Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83353 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Otherwise, she’d have more than a stalker after her—she’d have his Beast—and that was a much greater danger than any human could ever pose.
3
SAM
“Welcome to the beautiful and historic Belgrave Mansion—the oldest haunted house still functioning as an Inn in the country. I’m Ms. Primrose and I’ll be your Innkeeper.”
Ms. Primrose was a woman in her fifties wearing a Colonial period dress with a lace cap and a long white apron over her gingham gown. As she spoke, she smiled at Sam and spread her hands invitingly.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Sam said, smiling back. “And the Belgrave is even more beautiful than I’d imagined!”
They were 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.
The Innkeeper nodded.
“It’s a lovely old Inn but its history is tragic. I’ve seen your show and I can’t wait to see what you find here!”
“Oh, thank you.” Sam smiled back. “I was so excited to get a room with you—you’re usually so full this time of year!”
“Yes, we are. Leaf Peepers and Ghost Lovers just converge on us in October!” The Innkeeper gave a girlish giggle. “We’re so excited to have you and your husband here with us tonight. It’s just a shame you couldn’t come on All Hallows Eve itself—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’s not my husband,” Sam said quickly. “He’s my, uh, assistant.”
She didn’t want to claim the big Kindred as her bodyguard—it might spook the Innkeeper if she thought Sam was bringing a stalker along with her—(which she was sure she wasn’t. People like that freak, Slasher69, were all talk and no action, as her grandma used to say.)
“Oh…but you only booked a single room,” the Innkeeper said, staring up at R’orn uncertainly. “And the room only has a single bed in it. I’m afraid your, uh, assistant won’t fit on the couch either,” she added. Which was definitely true, since the big Kindred was at least seven feet tall and the size of a professional wrestler.
“Don’t worry—he can stay outside in his ship. Er, his car,” Sam said quickly.
“But it gets really cold on these autumn nights,” the Innkeeper protested. “I know you’re from Florida—you said so in several of your videos—but up here in New England, you really don’t want to spend the night out in your car if you can help it!”
“Besides which, I’m not staying anywhere but with you, sweetheart,” R’orn rumbled, frowning down at her. “How can I properly assist you if I’m all the way outside while you’re in here?”
Sam felt a wave of frustration. She wished he would stop calling her “sweetheart” in that sarcastic tone of voice—it was driving her crazy! She wanted to protest that he had to go sleep in the car—she’d heard that most Kindred ships had a living quarters in the back with a bed and everything. But if she did that, she would look like a mean-tempered bitch to the Innkeeper, who was obviously a fan.
“Well…we won’t be doing much sleeping anyway,” she said at last. “We’re going to be up most of the night speaking to the Belgrave spirits!”
“Oh—there are a lot of them too!” Ms. Primrose’s eyes grew wide. “There have been so many tragedies here over the years. The Belgraves were truly a most unlucky family and I fear their bad luck rubbed off on the people who came to stay here when the family home was turned into an Inn.” She dropped her voice almost to a whisper. “Some people even say The Belgrave Mansion is cursed.”
“That’s fascinating!” Sam leaned closer. “Would you be willing to say that again—and give us some history—while I record everything?” She pulled out her phone. There were 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—me be in one of your videos?” The Innkeeper’s hands fluttered to her freshly starched apron. “How exciting!”
“Yes—my viewers will love you!” Sam said enthusiastically. “I want to hear all about the house and its history and the different ghosts. Take us through the whole thing.”
“I’d be delighted!” Ms. Primrose nodded eagerly. “Come right this way—we can start in the parlor where Earnest Belgrave hung himself back in 1745. Some say that was the start of the house’s bad luck…”
4
R’ORN
R’orn followed dutifully along as the Innkeeper and Samantha went through the huge old domicile talking excitedly and filming the different rooms as the Innkeeper related the tragic history of the various inhabitants and guests.
He had gone along with the idea that he was Samantha’s assistant rather than her Protector because he sensed she didn’t want the other woman to get spooked by the idea that she might bring danger with her. So he did his best to act as her assistant by carrying her bag of equipment and handing her whatever she asked for.