Miss Margret | Caroline Forbes

Chapter One

 Margret stood alone on the driveway leading up to the Salvatore Boardinghouse. She had never been there before, but Stefan had mentioned once or twice since it was owned by his family and he went to visit there every now and then. Margret had never gone with him; in fact, this was her first time in Mystic Falls. She now wished that she had come sooner, that she could have seen Stefan again before he died. 

 Staring up the boardinghouse now, she thought it looked very lonely. There were a few telltale signs that someone was staying there, perhaps even renovations being done. Maybe it was Damon Salvatore, Stefan's older brother. Margret had never met Damon, but she hadn't heard many good things about him from Stefan and Lexi, so she had no desire to meet him, especially since he was the one who murdered Lexi. 

 Margret couldn't imagine Stefan calling a place as gloomy as this his home. Maybe it was the cloudy weather, or the way the boardinghouse stood apart from the rest of Mystic Falls, close to the woods. She wondered if she should go knock on the door, or if whoever was inside would turn her away? Did whoever was there know Stefan well? Would they know who she was? 

 Margret suddenly stepped back in alarm. She had looked up and seen a face in one of the upper windows, simply staring down at her. Whoever it was left the window at a fast speed, so she didn't know who it was. She didn't know anyone in Mystic Falls, so she doubted she would recognize the person if she did see their face. 

 Then the front door opened, and someone stepped out. It was a beautiful blonde woman whom Margret had certainly never seen before. She didn't know if she should stay or leave, but then thought she should wait to see if this woman was going to ask her to leave the property. 

 "Do I know you?" the blonde woman asked. 

 "I don't think so," Margret answered. "I think I would have remembered us meeting. My name is Margret Janssen." 

 "Oh." She nodded. "That doesn't sound familiar. I'm Caroline Forbes. Well, technically Salvatore, I guess." 

 "Salvatore?" Marget repeated. "Did you know Stefan Salvatore?" 

 Caroline perked up. "Did you know him?" 

 "Yes, I did. I knew him for decades. I...I know he used to live here. He told me about it. Are you a relative? The only one I remember him ever talking about was his brother Damon." 

 "Yes. I...I was his wife." 

 Margret stared at her, speechless. His wife? 

 "I...I didn't know Stefan ever got married," she said slowly. "I...I am sorry for that loss. To lose a husband who was as good a man as Stefan..." 

 "Well, there were some difficult circumstances." Caroline cleared her throat. "How long have you know about his death? It's been four months." 

 "I know. I would have been sooner, but it took time for the news to get to me. I heard it through a mutual friend, Valerie Tulle. She had a hard time reaching me, but she eventually tracked me down. I'm sorry now that I didn't come here while he was alive, or keep in touch with him more. I didn't even know he got married." 

 "Well, he probably just didn't have the chance to tell you. Do you, um, want to come inside?" Caroline asked. "We've been making some changes to the place, but I can show you around." 

 Margret nodded. "I would like that very much, Mrs. Salvatore." 

 Caroline seemed to wince at the title. "You can just call me Caroline."

 Margret followed her to the front door, now wondering who "we" was.