by Marja McGraw
“Hey!” I yelled angrily. The cloth had been pulled all the way down, covering my shoulders. Whoever was in the closet had let go of me when I fell to the floor, and as I scrambled up and tried to pull the cloth off, I heard scraping noises in the room. I finally pulled the thing off, discovering it was a pillow case, and turned toward the bedroom, away from the closet. No one was there. I swung around to the closet, but still didn’t see anyone. It had happened so fast that I wasn’t even afraid, just angry.
The door to the hall opened and Josh walked in. “I heard noises in here. I thought I heard someone yell.”
“Yeah, me. Did you see anyone out in the hallway?”
“No, but I just came from my room. Are you all right?”
“Yes. Someone was hiding in here. Whoever it was pulled this over my head and got away.” I shook the pillow case. “I can’t understand why you didn’t see anyone in the hallway.”
“I can’t explain it either, but there wasn’t anyone there.” He sounded defensive and I couldn’t blame him.
“I believe you,” I said. “I just don’t understand. Do me a favor, please, and don’t say anything to anyone about what happened – at least for the time being. I don’t know what’s going on here, so I don’t want to scare anyone unnecessarily.” I hoped it wouldn’t scare him.
“Okay.” He sounded reluctant. “But I am going to keep my eyes open for anything unusual around here. Uh, don’t you think you ought to report this to the police? I think you should probably do that.”
“I don’t want to report it right now. There isn’t much I could tell them, and there isn’t anything they could do. Besides, the only thing hurt is my pride.”
“True, but think about it, okay?” At least the whole thing didn’t seem to have put him off.
“I will. It was probably some kid who snuck in for a look and was afraid of getting into trouble. You know how kids can be.” I was trying to convince myself as well as him. I should have been more concerned, but I honestly didn’t feel like there had been any harm intended.
I was so close that I should have been able to feel the heat from the sand I was about to plunge my head into.
Chapter Thirteen
I thanked Josh and we left the room. I decided it would be best to keep everything quiet until I had an idea of what was going on. I couldn’t imagine what was happening, but apparently my feelings about the rooms on the second floor weren’t unfounded. Something was, indeed, going on.
Nothing else happened that day and I began to wonder if it had really been a kid or if we’d had a burglar. Maybe I’d scared him off before he could take anything. A burglar wouldn’t know which rooms were occupied and which ones weren’t until he began searching drawers and looking through closets. But that didn’t explain the other odd things that had happened upstairs. I hoped the situation would resolve itself, and soon.
That evening the dinner hour was pleasant. Sharon and I joined Josh and Richard English, Josh being his charming self, and Richard toning down his banter just a bit. Lucy prepared a roast with potatoes and carrots, accompanied by homemade biscuits, salad and fresh fruit. It was delicious.
I’d made a good choice when I hired Lucy. She was making the rounds of the house, keeping things straightened up, without my having to give her directions. She always had a pot of coffee and snacks out between meals in case anyone got the munchies. She told all of the guests that if they wanted anything besides coffee to let her know and she’d fix them up. She was making a lot of homemade breads and pastries, too. She was scoring points with me, as well as with the boarders.
The same held true for David. Sharon said David mentioned planting a vegetable garden the next year so we’d have fresh vegetables on the table every night during the summer months. I thought it was a good idea. We might turn out to be a healthy bunch whether we wanted to or not.
When I went to bed that night I had these things, and more, running through my mind. I was too wound up to go right to sleep, but when I finally drifted off, not even an earthquake could have moved me.
On Monday morning I got up early. I fussed more than usual, deciding I wanted to impress Mike when he arrived. Heaven forbid anyone should see what I look like when I first get up in the morning. After going through my morning ritual I made my bed, then rushed out to the kitchen to help Lucy prepare breakfast.
“Good morning,” she said, cheerfully. “You look great today.”
“Thanks. I’d like to say I always look this way, but that would be a lie, and you know it.”
“Baloney. I’ve seen you without make-up and you look fine. Well, maybe a bit better with it.”
“Yeah, right,” I said. “By the way, I want to remind you that I don’t expect you to take on this big house all by yourself. I’ll be helping out, and Sharon will be helping me on your days off.”
“I know, but I’ve decided not to take any days off for the first week. I want to help your boarders get settled in first. Next week I’ll start taking regular days off. Do you mind?”
“It’s up to you, but if you change your mind, go ahead and take the days off.”
While we put the food on the warming plates, I heard the front door open. I’d given all the boarders a key by that time. If they were going to be living in the house, then they shouldn’t have to ring the bell every time they needed to come in. Of course, I’d leave the door unlocked during the day and only lock it at night.
I heard footsteps behind me, and turning I found Mike standing in the doorway.
“I see I’m just in time to eat,” he said.
“Sure, come and get it.” I smiled, trying my best to look charming.
“Let me put my clothes away first. I didn’t have time to eat this morning, so I‘ll be right back.”
I turned back to the warming trays and found Lucy standing there with that now familiar smug look on her face.
“Lucy… ” There was a hint of warning in my tone.
