The Oxford Inheritance Read Online Free PDF

certain touch of wealth.
    Cassie’s territorial instincts proved to be no match for Raleigh’s official dorm policy; back in the porters’ lodge, Rutledge confirmed that Olivia was right: Carlton Hall was for upperclassmen only. “Let’s see what’s left . . .” He hummed, clicking through his records on the old computer.“I could put you with the rest of the freshers if you want, but they can get rowdy. First time they’ve been away from home,” he added, with a weary look on his well-lined face.
    Cassie grimaced at the thought of all-night dorm parties and freshmen running wild. “Is there anything else?”
    â€œI’ve got it.” Rutledge turned behind him and plucked a new key down from the board. “Up in the attics. You’ll be sharing, but it’s a cozy little flat. The other girl’s a grad student, seems a sweet girl.”
    â€œI’ll take it,” Cassie said gratefully, eager to just be done with the whole mix-up.
    â€œI can help you with your bags, if you want—” Rutledge offered, but Cassie cut him off.
    â€œI’m fine, thanks.” She was almost out the door again when she paused, turning back. “If I wanted to do some research about Raleigh, where should I start?”
    Rutledge paused. “What kind of research?”
    â€œJust general stuff.” Cassie shrugged casually. “College history, old students, that kind of thing.”
    Rutledge narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, and Cassie felt a flutter of unease. Then his expression cleared. “Well, there’s the library, that’s a good place to start. But if you want the real stuff, you’d be best off trying the vaults.”
    â€œThe vaults?” Cassie repeated.
    â€œDown below the cloisters.” Rutledge nodded. “Everything gets filed away down there sooner or later. They keep talking about getting an archivist, sorting out a proper filing system, but for now, if it happened here in the last hundred years, it’s in there somewhere.”
    â€œThanks.” Cassie smiled. “I’ll check it out.”
    Her new—and she hoped, final—room was over in the East Wing, a corner of the college filled with wood-paneled study rooms and more ofthose wide, creaking stairs. There were no other residence rooms in the building, and the place was silent and still as Cassie dragged her case up two flights. In the top corridor she found a square-set, iron-barred door.
    â€œHello?” Cassie unlocked the door cautiously, peeking her head around to peer in. “Anyone here?”
    According to Rutledge, Cassie would be sharing with another older girl named Genevieve DuLongpre, a grad student. There was no sign of life, so Cassie pulled her things inside and let her load fall on the table with a sigh of relief before she took a proper look around.
    It was nowhere near as grand as Carlton Hall, that much was clear. Cassie was standing in a large, hexagonal-shaped living room, furnished with a long dining room table and mismatched chairs. Two musty, worn couches sat on the other end of the room in front of a bare-brick fireplace; threadbare rugs lay on the wooden floor. A short, narrow hallway led off to a galley kitchen in one direction and a bathroom in the other, both tiled in old-fashioned shades of mustard and green. The ceilings were low, slanted into the attic eaves, and although one side of the living area was lined with deep windows cut into the stone walls, the effect was hemmed in, almost claustrophobic, some might think.
    Cozy, Cassie decided.
    The door was open to one of the bedrooms, showing it strewn with a carpet of loose notes and discarded sweaters, so Cassie took her things into the other room. Again it was small, with the slanted ceilings and wooden built-in shelves lining one wall, the other set with her bed and desk. She went to the window and opened it wide to air out the room, glimpsing afternoon