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The Family Plot

Dusty Pembroke

Ref. No. 905009my
Length 60,467 words

Summary

Inez DeMello, a small town librarian, receives news of an inheritance. Her quiet uneventful life is about to be turned upside down. Inez must travel to a remote island to claim her share of a vast fortune.

While there, she finds herself the victim of conspiracy and deceit. With the help of her friend and cousin, Inez struggles to unlock the secrets of her childhood.

Although her life is in peril as her past is revealed, Inez will find her future in the arms of a handsome stranger.

From The Book

Chapter 1

The moon’s bright glow on the dark sea below reminded me that I was not safe and sound in my suburban home in New England but standing on a balcony on a beautiful tropical island. The wind was blowing hard but the air was heavy and sticky. I was having trouble catching my breath not so

much from the wind but from the combination of fear and excitement that

made me shiver despite the heat. What was I doing here? How could my life

have changed so drastically? I tried to recall the events that led me to this place.

It all started with an overseas call from an attorney. I was working at my job as an assistant librarian. A voice paged that I had a call. I didn’t recognize the caller. He introduced himself and that he had tracked me down to give me some good news. It seemed that a distant relative had passed away and had named me in her will. No one could have been more surprised than I was. Things like this just didn’t happen to ordinary people like me. First, the phone call telling me of the death of an elderly aunt that I hadn’t even known I had. Then a few days later a registered letter arrived. I just couldn’t believe that someone I’d never met was naming me as an heir to her estate. The letter was vague about what had been bequeathed but the words properties and monies were repeated throughout the document. My imagination was running wild. The night after I got the letter I couldn’t sleep. I got out of bed and made myself a cup of tea. I sat in front of the television but I didn’t notice what was on. My mind was racing. I was trying to imagine myself sitting in a room with a family I didn’t know I had. This all felt so strange. I sat there questioning why my parents had never told me about this side of the family. It had never occurred to me that I would have had any connections left.

The attorney called again the next day. He was a very well spoken gentleman with a heavy Portuguese accent. He explained that my aunt Isabella on my father’s side of the family had passed away and had left me a small fortune. The only problem was that in order to claim the inheritance, I needed to travel to a small tropical island off the coast of Africa. Once there, the terms of the will would be explained. I was terrified and excited all at the same time. I didn’t remember being on a plane before but I must have been because my parents immigrated to the United States from Portugal when I was a small child.

I couldn’t wait to call Cassie. Cassandra Carrington was my one true friend Cassie’s parents were both college professors. They traveled a lot on lecture tours and Cassie spent a great deal of time with me. Although they were rarely around, her parents always made me feel like a part of their family. I know they considered me a suitable friend for Cassie. After my parents died Auntie Evelyn and I were invited to their home for every holiday and special occasion. I definitely felt that Cassie was always more of a sister than a friend. Cassie agreed to go with me on my adventure. She was as excited as I was. What was I going to find in this strange new place? The prospect of being wealthy and meeting my family was thrilling.

I looked up information on the island. It was a beautiful place, but rugged with mountains and homes built right into the cliffs. There were pictures of a lush jungle atmosphere with beautiful tropical flowers, mountain roads, brilliant blue ocean views and quaint cobble stone villages. They were lovely pictures. If only I weren’t so afraid of heights. The thought of standing on those cliffs sent cold shivers through my body. It wasn’t going to stop me from going but a sick feeling was fast replacing some of the original feelings of excitement.

My childhood had been very pleasant but I remembered nights when I would wake up screaming for my father in the darkness. Vague shadows of mountains and dizzying heights and fear. Fear was all that I remembered of those dreams. I would hear my parent’s concerned discussions when they thought I was asleep. One conversation I never forgot. At the time I never really understood why mother’s voice sounded so anguished. I crept down the stairs just in time to hear mom.

“John, I thought by leaving we would have been safe. Do you think

Inez remembers what happened? She was so young! But the nightmares, she

must still remember! How far do we have to go to get away from them?”

