Game+of+Roses+NaNoWriMo

This is my National Novel Writing Month book! Feel free to watch and comment on progress!

** I **

There was an old man who lived on the same street as Abigail Chambers. Abigail always helped the old man clean his house and carry his groceries. The man, Joseph Layne, was extremely kind to Abigail. He would buy her fragrant perfumes and beautiful make up to repay her for helping him. That’s why Abigail was so sad when the man passed away.

Dressed in an elegant black dress and wearing the last thing the Joseph had given her—a small golden chain necklace with a pale rose charm—she sat in his funeral. Abigail was sad that at only twenty-six years of age, she would have so much time as her old friend was out. //He was eighty-four years old,// she reminded herself. Many other women around her age were attending the funeral and she wondered who they could be. Abigail’s light blonde hair was neatly tucked into a bun, held up with a rose hairpin she found to match the necklace. Her insipid blue eyes were red from crying. Her older sister, Leanne, was there to comfort Abigail.

“Echem,” began Joseph’s lawyer. “Quiet down everyone so we may take a moment of silence before I read you his Joseph Carter Layne’s Last Will and Testament.” The room went dead at his words. After a long, chilling moment of quiet had passed, Samuel Verderie, the lawyer, began reading Joseph’s will. “Now, remember, these are all Mr. Layne’s words. I shall begin now: Hello, everyone. If you are hearing this, then I have passed away. Some of you may be wondering who many others are. Here’s the thing. I gave many women who helped me perfumes and such…” There was a gasp from the crowd and Abigail’s mouth dropped. The layer kept reading. “I know you are shocked, but don’t be. I had to have some fun in my last years…” he continued reading through most of the will.

Abigail’s name was one of the last people in the will. “Abigail Chambers, you were a trusted friend of mine. I couldn’t leave you empty handed. Do you remember the necklace I gave you? There’s something carved on the back of the rose. I know how you love mysteries and scavenger hunts, so you have to look for your prize. I hope you have fun.”

“Well don’t just stand there!” Leanne whispered. “Look at the back.” In small print, engraved on the gold back of the rose was, “//Look for the rose colored villa.//” There was also something else, “//Made in Cap d’Antibes, France.//”

“What does it mean?” Abigail asked.

Her sister did a face-palm. “Go to the ‘rose colored villa’ in Cap d’Antibes, duh!” Leanne said. Abigail anxiously sat through the rest of the funeral staring at the back of her necklace. As soon as the mourning for the old man was finished, she rushed home and researched the “rose colored villa.”

She found absolutely nothing about such a villa, but the old man had never lied to her about something like that before. She called Leanne to ask her a very important question. “Sis? I can’t find anything about the villa, but I want to try to find it. Will you come with me?” she asked.

“I’m not going to come with you. You’ve got to do this on your own! And you know I can’t just leave Henry with his father. That boy would starve!” Leanne replied.

“But—”

“No buts! This is something for you only. But you have to keep me updated on what happens!” A small voice came from the background. “Coming Henry! Sorry Abby, I’ve got to feed my son. They never stop eating!” She hung up.