The Legacy of Ledgemont Inn

“Oh my goodness—this is amazing!” Fran sprinted down the dormitory hall, littering the carpet with pieces of mail. Breathless, dimpled cheeks flushed, she clutched the precious piece of stationary against her chest and pounded on her best friend’s door.
“Open up already. Hey Justine!” Trembling, she looked at it again. In the corridor’s dim lighting she had to squint to see the hand-written words. Flowing black cursive penned on thick ivory parchment—a rarity in this day and age—a message proclaiming her legacy:
Dear Francis,
As your family’s long time lawyer, you know your grandmother asked me to continue watching over you after she was gone. I hope I’ve lived up to her expectations as I’ve administered your trust fund, and seen to all your needs while you attend college. My letter today is about the future of Ledgemont Inn.
You may remember three years ago, during the last month of her illness, your grandmother made special arrangements with your father, Arthur Sutton. She requested he move back from Hawaii to become the caretaker of Ledgemont Inn. He arrived following the funeral, after you’d already left for college.
Grace always hoped your mother would move back home and take over the Bed and Breakfast, sadly her dream was never realized. Your mother’s accidental death five years ago changed a lot of things, including Mrs. Montgomery’s endowments.
Now that you are about to turn twenty-one, I am obligated to reveal the final term of Grace Montgomery’s will. On the date of your twenty-first birthday, you, Francis Grace Sutton, will inherit Ledgemont Inn, all its contents, and all surrounding family owned property.
Your father has planned a special celebration in your honor, and requests that you join him in Texas next weekend. He wanted me to tell you he’s looking forward to seeing you again. Enclosed is a check to cover your travel expenses.
Congratulations!
Ronald W. Trumble
Justine’s door opened several inches. “Franny—you’ll wake the dead with all that pounding. What’s going on?” Rubbing her eyes and yawning, the attractive auburn-haired twenty-year-old swung the door wide open then stumbled backward. “I was up late last night studying, and now you’ve interrupted my nap.” She smiled and winked.
“Oh really? Whose body were you studying this time?” Fran looked around, but Justine was alone. She knew all about the curvy coed’s ‘study’ habits. The over-sexed girl cared little about her education at Blythe Academy, having already earned an honorary Master’s Degree in men.
Plopping down on her friend’s messy double bed, Fran held up the lawyer’s letter.
“You’re going with me next weekend—no arguments!” The petite curly-haired blonde squealed as her toes tapped out a staccato rhythm on the wooden floor.
“Where?” Justine snatched the paper from Fran’s shaking fingers. “Well I’ll be damned. Texas!”
“I thought Gram left the B&B to my father. Well, she once told me she was leaving it to my mother, but with community property and all, everything of my mother’s belongs to him. I figured I’d be a middle-aged woman before I inherited Ledgemont. This letter says she changed her will after my mother died. Gram never mentioned...”
She stopped in mid-sentence and yelped as lightning flashed and a thunderous boom rattled the windows.
Justine draped her arm around Fran’s shoulders. “I thought you were over your fear of thunderstorms.”
“Oh Justine, it’s not the thunder, I’m so nervous. I haven’t seen my father since I was a baby—do you think he’ll be upset I’m inheriting the Inn and all the property?”
Justine was the only person who understood Fran and her fears. Justine’s parents enrolled her in the private college on their way to Europe three years ago—she seldom heard from them except to receive her expense checks and an occasional postcard. Alone in a different sense, Fran had never desired to return to Texas, with both her mother and grandmother gone. She and Justine made the best of it and were more like sisters than best friends. Always watching out for one another, they lived year round in the old Wembly Hall dormitory house.
The thunderstorm intensified, increasing Fran’s apprehension, the clouds turned daylight into darkness. Hail hit the bedroom window like blasts from a pellet gun.
“Franny, I’ll be there with you. Don’t worry.” Glancing at the clock on her nightstand and realizing she was going to be late for a class, Justine yanked off the oversized t-shirt and tossed it onto the floor.
“Oh heck, I’m late too! Meet you over at the Academy.” Fran picked up her letter and hurried out the door, gathering scattered mail all the way back to her own room.