What had happened and whom were we running from? I never dared

ask. Until now I had forgotten about the dreams but it all came back the minute I saw those pictures of the cliffs. . I knew that many of the questions I’d never asked would be answered on that island. I knew that I had to go there. That island held more for me than an inheritance. It held a key to my past. It was as if my parents had moved here and had closed the door to their past. It was a door that I knew I had to open.

Chapter 2

I had a two week waiting period for my passport application to be processed. In the mean time I learned a little about the island and its customs. I even bought a Portuguese and English dictionary. I remembered a small amount of the language but it had been some time since I had used it in conversation. I was glad that I had asked Cassie to go with me. She was very excited and she couldn’t wait to start our journey. “I can hardly believe your good luck. When can we leave? “She asked”

Cassie was a great deal more excited than I was. She was like a child getting ready to go to an amusement park. Her enthusiasm kept me from succumbing to the underlining fear that threatened each day.

Cassie and I had become friends when we were eight. I remember our first meeting. It was the first day of school. I was only in third grade and I had to walk by myself. I remember being very frightened of going to a new school. About half way there I was thinking about turning around and going back home when this scrawny girl with wild straight blonde hair and vivid blue eyes came running out of her house. She ran right up to me and asked me if I was going to school. We figured out that we were both going to the same place and from that moment on our friendship grew. We made quite a pair. We were total opposites. Cassie grew into a tall striking blonde beauty and I stayed short with long dark curly hair and green eyes. Cassie was always laughing and carefree and I’ve always been the serious one. I guess that’s why we became such good friends. We balanced each other. I could always count on Cassie to be there for me. When I was depressed, she’d lift me out of it. When I was too serious, she’d show me the humor in the situation. I just hoped that I balanced her out in the same way. I considered myself to be very lucky to have such a good friend and I wasn’t going anywhere without her. Cassie had managed to take a month’s leave from her job as a social worker at our state hospital. I think at first her parents were disappointed that she hadn’t followed in their footsteps and turned toward a teaching career, but Cassie was good at what she did and her parents were proud of her. I didn’t have any trouble getting the time off for my trip. Everyone at the library was excited for me. I had to promise to take lots of pictures and to be prepared to answer endless questions upon my return. Our flight was scheduled to leave at nine in the evening. We were ready! Tickets in hand, Cassie and I boarded our plane. It was a fairly large plane but it felt cramped and uncomfortable. The seats were so close together that you could hardly open the trays in front of you. We each received a blanket and a small pillow. Cassie wanted the window seat, so I settled into the middle seat. The woman sitting next to me was elderly and had been helped to her seat by a middle-aged couple. We sat on the runway for over an hour. The flight attendant had us buckle in and we sat in our seats for what seemed an eternity. The wait was tedious so I used my dictionary and tried to have a conversation with the gentle woman next to me. From what I understood, she was traveling with her daughter and son-in law and she wasn’t entirely happy about the trip. She kept making vague comments about lies and family secrets. Our conversation was making me feel uneasy and a bit nervous. I finally made my excuses and pretended to sleep. I kept my eyes closed but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I felt trapped in my seat and this being my first flight didn’t help my nerves.

Three hours into the flight, I couldn’t sit still for another minute. Cassie was feeling the same way so we both carefully climbed over the elderly lady and made our way to the back of the plane. There was a small group of people just standing at the back. There was a stairway that led to the rest rooms and I was grateful to be able to stretch my legs. While we were at the back of the plane we heard the pilot make an announcement over the intercom. We were told that we would be arriving later than expected. We should have taken that as a warning but we really didn’t think anything of it. We headed back to our seats for the rest of our flight. There were a few bumps that made my knuckles turn white from gripping the seat but, thankfully, the rest of the flight was uneventful.

