The Legacy of Hope House

by Dilys Xavier

  ‘Yes, I am well aware it’s a big place, and that’s why I want…’ Anna interjected, but her words trailed off in the middle of what she was saying. It was just as though Mr James hadn’t heard, because he started to talk again before she could say any more.

  ‘Altogether it’s bound to be a big expense.’ He tapped the tips of his fingers together, and paused again. ‘Building costs are high, Miss Williams, so unless you have money of your own to spend on it, as well as this,’ he repeated, tapping the document in front of him, ‘it will not be easy to restore such a large property.’

  His next move was most pointed. With both hands gripping the edge of his desk, Mr James leaned across as far as he could reach, his neck thrust forward in a pugilistic manner that seemed threatening and made her nervous about what he was going to say. With another straight stare, he then delivered the proviso. ‘And there is something else. The bottom line is… ,’ he took a deep breath and paused for a moment to emphasise his words, ‘…you—can—not—sell—your—inheritance, under the conditions of the will.’

  Having delivered his statement in such an emphatic way, he leaned back and remained silent for several seconds, lightly tapping the tips of his podgy fingers together. He rubbed his hand over the light stubble on his chin and gazed absently through the window while he waited for her reaction, but Anna’s mind was still reeling at the mention of the cash, which to her was a small fortune. She said nothing; indeed, her mind was in such a spin she hardly knew what to say. What she wanted to do right now was to take the money and run.

  ‘Your late relative, Thomas John Williams,’ the solicitor went on, taking another deep breath, ‘stipulated that the wishes of the original builder and owner of the property, his great grandfather, Colonel Thomas Williams, who was formerly a resident of Jamaica, be strictly adhered to.’ He delivered his words in a slow and sonorous voice, then stared at her again over his spectacles.

  ‘Let me explain what this means.’ He tapped his forefinger rapidly on the document. ‘It states quite clearly here that the land, and the property, must remain within family ownership. Of course, should you have children of your own, the estate would eventually pass to them.’

  He picked up the document and brandished it vigorously. ‘But, in the event of the family line dying out, the estate must pass to a worthy cause that will care for, and preserve it. Originally that meant it would go to the local community. Today, it means it would be gifted to The National Trust in Wales.’

  ‘Ah, yes,’ he murmured softly, as he flicked over a page. ‘But this occurs only if there are no other living descendants of the Williams family, legitimate or otherwise.’

  Grimacing slightly as he stared through the window, deep in thought for several moments, he drummed his fingers on the desk, then looked at Anna. ‘It’s difficult to advise you about what to do, but that’s not why you’re here today.’ He dismissed what he had been saying with a flick of his wrist, then gave a nervous little cough before continuing.

  ‘Miss Williams, if you fail to cope with it, you have two options. The first is to hang onto the money, and let the house fall into such a bad state that it would become a total ruin.’ There was a pause while he gave Anna a few moments to consider his statement. ‘That would be a shame, but taking such a course could solve the problem for you.’ He gave a twisted smile and lapsed into a brief silence again before going on. ‘The second option is to declare that you wish to be totally relieved of the responsibility, and be done with it. The property would then go to The Trust, providing, of course, that no legal claim is made on it by another legal descendant, legitimate or otherwise.’

  He looked her straight in the eye. ‘At least, then you would have the money to do with as you please. It could buy you a very nice little home, and leave some cash over as well.’ As he sat watching her, the man continued to drum his fingers on the desk, but Anna was careful not to show any visible reaction to his words.

  ‘Now, Miss Williams, do not be influenced by what I have said, for the final decision is yours.’

  After another brief wait, during which time Anna tried to mentally recap what he had said, the solicitor pushed some documents across the desk and requested her signature where the crosses were marked. The man looked up from the papers and addressed her pointedly. ‘I think you’ll find the stories about your family most fascinating.

  I often played golf with your uncle and he loved to talk about his family history. There’s a great deal of information in these documents for you to go through; there are old wills, inventories, deeds, and letters, all full of interesting stuff for you to study. They’ve survived for over two hundred years and you are indeed fortunate to have them. The Colonel obviously brought them with him when he came to live in Wales in 1798.’

