The crowd slowly dispersed from the church a good thirty minutes later. Gillian had not spoken to Lara since midservice when she'd gone to deliver her flowers. Lara had sensed she'd been angry with her.
But when they left their seats to walk out Gillian took her hand in hers. "Lara?"
"Mm-hmm?" she woke from her silent contemplation of a crack in the nearby wall.
"Do you still want to see him?" Gillian asked gently. After shrugging off the disorientation Lara noticed the already familiar minister standing nearby.
Lara shook her head quickly. "No, not really." She craned her neck to face the minister and forced out a smile. "That won't be necessary, thank you."
She stood up. Her legs felt stiff after sitting in one position for so long. She glanzed one last time at the casket, feeling no desire to approach it. "Let's go then."
They walked out in silence.
The churchyard was packed with people who were chatting, some sharing handkerchiefs, some dealing out business card, and a few children playing behind the junipers.
When Lara was walking through the gates, adjusting her hat again, someone gently tapped her shoulder.
She turned and her mouth opened in suprise. The thought that he'd come to funeral had never even crossed her mind, even though it was quite obvious that he would...
"James Farringdon. Should've known. Are you here with your Father?" Lara inquired in a cool tone.
James Farringdon, son of Jonathan, Earl of Farringdon, had been Lara's Father's choice for her husband. As far-fetched as it sounded, it had been an actual arranged marriage, and the final stone that had destroyed the relationship between Lara and her Father.
James wasn't too bad as far as she could recall, but the life he led would've been the worst possible for her. So much had happened to her at that time, things that had made her realize marrying James Farringdon would probably mean the death of her, at least in an emotional sense.
"Yes. He's right over there, speaking to the Lord Chamberlain. It's been ages, Lara. How are you? Still working as an archaeologist?"
"Guilty as charged," Lara commented dryly, and made a mental note to escape the scene before the Earl joined them.
"And as far as I've heard you still haven't settled down with anyone special."
Lara measured him with her gaze. "Nor have you."
James' smile never faded. "Maybe we should both reconsider what happened back then. We got a bad start. We really aren't that different, Lara."
Lara stared at him. What a cliche. He was still after her, which proved that he had no idea who she was. "There is at least one little difference."
He looked suitably puzzled. "And what might that be?"
Lara smiled unkindly. "You could've lived that lie."
Every time she thought she could not feel more nervous, a new opportunity to test that theory appeared. Lara had to force herself through the doors into the notary's office where the reading of the will would be held.
It wasn't the crowds this time. Instead, it was the whole family tree all in person. Close and distant relatives who were more than familiar with how she'd allegedly tarnished the family name with her chosen lifestyle.
She decided for the arrogant approach and chose a seat near the notary's desk. It was a bad choice – she was under everyone's scrutiny.
Gillian sat down next to her with a mysterious smile that was slowly driving Lara mad. Did her Aunt know something she didn't? Or did she just have a hunch?
The elderly minister with a distinctive limp walked in and took his seat behind the desk. First he greeted all thirty-eight members of the Croft clan gathered in the large office, and then began the formalities.
Then he dug out a pile of documents.
Lara swallowed. This would be it. Her ultimate humiliation in front of this family. Luckily it would be the last one.
"Now that we have assured that all who are named in this will have a representative present we can begin."
He began reading the will.
Lara decided she had a headache again. Nothing else could describe the feeling of crushing pressure on her forehead.
First came the directions for the funeral arrangements. Then some lists on how to divide the funds. Lara was not suprised at the fact that she was not named in the list of those benefiting straight from the will.
Then came the dealing of his Father's property, including Lara's childhood home in Surrey, which went to her Father's two elderly sisters.
Lara began to wonder why she had been summoned as the will began to approach its end. She was lost in thought, certain that her presence was a mistake, when she finally heard her name being called.
"As an addition to this will we have a letter dating to August 1998, addressed to Lady Lara Croft."
Lara sat up, alert. An additional letter? This did not sound good. Lara could hear indignant muttering from behind her back. Her relatives probably thought she wasn't worth even this small bit of attention.
Lara just wish they would keep quiet so that the notary could read the letter.
She nodded at the man, a lump forming in her throat.
Paper rattled as he cut open the simple white envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper. "To my beloved daughter Lara Elizabeth Croft. My greatest regret was that I could not keep you, could not get to know you on your own terms. Instead I was forced to contend to follow your life through books and newspaper articles. I did not understand your choices then but I do now. You have my forgiveness and I sincerely, even in death, wish that I have yours. I do not think you would accept anything from me, so I have decided to donate your heritance to the British Museum, where it will be used in a way I should like to think you would approve of. Signed by Lord Henshingly Croft on the fourteenth of February 1998."
Fourteenth of February. Her birthday.
The room spun. Lara had to close her eyes again.