By the time we got to our first stop we learned that the delay had cost us dearly. We had already missed our connections. We stood looking at each other, not knowing what to do. I went to the desk to get help and it wasn’t easy getting through to the clerk. I did my best with the translations but she just seemed not to understand. Luckily a young woman, who was standing behind me in line, tapped me on the shoulder.

“Miss, I speak English and Portuguese. You seem to be having trouble. Maybe I can help you? Where are you going?” She asked.

Half an hour later we had tickets on another flight, only it wasn’t leaving for another eight hours. We weren’t happy that we had to sit in the airport for that long but we were relieved to have gotten another connection. We had been told that there wasn’t another flight to the island for another three days. Compared to that information, eight hours was a small price to pay. So instead of arriving in the morning our flight was now due in at midnight. We had to fly into Lisbon and then get a connecting flight to the island. Gloria, the young lady that had helped us was heading to the island as well. She was going home to visit her mother. She told us that her father had died recently and this would be her first trip back home. She had been living in the states for about five years. Cassie and I liked her. She seemed genuinely friendly and kind. She asked about our trip to the island and I told her about the call and what had happened. Then I told her who my relatives were. The change in Gloria was immediate. All at once she became quiet. She busied herself looking for something in her purse then she made an excuse saying that she needed to make a call. After she left Cassie and I just looked at each other.

“Wow, talk about hot and cold. Did you get the same feeling I did? Cassie asked.

“Yes, she turned into an ice queen.” I said. “Do you think it was something I said?”

“I’m not sure about this Inez but my bet is that she knows your family and by that response, she doesn’t like them very much. I think we’re off to a very uncomfortable start and I’m not talking about the seats on the plane.” I agreed with Cassie. I had liked Gloria and I had hoped that we could have gotten together while we were on the island. She had been a great help to us and I was appreciative. For some strange reason I felt embarrassed. This was a silly reaction. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I feel this way? One of us had to stay with the bags at all times so Cassie and I took turns strolling around the small airport. I left her watching the bags while I called the lawyer and explained what had happened with the flights. He told me not to worry and that someone would be at the airport when we got there. Having done that, I headed back to Cassie. I walked slowly poking through the little booths that were set up. I was looking at some beautiful embroidered cloths when someone touched my shoulder.

“Miss, I'm sorry I left so abruptly.” Gloria said. “It was a very rude thing to do. I wonder if we could sit somewhere. I really need to talk to you.”

I was surprised to see Gloria, again. She had left me with the impression that she wanted to avoid us. I smiled at her and suggested that we make our way back to Cassie. As we approached her I saw the question in Cassie's eyes but she greeted us with her usual charm. Gloria asked us if we would like to get something to eat and we agreed as long as it would be our treat for all of her help. She smiled in agreement and suggested that we take our bags and head toward the opposite side of the airport. There were little restaurants and bars each enclosed with small garden fences. You could almost get the feeling that you were outside at a terrace restaurant. Gloria took the lead and we made our way to a small round table. Once we were settled and had ordered, Gloria turned her attention to us.

“I'm so sorry to have been so abrupt with you earlier.” She looked nervously at us as if trying to decide what to say. I tried to put her at ease. “Gloria, I just want to tell you how grateful I am that you were able to help us. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in to rescue us.”

Gloria smiled and said “I wasn't sure about what to do. You see, when I realized who you were I knew that I needed to make a decision. I didn’t mean to be rude but I needed a few minutes to think about whether or not I should interfere.”

What Gloria said startled me. How did she know who I was and just how was she planning to interfere. Cassie and I exchanged quick confused looks.

“I must start by telling you that I am familiar with your family. At least, my mother is familiar with them. My mother's aunt was a companion to your late aunt. I'm afraid all is not as it seems in that house. I didn't want to upset you but I felt that you needed to be warned. There might be danger there for you. You and your friend must be aware, just in case.”

Cassie had sat up straight in her seat. “What are you trying to tell us?” Cassie asked in an anxious voice.

