Last Will and Testament of Duchess Olivia Deglass of Chillbrook Manor,

I, Olivia Deglass, have lived a long and solitary life. I spurned every suitor who came sniffing around my vast fortune as I desired a life of quiet contemplation as opposed to a household of snobby, entitled brats. This reticence for familial ties has resulted in my lack of a direct heir. However, my dear sister and brother have had no such compunction and have spawned a sizeable brood of whelps from which to choose who will take my place. I have considered all of my dear nieces and nephews and I have left them each a modest inheritance to keep them generally well provisioned for a generation or two. That is if they don’t fall into the vices of strong drink or dice. However, the bulk of my fortune, my title, my estate, and everything else I own, I leave to my niece Beatrice. She alone possesses the qualities that I find admirable in a woman. She will become the new Duchess of Chillbrook. I have enclosed a special letter for her in this will to be opened in private and to aid her in taking on the responsibility of her new role. 

(This is the main portion of the will. The rest proceeds to list the other beneficiaries and what they have inherited. The family was indeed shocked at how much Duchess Deglass knew of their personal lives and behaviors, both praiseworthy and shameful. She outlined both with recommendations and commentary. The full will and all accompanying documentation can be found in the law offices of Locke and Gargunk. The following is the letter addressed to Beatrice from the Duchess Olivia).

My darling Beatrice, 

By now my will has been read and your relatives are probably seething with jealousy. They may harbor you some ill will. I suggest you take the necessary precautions to protect your well-being. I recommend my guard master Jostell. He is a capable man and has served me well over the years. You are probably wondering why I chose you. After all, we’ve probably shared no more than three words over the course of your entire young life. You may have been surprised I even knew your name. 

Well, the answer to this riddle is simple. You remind me of me. It may not have looked like it but I have kept up with all the activities of my relatives and not just to determine a proper heir but also to alleviate my boredom. You have declined seven offers for marriage. I’ll admit at your age I had only received three. Like me, you find the company of others tiresome and enjoy the peace of solitude. You are moderately educated and by your own admission, a self-proclaimed hermit. Those are the qualities I value in myself and others.

On the fourth floor bedroom on the east side, you will find a painting of a snow fox dancing on a frozen lake. There is a switch along the frame that will reveal a hidden wall safe. The key to open it is in my bedroom side table. My coffers are overflowing with gold and assorted wealth, now yours, but my most valuable treasure lies in that safe. It is a cloak of purest white. Once adorned, you won’t be able to take it off but it is comfortable in the winter and the summer and never needs cleaning. You recall that I wore it always. This cloak will grant you the semblance of youth for as long as you live. It doesn’t make you immortal as should be obvious from my own death but it does freeze your beauty and maintains it. The cloak has one drawback but I feel that you will consider it a blessing as I did. While you wear the cloak no one will be able to touch you without dying a most painful death. Keep it well and you will be well. I have faith that your life at Chillbrook Manor will be long and prosperous. You have my love and best wishes, 

Duchess Olivia Degrass.