Chapter 200
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"I suppose it's time for me to tell you my name and business. It is Scott P. Lopez from Bakers & Marcus. The name may not be familiar to you but I am a partner at the law firm that your father and his grandfather used when conducting their business. We have been very happy with their letting us represent them for as long as our firm has been open."
Ellie felt an embarrassed flush begin to rise in her cheeks. It had finally come to haunt her here, she should have known that the mysterious visitor would be another family lawyer. She was tired. Ellie turned to the lawyer with a fuming expression, she tried to keep her voice from shaking or cursing as she spoke. "It's no surprise that my sisters have in their travels around Europe stopped in New York and in their airport saw a CNN broadcast of my accident. I'm sure they want to know for sure that they can keep me wiped off the family tree as I asked. It's perfectly within their right to retain their share of the assets. I've never complained. But you can go back to them and tell them that yes I am still alive, I'm still working to make a living as soon as I recover. You could take a copy of my medical records while you're at it. I know my death will bring them a good laugh over their cocktails after they've finished shopping through this month's allotment. I have no interest in being around them or being their party's joke. I have my affairs settled here and I am incredibly happy if we continued to act like we weren't related."
"Oh my." The lawyer took off his glasses and wiped them while the uncomfortable silence continued to stretch. He seemed a bit knocked off balance while he tried to salvage the conversation. "I'm afraid you've read this all wrong. My reason for coming here was not at the behest or pleasure of the aforementioned. I am quite happy if you did have such a tragic accident that you're getting back on your feet. My apologies again for my rude interruption" -- Mr. Lopez paused before raising his eyebrows with comedic precision -- "Baroness Braye."
Ellie stiffened as everyone around her froze. She felt as if a spotlight had been turned on above her head and the heat was bearing dow on her. She didn't want to turn her head to see what everyone's expression was. Henry caught his breath quickly beside her as his head snapped and he realized what she had been hiding from him.
She knew the best way to deal with things was head on so she turned to the solicitor and told him to sit at the seat that Michael had brought forwards with a small folding table. "Mr. Lopez, I think we would all like you to take a seat and try to tell me what all of this is about. I am incredibly confused."
Mr. Lopez declined the lemon tarts that were offered to him by Michael before setting his briefcase on the side table. He quickly unlocked the two locks on either side and the suitcase opened of its own accord. He pulled out a stack of papers and licked his finger before beginning. "It's nothing that you should be too surprised about. I don't understand why you're all so tense? It's just a simple thing. You see your two sisters have all passed on. The major issue with it was neither of them had any surviving children so for the last two months or so I've been trying to track you down all over Asia. I was shell shocked to see that you've been cut off from those relations as well. I couldn't think where your mother would go, before remembering she did have some property of her own in Rochester, New York where you were born. So the trail came here and well the true grit of the issue is that you have inherited a substantial estate as the newest Lady Baroness Braye."
Ellie's mouth dropped open as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She laughed darkly as she wondered aloud. "How could the two of them be dead at the same time? Are you sure this isn't a joke? They were both very attached to their men. I can't believe there could be a way they would die at the same time, unless they tried to fly a plane, again."
"Oh. Well I'm sorry to say it was nothing really that intense. I wish I had a more interesting story to tell you." Lopez straightened the papers on the desk while he pulled at his collar. Michael poured him a glass of water which he quickly emptied before continuing. "They were quite the troublemakers when they weren't in trouble with the law. Your oldest sister, Priscilla, was actually on some Russian oligarch's yacht in the Crimean Peninsula. I don't know why she was there, but apparently she was swimming and got pulled in by a riptide. It's very tragic, but not really something that was preventable. She may have had gambling debts, but we will never know as these are not people who are really going to run into in England. Then your second oldest sister, Anastasia, got hit in the head by a coconut when she was vacationing over the summer in San Tropez, apparently by the poolside while she was sunbathing." His eyes moved over to Henry whose mouth was open in confusion. "It was investigated to the fullest extent of the local authorities. That was the final conclusion that the detective came to when she passed on. I have no idea why God choose to take her that way, but the mechanism of the heavens will always be a mystery to us. She was rushed to the local hospital where after being operated on by the local surgeons she was pronounced dead after dying of complications. Anastasia was my preferred of the two sisters, but I am happy she at least did get a proper funeral which I arranged along with the help of the groundskeeper."
"I am glad that she did get a proper funeral, and I'm very happy that you helped her rest. I probably wouldn't have been able to do that myself due to the lack of relationship." Ellie spoke slowly, a cold edge seeping into her voice as she discussed her past.