“I didn’t say a word. I didn’t do a thing. Right now I’m just the cook, and I need to get back to the kitchen.”
Mike returned and since no one else was up, we had a quiet breakfast together. We talked mostly about the construction he was going to do for me. I was excited about the gazebo and he began to make sketches while I talked and told him what I had in mind.
“How’s the room renting going?” he asked. “All filled up yet?”
“Actually, it’s going pretty well. I only have four rooms left. It’s beginning to look like I may have all boarders and no vacationers. To be honest, I do want some vacationers because their rooms will be more expensive.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. That’s business for you.”
I took the next few minutes and told him a little about the other boarders. I wasn’t trying to be mean, but he laughed at a couple of my descriptions. “I think they’re all nice people. Well, I’m not too sure about one of them.”
“Don’t tell me. The skirt chaser.”
“Of course, who else?”
“I hear a truck coming,” he said as he stood up. “Time to get to work and earn my pay. Maybe I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Okay.”
Sharon strolled in while Mike was leaving. I hurriedly introduced them before he rushed out to meet the truck.
“I’ve been up for the last half hour,” Sharon said, “but I didn’t want to disturb you two.”
“That’s ridiculous. You should have joined us.”
She grinned. “It’s okay. I ate in the kitchen with Lucy and David.”
It dawned on me why she was being so thoughtful. Breakfast with David was something she wasn’t likely to pass up.
“Don’t you have to get to work?” I asked.
“No, I took today off. Moving gave me a good excuse.”
“Ah.”
Around nine o’clock Ted Fernley arrived. He was tall and lanky, around six feet three inches, and quite good looking, but in a “too perfect” sort of way. He was ve
ry polite, and seemed extremely reserved. When I described some of my boarders to my parents in a letter I wrote to them, I told them Ted Fernley seemed to be a very private individual, rather distant. He had sandy-blonde hair, a neatly trimmed mustache, and his eyes were a dark, muddy brown. He was almost rigid in his orderly and precise mode of dress, reminding me of a mannequin’s exacting appearance. Sharon said the best word she could think of to describe him was dapper. I estimated him to be around thirty-five or older, but it was hard to tell. He had one of those faces that never ages. If it turned out he was well over forty, that wouldn’t have surprised me either. With his reserved disposition, we stuck to calling each other Miss Sanders and Mr. Fernley. I hoped he’d relax after we got to know each other.
“Miss Sanders, I like the facilities here and I would like to take a room,” he said, after I told him about Holt House and showed him one of the rooms.
“Then welcome to Holt House, Mr. Fernley. We’re happy to have you.”
He paid me for a month in advance, and I gave him a receipt.
“I’d like to move in tonight if that’s acceptable.”
“Whenever you like. I’ll give you a key to the house. It’s always unlocked during the day, but we do lock up at night.”
“Do the rooms have locks on them?” he asked.
“Yes, they do. You’ll find your room key on top of the dresser when you move your things in.”
“Fine. I’ll return this evening with my personal items.”
“Dinner will be served at six o’clock if you’d like to eat with us.”
“Thank you. However, I’ll be dining before I return.” With that he was out the door and on his way.
The construction began that morning, and one by one all of the boarders moved in during that week. The tenants began to adjust to each other, although other than dinner, they didn’t really see too much of one another.
Sharon and David were spending most of their evenings with each other. He would sit and listen while she rattled on, but when he occasionally said something, she was quiet and attentive. I’d never seen her react to any man in quite the same way.
Mike and I saw each other at meals, but he was busy with my projects, and working on plans for other projects in his spare time.
Lucy and I spent a lot of time together. We planned menus, made grocery lists, cleaned house and straightened up bedrooms. When we had any spare time, we either sat and talked or played cards. She always managed to bring Mike into each and every conversation.
A month went by and we were into July. The weather turned very warm, and the pool people had begun their work quite a bit earlier than anticipated. The pool was nearly complete.
Since Mike and his crew worked hard, the tennis court and patio were done and ready for use. The gazebo and storage shed were also nearing completion. The last two had taken longer because I wanted them to resemble the house and outbuilding.
During the hot evenings you could always find a few of them out on the patio with cool drinks in front of them, sometimes chatting, or sometimes sitting quietly, listening to the sounds of the country night.
Josh and Marion discovered a mutual interest in chess. Many evenings found them huddled over the chess board.
Marion turned out to be everyone’s favorite. She was able to pull Ruth out of her shell to some extent, and even Richard English was respectful when Marion was around. I found that none of us thought of her in terms of old lady. She was probably younger inside than the rest of us. Lucy took a special liking to her and went out of her way to make her comfortable, although Marion scoffed at that type of treatment.
Marion always seemed to have time for everyone. She took an individual interest in each of us, making us all feel special, although a few of the boarders made a point of keeping her at arm’s length, like Richard English and Ted Fernley. Richard was polite to her, but never went beyond small talk, with Ted following suit. Josh, although charming, never really said too much about himself to anyone, except maybe Marion.
