by Rose Pressey
I stepped out of the way and the officers filed into the manor.
“By the way, how was the wedding? I thought you’d be on your honeymoon by now?” Officer Matthews asked with a smile.
It was as if he had punched me in the stomach. I was surprised that everyone in town didn’t know already. Unless he just wanted to say that to make me feel bad. That wasn’t like him. He seemed like a nice guy, even though I didn’t know him well.
“The wedding is off,” I said.
A strange look came over his face. I knew then that he hadn’t known previously.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
“Don’t worry about it, everything’s fine.” I plastered a big smile on my face.
“We’ll check everything out and make sure no one is here,” Officer Matthews added.
I couldn’t believe they didn’t trust me when I said it was a ghost. When they found nothing, they would believe me. Well, I suppose that didn’t prove that a spirit had been in the house, but it certainly showed that an intruder wasn’t hanging around. If only I had gotten a video of the ghost disappearing right before our eyes. But I’d been in too much of a panic to pull out the phone and record anything. Sadly, the surveillance hadn’t captured the disappearing act.
The three officers split up, going in different directions. One checked the bottom floor, one went to the second and the other one I assumed was going all the way to the top.
I knew the officers wouldn’t find anything. It was unlikely this ghost would show himself to them. Nevertheless, I supposed it made me feel better knowing that they would check the place out.
I stood there for a minute wondering where the ghost could be now. I pulled out my phone to see if I’d spotted the ghost anywhere earlier in the day. I wasn’t sure where to even start because there had been a lot of activity around the manor today. Just the thought of that made me feel bad all over again.
The sinking feeling in my stomach. Would that ever go away? I checked a short time before the event had gone down. There was no sign of a man going into the library. As I watched the screen, I saw Nicolas headed across the parlor floor for the front door.
Chapter 8
Seconds later I spotted the man. He followed Nicolas toward the door. The ghost had appeared out of nowhere. That sent a shiver down my spine. I watched as they both moved past the camera. I had no idea what happened after that, but I knew that the man had come back to the manor at some point. Nicolas obviously had no idea that the ghost had been behind him.
I wasn’t sure if the ghost was following him on purpose or he’d just happened to appear at the moment when Nicolas was walking through the house. Either way it was scary. And I wanted this ghost out of here. He wasn’t a paying guest and he wasn’t allowed to stay. I would make that known as soon as I found him again. I watched more of the video, expecting to see him reappear at any moment.
“Everything seems all clear down here,” Officer Matthews said when he came back into the foyer.
The other officers headed down the staircase at that moment as well.
“We can’t find anything, although we couldn’t get into the attic,” Officer Porter said.
“I have the key for that,” I said.
“And your bedroom also was locked too,” Officer Hudson said.
“I have a key for that one too,” I said, showing him the keys around my neck.
“Is there a reason why you keep those doors locked?” Officer Matthews asked.
The reason was my business so I wasn’t sure that I needed to answer, but I would be polite.
“I keep valuables there and I want extra protection in case someone comes into the house. You know I run this as a bed-and-breakfast, so I have to be cautious.”
They nodded in understanding.
“Absolutely. That’s a good idea,” Officer Matthews said.
Once the police left, I was alone once again in the manor. But not really alone because I never knew when the ghost would pop back up. A chill filled the air and goosebumps prickled along my skin. Now what would I do? How would I go to sleep? As well as the wedding being called off and my heart torn apart, now I had to worry about why a ghost was coming around. I was positive that I hadn’t made any mistakes on any of the spells that would bring him around.
Well, maybe I wasn’t as positive as I could be. I guessed there was always a chance that something had gone wrong. I had to think back to the last time I had used magic. It would’ve been when I couldn’t get the dress to fit correctly. It was way too long, even though I’d had it altered. I didn’t want to trip over it as I walked down the aisle, so I just did a little pop, bam, boom, and fixed it. No need for a thread and needle.
Maybe something really had gone wrong with that spell. I thought back to the words. Shorten the gown so it won’t make me look like a clown. No, I didn’t think that would have anything to do with the ghost. As I stood in the foyer I called out to him.
“If you’re here, then show yourself right now. I want to know why you’re here. You’re not welcome here. You need to leave now. I want to see you walk out that door.” I pointed.
There was nothing. I stood there all alone. Since no one else was around, maybe I should just go to bed and start a new day fresh tomorrow. All of this seemed as if it was a dream. Actually, a nightmare. But I would get through this somehow. I had hoped that Nicolas would change his mind. Though I wasn’t completely sure about that wish because I didn’t know if I would ever trust him again. Maybe it was truly over.
I headed my way back up the staircase, but I kept checking over my shoulder to see if the man was following me. There were no other signs of him, so maybe he would stay away for the rest of the night. I hoped for the rest of forever.
After unlocking the door, Pluto zipped by my legs and jumped onto the bed. I stepped into my bedroom and locked the door behind me. Okay, maybe I was a bit obsessive about this. Perhaps I needed to speak with a professional about my need to lock the door. But after all the people who’d come around trying to get the Book of Mystics, I felt my need to lock the door wasn’t that out of the ordinary.
