Love in the Lowlands

Clara Benson had never imagined that a single envelope could change her life so dramatically. As she stood in the hallway of her small apartment, the late afternoon sun casting golden rays across the worn wooden floor, she hesitated before tearing it open. The return address was from a law firm she had never heard of, nestled in the quaint town of Windermere.

With a deep breath, Clara unfolded the letter. Her eyes skimmed over the formal language until they settled on the words that made her heart race: “...you have been named the sole beneficiary of the estate of your great-aunt, Margaret Hastings.”

Margaret Hastings. The name stirred a vague memory of a stern-faced woman in a black-and-white photograph her mother once showed her. Clara had never met her great-aunt, and her mother rarely spoke of her, mentioning only that she was a distant relative who lived in the English countryside.

Clara sank onto the couch, the letter trembling in her hands. The inheritance was unexpected, but the prospect of leaving behind her monotonous life in New York City was tempting. She had been stuck in a dead-end job as an editorial assistant, dreaming of a life filled with adventure and meaning. Perhaps this was her chance.

****

Three weeks later, Clara found herself standing before the ivy-clad facade of Hastings Manor. The journey from New York to Windermere had been long, but as she breathed in the crisp, fresh air of the English countryside, she felt a sense of calm she hadn't known in years.

The manor was grand but slightly weathered, with its stone walls and arched windows that seemed to whisper stories of the past. Clara walked up the cobblestone path, her suitcase bumping against her legs, and pushed open the heavy oak door.

Inside, the air was cool and carried a hint of lavender and aged wood. The foyer was adorned with antique furniture and a grand staircase that spiraled to the upper floors. Clara wandered through the rooms, each one more charming than the last, until she found herself in the library.

Books lined the walls from floor to ceiling, the scent of old paper and leather mingling in the air. A large window overlooked the sprawling gardens, where vibrant flowers danced in the breeze. Clara could hardly believe that this was now her home.

As she explored the house, she discovered a small study tucked away at the back of the manor. On the desk lay a collection of letters tied with a faded ribbon. Curiosity piqued, Clara untied the bundle and began to read.

The letters revealed a side of Margaret Hastings that Clara had never known. They spoke of a love story that had been cut short by war, of dreams that had never been realized, and of a longing for family that had gone unfulfilled. Clara felt a pang of sadness for the woman she had never met but whose life now seemed intimately connected to her own.

Determined to learn more, Clara decided to visit the local town to see if she could uncover more about her great-aunt's past. As she walked through the picturesque streets of Windermere, she marveled at the quaint shops and friendly faces that greeted her.

Her first stop was the village bakery, where the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted through the air. Clara couldn't resist buying a warm croissant, and as she sat at a small table by the window, she struck up a conversation with the owner, a cheerful woman named Emma.

Emma's eyes lit up when Clara mentioned Hastings Manor.

“Ah, Margaret was a lovely lady, though she kept to herself mostly. There were rumors, of course, about a lost love and hidden treasures, but who knows what’s true?”

Clara’s heart quickened at the mention of hidden treasures. She hadn’t seen anything resembling a treasure in the manor, but perhaps there were secrets yet to be discovered.

As she made her way back to the manor, Clara felt a renewed sense of purpose. The inheritance was more than just a change of scenery; it was an opportunity to uncover the history of her family and, perhaps, to find herself in the process.

The following morning, Clara awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She stretched and decided to explore the gardens she had seen from the library window the day before.

The gardens were a riot of color, with roses, lilies, and lavender blooming in abundance. As Clara wandered down the winding paths, she imagined her great-aunt walking these same paths, tending to the flowers with care.

Lost in thought, Clara nearly stumbled over a small, weathered bench tucked away in a secluded corner of the garden. She sat down, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment, when she heard footsteps approaching.

Turning, she saw a tall, handsome man with tousled dark hair and striking blue eyes walking toward her. He had an easy, confident stride, and Clara felt a flutter of nerves as he drew closer.

