The VanShay plantation was eerily quiet when Meriddion arrived. Not feeling enough at home, she knocked on the front door. The same elderly gentleman who had always performed the task of letting visitors in and out of the home did so once again. Daniel led his niece into what had been her father's office where they found his attorney, Gerald and Henry. Before entering she turned to Ash.
"Do you want to come in with us or would you rather not?"
"It doesn't matter to me."
"Gerald and Henry are in here."
"If you're okay I think I'll pass then."
"Okay," she smiled and gave him a hug before following Daniel into the room.
"Miss VanShay, I'm very sorry for your loss," the lawyer spoke when Meriddion's arrival was announced to the room.
"I appreciate your sentiment."
"I'm Pierce Harris, legal representative of the deceased. Here, I have a copy of your father's will. I won't go through the trouble of reading it to you, the legal jargon is rather a bore."
Meriddion took the small bundle of papers from the man and immediately handed it to Daniel.
"As the only VanShay child, distribution will be rather simple. The estate is yours, as are all persons and assets it contains. Execution of your father's funeral is your responsibility. The only thing that will not pass to you is $500,000, which is to be split between your father's two employees for their years of loyalty and dedication."
"Thank you, Mr. Harris."
"I'll need signatures from all three of you for the legal paperwork."
"Of course."
Meriddion signed first, Henry and Gerald following not long behind. Pierce quickly closed his folder when this was done and held it to his chest.
"Everything will be transferred over tomorrow. I am sorry about the loss, have as good a day as you can."
Henry and Gerald followed behind Mr. Harris, leaving Mary and Daniel alone in the office. Mary looked around, remembering what her life had been like before.
"Do you remember when I first met you?" She asked Daniel.
"You've come a long way since then."
"But do you remember why?"
"You'd lost months of your life. Meriddion, no one blames you for that."
"Did I ever tell you why everything changed?"
"I don't think you did."
"I fell down the stairs, I hit my head so hard that I was unconscious. I woke up and everything was just different."
"That happens."
"I could swear I felt a hand on my back. Daniel, I think he was so obsessed with having a proper daughter that he pushed me."
Daniel didn't know what to say, he tried to open his mouth but no words came out. He stood in silence as Meriddion walked around her father's office. Eventually, she came to stand behind his desk.
"My father didn't have any friends who would come to a funeral. We'll cremate him like he wanted and put his ashes in the family mausoleum with mom."
"I'll make sure everything is arranged."
"Thank you, Daniel. I wouldn't be able to do this without you."
"You're family, Mary. I wouldn't leave you to do it alone. Now, you need to make a decision about what you want to do with the plantation and the slaves on it."
"I-I don't know."
"What's your conflict?"
"I don't want the plantation. But I don't want to sell them all, most of them have been on this plantation as long as I have."
"You could sell them and the plantation as a sort of package deal."
Meriddion sat down behind what was once her father's desk and scanned over the paperwork that covered the top, tears clouding her vision. She put her face in her hands and didn't move, even when she heard the door open. It only took a moment for her to feel hands on her back.
"Hey, it's okay," Ash spoke. Having noticed her apparent distress upon entering the room, he did what he could to comfort her. Mary quickly stood from her seat to be enveloped in his arms. She calmed down after some time of being held.
"How many are there Daniel?"
"About 90."
"How much money does the plantation bring in every year?"
"A couple million. Maybe more, I would have to look over the paperwork to tell you for sure."
"I think I know what I want to do with it. Daniel, could you spare Peter?"
"I could replace him."
"I want to give this place to him and Ellie. But before I do that I want to make sure that every individual here is given their freedom, Ellie, Peter, Ash, and Rylan too. I want them to be promised enough money to start a life away from this place if that's what they want. If not, offered employment here."
"Are you sure, Meriddion?"
"I should have done this a long time ago for my friends. It was cowardly of me to think they would leave if they had the chance. It's not my right to tell them that they have to stay. And it's not my right to make that decision for any of the people on this plantation either."
"I'll find someone here who can draw up the paperwork by the end of the week."
"Thank you, Daniel."
Mary's uncle left the room on the phone, leaving her and Ash alone.
"That promise is open to you too. If you want to start your own life far away from me, I understand, you've never experienced life without that tattoo, I know it's what you've always wanted," she spoke without turning to look at him.
"Mary," he pulled her around to gaze into her eyes.
"It would take more money than you've got to make me leave."