The rest of my ice cream had melted, but I supposed I’d had enough anyway. It would be tough, but I needed to get some sleep. I was ready to start the next day fresh. Whatever that meant. I dumped the melted ice cream into the sink and washed out the basin. As I tossed the container in the trash my phone rang.
“How are you holding up?” Annabelle asked.
“I’m all right,” I said around a sigh.
I knew by my voice she could tell I wasn’t okay. But I wasn’t going to tell her about the ghost that I’d seen. She’d just now started to relax and come into the manor. She’d been terrified of the paranormal when I first got the place. She’d never wanted to set foot in the scary old structure. But lately that had changed. She was even working at my mother’s beauty shop. My mother sold all kinds of beauty products and now she’d even branched out into perfumes. Which was a lot of fun. The lotions weren’t regular lotions. They were spell-infused lotions.
“I was just about to go to bed,” I said.
“I know you want your space and to be alone, but I just couldn’t let the evening go on without calling to check on you.”
“I understand. That’s what friends are for,” I said, pulling down the blanket on the bed.
I hadn’t doubted for a second that she would call.
“If you’re sure you’re all right. Have you talked to your mother yet?” Annabelle asked.
“No, I haven’t and I’m getting concerned… Oh, wait. I’m getting another call.” I checked the screen. My mother’s picture was on the screen. “Speak of the devil. I need to see what she’s up to. I’ll call you back, okay?”
“All right. Let me know,” she said.
“Are you all right, Mom?” I asked when I answered her call.
“Just peachy,” she said in a singsong voice. “I want to know how you’re doing.”
She stil
l had that tone in her voice and I knew things weren’t A-OK.
“I’m just fine,” I said, trying to sound all right.
I wouldn’t tell my mother about the ghost either. She had enough to worry about with my broken wedding.
She scoffed. “If you say so.”
“Are you home?” I asked.
“Yes, I am,” she said.
I didn’t trust her. She usually didn’t lie to me, but in the situation, she might think it was an emergency and that it would be fine to fib a little.
“So if I came over to your house right now you would be there?” I asked.
When she paused, I knew she was thinking about how to answer.
She chuckled. “Of course I would be there.”
That meant she wasn’t there now and that she would hurry home if she thought I was really coming over there.
“I’m grabbing my car keys,” I said.
“Are you coming over here right now? Why would you do that? I would think you need to get your rest. I’ll be over bright and early in the morning to check on you,” my mother said.
“It’s really not necessary,” I said.
“I believe it is necessary. I have decorations to take down, rental chairs to take back, and there’s a lot of work to be done. Heaven knows Nicolas won’t be there to help.”
“Maybe it’s better if we just don’t use his name,” I said.
“Oh, right. Of course. There will be no mention of what’s his face.”
I knew he would now forever be referred to as what’s his face.
“Okay, I’ll let you get back to sleep now,” she said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Wait, you don’t have to come over here in the morning.”
She ended the call before listening to my entire sentence. I knew it was pointless to tell her she didn’t have to come over. She would come anyway. But I supposed I would need help getting rid of the chairs and decorations. I really didn’t want to look at any of it.
I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes. This was torture. I had a million thoughts zipping through my head. Plus, I kept thinking about the ghost too. Would he show up? I guessed only time would tell. Somehow I managed to drift off to sleep. Exhaustion must have gotten to me.
*
I woke when the sun splashed through the window, hitting me in the face. I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was seven thirty. My mother would be here soon. I looked around. No sign of ghosts. Thank goodness.
I jumped up and raced over to the closet to make sure that everything was okay in there. As if I thought the ghost had slipped in the room last night while I slept and got the book. Nevertheless, I checked anyway as I did every morning. Obsessive-compulsive, I supposed. Once realizing the book was okay, I reached in and grabbed a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. After slipping into my sneakers, I headed for the door. Pluto ran in front of me, nothing but a fluffy streak of black fur.
I eased it open and peeked out into the hallway, half expecting to see the ghost. Still no sign of him. Thank goodness. Maybe he really had gone for good. I locked the door behind me and made my way down the staircase. Pluto ran past me and disappeared around the corner.
I’d barely reached the bottom when the doorbell rang. Perfect timing. I’d given my mother a key several times so that she wouldn’t have to ring the doorbell and could come on in. But after she’d repeatedly lost them, I’d told her that it wasn’t safe to give her one anymore. I just wasn’t sure if someone might find the key and come after the book.
Chapter 9
Without even checking the peephole or surveillance I opened the door wide. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that it wasn’t my mother standing there. I didn’t know this person and I hoped he was here to stay at the bed-and-breakfast and not another crazy person looking to steal the book from me.
“Hello. May I help you?” I asked, trying to sound as professional as possible.
The man appeared to be in his mid-thirties with dark hair and equally dark eyes. He flashed a lopsided grin my way. “I saw your sign for the bed-and-breakfast. Do you have any rooms available?”