  ‘Are they original documents?’ Anna asked, doing her best to pose a question again.

  The solicitor waved them in the air. ‘Yes, they are, and they’ll give you all the family history. If you read them carefully you’ll learn a lot about your ancestors, but for greater detail, you’ll have to delve into family history research in the normal way, I’m afraid.’

  Then he gave her his stage smile again. ‘Your family was once extremely wealthy, Miss Williams. They lived in style in The West Indies, so I understand, er… such as style was, in that country, all that time ago.’ Mr James paused and gazed out through the window as he drummed his fingers on his desk again. ‘It would be interesting to know what became of the Colonel’s estates in Jamaica, but I suspect he sold them before leaving Jamaica.’ By now, his voice was so quiet he was almost talking to himself. ‘I know he owned three or four thriving sugar plantations, maybe more, and he gave all of them Welsh names.’

  He turned his gaze back to Anna. ‘A great deal of money was involved, which today would have put him in the billionaire class.’ Then, with a decisive dismissive shrug, the solicitor began to fiddle with the papers in front of him as though he was suddenly in a hurry to conclude the interview. At this point, and for no particular reason, it popped into Anna’s mind that the man wanted her to go.

  Looking slightly uneasy, he shuffled the papers again, finally piled them together and slid the whole lot into a large folder, which he handed to Anna when he walked around to the front of his desk.

  Clutching the package to her chest, Anna stood up and crossed the room, with Mr James close behind her. When he reached the cabinet that stood at the side of the door, he slipped his hand into the top drawer and brought out a soiled linen bag.

  ‘Here are the keys to your property.’ He handed them over with a flourish, and then glanced anxiously at the clock on the wall. ‘I wish you well, Miss Williams.’ He offered his hand and opened the office door with a flourish. The interview was over.

  Anna walked out feeling dazed. All that money. All that detail. She wished she had taken her tape recorder along with her. Now I know what Mum meant by a white elephant, she thought, fingering the bag of keys as she walked towards her car.

  Uppermost in her mind now was that she owned something in need of urgent repair. Something she couldn’t sell; something for which she needed more money than she had. To Anna, the money Uncle Tom had left her was a fortune, but the solicitor was probably right—it would not go far on a place of that size.

  Her mother’s description of the house was pretty near the mark. It really was a misfortune, a huge responsibility, and a devastating worry. And right now she hadn’t a clue what to do with it.

  Chapter Four

  Exhausted from trying to absorb what Mr James had said, Anna slumped into a chair when she arrived home. She tried to tell her mother what he had told her, but it all came out in fits and starts and made little sense.

  For several minutes, she sat quietly, just thinking about the situation, then quietly addressed her mother. ‘Anyway, Mum, you said it was a white elephant, and I think you were dead-right; that’s what it seems to be. Look, I asked for the whole day off, so will you come with me to look at
the place?’ She jangled the bunch of keys, and tucked her arm under her mother’s. ‘I’m keen to see what state it’s in, but before we go, I’d like you to take a quick look at these documents.’

  She spread them out on the table, but Margaret only gave them a cursory glance.

  ‘Another time, Anna. They can wait. More importantly, did Tom leave you any money?’

  ‘Yes, a small fortune in my opinion.’ Anna smiled at her mother’s surprised look when she told her how much. ‘I think it’s a lot, but Mr James thinks it’s peanuts, considering the repairs the old house needs. He reckons I’d be wise to pass it up, give it to The Trust. He suggested I should buy myself a nice little property with the money instead; a local one that would leave me with some change.’ She hunched her shoulders. ‘What I do with my inheritance is none of his business; matter of fact, I like his nerve in giving me his opinion. Does he assume I can’t think for myself?’

  ‘I see your point,’ Margaret said, with a sniff, ‘but maybe he thought you needed some good advice. After all, what he suggested is sensible and I think you should consider that option and look after the cash, rather than spend it on a useless old ruin.’

  ‘Anyway, come on Mum, if you’re not going to look at these documents now, let’s have a quick bite then go to see the house. We can talk about what I should do with it after we’ve had a good look at its potential.’

