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Theywere standing in the foyer of the magnificent old home, which was a huge three-story, white clapboard structure with a broad wrap-around porch filled with rocking chairs where you could sit and admire the fall foliage.
TheInnkeepernodded.
“It’sa lovely oldInnbut its history is tragic.I’veseen your show andIcan’twaitto see what you find here!”
“Oh, thank you.”Samsmiled back. “Iwas so excited to get a room with you—you’re usually so full this time of year!”
“Yes, we are.LeafPeepersandGhostLoversjust converge on us inOctober!”TheInnkeepergave a girlish giggle. “We’resoexcited to have you and your husband here with us tonight.It’sjust a shame you couldn’t come onAllHallowsEveitself—the ghosts are so much more lively on that night!Still, you’re only a week off, so they’re already getting restless.”
“Oh—R’orn’snot my husband,”Samsaid quickly. “He’smy, uh, assistant.”
Shedidn’t want to claim the bigKindredas her bodyguard—it might spook theInnkeeperif she thoughtSamwas bringing a stalker along with her—(which she wassureshe wasn’t.Peoplelike that freak,Slasher69, were all talk and no action, as her grandma used to say.)
“Oh…but you only booked a single room,” theInnkeepersaid, staring up atR’ornuncertainly. “Andthe room only has a single bed in it.I’mafraid your, uh, assistant won’t fit on the couch either,” she added.Whichwas definitely true, since the bigKindredwas at least seven feet tall and the size of a professional wrestler.
“Don’tworry—he can stay outside in his ship.Er, his car,”Samsaid quickly.
“Butit gets really cold on these autumn nights,” theInnkeeperprotested. “Iknow you’re fromFlorida—you said so in several of your videos—but up here inNewEngland, you really don’t want to spend the night out in your car if you can help it!”
“Besideswhich,I’mnot staying anywhere but withyou,sweetheart,”R’ornrumbled, frowning down at her. “HowcanIproperlyassistyou ifI’mall the way outside while you’re in here?”
Samfelt a wave of frustration.Shewished he would stop calling her “sweetheart” in that sarcastic tone of voice—it was driving her crazy!Shewanted to protest that hehadto go sleep in the car—she’d heard that mostKindredships had a living quarters in the back with a bed and everything.Butif she did that, she would look like a mean-tempered bitch to theInnkeeper, who was obviously a fan.
“Well…we won’t be doing much sleeping anyway,” she said at last. “We’regoing to be up most of the night speaking to theBelgravespirits!”
“Oh—there are alotof them too!”Ms.Primrose’seyes grew wide. “Therehave been so many tragedies here over the years.TheBelgraveswere truly a most unlucky family andIfear their bad luck rubbed off on the people who came to stay here when the family home was turned into anInn.”Shedropped her voice almost to a whisper. “Somepeople even sayTheBelgraveMansioniscursed.”
“That’sfascinating!”Samleaned closer. “Wouldyou be willing to say that again—and give us some history—whileIrecord everything?”Shepulled out her phone.Therewere better cameras to use of course, but she found that the shaky, found-footage effect she got from filming on her phone really appealed to her viewers.
“Oh—mebe in one of yourvideos?”TheInnkeeper’shands fluttered to her freshly starched apron. “Howexciting!”
“Yes—my viewers will love you!”Samsaid enthusiastically. “Iwant to hear all about the house and its history and the different ghosts.Takeus through the whole thing.”
“I’dbe delighted!”Ms.Primrosenodded eagerly. “Comeright this way—we can start in the parlor whereEarnestBelgravehung himself back in 1745.Somesay that was the start of the house’s bad luck…”
4
R’ORN
R’ornfollowed dutifully along as theInnkeeperandSamanthawent through the huge old domicile talking excitedly and filming the different rooms as theInnkeeperrelated the tragic history of the various inhabitants and guests.
Hehad gone along with the idea that he wasSamantha’sassistant rather than herProtectorbecause he sensed she didn’t want the other woman to get spooked by the idea that she might bring danger with her.Sohe did his best to act as her assistant by carrying her bag of equipment and handing her whatever she asked for.
Butas the tour went on,R’ornfound he was interested despite himself and his certainty that everything was fake.Therecertainly had been a lot of tragedies here over the years!Ifhe was a superstitious male who believed in the supernatural, he almost might have wondered if the old domicile really was cursed in some way.
“Andthis is the bedroom whereMinervaPennyfeatherof theBostonPennyfeatherswas found with her head and her hands cut off,” theInnkeepersaid as they entered yet another bedchamber. “Herhusband caught her with her lover, you know.Heshot the lover, but he brought an axe just for her.”
“Howawful!”Samantha’slovely dark blue eyes—which were lined with black make up that made them look even bigger—widened dramatically.
“Yes.We’vehad guests who leave this room in the middle of the night.Theyoften report they feel something cold—like an icy blade—pressing against their neck and they say they can’t breathe.”TheInnkeepernodded with grim satisfaction.
“Hangon—do you feel that?”Samanthaput her arms around herself and shivered. “Letme use the temperature gun.R’orn?”
Sheheld out a hand andR’orndug in the bag and handed her the equipment she asked for—he knew what it was from watching so many of her videos.Hedidn’t feel cold himself at all, but then,Kindredusually ran hotter on the temperature scale than humans.
Samanthaused the temperature gun to check for “cold spots” and supposedly found a few.
“ButIdon’t see any spirits in here,” she added, looking around the room carefully—as though a ghost might pop out of a pillow if she stared at it hard enough,R’ornthought. “Infact,Ihaven’t seen any since we got here.”