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"I suppose it's time for me to tell you my name and business. It is Scott P. Lopez from Bakers & Marcus. The name may not be familiar to you but I am a partner at the law firm that your father and his grandfather used when conducting their business. We have been very happy with their letting us represent them for as long as our firm has been open."
Ellie felt an embarrassed flush begin to rise in her cheeks. It had finally come to haunt her here, she should have known that the mysterious visitor would be another family lawyer. She was tired. Ellie turned to the lawyer with a fuming expression, she tried to keep her voice from shaking or cursing as she spoke. "It's no surprise that my sisters have in their travels around Europe stopped in New York and in their airport saw a CNN broadcast of my accident. I'm sure they want to know for sure that they can keep me wiped off the family tree as I asked. It's perfectly within their right to retain their share of the assets. I've never complained. But you can go back to them and tell them that yes I am still alive, I'm still working to make a living as soon as I recover. You could take a copy of my medical records while you're at it. I know my death will bring them a good laugh over their cocktails after they've finished shopping through this month's allotment. I have no interest in being around them or being their party's joke. I have my affairs settled here and I am incredibly happy if we continued to act like we weren't related."
"Oh my." The lawyer took off his glasses and wiped them while the uncomfortable silence continued to stretch. He seemed a bit knocked off balance while he tried to salvage the conversation. "I'm afraid you've read this all wrong. My reason for coming here was not at the behest or pleasure of the aforementioned. I am quite happy if you did have such a tragic accident that you're getting back on your feet. My apologies again for my rude interruption" -- Mr. Lopez paused before raising his eyebrows with comedic precision -- "Baroness Braye."
Ellie stiffened as everyone around her froze. She felt as if a spotlight had been turned on above her head and the heat was bearing dow on her. She didn't want to turn her head to see what everyone's expression was. Henry caught his breath quickly beside her as his head snapped and he realized what she had been hiding from him.
She knew the best way to deal with things was head on so she turned to the solicitor and told him to sit at the seat that Michael had brought forwards with a small folding table. "Mr. Lopez, I think we would all like you to take a seat and try to tell me what all of this is about. I am incredibly confused."
Mr. Lopez declined the lemon tarts that were offered to him by Michael before setting his briefcase on the side table. He quickly unlocked the two locks on either side and the suitcase opened of its own accord. He pulled out a stack of papers and licked his finger before beginning. "It's nothing that you should be too surprised about. I don't understand why you're all so tense? It's just a simple thing. You see your two sisters have all passed on. The major issue with it was neither of them had any surviving children so for the last two months or so I've been trying to track you down all over Asia. I was shell shocked to see that you've been cut off from those relations as well. I couldn't think where your mother would go, before remembering she did have some property of her own in Rochester, New York where you were born. So the trail came here and well the true grit of the issue is that you have inherited a substantial estate as the newest Lady Baroness Braye."
Ellie's mouth dropped open as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She laughed darkly as she wondered aloud. "How could the two of them be dead at the same time? Are you sure this isn't a joke? They were both very attached to their men. I can't believe there could be a way they would die at the same time, unless they tried to fly a plane, again."
"Oh. Well I'm sorry to say it was nothing really that intense. I wish I had a more interesting story to tell you." Lopez straightened the papers on the desk while he pulled at his collar. Michael poured him a glass of water which he quickly emptied before continuing. "They were quite the troublemakers when they weren't in trouble with the law. Your oldest sister, Priscilla, was actually on some Russian oligarch's yacht in the Crimean Peninsula. I don't know why she was there, but apparently she was swimming and got pulled in by a riptide. It's very tragic, but not really something that was preventable. She may have had gambling debts, but we will never know as these are not people who are really going to run into in England. Then your second oldest sister, Anastasia, got hit in the head by a coconut when she was vacationing over the summer in San Tropez, apparently by the poolside while she was sunbathing." His eyes moved over to Henry whose mouth was open in confusion. "It was investigated to the fullest extent of the local authorities. That was the final conclusion that the detective came to when she passed on. I have no idea why God choose to take her that way, but the mechanism of the heavens will always be a mystery to us. She was rushed to the local hospital where after being operated on by the local surgeons she was pronounced dead after dying of complications. Anastasia was my preferred of the two sisters, but I am happy she at least did get a proper funeral which I arranged along with the help of the groundskeeper."
"I am glad that she did get a proper funeral, and I'm very happy that you helped her rest. I probably wouldn't have been able to do that myself due to the lack of relationship." Ellie spoke slowly, a cold edge seeping into her voice as she discussed her past.