“Hello,” he said, warm and inviting. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m James, James Thornton. I live just down the road.”

Clara smiled, feeling oddly at ease despite her surprise.

“I’m Clara Benson. I’ve just inherited the manor from my great-aunt, Margaret Hastings.”

“Ah, so you’re the new lady of the manor,” James said with a teasing glint in his eye. “Welcome to Windermere. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

They fell into an easy conversation, discussing everything from the history of the manor to the best spots to visit in the village. Clara learned that James was a local architect with a passion for preserving the historical charm of Windermere.

As they talked, Clara found herself drawn to James’s warmth and sincerity. There was a depth to him that intrigued her, a sense that he had stories of his own to tell.

Before long, the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the garden. Clara realized she had spent the entire afternoon with James, and she felt a pang of disappointment as they prepared to part ways.

“Would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?” James asked.

“I’d love to show you more of the village.”

Clara hesitated for a moment, then nodded, her heart fluttering with anticipation.

“I’d like that very much.”

As she watched James walk away, Clara felt a sense of excitement and possibility she hadn’t felt in years. Perhaps her great-aunt’s inheritance was more than just a link to the past; it might be the beginning of a new chapter in her own life.

After carefully dusting and tidying up, Clara went to grab a pair of her brown sandals. She slipped them on, feeling the familiar softness of the worn leather against my feet. The house was quiet, with only the distant sound of birds chirping outside, a comforting melody that seemed to welcome me. Clara walked over to the garage, curiosity tugging at her mind, and looked inside to see if there was a car there. Clara could only guess what Aunt Margaret had driven.

The garage door creaked open, revealing a dusty space filled with boxes and covered furniture. In the dim light, Clara spotted a car under a large tarp. Her heart raced a little as she approached it, pulling back the cover to reveal a vintage car—a classic Jaguar, gleaming even under a thin layer of dust. It was an unexpected find, much like her great-aunt, who had always been a bit of a mystery to her.

In all honesty, Clara barely remembered Aunt Margaret. She was never around much, always off on some adventure or another. Thanksgiving and Christmas she would bring Clara gifts; carefully wrapped packages that held an assortment of surprises. On Clara’s birthday, she would find similar parcels waiting for her. Most of the time, they'd be a stack of books filled with stories of far-off places and whimsical tales, accompanied by charm bracelets that tinkled softly with each movement.

Clara wondered if these gifts were her aunt's way of staying connected, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs for me to follow into the world she inhabited. Each charm on those bracelets seemed to hold a story of its own, a piece of her life that she wanted to share. Clara reached up to touch the one she was wearing now, a small silver charm in the shape of a book, and smiled at the memory it invoked.

Realizing it was getting late, Clara chose to get ready for bed. Once she was all showered and dressed for bed. Clara looked around realizing she had nothing for dinner. She then decided that now would be a great time to order some pizza, as Clara dialed the phone number of the local pizzeria. She also made a mental note to be sure to go grocery shopping since most of the things at her aunt’s home needed to be thrown out.

Clara sat and waited for the pizza to arrive and while waiting she decided to tune into the local news, as Clara was watching she realized that there was a storm brewing off the coast of Windemere. The meteorologist expected the storm to slowly trickle in towards the coast within the next 2 weeks. As Clara thought about possible storm preparations she also wondered if it was even necessary and if it was how would she do it?

As Clara’s mind wandered, eventually her thoughts were cut short when the doorbell rang.

Clara answered the door and paid in cash, making sure to tip the delivery girl before closing the door to her house and sitting down to enjoy her pizza. She opened the box not quite knowing what to expect; after all, she was from New York so she had high expectations for her pizza.

Clara hesitantly took a bite and nodded in satisfaction, instantly becoming hooked on the taste. A few bites later, sjhe was reaching for her second slice. At this moment, Clara became aware of just how hungry she was. After finishing her secnd slice she thought about a third, but instead decided to cut one slice in half. Once Clara finished her half slice of pizza, she washed her hands, brushed her teeth, and lay back down on the couch to continue watching the local news. In no time, Clara had fallen asleep.