  Within five minutes of eating a light meal, Margaret was ready and waiting by Anna’s Mini. They both climbed into the car and set off on the fifteen-minute journey to Hope House.

  ‘Oh, my gawd,’ Anna exclaimed, as she drove through the open gates. The driveway seemed to go on for ever, but when they reached the end, Anna stared wide-eyed at what was straight ahead. ‘Just look at that monstrosity. You were right, Mum.’

  ‘Yes, and over two hundred years old, don’t forget.’ Margaret stretched her neck to see as far as she could. ‘So it’s a copy of the house the old Colonel built in Jamaica. Mind you, this must have been a grand place in its heyday.’ They moved a little closer, but then Margaret held back and began to talk about other things.

  ‘Your father told me lots of great houses like this were built in Jamaica centuries ago. They had loads of money, and free slave labour to indulge themselves in style.’ She stood still for a few minutes as she surveyed the place. ‘It’s creepy looking though. No wonder you kids were nervous when you played up here.’

  The house was set on the top of a natural plateau overlooking a small horseshoe shaped bay that echoed the noise of the waves as they crashed with a roar against the cliffs a hundred feet below.

  ‘Listen, Mum,’ Anna said, ‘It’s so quiet I can hear the pebbles rattling on the beach below as the waves retreat.’

  ‘Come back! Don’t you dare go peering over that cliff edge; it’s a helluva drop,’ Margaret warned, pulling on Anna’s jacket. ‘The soil could be loose. Come away now, please, you’re worrying me.’

  Anna smiled, but moved away from the edge and looked back at the house again narrowing her eyes to take in the details. ‘The house faces the sea, so every front window must have a lovely view. And look at those woods behind it; it’s almost a small forest. It looks wild, and untouched since the place was built.’

  She threw up her arms. ‘Everywhere is overgrown; the whole place screams of neglect.’ Against the roar of the crashing waves below, seagulls screeched as they wheeled and swooped around on the top of the cliff, voicing their objection at the strangers who had invaded their territory.

  ‘It’s a crying shame a majestic place like this was allowed to get into such a state,’ Margaret said, shaking her head as she stared around. ‘I don’t know what your uncle was thinking of; he should have looked after it better. He’s supposed to have spent money on it, but show me where.’ She shrugged. ‘No doubt it must have been a dream house long ago.’

  She stood back and surveyed the house again. ‘My word, it really is massive. You’ll never afford the repair and upkeep of this place, and if you could, what on earth would you do with it?’ Margaret Williams shook her head. ‘Give it away. You’d never generate the income necessary to maintain it. It looks like you’ll be forced to give it to the Trust anyway.’ She shook her head as she stepped forward. ‘Honestly, I don’t think you have any option.’

  ‘Mum, I’ve thought about nothing but this house ever since seeing the solicitor,’ Anna said, shaking her head. ‘It’s been in the family for centuries, so giving it away seems wrong. I’ll explore every avenue before doing that; it would be my final resort. First, let’s see what we could do with it; put your thinking cap on, Mum.’ Then she stopped in her tracks and her eyes brightened. ‘Hey, I’ve got an idea. Let’s get the urgent basic repairs done and set it up as a retreat. It can pay for itself.’

  She touched her mother on the arm. ‘You could help me run it, and there must be loads of people around who’d welcome the chance to have an organised base for a nominal rent where they could provide a treatment or therapy.’ She stared at the house again for a couple of seconds as she thought. ‘Come to think of it, I know two girls who may be interested.’ She swung around and looked at the overgrown approach again. ‘I wonder if I could persuade them to come all the way up here to work. It looks pretty formidable right now, but the idea has possibilities.’

  ‘No, Anna. I don’t reckon that’s a good idea at all,’ Margaret said. ‘I think you’d make a better go of it if you turned it into a straight forward hotel. At least there’s a need for a good one in this area.’ Then she stopped and looked around thoughtfully. ‘Only who’d want to come and stay in an out of the way place like this? There’s nothing here except grass and trees, grass, and more grass. And plenty of grey skies. And rain. And screeching seagulls.’