"I suppose it's time for me to tell you my name and business. It is Scott P. Lopez from Bakers & Marcus. The name may not be familiar to you but I am a partner at the law firm that your father and his grandfather used when conducting their business. We have been very happy with their letting us represent them for as long as our firm has been open."Ellie felt an embarrassed flush begin to rise in her cheeks. It had finally come to haunt her here, she should have known that the mysterious visitor would be another family lawyer. She was tired. Ellie turned to the lawyer with a fuming expression, she tried to keep her voice from shaking or cursing as she spoke. "It's no surprise that my sisters have in their travels around Europe stopped in New York and in their airport saw a CNN broadcast of my accident. I'm sure they want to know for sure that they can keep me wiped off the family tree as I asked. It's perfectly within their right to retain their share of the assets. I've never complained. But you can go back to them and tell them that yes I am still alive, I'm still working to make a living as soon as I recover. You could take a copy of my medical records while you're at it. I know my death will bring them a good laugh over their cocktails after they've finished shopping through this month's allotment. I have no interest in being around them or being their party's joke. I have my affairs settled here and I am incredibly happy if we continued to act like we weren't related.""Oh my." The lawyer took off his glasses and wiped them while the uncomfortable silence continued to stretch. He seemed a bit knocked off balance while he tried to salvage the conversation. "I'm afraid you've read this all wrong. My reason for coming here was not at the behest or pleasure of the aforementioned. I am quite happy if you did have such a tragic accident that you're getting back on your feet. My apologies again for my rude interruption" -- Mr. Lopez paused before raising his eyebrows with comedic precision -- "Baroness Braye."Ellie stiffened as everyone around her froze. She felt as if a spotlight had been turned on above her head and the heat was bearing dow on her. She didn't want to turn her head to see what everyone's expression was. Henry caught his breath quickly beside her as his head snapped and he realized what she had been hiding from him.She knew the best way to deal with things was head on so she turned to the solicitor and told him to sit at the seat that Michael had brought forwards with a small folding table. "Mr. Lopez, I think we would all like you to take a seat and try to tell me what all of this is about. I am incredibly confused."Mr. Lopez declined the lemon tarts that were offered to him by Michael before setting his briefcase on the side table. He quickly unlocked the two locks on either side and the suitcase opened of its own accord. He pulled out a stack of papers and licked his finger before beginning. "It's nothing that you should be too surprised about. I don't understand why you're all so tense? It's just a simple thing. You see your two sisters have all passed on. The major issue with it was neither of them had any surviving children so for the last two months or so I've been trying to track you down all over Asia. I was shell shocked to see that you've been cut off from those relations as well. I couldn't think where your mother would go, before remembering she did have some property of her own in Rochester, New York where you were born. So the trail came here and well the true grit of the issue is that you have inherited a substantial estate as the newest Lady Baroness Braye."Ellie's mouth dropped open as she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She laughed darkly as she wondered aloud. "How could the two of them be dead at the same time? Are you sure this isn't a joke? They were both very attached to their men. I can't believe there could be a way they would die at the same time, unless they tried to fly a plane, again.""Oh. Well I'm sorry to say it was nothing really that intense. I wish I had a more interesting story to tell you." Lopez straightened the papers on the desk while he pulled at his collar. Michael poured him a glass of water which he quickly emptied before continuing. "They were quite the troublemakers when they weren't in trouble with the law. Your oldest sister, Priscilla, was actually on some Russian oligarch's yacht in the Crimean Peninsula. I don't know why she was there, but apparently she was swimming and got pulled in by a riptide. It's very tragic, but not really something that was preventable. She may have had gambling debts, but we will never know as these are not people who are really going to run into in England. Then your second oldest sister, Anastasia, got hit in the head by a coconut when she was vacationing over the summer in San Tropez, apparently by the poolside while she was sunbathing." His eyes moved over to Henry whose mouth was open in confusion. "It was investigated to the fullest extent of the local authorities. That was the final conclusion that the detective came to when she passed on. I have no idea why God choose to take her that way, but the mechanism of the heavens will always be a mystery to us. She was rushed to the local hospital where after being operated on by the local surgeons she was pronounced dead after dying of complications. Anastasia was my preferred of the two sisters, but I am happy she at least did get a proper funeral which I arranged along with the help of the groundskeeper.""I am glad that she did get a proper funeral, and I'm very happy that you helped her rest. I probably wouldn't have been able to do that myself due to the lack of relationship." Ellie spoke slowly, a cold edge seeping into her voice as she discussed her past.
