Inheritance

Trey serves as the romantic male lead, and key scenes are conveyed through his third-person limited point of view. At age 32, Trey is an attorney at his family’s law firm in Poole’s Bay, Maine. He is described as attractive, with blue eyes and black hair, and he exudes a calm and reasonable demeanor, often coming across as “annoyingly admirable.” Trey’s practicality and steadiness contrast with the mysterious and chaotic elements of Lost Bride Manor, offering a grounding presence for Sonya.

Trey’s connection to Lost Bride Manor runs deep. Having considered Collin Poole, the previous owner of the manor, as a surrogate uncle, Trey is well acquainted with the house’s ghosts and haunted reputation. This familiarity allows him to navigate the manor’s supernatural elements with a sense of ease that eludes Sonya. However, Trey’s comfort with the ghosts occasionally leads him to take risks that Sonya finds unsettling. For instance, his attempt to explore the Gold Room—a space associated with Hester’s malevolent activity—nearly results in a serious injury. Similarly, he encourages Sonya to confront the manor’s haunted spaces, including the basement, emphasizing his belief in facing fears head-on.

Trey’s role in Sonya’s life extends beyond his familiarity with the manor. Unlike her former fiancé, Brandon, Trey shows a genuine interest in Sonya’s work as a graphic designer. He engages in meaningful conversations about her creative process and actively supports her professional endeavors, offering her the respect and encouragement that she lacked in her previous relationship. His admiration for Sonya’s independence and resilience underscores their compatibility and highlights his role as a supportive partner.

Throughout the novel, Trey becomes an essential ally in Sonya’s journey to uncover the manor’s secrets and break its curse. His calm demeanor and willingness to embrace the supernatural make him a steady and reliable figure. Trey’s romantic interest in Sonya evolves naturally as they work together to confront the manor's challenges. Trey’s character complements Sonya’s growth, embodying the novel’s themes of trust, courage, and Embracing Growth Through Adversity.

Cleo is Sonya’s best friend and former college roommate, and she acts as a foil to the protagonist. Like Sonya, Cleo is 28 and pursues an artistic career as an illustrator, but her worldview and personality sharply contrast with Sonya’s. Cleo hails from Lafayette, Louisiana, and her southern accent and upbringing counter Sonya’s Bostonian roots. Whereas Sonya is pragmatic and initially skeptical of the supernatural, Cleo is open-minded and attuned to the unseen. This difference stems partly from Cleo’s grandmother, who identifies as a witch and has instilled in Cleo a sense of comfort with the mystical and the paranormal. Upon entering Lost Bride Manor, Cleo immediately senses the ghosts’ presence, emphasizing her connection to the supernatural.

Although Cleo’s behavior is sometimes flighty, she possesses a duality that balances whimsy with dependability. As the narrative states, she is “steady,” but “her mind [is] wide open to everything” (339). This blend of qualities makes Cleo a grounding force for Sonya, and she offers emotional and practical support while also embracing the supernatural elements of the manor that Sonya initially resists.

Physically, Cleo is described as strikingly beautiful, with curly “burnt-honey” hair and “tawny eyes.” By the novel’s end, she has begun to explore a romantic connection with Owen Poole, a connection that parallels Sonya and Trey’s more established relationship. Cleo’s grandmother once uttered a prophecy that “lovers will come and go, but [Cleo will] only have one love, and he’ll be her anchor in every storm” (342), and this detail foreshadows the deeper significance of her budding romance.

Cleo serves as a vital counterbalance to Sonya, providing a vital mix of comic relief, emotional depth, and a broader perspective on the supernatural. Her openness and adaptability make her an essential ally in navigating the mysteries of Lost Bride Manor. Cleo’s contrasting traits also highlight Sonya’s growth, while her own journey adds to the novel’s broader exploration of friendship, love, and Embracing Growth Through Adversity.

Owen, one of the last remaining Pooles in Poole’s Bay, plays a significant role in Inheritance as Sonya’s cousin and Trey’s best friend. He is the owner and operator of the Poole family’s shipbuilding business in Maine, a position that emphasizes his connection to the family legacy. Despite never having met Sonya before her arrival in Poole’s Bay, Owen immediately steps in to assist her with the challenges of Lost Bride Manor, offering practical advice and guidance on navigating the ghosts and the house’s history.

Owen serves as a parallel to Sonya in terms of familial ties. His role in the shipbuilding business complements his carpenter’s skills, reflecting his deep appreciation for craftsmanship and history. Likewise, his stoic and unflappable demeanor sets him apart as the calmest character in the story, even in the face of supernatural events and disasters. His unshakable nature allows him to ground others, providing steady support without overt displays of emotion. Owen looks a bit like Sonya, with green eyes and darker brown hair. Because he is also a Poole, Owen shares a unique bond with Sonya, and they both can perceive certain supernatural phenomena that others cannot, such as the disappearing rings and the strange lights and movements in the mirror. While his stoicism can make him seem detached, his actions reveal his quiet care and dedication. For instance, Owen carves a boat for Cleo, intending to trade it for a painting, and in the novel’s climactic scene, he accompanies Sonya through the mirror to ensure that she does not face the unknown alone.

The novel hints at a developing romantic connection between Owen and Cleo, which mirrors the dynamic between Trey and Sonya. While Owen’s role in Inheritance is somewhat limited, his steadfastness and ties to the Poole legacy are crucial to the story’s progression. His understated presence also sets the stage for greater involvement in future installments.

Hester is the primary antagonist in Inheritance, embodying vengeance and despair. A 19th-century witch, Hester is deeply in love with Collin Poole, but her love turns to rage when Collin marries Astrid in 1806. Enraged, she curses the Poole family, dooming each succeeding generation to suffer the untimely death of a bride. After Astrid’s death, for which she is to stand trial, Hester escapes custody. However, when she discovers that Collin has died by suicide, she throws herself off the seawall of Lost Bride Manor. Her curse continues to plague the Pooles for generations and causes the deaths of seven brides, ensuring that the women’s spirits remain trapped in Lost Bride Manor. As part of this curse, Hester also steals each bride’s wedding ring, and these macabre trophies symbolize her vengeance and power.

Despite her physical death, Hester’s malevolent spirit lingers in the manor, standing in stark contrast to the more benign or protective ghosts present. Unlike those benevolent spirits, Hester thrives on fear and sorrow, “exist[ing] to feed” on “fear and grief. Night after night, year after year, she gobbles the weeping, she drinks the tears" (415). This dramatic description illustrates her insatiable hunger for misery, rendering her a spectral embodiment of the very pain that she perpetuates. Hester has “black hair, [a] milk-white face, [and] dark […] crazy eyes” (205). This vivid depiction reflects her dangerous nature, representing her inner turmoil and wrath. Her twisted beauty enhances her role as both a tragic and a menacing figure.

Throughout Inheritance, Hester’s presence is a constant source of tension, and her vengeful spirit complicates Sonya’s efforts to reclaim Lost Bride Manor and break the family curse. Hester therefore symbolizes the destructive power of unresolved grief and obsession, and her malevolent actions serve as a reminder that love, when twisted into vengeance, can wreak havoc across generations. She stands as both a formidable foe and a tragic figure whose pain continues to shape the experiences of the living and the dead alike.