The Secret Garden of Ravenwood

Chapter 5: Restoration Begins

The two people that sat around Avery seemed to scoot away from her a tiny bit, but she was hoping that she was only imagining that one. Although the room seemed to have a negative reaction to her arrival and presence in the room, the mayor gave her a warm smile, "As part of the town welcoming meeting, I will recite to you our town's great history."

Avery slowly nodded, leaning forward a bit. She was ready to learn all of it, her notebook rested in her lap so she could take notes.

The mayor smiled, "Back in the early 1800s, this town was nothing more than a few small houses and one little shop. But then the town started to grow when the early Ravenwood family migrated to this part of the country. They set up camp, making and building small homes for their large family. They made a profit out of selling wood that they made from trees and building houses. Soon the better part of the family started to leave to go and do bigger and better things, but our town still started to grow. In the 1860s, we were officially named a town, which we named Ravenwood after the family that helped it all become possible. Soon, the houses that were built became grander, and our main town was built, bringing in more business. We have been a thriving small community ever since."

Avery was nodding along as the mayor spoke, jotting down notes as he went on. So her family was the founder of the town, that was why it was named after them. But if her family was the cause of the town, how did their family image crash and burn so hard?

As the mayor finished speaking, he opened up the floor for anyone to ask questions or if anyone had any comments. Avery waited nervously, her hand twitching a bit at her side. She didn't know if she should speak up or not, she wanted her questions answered but she did not want to be scrutinized.

A middle-aged woman from the front row raised her hand. When the mayor motioned to her, she stood up and pointed to Avery, "I have a question for the new girl."

The mayor nodded, "Go on."

"What brings you to Ravenwood, dear? We haven't seen a new Ravenwood in many years." The woman watched her intently, waiting for Avery's response.

Avery felt a surge of anxiety go through her as all of the eyes in the room were now trained on her. She gulped and said softly, "I... um, I inherited the mansion from my grandmother. She wanted me to spend the summer seeing the house." She stared down at her lap, feeling awkward and self-conscious.

The woman nodded understandingly, "Well you picked a good time to come to town. We don't often have newcomers, and we are always happy to welcome new blood. Isn't that right?" The people around the room murmured softly, so the woman asked again, "Isn't that right?" The townspeople nodded and agreed.

Avery smiled politely, she had a feeling this woman was someone of influence in the town. She was grateful, she didn't like the suspicious stares or the nervousness that people got from being around her.

As the meeting continued, Avery listened to the various townspeople that shared stories about her family and the town's history. Many things said were things that she already knew, but she did learn that her great-grandfather had been a prominent businessman and philanthropist before he became a botanist and that her grandmother had been a beloved member of the community.

As the meeting went on, she also heard whispers of a darker side to her family's history, rumors of scandals and secrets that had been buried for generations. Avery couldn't help but feel a growing sense of curiosity and unease at the thought of uncovering these secrets. No one would give her real answers when she asked, but she could hear the murmurs and whispers of a dark past that had plagued her family name.

As the meeting finally came to a close, Avery stood up to leave, feeling overwhelmed by everything she had learned. She also felt a bit frustrated, she didn't learn anything of good use that could help her uncover her family's dark past. She stood up and made her way towards the door. But as she reached the door, a hand touched her shoulder, causing her to jump in surprise.

She whirled around but calmed down when she saw the man that was feeding the pigeons the day before. She gave him a soft smile, "Oh, hello."

"Hello there, dearie," the old man gave her a soft smile. "I saw you sitting there by yourself and thought I'd come to say hi. Did you learn anything interesting at the meeting?"

Avery smiled softly, "Yeah, I learned a lot about my family and the town's history. It's all so fascinating, but also a bit overwhelming. I just wish I could learn more about the dark past of my family, not the happy past. I can hear the whispers, but no one will give me answers."

The old man pat her on the back comfortingly, "Don't worry, dearie, you'll get used to it all and it will become less overwhelming. Ravenwood has a way of drawing you in and making you a part of its history. Just remember, there's always more to the story than what's on the surface, and you will soon uncover everything that you are wanting to learn." He slipped out of the meeting.

Avery nodded, watching the old man leave. She felt a sense of dread but also a sense of determination to uncover the secrets of Ravenwood and her family's past. She left the town hall meeting, feeling like she was on the brink of discovering something truly extraordinary.