smile before embracing her grandson.  The others in her family would not be pleased with what was being done.  She had given everything.  She gave away her whole fortune, and she would be hated for it.  Her name would be mocked and ridiculed.  Even if the members of her family each had their own fortunes it was really just hers.  She had ruined her family.  Only giving them enough to live a comfortable lower middle class life.  It was something that needed to be done, but she was the only one who was strong enough to do it.  She had been the heiress of the wealthiest man in the country.  When her father had written his will she had begged him to return the money to the rightful owners, but her father had feared her relatives.  They relied on their wealth for their own.  They did not want to lose money that did not belong to them.  Only Andrew saw what she saw.  Saw the injustice that her family had been inflicting on others.  The pain that had been caused by them.  The wrong that needed to be made right.

She felt Andrew shake as sobs left his lips.  She held him tighter as her own tears left her eyes.  They had done what needed to be done, and they would face the consequences for it.  All her family would hate her.  She brought a hand up to stroke Andrew's auburn hair.  Holding him tighter.  They would hate Andrew for helping, and while she wouldn’t be here to face the hate, he would.  She had looked for other lawyers, but only Andrew was willing to do it.  To take the fall and the hate.  Only Andrew had been willing to see the truth.  Had been willing to take the fall.  Pulling back she whipped the tears from Andrew’s blue eyes.  “It’s going to be alright Andrew.  It’s going to be alright.”  But would it be?  Would it really be alright?

~

Andrew stared at the bright sun.  The world was cruel sometimes.  The day was too perfect.  The world should be crying.  It should be at least cloudy.  Not sunny.  The weather did not reflect his inner turmoil.  For after the funeral he knew that his relatives would be demanding to see the will.  Demand to see who she had named as her heir.  They wouldn’t even try to act like they were sad she was gone.  All they cared about was the money.  The money that they thought would still be theirs to use.  The money that was not rightful theirs, but they would still act like they could have it.  Like it was theirs to spend and use as they please.  His grandmother had returned the money to its rightful owners.  She had even doubled the amount that they had taken.  The money that they had stolen and left the owner to die.  With nothing but his own clothes on his back.  The money should go back to the true family.  The family that should run the town.  The family that should be the wealthiest in the country.  

~

They had cornered him right after the ceremony.  Demanding to know who was the heir.  Who would be in charge of their money.  They had not even waited a day.  Not even an hour.  They were so impatient for their money.  Each of them hoping that they would be the heir.  It had been kind of funny how each member had tried to win her favor and become the favorite.  They had all failed.  His grandmother had seen past their fronts and seen their true selves.  She had seen many things.  She had been a very wise woman.  Had planned this for years.  Had seen what needed to be done and had done it.  She had not let her family scare her into submission.  Into what they wanted.  She had been willing to defy them so he would to.  He handed over a copy of the will to the oldest son of his grandmother.  He watched as his uncle’s face turned into one of pure rage.  His own father leaned forward to try and see what was written on the will in his brother's hands.  They all crowded around in an attempt to see who the money would go to, but before they could his uncle crumbled the will in his hands.  Well there was a reason Andrew had only given them a copy.

“What on earth is this,” His uncle William ground out.  His face was red and he was shaking with rage.  Andrew felt himself take a step back in fear.  Suddenly really glad that he had already given the money and most of the possessions to the rightful heir.  That he had already gone to court and made sure his relatives had to give up their houses and their possessions.  Also that he had hidden the names of the witnesses.  Making it obvious that someone had signed it, but hiding their names.

He heard his father chuckle, “What’s wrong Will?  Did you not get the money?”

Andrew gulped slightly as his uncle William took a step forward, “It says here that the money goes to the Dawson family.”  Suddenly Andrew felt very small under the gazes of his family.  No they may be related by blood, but they weren’t his family.  Exclamations of surprise and anger tumbled from the mouth of his relatives.  

His father took a step forward. “Andrew what have you done,” His voice was stern and full of anger, “Where is the real will.”

Andrew took a deep breath to steady his voice.  He had expected the anger.  The hate, but that did not make this any easier.  His voice came out sharper and stronger than he thought it would, “Why do you want to know?”

More exclamations.  His uncle William turned on his father, “I told you he was too soft.  Look at the disgrace of a son you raised.”  

His father made no attempt to defend him; he just glared, “We want the real will, because then nobody has to see it.  We can say she never wrote a will.”

Andrew felt his anger spike and he narrowed his eyes, “You want the will, you'll have to talk to the judge that oversaw the distribution of the wealth to the Dawson family.  It’s already done.”

The anger radiating off his relatives was so intense Andrew felt afraid for his life.  Taking several more steps back he was no longer able to keep up the tough facade.  They looked murderous.  Just as his father took a step forward a voice rang out, “May I ask what is going on?”

Andrew turned to look at the tall man that was now approaching them.  He took in the man’s styled red hair and sharp green eyes.  He felt his eyes widening.  It was none other than Luke Dawson.   The man that he had met in court to fulfill his Grandmothers will.  The man that was now the richest man in the country.  Who held the wealth that his family had stolen years ago.  

“And who are you,” Uncle William demanded.

Dawson smiled, “I’m Luke Dawson.  I‘m assuming that you are the relatives of Jennifer Lexington.”  Dawson walked over and stood beside Andrew.

Exclamations of surprise filled the silence before Andrew’s father stepped forward, “If you’re going to choose to side with the Dawsons you aren’t my son.”

More gasps, but this time they came from the people that had slowly come to watch.  Andrew recognized the Dawson family among them.  At the knowledge Andrew felt laughter pour from his lips, “Go ahead you think I want to be part of this family.”  

His father gave him a hard stare before turning to face Luke Dawson, “We will fight this!”  Then with that his relatives were turning and striding angrily away.  As Andrew watched them go he felt a sense of relief.  He was free.  Free from the restraints of his family.  His family may hate him, but the town would forever remember what his grandmother had done for them.  How brave she was to do the right thing.  Saying goodbye to Luke Dawson and his family he turned to leave.  He no longer had to live the life they had been trapped in.  He could simply be him.  He could be Andrew Lexington.  The man who had helped right a wrong.