A Blood Heir

Chapter 3- No Evidence

Maya stopped her car at the driveway in front of the vast empyreal Stevenson mansion laying behind creaky iron gates. Gazing ahead, she took in the sight of the mansion for the millionth time, she couldn’t be more proud having called it home for twenty-three years.

The mansion was far too modern to reveal anything medieval. Even after eight centuries, its pertinence and grandeur endured. A strong stone wall stood behind the cream-coloured paint holding the flat roof with Ludowici roof tiles. There were at least twenty windows on each of the two floors facing the driveway

This would always be her home. Malcolm and Elsie loved her unconditionally, it never mattered she wasn’t their biological child. And Lockie was the best big brother she could ever hope for.

The thought of finding her real parents had never crossed her mind, it still hadn’t. If they wanted her, they wouldn’t have left her at the Stevenson mansion’s gate for her father to find. Once or twice, she found herself wondering who they were. Were they even Scot? Though several Scots have tan-coloured skin, she couldn’t help asking whether she was from another part of the world. But that’s the furthest she went to thinking of them.

She grabbed her backpack and stepped out of the car. Hastily walking past the delicate marble fountain at the threshold of the driveway, a place where she and Lockie had spent most of their childhood chasing each other. Well, it was mostly her doing the chasing because she had tiny legs and she could never catch up to Lockie.

Climbing up the steps on the porch, she opened the main door and stepped inside the tall galleried split parlour. The floor was of Phoenix natural stone tiles with a blend of deep homey grey and the walls were brown as Autumn leaves meeting a bold white baseboard. The room looked more like a dance hall from the different chandelier lighting.

She took off her coat and hung it up on the rack with her backpack before hurriedly walking past the imperial staircase toward the dining room.

Maya’s hopes of making it before dinner were crushed by the distant chatter in the dining room.

Hearing the familiar voice of Tavish, Lockie’s best friend, her heart leapt and her stomach shifted uneasily. She felt her legs move faster, her need to see him overtook her.

Tavish and Lockie had been friends since high school and she’d been crushing on him ever since. She’d tried for years to get him out of her head but it was impossible, especially when he lived with Lockie and kept showing up for every family dinner.

She stepped into the room and everyone’s eyes were on her but the only person she saw was Tavish, looking handsome as always.

He had the kind of face that made any woman stop in their tracks. People talked of eye colour but he could be beautiful in any shade. His perfect jawline made it hard for anyone not to notice his thin lips.

He smiled revealing his side dimple. She felt her cheek growing hot and butterflies in her stomach. If only she was brave enough to walk up to him and confess her feelings.

Maya forcefully took her gaze off him and scanned the room. Her father sat at the head of the solid wood brown dining table, her mother on the left side while her brother Lockie and Tavish were on the other side.

“You’re late lassie,” said her father with a hard face as Maya bent to kiss her mother.

“I’m sorry Dad, the traffic...” she said before giving him the same treatment. She waved at Lockie and Tavish before dragging the seat beside her mother and joining them.

Taking a plate she served the leek and potato soup.

“Sis, how’s your search going?” Lockie asked when she’d settled down.