“I understand, I’ll ask Cole.” Drew said as the waitress walked up.
They placed their orders and Hunter swallowed hard and said, “Cole and Andrea are meeting us there.”
“That’s cool. Do you think I could tag along? You think they have any cheap rooms?”
Taylor pulled at a loose thread on her blouse and said, “We’re all meeting Kellie for the weekend.”
Drew’s face turned red, and he jumped out of the booth. “I can’t believe she has stolen my friends. It’s bad enough she caused me to drink and lose my job, now she has you guys, too?”
Hunter tried to calm Drew. “No one has stolen us and no one forced you to drink. Please sit back down. Our dinners will be here soon.”
“I don’t eat with traitors,” Drew yelled. “You have been against me and on her side since we met in college. You all deserve each other.”
Taylor hid her face behind a menu as Drew stormed out of the restaurant. “He needs more anger management classes,” she whispered.
A confused waitress walked up with three dinners. “Just set his plate down,” Hunter said. “I’ll take care of his bill.” He picked up Drew’s plate and pulled the onion rings off the plate onto the top of his fries.
“You’re going to eat all of that?” Taylor asked her eyes wide as she watched her husband dig into his meal.
“You bet. If I’m paying for it, I’m eating it. I’m taking his steak home, too. I’ll have it for breakfast.” He grinned at her. “You can have his salad.”
“No, thanks, I have my own. Aren’t you upset about what happened?”
“Of course, but I can’t let Drew ruin our lives. He’s doing a good job of ruining his and I’m sure his parents are wrecks by now. I’ll help him when I can, but until he settles down and accepts his responsibilities no one can help him.” He bit an onion ring in half.
“I guess you’re right,” Taylor said as she poured dressing on her salad before she began to eat.
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Kellie stepped out of the elevator wearing a simple black dress and saw a smiling Randy waiting for her. He was dressed in a navy suit which brought out the blue in his eyes. Wondering how he looked more handsome than he had an hour before, Kellie thought it must be the suit. She smiled and hugged him.
“You look beautiful,” Randy said taking a step back.
Looking into his eyes, she responded, “So do you.”
He took her arm, and they walked into the restaurant.
They were seated near a window with the perfect view of a softly lit garden. Tiny white lights flickered in the bushes and around the gazebo.
“That reminds me,” Randy said. “Are you still planning on a new gazebo for the house?”
“Yes, but it can wait for next summer. I’m happy the grass is growing after the dry summer. I thought all the sod would die before it had a chance to grow. Rufus is happy, too. He runs from my yard to Taylor’s and back all day long. He howls at their back door when they’re at work. Hunter spoils him.”
Randy laughed at the thought of Rufus howling. “He’s a fun dog. I don’t blame him for looking for treats.”
The waiter appeared and brought a basket of warm bread and whipped butter. He handed them menus and said he would return. Another young man filled their water glasses, bowed, and left.
After enjoying a meal of grilled chicken and steak, Kellie and Randy decided to share a white chocolate brownie sundae for dessert. Randy picked up his fork and pulled off a small piece of brownie. He dabbed it into the hot fudge and swirled it through a bit of ice cream and whipped cream. He held out the fork for Kellie to take a bite. As she slid her lips over the fork, she looked straight into Randy’s eyes. Feelings of longing rushed over her, and she felt herself blush.
They enjoyed light hearted conversation as they finished the sundae. Randy paid the bill and said he’d walk Kellie back to her room.
Kellie stopped at her door with her door key card in her hand. She looked at Randy and said, “I had a nice time. It was enjoyable to have a quiet dinner.”
Randy said, “We’ll have to do this again.” Before Kellie could nod, he leaned in for a kiss. It was soft and gentle, but he pulled her to him. His tongue found her lips, and she responded. She was reaching behind her trying to swipe her key card to open the door.
