It's a shame, really. In its day, this was the finest house in the county. But Thomas Blackwell left more than a house behind when he vanished. He left a legacy of questions that have haunted this town for decades. He fixed Ethan with a penetrating stare.
Be careful you don't inherit those ghosts along with these walls. After Reed's sedan disappeared down the driveway, Ethan and Noah stood on the porch in the gathering dusk. The mansion loomed behind them, its secrets still hidden behind decades of neglect. "Are we going to sell, Dad? " Noah asked, his voice small. Ethan looked down at his son, then back at the house they'd only just discovered.
Despite its problems, he felt a connection to the place that was hard to explain. As if the craftsmanship that had gone into building it resonated with something in his own DNA. Not yet, he decided. First, we're going to learn more about this place and the man who left it to us. There's a story here, Noah, and I think we need to understand it before we make any decisions.
Noah's face broke into a relieved smile. I think Thomas Blackwell picked us for a reason. As darkness fell completely, they lit lanterns. They'd brought and set up their sleeping bags in the library. The tall bookshelves surrounded them like sentinels, the leatherbound volumes whispering of histories yet to be discovered.
Through the windows, the lights of Riverdale twinkled in the distance, a constellin of small town life that had once centered around the now silent steel mill. Ethan lay awake long after Noah's breathing had settled into the rhythm of sleep. The mansion creaked and settled around them, the sounds of an old house adapting to new inhabitants. Outside, an owl called into the night, its cry echoing across the overgrown gardens. Tomorrow, Ethan decided they would begin to unravel the mystery of Thomas Blackwell and discover why after all these years, he had chosen to pass his legacy to them.
But for tonight, in this moment of calm before the work began, Ethan allowed himself to feel something he hadn't experienced in months. Hope. The next morning, Ethan woke to sunlight streaming through the library windows and the smell of coffee brewing. He found Noah in the kitchen with Martha Green, who was setting out muffins on a chipped but elegant china plate. "Hope you don't mind," she said, seeing Ethan's surprised expression.
"I bring breakfast to new neighbors. Tradition. " "Not at all," Ethan said, gratefully accepting the coffee she poured into a dusty mug she'd apparently washed. "Thank you. I've been telling Noah about the house, Martha continued. And about Riverdale in its better days.
Did you know the steel mill employed over 2,000 people? Noah said excitedly. And they made the steel for the Sears Tower. That we did, Martha nodded. Best structural steel in the Midwest.
Blackwell and Grand Steel put Riverdale on the map. Ethan took a muffin and leaned against the counter. Mr. Reed from Monarch Development stopped by last night, offered to buy the place. Martha's expression darkened.
Alexander Reed, that man's been circling this property like a vulture for 20 years. She poured herself coffee. Monarchs bought up half the commercial real estate in town. Plans to tear down the old buildings, put in one of those outlet malls and some office towers. Call it revitalization.