Richard English turned out to be a royal pain in the neck. It seemed like half of what he said had a double meaning, unless Marion was nearby. He watched what he said when she could hear him. Sharon and I found ourselves avoiding him as much as possible, although we tried not to appear rude. He was a paying boarder, after all. I wasn’t sure how long he’d last though. If he got too carried away I might have to ask him to leave.
Ruth always seemed to be lurking around in the background somewhere, watching everyone but not participating. She wanted to be a wallflower, not to be noticed. She tugged at my heart, but there was nothing I could do. She was on her own.
As the weather climbed to higher and higher temperatures, I had ceiling fans installed, but they didn’t help much. The weather was much hotter than normal for Northern Nevada, and I’d begun to consider installing air conditioning. There were tall trees scattered around the house and they helped to some extent, giving us refreshing shade.
I couldn’t believe how well things were working out. I’d forgotten open doors, moving furniture and the pillow case much too easily.
Chapter Fourteen
Mike finished the gazebo and storage shed about the same time the pool was completed. We’d dug a second well to accommodate the pool, which just about took the last of my lottery winnings. Financially, things could get ugly if I didn’t start watching my pennies.
Time moved on and we were into August. The temperature kept rising, and we were all grateful to have the pool.
Five vacationers had come and gone in July. They were in and out and I never tried to get to know them. There wasn’t time and I didn’t have the inclination. However, they did say they’d really enjoyed themselves and they would be sure to mention Holt House to friends. The only down note was when one of the vacationers commented on the odd feeling she got at Holt House.
“It’s the strangest thing, but I always feel like someone is watching me,” she said. “Mind you, I don’t feel frightened or anything, but it is an odd sensation.”
“I think it’s something about the house being so old,” I replied. “We’ve all had the same feeling from time to time, but other than the feeling of being watched, nothing ever happens.”
“I wonder if the house is haunted.” She sounded hopeful.
“You never know.” I smiled.
She and her husband left, and that was the end of the subject.
David and Sharon’s relationship was growing and blossoming with each passing day, which didn’t really surprise me.
“Kelly,” Sharon said one morning, “I believe I’m falling in love with David, and it scares me to death. He’s not what I was looking for.”
“So what? He’s what you found. He makes you happy, he’s intelligent, you two get along beautifully, so what do you want? Can’t you just accept what life’s handed you and enjoy it? You’ll never find anyone who would care about you any more than he does. And he’s not the type who will make you feel smothered. Sharon, why don’t you let your heart lead you just this one time? You’ve got a good thing going here.”
She stared off into space for a moment. “You make a good case, even if you did get a little preachy. He’s a wonderful man, isn’t he? And I can’t deny how I feel about him. He was so quiet at first, and it bothered me. He’s opened up to me more now though, and I’ve discovered that I like the quiet times. We can talk, or I can talk, or we can just sit quietly. I feel so peaceful when I’m with him,” she said, with sudden awareness. “It’s the peaceful feeling that makes me so content. I’ve never felt contentment with anyone before.”
“How does he feel? Has he said anything?”
Sharon smiled. “Yes. He loves me, too.”
“And I love you, Sharon. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had. In fact, you’re more like a sister than a friend, but I think we’ve covered that before. I want to see you and David happy together.”
She reached over and squeezed my hand. “What would I do without yo
u? Sometimes you’re a lifeline for me.” We sat quietly for a few minutes, each of us thinking about love and life.
“Changing the subject from me to you,” Sharon said, “what about Mike? You never say anything about him anymore. When he first moved in you couldn’t talk about anything else.”
“Oh, he’s been busy with his work. About the only time I see him is at breakfast and dinner, and sometimes not even then. Sometimes he’s gone before I get up, and then he works late and Lucy feeds him in the kitchen. I thought he was interested in me, but I guess I was wrong. Lucy won’t be happy when she realizes her matchmaking didn’t work.”
“You never know how things will turn out.” Sharon always did have trouble hiding her thoughts. Her face read like an open book. Something was up.
“Give. I can tell by your face that you know something.”
“Oh, I shouldn’t say anything. It’s not my place.”
“Yes, it’s your place as my friend. What do you know? Don’t hold out on me now.”
“Lucy and I talk a lot, and Mike and Lucy talk a lot. He’s interested, but he hasn’t had the time to do anything about it.”
“Sure,” I said, not quite believing her.
“Things are going to slow down for him soon, and then you just watch. Your life is going to take a whole new turn.”
“I’ll believe it if and when it happens. Let’s go out to the pool,” I said, brushing her comments off to the side for the moment. “It’s too hot in here.” Our conversation was making me uncomfortable. I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“When are you going to have air conditioning installed?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t know – one of these days.”
We’d been sitting in her room talking. It was late afternoon, and it would be about an hour before we’d be eating dinner. Sharon had come home from work early, taking advantage of a couple of hours of her vacation time.
I went to my room and put on my bathing suit before meeting Sharon out by the pool. Most everyone was still at work or busy with other things, so we had the pool to ourselves. We swam for a while, eventually climbing up to sit on the steps in the shallow end of the pool, enjoying the cool water.