The Legacy

Maggie Walsh and Pete Danner receive a large financial retainer from an anonymous British client for an unspecified project. They are reluctant to abandon their current California client, but the new commission frees them to travel. They depart Los Angeles on pre-paid airfare to England after their California client dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances.

En route to Britain, Maggie and Pete are involved in a traffic collision with a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. Jason Mountolive invites them to his rambling country estate, Ravenhurst, following the accident. Nurse Adams greets them and begins to shape the eerie atmosphere of their stay.

At Ravenhurst, Jason has invited five other public figures with notorious reputations as potential heirs to his financial estate. Maggie is astonished to learn that Jason is dying, even though he seemed vigorous moments earlier. The guests explain they have been summoned for reasons tied to Jason's fate.

Maria Gabrieli, despite being an excellent swimmer, becomes trapped under the surface of Jason's indoor pool and drowns. The inexplicable death casts a pall over the gathering and deepens the sense of danger at Ravenhurst. The incident foreshadows the unfolding nightmare for the remaining guests.

Mountolive lies on life support in a sterile bedroom, his curtains concealing his appearance. A monstrous hand reaches from behind the curtains and places a signet ring on Maggie's finger, the Mountolive crest unmistakable. The other guests already wear identical rings, and Maggie cannot remove her own ring or leave Ravenhurst.

During dinner, Clive Jackson dies when a chicken bone lodges in his throat and a botched tracheotomy follows. The death is brutal and inexplicable, reinforcing the sense that Ravenhurst wields a hidden power. The surviving guests realize the sinister atmosphere may be more than mere coincidence.

Karl Liebnecht is incinerated by a massive burst of flame from a fireplace, while the rest of the room remains untouched. The supernatural nature of the death starkly demonstrates the house's deadly influence. The peril escalates as the circle of heirs tightens under Mountolive's shadow.

A mirror in Barbara Kirstenburg's bedroom explodes, piercing her with glass shards, then repairs itself without a crack. The self-repairing mirror reinforces the sense that Ravenhurst defies natural laws. The guests grow increasingly fearful as more odd happenings occur.

Jacques Grandier suspects Maggie and Pete of engineering the deaths and climbs onto the roof with a shotgun. After firing, the weapon jams and explodes in his face, knocking him to his death. The reckless confrontation on the roof marks another fatal escalation for the survivors.

Maggie and Pete uncover a collection of newspaper clippings revealing each guest's crimes or scandals, all shielded by Mountolive's interventions. They learn Mountolive's ancestors were known for dark deeds, and Maggie discovers she is Jason Mountolive's great-granddaughter. The retainer appears to be a lure to Ravenhurst to position her as the sixth heir.

Maggie realizes she is the sixth heir to the Walsingham-Mountolive legacy and that the power will be passed down through a lineage of sacrifices. She understands that the lone survivor will inherit these powers from Satan, reframing her choices as a grim path rather than salvation. She begins to embrace the dangerous role that awaits her.

With his last breath, Mountolive confesses that he sacrificed the other heirs to the Devil to transfer his power to Maggie. He instructs her to choose six heirs of her own to continue the cycle, ensuring the ultimate survivor receives the powers. The confession seals the malevolent pact that governs Ravenhurst.

Pete forces his way into the room to prevent the transfer of power, but he is too late. Maggie accepts the legacy and is proclaimed 'Lady Margaret,' with the household staff pledging their loyalty to her. She designates Pete as the first beneficiary, signaling the start of the ritualistic succession.

Maggie gives Pete a signet ring, which instantly attaches to his finger, confirming his status as the first beneficiary. The rings on all guests bind them to the inherited fate of Ravenhurst. Maggie steps fully into the role of Lady Margaret as the house submits to her rule.