The Haunted Heir

2

Victoria's restlessness continued in her sleep. Uncomfortable feelings prevented the girl from falling asleep easily. The sky had turned pitch black, and the candles had been extinguished, but the profound darkness still couldn't make her sleepy.

The events in the library and the dining room replayed in the girl's mind. Poisonous plants – did Lord William plant them? For what purpose? Suddenly, a cold draft brushed against Victoria's throat, and a soft sigh entered her ears. Danger.

Victoria sat up abruptly, looking around in vain. The darkness was so intense that she couldn't see anything. However, before her astonishment could fade, a soft voice from outside the room startled her.

Victoria turned her head towards the door as candlelight seeped through the gap at the bottom of the door. Her breath caught as the doorknob slowly turned as if someone were about to open it.

Danger. Once more, the wind-like whispers and cold drafts caressed Victoria's throat, causing her to unconsciously clutch her blanket.

The door handle moved twice without success. Eventually, the candlelight moved away from the door, leaving Victoria once again in the darkness.

*****

The sky had begun to show light when Victoria heard a knock on the door and Margaret's voice following it. "Miss, it's almost noon. Are you unwell?"

Victoria swallowed nervously. She didn't dare to open the door. There were only her and Margaret in this house, so if she was in her room, the only person who had tried to open the door the previous night was the old woman.

"Miss? I brought breakfast." Margaret knocked again, this time louder. "Are you all right?!"

"I-I'm fine!" Victoria finally exclaimed. "Just put the breakfast in front of the door! I'll eat it later!" There was a brief silence before Margaret finally replied, "Very well, Miss."

Victoria heard the tray being placed. With her heart pounding with fear, she approached the door to listen. She heard footsteps moving away. Victoria waited a little longer before opening the door to peek.

Margaret had gone, leaving a tray with a glass of water, a plate of bread, jam, and a handful of dark blue berries, almost black. Victoria opened the door slightly wider, crouched down to take the tray inside, then quickly closed and locked the door.

*****

The sun was rising higher, but Victoria was still pacing back and forth in her room. She was afraid to touch the food and to leave her room.

What should I do? She resisted the urge to cry. She had no family, and the nuns at the convent were unlikely to visit and check on her.

If I die, no one will come looking for me.

Inheriting from an unknown benefactor was turning out to be too good to be true. Now she was trapped in an old mansion that might be haunted, with a female servant who seemed to have ill intentions toward her.

A sudden noise startled Victoria. The girl saw that the candle she had placed on the fireplace was now on the floor. Victoria crouched to pick up the object. However, a hidden lever on the side of the fireplace caught the girl's attention.

"What is this?" Victoria wondered. She pressed down the lever. Not long after, Victoria took a quick breath as the fireplace moved to the side, revealing a large hole with a circular staircase leading downward.

Frustration and curiosity led Victoria to light a candle. Slowly, she began to cautiously explore the dark hole.

*****

The smell of dust made Victoria sneeze several times. She also brushed away cobwebs stuck in her hair as she descended the stairs. The air was musty, and faint sunlight entered through the open hole.

Victoria's steps stopped when her feet touched the ground. She found herself in a room resembling a storage area.

Several giant paintings leaned against the walls, piquing Victoria's curiosity. She approached and illuminated the images.

Victoria took a quick breath when she saw the figure depicted – a girl in old model attire with a joyful smile. But what surprised her was that the girl in the painting had a face similar to hers. There was a text below the image: Marie, My Beloved.

Victoria unconsciously stepped back and bumped into an old table behind her. She turned and found a stack of envelopes with the words Maria Orphanage written on them.

What is this? Why are there so many letters from my orphanage? Victoria pulled one of the papers from the envelope and read its contents:

"To Lord William,
Thank you for your donation.
Victoria is now 12 years old. She won the reading competition last week.
We bought her a new dress to wear for the service this Sunday. She is very happy. Signed, Mother Superior."

Victoria's eyes widened in shock. She was about to read another letter when she heard a distant clang from the table. The girl turned as she faintly heard the voices of two people conversing.

"Does she already eat it?"

"Perhaps she already has. Have you dug a hole to bury her?"

Victoria held her breath. She recognized Margaret's voice but not the other, a man's voice.

"Yes, but it will be difficult to retrieve the body if she locks the door."

"That's alright; we can break it later."

Victoria's heart raced with fear. Both of them intended to kill her! The girl moved away from the source of the voices and accidentally kicked a painting frame.

"Who is that?!" The man's shout made Victoria cover her mouth with her hand.

"It's probably just a rat," Margaret replied before chuckling softly. "The effects of Belladonna won't last long. We should be able to bury the body tonight. That old fool, I thought after his death, we could take over this house undisturbed, but who would have thought he'd leave it to his illegitimate child."

Illegitimate child? Victoria's body froze. She turned to the painting hanging on the wall and made the connection. So, that woman is my mother?

"I'll check on her now; she might be dead by now," Margaret said. The sound of Margaret's footsteps brought Victoria to her senses. She waited for a moment before hurriedly climbing the stairs back to the main bedroom.

*****

Victoria had just reached the last step, her breath labored, when Margaret knocked on the door and called from outside. "Miss, have you finished eating?"

Victoria brushed spiderwebs from her dress and shouted, "I'm sorry, I fell asleep earlier! I'll ring the bell after breakfast!"

Grumbling accompanied the sound of footsteps moving away. Victoria bit her lip, feeling worried. She could handle Margaret.

The woman was too old for a physical fight. However, the unknown man was another matter.

Victoria ran to the window and peered out from behind the curtains. A man had just exited the house. He walked to the south side, where a large hole gaped.

What should I do? Victoria took a deep breath and began to plan her escape.

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