Page 48 of The Legend of Lovers Hollow
“What about Lady Clare?” Haru asks, his eyes wide.
“She wanders the corridors of this hotel, weeping for her lost love.” Everyone breaks into a polite round of applause at Thad’s final words.
As far as I know, there is no such thing. According to Roger and Bertie, not one of the three ghosts have ever been seen. But still, if it gets people through the doors and helps to save the hotel, I’ll nod and smile and play along. Thad might be disappointed that he won’t get a sighting or proof that Lady Clare’s spirit haunts the hotel, but he won’t go away disappointed. Bertie and the others will definitely make it worth his while.
“Right, so there you have it.” I smile my thanks to Thad and step in front of everyone once more. “Now for the weekend’s itinerary. All events are entirely optional, of course. Rosie?” I turn to my best friend, who moves to my side, a clipboard balanced on one arm and pen clutched in the opposite hand.
“Hello, everyone,” she greets them. “The weekend’s itinerary has a little something for everyone, we hope! Tomorrow morning, I’ll be hosting a tour of the actual house. We’ll go to the locations where several deaths have occurred, many of which were definitely not from natural circumstances. I’ll also take you to the upper portrait gallery, where you’ll be able to see what some of the ghosts who reportedly haunt the hotel look like. I’ll warn you now, there will be a lot of stairs involved. For anyone interested, the house tour begins at ten a.m. in the dining room after breakfast.”
“Thank you, Rosie.” I nod. “There will be a short period afterwards when you’re free to have a look around. Thad and his team will be conducting their investigation and filming during that time as well. From twelve to two p.m. a hot buffet lunch will be served. Straight after that, Morgan and I will be hosting an outdoor tour, providing it isn’t snowing too heavily.”
“We will?” Morgan blinks in surprise, then coughs. “I mean, we are.” He nods and I send him a smile.
“The tour will cover the chapel and graveyard, and conclude at Lovers Hollow,” I continue.
“Oh.” Haru frowns in disappointment. “I don’t have any boots with me.”
“That’s not a problem,” I assure him. “We have plenty of spare wellies.”
“What is ‘wellies’?” Mina asks.
“They’re rubber boots,” I tell her. “To stop your feet getting wet. Although they don’t keep your feet very warm in the snow, but a couple of thick pairs of socks and you should be fine.”
“Nein, we have winter boots. I just did not understand this word…wellies.” She laughs. “Is a funny word,ja?”
“Well, we won’t be going into the woods.” Mrs Taylor-Jones frowns.
“Why?” Mina asks. “You come for ghosts?”
“Well, yes, I mean, no… sort of. It was a bit of a whim.”
“You come on tour,” Mina announces and looks at Ans and Sieg, who are nodding in agreement.
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Mrs Taylor-Jones shakes her head.
“You will come join us. We will keep you company,ja?” Mina says, in a manner that’s not so much asking as telling, but in the nicest possible way.
“Oh no, we couldn’t possibly–” She blushes.
“We’d love to,” Mr Taylor-Jones blurts loudly.
“Francis!” his wife exclaims.
“What?” he says, his voice softening. “We came here to have new experiences, remember? A fresh start? A bit of excitement, that’s why we chose a ghost hunt, because it’s something neither of us has ever done.”
She stares at him for a few moments longer, then nods slowly. “Okay, yes.” She looks over at the Schäfers. “Thank you, we’d love to accompany you. I’m Ellen and this is my husband Francis.”
“Mina, Sieg,undAns,” she introduces them. “My partners.”
“Partners?” Ellen blinks, her cheeks colouring slightly.
“Ja.”
“I know you don’t look alike, but I assumed you were siblings since you have the same last name,” Ellen says.
Francis coughs, having witnessed their earlier kisses. “Definitely not siblings.”
Sieg, who has been silent up until now, speaks, his voice warm and a little gravelly. “We change name to same because we choose to be together. Lovers, partners. You understand?”