Randy took the card and swiped it. He pushed the door open, pulled Kellie close again, and they entered the nearly dark hotel room. Moonlight streamed through the open drapes. Once inside, he pushed the door closed. Kissing Kellie again, she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand cradled the back of her neck and slid down to the top of her zipper. He unzipped her dress as Kellie returned the passion of his kisses.
She took a deep breath and stepped back. She took Randy’s hand in hers and led him to the bedroom. He placed his hands on her shoulders and slid her dress off. It slipped to the floor as she unbuttoned his shirt. Running her hands over his bare chest stirred feelings she thought were buried. He kissed her neck and she inhaled deeply. Randy picked her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her on the bed and she unbuckled his belt. He stepped out of his slacks and joined her in bed.
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Sunlight brightened the edges of the drapes as Kellie woke to the sound of the shower. She stretched and realized she was naked. Last night’s memories flooded back, and she smiled. Randy was only the second man she had been with in her life. He was slow and gentle. His lovemaking was a new, wonderful experience. Thinking of how Randy had made her feel made her want him again. He walked out of the bathroom wearing a towel and her mind raced.
He walked to the edge of the bed, bent over, and kissed her. “Good morning, gorgeous.” Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she pulled him closer.
He gently moved her arms from around his neck and stood. “There’s nothing I would like more than to get right back into bed, but I have to be at work soon. It’s a long drive back to Malone Springs. I didn’t plan on spending the night. I mean, I hoped in the back of my mind, but it wasn’t my original plan.” He dropped the towel and slipped on his shirt.
Kellie raised her eyebrows and smiled. “I didn’t plan it either, but I’m glad you did.”
Randy finished dressing. “I have to go.” He kissed Kellie, slipped his hand under the sheet and gently caressed her body. He winked. “Wait until next time. We’ll make it a weekend in bed.” He waved and left the room.
Kellie pushed herself up on her elbow. She bit her lip thinking she needed to cool off and a visit to the indoor water park was in order. Where did she put her swim suit?
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After a quick shower, Kellie pulled on shorts and a tee over her suit, grabbed her towel bag, and headed to the pool area. She could smell the pool water before she got off the elevator bringing back childhood memories. A quick pang of loss hit her heart as she remembered her mom taking her to the local pool. How she missed her now. She had so many things she wished she could talk over with her. Calling her Gram to ask about a new man and sex just wouldn’t be a good idea. Kellie stifled a giggle when she thought of the look her Gram would have on her face.
She checked in at the pool area desk. As she turned, she noticed brochures for local attractions. She picked up one for the Gotz Manor and read it. She didn’t learn more than she already knew. Curiosity got the better of her and she thought perhaps a local would know more. She asked the young woman behind the counter, “I’m thinking about taking the tour, but can’t find out much about the family or the manor house. The library had minimal information except for an insane employee.”
A cute brunette with a pixie cut smiled at Kellie. “Everyone around here knows the manor house is haunted. Businesses are afraid people won’t come around, so they do their best to ignore it. A local author has a book for sale in our gift shop. There’s a legend about an occurrence at the manor house that might interest you.”
“Thanks, I’ll get a copy after my swim.” Kellie smiled and walked toward the pool.<
br />
An hour of swimming and one ride down the giant slide were enough for Kellie after the adventure of the previous night. She slept well, but felt as if she needed a nap. She dried off, slipped her shorts and top back on, and headed for the gift shop.
Kellie asked the sales clerk for the book, smiled at the title, Aunt Tilly’s Local Tales, paid for the book, and hurried back to her room. She lay down planning to read, but drifted off to sleep instead.
Chapter Eight
Kellie woke an hour later with the book on her chest. She rolled over, pushed herself up on her elbows, and opened the book. There were ten local tales by Aunt Tilly, but only one caught her eye. Gotz Manor Mystery was what she was interested in, and a small blurb hinted at the mystery—a bride and groom disappearing on their wedding day. Kellie read.
It was 1920 and the Gotz family was celebrating a wedding.
