The Inheritance Games

Avery arrives at the Hawthorne Foundation where she expects to meet Zara. Instead, she’s met by Grayson. She learns that he’s the photographer behind the many pictures decorating the foundation—images of people and places around the world—and is surprised by and drawn to his talent. Grayson, who assumed Avery was a gold digger, has done a background check on her and her family. Grayson notes that she hasn’t purchased a single thing for herself since inheriting Tobias’s fortune and realizes he may have been wrong about Avery’s supposed scheming intentions, and he tells her, “I may have misjudged you” (174). Avery is surprised to find herself drawn to Grayson: “Everyone had things they found inexplicably attractive. Apparently, for me it was suit-wearing, silver-eyed guys using the word empirically and taking for granted that I knew what it meant. Get your mind out of the gutter, Avery. Grayson Hawthorne is not for you” (177). Their work is interrupted by a phone call from Nash, informing them Libby is in trouble.

Oren drives Avery and Grayson back to Hawthorne House. Drake is at the gates, surrounded by paparazzi. Against Oren’s and Grayson’s advice, Avery holds an impromptu press conference. Her aim is to get the media attention off Drake. She calls the press to her, away from Drake, and tells them: “I know why Tobias Hawthorne changed his will […] I know why he chose me […] I’m the only one who does. I know the truth… And if you run a word about that pathetic excuse for a human being behind you—any of you—I will make it my mission in life to ensure that you never, ever find out” (184).

Avery arrives at Hawthorne House where she finds Libby baking cupcakes in the kitchen. Nash is with her, which Avery finds strange: “I wondered how long he’d been with her—why he’d been with her” (186). She remembers Alisa telling her that Nash has a savior complex and wonders if that’s at play now.

That night, Avery googles Emily Laughlin. She finds an obituary but no headlines about Emily. There is no mention of the Hawthorne boys in the obituary. Avery is interrupted by Jameson seeking access to her room via the secret passageway. She lets him in. He asks her if she was lying to the paparazzi. She says yes. Jameson and Avery have both realized that the boys’ middle names highlighted in the Red Will don’t refer to names but to places: “Blackwood. Westbrook. Davenport. Winchester. They’re not just names. They’re places—or at least the first two are. The Black Wood. The West Brook” (189-90). Avery agrees to go on a walk with Jameson to follow a hunch he has about a clue, The West Brook.

Jameson takes Avery to the bridge where Tobias proposed to his wife, Alice O’Day Hawthorne. On the way, the two pass Wayback Cottage, where the Laughlins live. Avery can’t help but think of Emily. Although she doesn’t ask, Jameson volunteers more information about Emily, telling her that Emily had a congenital heart condition and got a transplant when she was 13. Avery asks what happened to Emily, to which Jameson cryptically response, “Grayson happened to her” (193). He then tells Avery, “I watched Emily Laughlin die” (193).

Avery and Jameson arrive at the bridge where Tobias proposed to Alice and start looking for clues. At one point, Jameson hops on the railing of the bridge, which makes Avery nervous and reminds her of his thrill-seeking tendencies. After searching for a while, the two realize that one of the wooden boards on the bridge creaks. They pry it up and find it has a symbol carved on it: Either an infinity symbol or the number eight, depending on the point of view.

The next morning, Avery’s breakfast is delivered by Mellie (Melissa Vincent), a staff member of Hawthorne House who was brought in by Nash. Alisa has warned Avery about Nash’s savior complex and revealed that he’d often find people in destitute situations and help them—Mellie is one example, and Nash helped her by getting her a job at Hawthorne House. Avery goes across the hall to Libby’s room to check on her but finds Nash sleeping on the ottoman in the room. Nash tells Avery that Libby is going through something, to which she responds, “Libby isn’t one of your projects” (200). Alisa assured Avery that Nash never got involved with any of his rescue cases romantically. However, Mellie’s behavior around Nash plants a seed of doubt in Avery’s mind:

Mellie stepped out of my room. She couldn’t be done with the bathroom yet, so she must have heard us. Heard Nash.

‘Mornin’,’ he told her.

‘Good morning,’ she said with a smile—and then she looked at me, looked at Libby’s room, looked at the open door—and stopped smiling (201).

Alisa joins Avery when Oren drives her to school the next morning. She’s annoyed about Avery’s impromptu press conference and intent on doing damage control. Avery thinks to herself, “My lawyer can’t ground me, can she?” (202). Alisa insists that Avery undergo media training and attend some public events. At school, Thea approaches Avery and informs her that her parents are going out of town, so she will be staying with her Uncle and Zara at Hawthorne House. Avery finds it strange that Thea would move into the house after warning Avery of its dangers, to which Thea replies: “Emily was my best friend. After everything that happened last year, when it comes to the charms of Hawthorne brothers, I’m immune” (204).

Avery talks to Xander about Thea’s moving into Hawthorne House. He suspects that Thea’s moving in is Zara’s doing. Nonetheless, he gives Avery a warning: “If you’re going to be going head-to-head with Thea, you need to be prepared” (206). He shows her yet another secret passage and room, one where he keeps one of his inventions, a Rube Goldberg machine. Avery wonders if him showing her the machine is some kind of coded warning, although he tells her that isn’t the case.