  ‘And the sea,’ Anna said, pointing to the waters over the edge of the cliff. ‘In my opinion, that’s exactly why people would want to come here… to get away from the bustle of busy towns and urban life. Lots of people would love the peace of a place like this.’ Anna fell silent for a few moments. ‘Y’know, Mum, I feel sure many would give their right arm to have what I’ve got… especially with the opportunity it offers.’

  ‘Pie in the sky,’ Margaret retorted, brusquely. ‘Don’t kid yourself.’

  For a minute or two, they continued to gaze at the building and its surroundings. Set well away at the left of the house, was an old stable block that would once have housed at least a dozen horses. The walls had gaping holes in them and had collapsed in places. There were roof tiles missing and the stable doors were either totally gone or hanging off. Grass and shrubs all around the boxes were thickly overgrown, making it impossible for Anna to inspect the boxes. She looked around with a feeling of helplessness; everything was overrun - the whole place was a wilderness.

  ‘Mr James told me there are three hundred acres here; that’s a lot of land, Mum.’

  ‘Yes. Mountain land,’ Margaret was quick to advise her, ‘and not much good for anything other than Welsh mountain sheep. But come on, Anna, I’ve had enough of the outside. Now I want to see inside.’

  ‘The solicitor told me bits of the family history, but it all sounds fascinating. I think I’ll research it as far as I can.’

  ‘Anna, we’re here to assess what you’ve been left, so let’s get inside and do just that, eh? This place has an eerie atmosphere, and I can’t say I like it at all,’ Margaret said, fidgeting nervously on her feet. ‘The sooner we’re in and out, the better I’ll like it. You can wander the grounds some other time. I want to see what’s in there, and you’ve kept me out here long enough now.’

  They walked up to within a few feet of the front door. ‘What’s that?’ Anna asked, pointing to a large, carved wooden plaque set high on the huge oak door.

  ‘Looks like a family coat of arms to me,’ Margaret said, studying it. ‘I didn’t know there was one. Don’t think your father did either; at least he never mentioned it.’

  They spent a few minutes looking at
the plaque. ‘It’s intricately carved,’ Margaret said. ‘Looks like a stag’s head and three round objects that look like turtles to me.’ There’s a motto too, but it’s too faint to read what it says.’ She peered closer. ‘Ah, I think it says… ‘Quid Nunc’.’

  ‘Interesting, but what does it mean, Mum?’

  ‘How would I know?’ Margaret clucked her tongue at the question. ‘Anyway, we can find out. You could ask Mr James. Maybe he remembers enough Latin to tell you.’ She let her mind wander for a couple of moments. ‘You know, Anna, it seems to me Mr James knows a lot more about the Williams family than we do ourselves. It strikes me as odd he should have taken such a keen interest. I wonder why.’ She sniffed. Maybe he nosed around in those documents he gave you; I wouldn’t put it past him.’

  Chapter Five

  There was a faraway look in Margaret’s eyes when she finally finished looking at the carving. ‘Come to think of it, I have a faint recollection of something like that on the heading of the few letters that Tom wrote to your father when he was buying our share of this place.’

  ‘Will I be able to use it on my letters?’

  ‘Don’t think so. A coat of arms is handed down to the eldest son of the eldest son. It’s yours now by right, but I doubt you’d be entitled to use it. Worth investigating, though.’

  Anna shrugged, and pushed the largest key into the lock. It refused to budge, but when she exerted all her strength, the lock turned with a squeak. Anna gave the great door a vigorous shove and it opened, groaning like something in great pain.

  They stepped into a long, narrow hall that ran the whole length of the front of the house, all window fronted, rather like a front positioned conservatory. ‘Phew,’ she said, holding her nose. ‘This smells.’ She walked inside and looked around. ‘Well, look at these,’ she exclaimed, dropping onto one of the carved chairs near the door. ‘It’s really uncomfortable, if you ask me.’ The whole outer hall was lined with seats and highly polished wooden benches, but it was all so damp and smelly that Anna coughed and spluttered with every breath she took for the first few minutes.