Dorothea, the maid, had filled the foyer and parlor with bouquets of long stem white roses. Garlands of white roses hung from the wooden stair rail along the staircase leading from the upstairs hall into the foyer. Bright sunlight shone through the stained glass windows filling the parlor with light and dancing colors.
The guests had been seated in the parlor when the music began. Constance and her father descended the stairs and entered the parlor. Simon, Constance’s soon to be husband, stood at the far end of the parlor with the preacher. His collar was too tight, and his palms were sweaty. He swallowed hard when he saw Constance enter the room in her floor length satin gown. Its collar and long sleeve cuffs were covered in pearls that glistened in the sunlight. She seemed to float into the room like an angel.
Pastor Gowon recited a short bible verse, gave the young couple a bit of sage advice, had them exchange vows, and pronounced them man and wife. A quick, polite public kiss and the couple walked down the aisle into the foyer. After greeting the guests, Mrs. Gotz invited them to brunch under a large tent in the backyard.
Constance and Simon took the opportunity to sneak off for a short walk along the trees at the edge of the property. Constance looked at Simon and said, “Do you think it will rain, I feel a chill in the air.” (I am not positive this is what she said, but other guests said they saw them speaking, the weather had turned and it is possible she would mention it--Aunt Tilly)
Before he could answer, a mist rolled out of the tree line enveloping the couple. The wedding guests saw the mist and decided to go back into the house. The sky began to darken, and a flash of lightening could be seen beyond the trees. A second flash blinded the wedding guests, and when their vision cleared, Simon and Constance were gone. The male guests ran to the edge of the property and looked for them. The grove of trees was not deep, and they could easily see between them to the farm field adjacent to the trees. Simon and Constance had disappeared.
Constance’s mother fainted and was carried into the house. The wedding guests left and more men arrived to help search for Constance and Simon. All they found was Constance’s bouquet of white roses lying in the grass where she had last been seen.
They were never found, and over a hundred years later it was believed they could be seen walking in the backyard on foggy nights. Occasionally a white rose would be found in the grass behind the house.
“This certainly is a mystery,” Kellie mumbled, “and roses again. Will every mystery I find involve roses or is this a clue that I need to investigate? It seems Aunt Tilly used a bit of literary license to capture Constance and Simon’s conversation, but it adds drama to the story.” She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. A tour of the manor house was on her list, and she saw there was one at two that afternoon.
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Kellie parked her SUV in the parking area reserved for the Gotz Manor Tour. Concealed by a grove of trees, the cars didn’t distract from the beauty of the manor house grounds. She strolled along the path leading to the main walkway in front of the manor house. Ten other people were walking toward the tour guide who waited on the stairs leading to the manor house.
“Good morning and welcome to the Gotz Manor. My name is Nicki, and I’ll be your tour guide,” said the young, bright eyed tour guide. “I see you all have your brochures and know about the background of the manor house. It explains when and how it was built. Finished in the mid-eighteen hundreds, the family moved in the manor house. We’ll tour the house first and then I’ll take you on a tour of the grounds.” She smiled and began to walk up the eleven stairs leading to the double entry doors.
A portly, elderly gentleman dressed in khaki shorts, a striped polo shirt, and white suspenders holding up his shorts walked about three feet in front of Kellie. He called out to the tour guide, “Are we going to get the tour of the dungeon?”
“The manor house doesn’t have a dungeon, sir. That’s a myth surrounding the manor’s history,” Nicki smiled at him.
“Oh, yes it does. My brother-in-law did some restoration work here and saw it and the torture chamber with his own eyes. There were torture devices left down there.” He leaned against his cane and stared up the stairs at the young woman.
“I have never seen them, sir. I have seen the entire manor house, so I’m able to answer your questions. There is a basement and a sub-basement used as cold storage before electricity was available. There is some odd old equipment stored away, but nothing that would resemble torture devices.” She turned and walked up the stairs to the doors and opened them for the tourists.