I checked over his shoulder to see if he was actually driving a car. I had to be suspicious of everyone. In fact, there was a dark green Jeep in the driveway. I supposed that was a good sign. Though it was no guarantee that he was to be trusted. Just because he was driving a car didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to steal the book.
Keeping people away from the Book of Mystics was exhausting.
“I do have rooms available,” I said. “How many nights do you need to stay?”
As if I had so many people trying to get to all of the rooms. I always had vacancies, unfortunately. But I’d had a steady flow of customers recently and business was definitely picking up. Even though I didn’t have much extra time to be a good innkeeper.
“I’ll probably be here for four nights,” he said. “I’m have some work at a local business. And unfortunately, there aren’t many hotels in Enchantment Pointe.” He flashed another gorgeous smile.
I wouldn’t let his good looks sway me though. I would still be suspicious always.
“Please come in,” I said as I stepped out of the way.
He didn’t have luggage with him, but I assumed it was still in his Jeep. The man followed me into the manor. He peered around the space in awe of the grandeur.
“I just have some papers for you to fill out and then I can show you to your room. Unless you’d like to see the room first before committing to staying here,” I said pulling on the drawer of the table in the foyer.
“Based on what I see already I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said.
I handed him the clipboard with the papers so that he could fill out the information. “Just let me know when you’re finished. I need to get the coffee on. Would you like breakfast?”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.”
“All right, well, I’ll be back in just a bit,” I said.
He smiled and then started filling out the paperwork. I headed for the kitchen but glanced over my shoulder to take another couple of peeks at him occasionally as I walked. He never peered up from his task. I went in the kitchen and hurried around getting the coffee ready and trying to figure out what I was going to make for breakfast.
I hadn’t planned on being here today and I hadn’t planned on having a guest, so I hadn’t bought groceries. I’d figured I would be on my honeymoon. Again, that awful feeling settled in the pit of my stomach at the thought.
I supposed I had no choice but to cast a spell. I didn’t normally do that, but in this situation, it was completely necessary. Now what would I make? I tapped my index finger against my bottom lip. Oh, I knew what would be the easiest. I’d make French toast and fresh fruit. Yes, that would be good. I’d add some scrambled eggs too. It would be perfect, and he would think that I was the best cook ever. That was so deceitful, but I couldn’t exactly tell him that I cooked the food all by magic.
I brought out some pans and dishes. I’d set them out to make it look as if I had been hard at work. He would never know the difference. Before I cast a spell, I decided to check on him and take him to his room. I would never be able to make the food that quickly and I had to pretend that it took longer. I tried to smooth down my hair and adjust my clothing. I bet I looked absolutely frightful after last night. I hadn’t even brushed my hair yet.
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to find something odd going on when I went back. Would he still be there? Would he be in another room casing the joint? As I neared the foyer I found him exactly in the same spot where he’d been before. Had he moved from that spot at all?
He smiled when he saw me. “I’m finished with the papers.”
“Thank you very much,” I said as I took the clipboard from him.
No modern check-in with me. I liked to keep things old-fashioned as much as possible to add to the mystic of the manor. Though I offered WI-FI of course.
Natu
rally, I had to check out his information right away. His name was Paul Roberts. He listed his home address as Atlanta, Georgia.
“I hope you don’t mind stairs,” I said.
“I’m always up for the exercise,” he said with another dashing smile.
“I’ll put you on the third floor.” I reached over into the table by the door and pulled out the room key. “Would you like to get your luggage?”
“Oh, right. I’ll be right back,” he said as he headed out the door.
I watched him as he walked over to his Jeep. The wind stirred just a bit rustling the branches on the surrounding trees. A raven flew across the sky and landed on top of his vehicle. How odd. Paul didn’t seem to notice as he closed the back of the Jeep and headed back toward the manor with his suitcase.
“All right,” I said when he stepped back into the foyer. “I hope that thing isn’t heavy.”
“I think I can handle it,” he said with a wink.
I started up the stairs with Paul right behind me. This reminded me of when Nicolas showed up in the middle of the night. It had been stormy and a bit spooky. Opposite of the bright sunshine filling the morning sky. Maybe that was a sign. This wasn’t Nicolas and I needed to push the thoughts out of my mind. Furthermore, this wasn’t a dark and stormy night. It was sunny and bright outside and it was the morning.
When we reached the second-floor landing, I asked, “How are you holding up?”
“Doing great,” he said.
We made the way down the hallway, past my bedroom, and up the third flight of stairs. I was putting him on the opposite side from my room so that he wouldn’t be right above me. I pulled out the old skeleton key and shoved it into the lock.
The door squeaked as I pushed it open. I stepped into the room just a bit and then out of the way so that Paul could come in.
“I hope this is okay,” I said.
“Oh, that’s great,” Paul said.
He moved across the room and placed his suitcase on the floor next to the white iron bed. A white chenille bedspread looked crisp in the sunshine. I’d added extra pillows to make the room seem more spa-like.