The next day with renewed determination, Clara awoke, ready to uncover more of the secrets she had left behind but then Clara remembered her date or meeting was scheduled for tomorrow at dinner with James and Clara realized she had nothing to wear.

After freshening up, she joyfully ventured downstairs.

Clara used a flashlight to look around the garage for the light switch. Once she found it, she carefully removed the cobwebs from it to make sure there wasn't a spider near to get on her fingers. Clara moved the light switch to the up position. After a brief second delay, the light came on with a flicker on and off and then remained on. Clara then noticed that right next to the light was the giant button to open the garage. Clara pressed it and with a loud squeak of the sound of metal grinding, the garage door went up. "Well, we know that works. Now it's time to see if this car will work” Clara thought to herself. She looked around the wall and then she saw the hook where Aunt Margaret hung her keys. There were 5 different keys on here. Yet there were only 2 vehicles in here. One car, and one pickup truck. She’d never driven a truck before, so decided to drive the car instead.

Clara plugged into the GPS where she was and hoped to find some nearby shops when she noticed a boutique with some striking designs posted in the window.

Clara walked into the nearest boutique. "Just to let you know we're closing in 10 minutes!" the person yelled not turning around.

"I'll be very quick,” Clara said.

At that they turned around with a puzzled look.

"I've never seen you before?!" the lady said. She has brown hair, average build and was about 5 feet and 4 inches.

"Yeah, I just came here”, Clara answered.

"Oh really where from? Are you a tourist? Everyone here has been here for generations", she said with a thick accent.

"No I um- just recently moved here. It's my first day out."

"American accent..hmm...what made you move here?"

"I inherited my aunt's estate, I'm sure you know her since you know everyone", Clara said as she looked through the rack of dresses.

"Stop!" she said, startling Clara.

"Sorry I didn't mean stop looking, I meant stop talking. I don't know why I didn't realize initially when you came in. You're her exact spitting image! Your aunt is Margaret! And you must be living at the Hastings Manor!" she said excitedly.

"I am staying there. I have a dinner outing and I need something to wear so this ended up being my first stop since it was closest”, Clara answered

"Oh I'm so glad you came! Truly! Plus Margaret has thousands and thousands in store credit! So anything you want in here is yours!"

"Oh no, I'll pay “ Clara said as she looked at a red A-line dress.

"You won't be paying, Margaret wanted me to make sure you don't pay when you come in here, we talked about it. And that red one is perfect for you. Let me ring you up!" She said as she took it from me and excitedly went to the register.

"She wanted me to have store credit here?"

"Oh yes, you must be Clara! She never stopped talking about you, she loved you so much! And she loved this boutique. She's bailed me out of bankruptcy a few times and I'd ask her why and she'd always say "Well where else is my Clara going to shop if you're gone?!" and I'd just brush her off thinking she was crazy until well..she passed and left a large amount to my business to use as store credit for you. You were always in her thoughts.”

"So were you two close?" Clara asked her.

"At one point Margaret and I were like sisters, and then after some time you know college and family happened and we drifted apart and then we came back together when I opened this boutique and then for work she would always be gone so I'd house sit and I would supply her with her work clothes. We were very close but not as close as I wanted to be because she was always working. I urged her to retire and then she finally did and she quit on me."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Oh don't be! I enjoyed the time I did have with Margaret."

"Would you mind coming over one day to help me sort through her things?” Clara asked.

"I could...but I think James would be better at that than me. I could help you locate her work stuff the really really really important and dangerous things she told me about. But the rest James would know."

"James the architect?"

"So you've met him?" she asked with a smile.

"Yes" Clara said trying to hide her smile.

"Charming isn't he? Margaret would say all the time, he's perfect for my Clara." she said mimicking Aunt Margaret as we both shared a laugh.

