Found Heritage

Chapter 3

I came around and found myself laying in Trevor's bed. I barely remembered last night, and hardly how I got where I was now. With my eyes closed, I heard the door open.

"Morgan, time to get up," I heard Trevor say. I attempted to ask what time it was, but I wasn't sure if anything but a small moan was heard.
"Brought you some aspirin and water."

I opened my eyes to see Trevor hand over a couple aspirin and a glas of water. I took the aspiring and chased 'em down with the water. "What
happened last night?"

"Boy did we have a party." Trevor sat down on the edge of the bed. "You had completely fallen off the band wagon."

I sat up and held a hand at my head, a sudden bout of dizziness and a small bout of nausea came over me. "What, exactly, did I do?"

"Enough drinking to get completely wasted."

I looked at Trevor. "Any stupid things I did?"

He shook his head. "Thank God no. You're welcome to stay here until you're over your hangover."

"Thanks, Trev."

He smiled and stood. I collapsed back onto the bed to sleep off the hangover.

I pulled into Aunt Kay's driveway and turned the engine off. I sat there, not wishing to resign myself to living with the aunt from hell. But I had to. With a sigh, I opened the door to climb out. I opened the trunk and removed the items I had left at my old home and headed for the door after closing the trunk. The door opened seemingly on its own without me ever reaching for it. Only when I walked in did I see a man had opened it.

"Marcus here is my butler," I heard Aunt Kay explain. "Marcus, take Morgan's things to her room."

He acknowledged with a nod and accepted my things. I watched as he disappeared from the staircase into the second floor hallway. I looked up to the landing to see Aunt Kay there.

"You should be grateful my staff hasn't allow me to touch your things," she said. "Now go unpack. And change into something...decent. I've got
some guests coming over in a little bit."

I headed up the stairs and to the room I had used whenever me and Mother stopped for a visit. Not an hour later, I could hear laughter before I even reached the ground floor. I could tell right then that summer wasn't going to be fun. Once on the ground floor, I followed the sound of laughter to the sitting room near the back.

"Ah, Morgan, come in," Aunt Kay instructed.

I walked in under the judging eyes of my aunt's guests.

"Everyone, this is my niece, Morgan," Aunt Kay announced. "She'll be living here as she finishes high school."

"She's so...unsophisticated," one said.

"You see her eyes? Gray with topaz flecks. I've never seen such eyes before."

"Morgan, be a sweeheart and get us a '62 Chateau Joy," Aunt Kay requested with a sweet tone that had the "Do it, or I'll make the next year a living hell" tone to it. I had little choice but to do as she requested and left the room.

"Katherine, I know the number of a good orphanage," I heard once I was out of the room. "She doesn't seem to dress to the standards of high
society."

I headed for the kitchen where the staff were preparing dinner. I went to a counter and sampled some of the fruit then went to the island where the chief was vegetables.

"Aunt Kay wants '62 Chateau Joy." I picked up a piece of mushroom and ate it.

The chief. a man named Jean, motioned to a closet type door and I went to it. There, I found rows of many types of wine. After a minute or two, I found the wine and emerged to find eight glasses had been set out on a tray. I poured the wine and carried the tray back to the sitting room, employing my marching skills.

"Come, Morgan," Aunt Kay called, waving me over. "Lets see how well you serve drinks."

I glided over to Aunt Kay and offered the tray. Aunt Kay accepted a glass and sipped at the wine. She nodded after a minute and I circulated to the guest. Each took a glass and sipped at the wine. Once the tray was empty, I retreated back to the kitchen.

"So, they've kicked you out, eh?" Jean asked in his French accent.

Jean was a bit on the heavy side of thin, and was a kind hearted man. He's been working for my aunt for as long as I could remember, and I
remembered much.

"Nah. I'd rather be in here." I moved from where I stood at the island counter and went to a pantry. "Anything to eat? I'm starved."

"Didn't you eat this morning?"

"No. I came right here from my friend's place. He was generous in allowing me stay until my...um...headache was gone. Besides, I can only think of how my aunt will act once school starts."

"What grade?"

"Senior year."

Jean feigned a heart attack. "You've grown, chavi."

"Funny, Jean." I gave up looking for food and sat on a stool at the island. I've learned a few words of French from Jean that I hadn't learned in school. Then a full plate appeared before me. "Eat up, chavi," he said. "Gods know you need it."

I picked up the fork and dug into the food. Just my luck, Aunt Kay burst into the kitchen.

"Morgan, why are you sitting here when you're suppose to be waiting on us?"

"I'm allowed to eat, Aunt Kay." I took another bite and spoke. "Stop treating me like a slave."

"There are seven people out there waiting for their dinner."

I stood from the stool and faced her. "And I've been waiting all day for my own food. I'm not your slave."

"Forget your food. Get your ass out there. Now!"

I sat on the stool and turned back to my food, ignoring her. Aunt Kay grabbed my arm and pulled me off the stool and to the counter that held
eight plates. "Now." Aunt Kay released my arm. "Take these plates to the dining room." She left the kitchen.

I looked to Jean, who had arranged the cut veggies onto a platter. He shrugged and I sighed. I picked up three plates, balancing them on an
arm, and went to the dining room. She set the plates down and went back for three more. Soon, I finished and retreated once again to the
kitchen.

"Why do you allow her to do that?" Jean asked. "Noss you around like that."

"Do I have a choice?"

"You can become emancipated."

I looked down at my food, moving it around with the fork. I could do it, I still had my job and I could get an apartment.

~The Next Day~

I came down stairs, ready to leave with my keys in hand.

"And where do you think you're going?" Aunt Kay asked.

"Back home."

"No you're not. There's someone I want you to meet."

I looked into the sitting room to see a man with gingered hair sitting and sipping a glass of wine. "Another one of your rude friends, no
doubt."

She slapped my face. "Don't you dare disrespect me."

I glared at her then walked into the sitting room with a mission. "Sir, my apologizes if I don't remain and speak with you. I have other plans
that my aunt failed to ask that I had."

"Your aunt did you no justice," the man replied, not looked away from the wine glass. "Your manners are excellent."

"Thank you, sir." I watched the man look at me and his eyebrows arched slightly. It was at this point I saw that he had the same eyes I did.

"Go on, child," he said. "Go enjoy your day."

I gave a polite smile and left.


I inspected the one bedroom apartment. "What's the monthly rent?"

"Five hundred. Heat and a/c are included."

"I'll..." My cell went off. I pulled it out and saw it was an unknown number. Rather than ignore it,"s Donna? This is Detective Johnston. Do you have an aunt by the name of Katherine Donna?"

"I do."

"There's no easy way to say this, your aunt has been killed."

I looked to the landlord. "I need to go."