Blythe felt the cold metal of her wheelchair damp against her palms, as if the chilled steel were burning her skin. Edgar shuffled along, his steps heavy but measured, nudging her toward the tiny cottage perched on the edge of the New Forest. The door creaked open, and a mingled scent of pine resin and stale smoke drifted out.
Here youll stay, he said quietly, without meeting her eyes. Theres firewood, spring water and simple meals.
Blythe could not answer; each breath seemed to lodge in her throat.
Um Richard? she whispered.
He wont be back soon. He told me its too hard watching you suffer, Edgar replied flatly.
And then she snapped.
Its not my illness thats heavy, its his conscience! How could how could he abandon me here?
Edgar shifted uneasily, then shrugged.
I dont know. People do foolish things for money or peace of mind. Im just hired to look after you. Thats all.
And he left her alone.
Days slipped by sluggishly. The fires heat barely reached the far corners of the room, and the nights stretched on endlessly. Each morning Edgar arrived with a pot of herbal tea, a slice of bread and a few boiled veg. He was a man of few words, yet his eyes held a gentleness Blythe hadnt seen in anyone for ages.
Sometimes, as he fed her, his rough hands trembled.
Do you think you might still walk? he asked once.
The doctors said no. My spines shattered.
He shook his head slowly, as if refusing to believe it.
One evening, as the wind howled through the trees, Edgar lit the gas lamp and settled beside it.
You know, Blythe, your father used to stop here now and then. He bought timber from me. I respected hima decent bloke, he murmured.
Her heart clenched. She missed the voice of the man who had always soothed her. If he were alive, hed never have let Richard treat her like this.
Edgar, if I tried to run away, would you help me? she whispered.
He stared at her for a long while, then answered, I will. Though I cant promise where youll end up.
A few weeks later, Richard turned up again, his sleek suit looking absurd against the damp forest backdrop.
How are you feeling? he asked with a forced smile.
I miss the fresh air of the Lake District, Blythe replied, her tone dripping with bitter irony.
He cleared his throat. I need your signature on some documentsabout the inn. Youll have to understand.
In that moment everything clicked. It had never been about care; it was about the inheritance. Richard wanted everything, and she was the obstacle.
I wont sign a thing, Blythe said softly but firmly.
His eyes hardened. Then youll stay here until you change your mind.
And he walked away without looking back.
When Richard was gone, Edgar placed a hand on her shoulder.
You dont deserve this. Your father would have told you to fight.
But how? I cant walk.
Your legs arent everything. You have a mind, a will, and there are people wholl stand by you.
That night Blythe didnt sleep a wink. The next morning Edgar handed her an old mobile phone.
Use it. Call whoever you need. Ill get you to town.
With trembling fingers she dialed Martha, her old nanny. The moment she heard Marthas voice, tears burst forth.
Martha, Richard left me in the woods. I want to fight. I want my life back.
A few days later Martha arrived in a minibus. With Edgars help they lifted Blythe into the vehicle and drove straight to the family solicitors office in Oxford.
Richard entered the office, sure everything was under control. But when he saw Blythe, seated in her wheelchair, fire blazing in her eyes, he went pale.
Thought youd hide forever in the woods? she said coolly. No, Richard. Im my fathers daughter, and Ill fight.
The solicitor handed over the papers. Richard tried to resist, but the evidence was clear: he intended to have her declared mentally incapacitated to seize the estate.
The case dragged on for months. In the end the judge ruled in Blythes favour. The inheritance stayed with her, and Richard was not only stripped of the family name but also of any further claim on her life.
One afternoon Blythe gazed out the window. The town of Cheltenham glittered under the sun, and a fresh surge of strength rose within her. Edgar had become the official manager of the estate, and Martha stood by her side once more.
Do you know whats odd? Blythe asked Edgar. I thought my life ended in that wheelchair. Yet its only just beginning.
He gave a shy smile. Sometimes the forest isnt the end. Its just the start of a new road.
And for Blythe, that road was just opening up.