Suddenly a horn went off. "Time to go. Let me close up," she said.

"What's that horn for?" Clara asked.

"The ocean is straight that way, sometimes this part of the village floods at night, so it's closing time and we close based on when the tide is high."

Clara watched her unplug the lights and cut the power off as some other shop owners in the village did the same.

"OK, I'll walk you out to your car," she said as she closed and locked her boutique door behind them.

She walked out with her and we stood by a group of people who were gathered in a circle.

"OK, that's all of us,” a man spoke up.

"Alright, everyone let's get going and we'll be back tomorrow morning", she said.

"I'm Elise, by the way. And this is David, Geoffrey, Paulette, Sarah, Patricia, Henry and Dorothy, these are all owners of the other shops and then there's more that way and that way” she said pointing to the right and left block of buildings.

"Oh wow. It's nice to meet all of you I'm Clara", she said to them.

"Margaret's niece?!" They all exclaimed.

Clara nodded and suddenly she was engulfed in a group hug.

"This is so great! Margaret's told us all about you!" Dorothy exclaimed.

"Oh darling if you ever need anything please don't hesitate to reach out, I offer you my condolences. Margaret was such a wonderful woman, I mean truly magnificent."

"My, you look just like her," Geoffrey said.

"Thank you", Clara said to both of them.

"I'll tell you what, why don't we all get together tomorrow and we have a gathering? We can sit and have tea and talk", Sarah said.

"That sounds lovely", Elise said.

"Will tomorrow evening work?" Sarah asked.

"Not tomorrow evening, she's got a date with James," Elise said to them with a wink.

"Ah James is quite a smooth one," David said.

"So that's what the fancy dress is for I assume?" Paulette asked.

"Yes, I'm not sure if it's a date, we're just hanging out", she said shyly.

They all snickered.

"Well, I hope you have fun with James." Paulette said.

"I'm sure she will", Dorothy said making everyone giggle.

"Clara, it's getting late. We'll walk you to the parking lot and then we'll catch up with you later", Henry said.

Clara nodded as we all talked and walked towards the parking lot. We got there and Clara waved good night to everyone as she got to her aunt's car. Clara placed the dress on the backseat and she got into the front. She put her seat belt on and then quickly and cautiously backed out of the parking space and pulled back onto the main road. A line of 10 cars was behind her as she used her GPS to navigate back to the manor.

As she got further down the road, she was able to see Aunt Margaret's house. Clara noticed it was the very last house on the road on its own slight hill. She pulled into Aunt Margaret's garage and cut the engine, before clicking the garage door button. Clara got in and then walked into the living room. She took her shoes off before going up the stairs. Clara was used to the city and the bright lights. She wasn’t so used to this amount of quiet. She went upstairs and into the master bathroom and turned on the water before gently peeling off the clothes she had on. Clara stepped into the hot water and was immediately elated and calmed by the warmth of the water that engulfed her. It was so refreshing to rinse off the day.

She cooled the temperature of the water quickly before placing her head underneath. Nice warm water engulfed her hair strands. She lathered it with some shampoo before rinsing it and quickly applying some conditioner and then rinsing it out. Once she was finished, she lathered herself in soap before rinsing off and getting out. She applied some oil moisturizer while her skin was damp and waited a few seconds before towel drying the excess. Now feeling sleepier by the minute, she dug through her belongings and found one of her longer nightgowns. She towel-dried her hair and braided it into two pigtails. Then, Clara opened the window slightly and then climbed into bed.

She always had an issue sleeping in new places, especially here where it's so quiet in contrast to what she was used to. She climbed into bed and then laid down in the center. It was so strangely quiet. She lay there trying to hear something, anything really to place her mind at ease. A few seconds went by and Clara began to hear the sound of waves crashing. It actually sounded pretty close, there must be a beach nearby she thought to herself. It sounded really close the more she thought about it. She enjoyed listening to it and after some time she felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.