Popularity War

Final Will and Testament

Popularity War

Chapter 9

Final Will and Testament

Eragon stared at the paper in Gertrude’s hand. He understood the power that a Will had, but in Eva’s situation, it did not seem like it would be very helpful. Yet, Gertrude and Eva looked excited and he itched to know why. “What does it say exactly?” Eragon could not read so he had to have the document read to him.

“Well for starters, your name is in here,” Gertrude winked.

His eyes grew big and his jaw almost dropped at the news. “What? Why would I be mentioned in his Will? I am not family.”

Eva turned to gaze into Eragon’s eyes to say, “My father revised his old Will to include you because he realized how close we had become. The date on this current Will is from this week; actually it was written the day I went to your farm for the audit. That is why he wanted me to go instead—he had to revise his Will.”

Eragon softened as he finally grasped their excitement. “He gave us his blessing in written form, didn’t he?”

Gertrude nodded.

“That is excellent news. What else does it say?”

Gertrude’s smile lessened when she said, “Unfortunately, not much. He was still writing when he suffered the heart attack, so he never completed it.”

“Oh.”

Eva felt her heart sink a little as well. She had found her father’s original Will mixed in with other papers and handed it to Gertrude. “You are better at interpreting this thing than me. I am not sure how much he wanted to change, but let us see what he originally had.”

The room became silent when Gertrude accepted the document and flipped through the pages. Several times she stopped to read a page or two and then move on to another section. Eva was neither anxious nor impatient as she waited for Gertrude to finish. Soon enough, Gertrude put the papers back together and placed them on the desk.

“Why don’t the two of you sit down before we begin discussing the Will?” Gertrude gestured at the two chairs at the front of the desk. Without complaint, the two sat down.

“Well, what did you find out?” Eva asked.

“Do you want the good news, or the bad news?”

“I’d rather have my father back and not deal with this,” Eva said with heavy emotion, “but since that is not an option, I will take the bad news first. That way, we can end on a positive note.”

“I understand.” Gertrude then opened the document again and turned a few pages before looking up at Eva to begin. With sorrow, she uttered, “Since you are a woman you cannot own or inherit property. Therefore, this house now belongs to your uncle, Lord Richard.”

Eva should have known the law regarding property, but the news still came as a shock. This was the first time she had ever felt discrimination and unfairness towards her gender and it hurt. “Oh,” she managed to say solemnly.

“That law is so unfair,” Eragon remarked.

“Perhaps, but there is nothing we can do about that. With Eva’s uncle in charge of the house, he can decide to let Eva live there at his expense, or sell it for profit,” Gertrude added.

Eva’s mood lightened a little when she said, “My Uncle Richard is a decent man like my father. The few times I have been with him he has always be kind and honest, so I doubt he will be cruel to me when he learns of his brother’s death. I am thinking he will sell the house, but not until I find another place to live.”