He called after her again. “Oh, yeah, what about the crazy family members that tortured people down there?”
“Sir, you’re a bit confused. There was a gardener that worked here when the manor house first opened. He was accused, tried, and convicted of several brutal crimes and disappearances in the area. He was hung for the crimes and was in no way related to the Gotz family. You can learn more about him at the local library.” She stood with her hands on her hips.
The man’s wife poked him in the ribs with her elbow and mumbled something in his ear. He followed her up the stairs.
When the group was assembled in the massive foyer, Nicki began to describe the architecture, marble flooring, paintings, and the crystal chandelier. Kellie’s eyes were fixed on a life size painting hanging above the staircase landing. She ran up the ten stairs to get a better look.
“Excuse me, miss,” Nicki said. “We’ll explore the upstairs after we tour the first floor. Would you like to rejoin us?”
“I’m sorry, but this painting captivated me. Is this the first family to live here?”
“Yes, it is Herman Gotz, his wife, and their four children. It is an oil copy of an old photograph. The photo is framed in the library.”
“Did the painter use his own discretion about colors or did he have some idea when he painted this?” Kellie asked.
“I have no idea. It was painted several decades ago, and I’m sure he did his best to paint them the way they would have looked during that time period.”
“I assumed that,” Kellie said, “but the flowers in the vase next to Mrs. Gotz are black roses with tiny hints of dark red shading. Were they normal for the time period?”
“It was said Mrs. Gotz was an herbalist of sorts and grew medicines in a secret garden and loved to experiment with flowers. Perhaps she was able to grow very dark red roses that appear black in the original photograph.”
“Yup,” piped up the elderly man. “Some say she was a nurse and mid-wife and others said she was a witch who could cure people. Supposed to have cured a kid with the croup so bad he nearly choked to death and stopped breathing. She saved him. A witch she was, yup.” His wife poked him again.
Kellie nodded and began to descend the stairs to join the others when Aunt Marge’s words crossed her mind. Black roses mean death. Kellie shuddered as a chill ran down her spine. Not again she thought. She spun when she heard quiet sobbing coming from the library. Everyone else was listening to Nicki as she entered the parlor and didn’t respond to the sobbing. Kellie hurried to catch up with them.
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Following everyone into the parlor, her thoughts silenced Nicki’s description of the room. All Kellie could do was picture Constance walking toward Simon most likely standing near the white stone fireplace. It was a beautiful room for a wedding. Kellie’s curiosity overwhelmed her when she felt the love in the room. It must be another sign. The house held three mysteries and Kellie had barely set foot in the front door. What happened to the young couple? Was there a black rose in the painting? Was there a dungeon and did the insane employee use it? She was going to need to see that dungeon even if she wasn’t allowed. Kellie also needed help. The weekend would be perfect when Taylor, Hunter, Cole, and Andrea arrived for their get-away. A quick glance at the brochure let Kellie know there were no tours on Sunday afternoons, and the manor house was empty after five every afternoon. She smiled as she followed the group into the dining room.
Her curiosity piquing; she walked next to the elderly gentleman and whispered, “I believe you, but I can’t find any information about the dungeon or murders that took place near here.”
“Town’s hiding it all. Bad for business, you know.” His booming voice echoed in the large parlor. “Talk to the locals, the old ones who remember stories their fathers and grandfathers told them. I can tell you one.”
Nicki cringed, “Please sir, let’s finish the tour.”
“Okay, but this young lady asked me a question, and it’s rude not to answer.” He leaned on his cane and stared at Kellie. “Several young women had disappeared in town. Some were under the assumption they left for the city and a better life. This next story I heard from my father. It was the only murder of a young woman from town they could prove. Her name was Marie. The killer tried to bury her in the woods, but was disturbed by hunters and left her half buried. The hunters discovered her. They caught him, bound him, and dragged him into town. He was later found guilty and hung. Being a gentleman, I can’t tell you what happened to her.”
BLACK VELVET ROSES Page 7