Gloria looked shaken. “I really wasn't sure if I should have said anything but my Great Aunt says that your auntie's death was very mysterious. You must understand that my auntie is very old and prone to dramatics. She cared a great deal for her friend and she's not terribly fond of your relatives. I'm sure it's all just her imagination but just the same I felt that you, being strangers, had a right to know that these rumors are being spread. There has been a great deal of gossip going around in the town. Anything that happens at the Chateau is always news worthy.”

At this point, Gloria laughed nervously but she seemed to have relaxed a bit. “I feel so much better having told you. There probably isn't anything to it at all. I just didn't think it right not to tell you. At least this way you will be prepared.”

I thanked her for the information even though I wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing. We sat at the restaurant and Gloria, having relaxed, filled us in on where to shop and what sights there were to see. The rest of the time at the airport passed pleasantly enough, even with the slight uneasiness I was starting to feel again.

After eight long hours in the airport, our flight was announced. Gloria still had another two hour wait because she was visiting friends on another island before returning home. We said our good byes and promised to meet later on in the week. “We have lots of shops to visit. I'll call you at your Aunt’s, after I get back to the island.” Gloria said as she waved good bye.

We finally boarded our flight. The trip to Lisbon would take us another two hours and then we should be able to make our connections on time. We arrived on schedule and were told to check in at the gate. Cassie and I were exhausted by this time and when we were told that they had lost our luggage we were both near tears. One of the airline workers took pity on us and helped us to finally find our luggage and drag it with us back to the correct gate.

At last, we were boarding the plane for the last leg on our journey. This plane was much more comfortable than the last one we had been on and even though it was only a three hour flight, they were serving us a meal. It smelled wonderful and tasted even better. They served us red wine and a dinner of baked fish and roasted potatoes. Cassie and I were both exhausted. We hadn’t done much resting at the airport and now after the meal had been cleared away, I was feeling so comfortable that I had kicked off my shoes. I had the window seat and I leaned my head against the cool glass and soon felt myself drifting away. I thought I had only closed my eyes for only a few minutes when I felt Cassie tugging on my arm.

“Inez, wake up! Inez, look out the window. There it is!” I looked at Cassie, trying to focus on her face then I turned to look out the window. My first glimpse of the island was a beautiful sight. The plane was making a wide turn and the island was in full view. We were flying along its coast and it was sparkling with hundreds of tiny lights. It reminded me of a crown, a tiara, glittered with diamonds. A fresh wave of excitement filled me and I scrambled to find my shoes. As soon as the plane came to a stop we gathered up our things and made our way to the exit. As we descended from the plane to the open-air field, the humid air surrounded us like a heavy wet blanket. We made our way off the runway through groups of happy family reunions to the front entrance of the airport. We had just gotten our bags when an elderly man with a worn, weathered face made his way toward us. He held a sign with my name and I waved to him. He introduced himself in broken English.

“I come from Dona Isabella’s house. I am Antonio. You come with me.”

That was the extent of the conversation. He led us to a long black car and helped to load our bags. Cassie and I got into the back seat. I tried to ask Antonio a few questions but he merely answered me by shaking his head and shrugging. Realizing that I wasn’t getting anywhere, I sat back in my seat. We drove away from the beautiful lights and as the car ascended into the mountains a black mist closed in all around us. It was too dark to see out the side windows but I could sense that the road was narrow and very steep. I couldn’t see Cassie’s face but I could feel her nervousness as she clutched my hand in the darkness.

About The Author

Dusty Pembroke, born on the island of Bermuda, moved to the United States with her family at a young age. She now resides in New England. A wife and mother of two grown children, she has spent most of her adult life working with children in the local school district.

Copyright 2009 - 2010, Dusty Pembroke

To request information on this author or a manuscript contact the listed agent or e-mail: dbooth@authorlink.com

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Author Reference Number	905009my
Author Name	Dusty Pembroke
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