To the Manor Come

“The sun at home warms better than the sun elsewhere” – Albanian proverb.

Janie’s friends used to beg her to let them stay for the weekend in her “haunted” house in Oak Tree, CT. At least, that’s what everyone said it was. To Janie there was nothing strange or unusual. Yes, there were odd noises and such, but all old houses had them; and she lived in an incredibly old one - it was built in the 1800’s. There had been some “modern” additions, but the house still looked as though it came out of the pages of a historical journal. Perhaps it had. A nickel “tour” of the house took hours. Janie’s grandfather used to give tours around Halloween after creating a few “special effects”. Janie and her brother Joe took turns at being “the hand” like Thing in the Adams family television series. This year, 2019, it would be her turn. Grandpa kidded around on the tour and said it was the only living remains of his sister and “the hand” required donations of paper money (bills) to survive. If the hand perished - woe be to the one who did not give… (It was all fun, but big old houses cost a lot to maintain, so it helped).

         A new girl had moved into town and Janie took an instant liking to her. Jenny was quiet, studious, and shy and Janie could have sworn she was looking in a mirror when the two of them were together. Even though she expected a “no thank you” Janie asked her new friend to stay for a weekend in early October if it was okay with her folks. An excited Jenny greeted Janie the next day with the happy news that she could indeed stay at her friend’s house. All she had to do was give her parents the telephone number of where she would be staying, just in case. Janie was saddened for a minute, then brightened up.  

“We don’t have a phone, but the gardener does - he stays in the cottage at the front of our property - surely that would be okay.”

Jenny nodded. The two girls happily started planning their weekend together. Jenny could not wait to see the “library” with its winding staircase, the kitchen, the big bathtub, the gardens, the music room, the glass enclosed room at the top of the house where you could see all directions… all of it in fact. She had heard so much about Janie’s house from other children in school. Both girls found it hard to concentrate on schoolwork - Friday could not come soon enough.  

         Eventually - freedom for the weekend. Jenny had a backpack with her that she had put in her locker that morning, ready for the weekend. It had pajamas, flannel shirt, pants, the current book that she was reading and another in case she finished the first one, journal, pens, and of course, her favorite stuffed bear. The girls took the school bus to Janie’s house and then ran the last mile to the gate that was the entrance to the manor. The size of the house at the end of the long driveway was breathtaking - Jenny wondered how the parents could keep track of the children. The first stop they made was to the kitchen. The live-in housekeeper Sara was fixing supper but took time out to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for each of the girls. Then, because there was a guest in the house - a glass of ice cold milk with strawberry Nesquik for each also.

“That will tide you over a bit Miss Janie” said a timid Sara. She was very shy when dealing with people she felt were her “betters” – even the children.

“Thank you, Sara, you always take good care of me and my friends too. We are going to the library if anyone needs us.”

“Okay, have fun!”

Jenny wanted to stay forever - the library was in the middle of the house and on two levels - she had never seen anything like it. There was a spiral staircase, lots of nooks and crannies and books, books, and more books. Oh, to catch a cold and be required to stay in a place like this - she laughed. Now she was picking up phrases that she had heard or read. That line was from a Topper movie she remembered. True to form, the library had a secret panel. To access it, Janie pulled a book off the 3rd shelf opposite the window, and a passage opened.

“You have got to be kidding me” Jenny said.

“Follow me” smiled Janie and disappeared into the passage.

Nervous hesitation lasted only a minute and Jenny hurried after her friend. They only had an hour to explore before the sun would go down and neither one wanted to get lost or be in the passage after dark.

         The two girls met up in the highest level of the house after racing through the passage. It was higher than even some of the trees (some of them had birds’ nests in them) and most of the roof. From here Jenny could see roses in the garden, a sunken area, a grotto, and a Japanese style garden - it was immaculate.  

“Your gardener works very hard.”

“Yes, he puts his heart and soul into everything he does here. We’ll visit it tomorrow if you like.”

“I would like lots. Yes please.”

Just then a huge gong sounded. Jenny jumped a mile.

“What was that?”

“Oh, forgot to warn you, sorry, it is the dinner gong. We’d better high tail it to the dining room fast.”

Jenny’s nerves were a little on edge, but she enjoyed the roast chicken, mashed potatoes, and cut up carrots that the butler carried round to each person. It was just four at the dinner table that night – Grandpa had taken Joe and his dad on a weekend fishing trip that afternoon leaving the women and the girls alone in the house. Janie’s grandma Lettie, Janie’s mother Laura, Janie, and Jenny sat at the biggest wooden table Jenny had ever seen. Jell-O and cream were served for dessert.

“I’m glad Joe isn’t here,” said Janie; “he calls the Jell-O and cream squirrel brains”.

“Ewww” was Jenny’s reply.

After dinner, the family gathered in the library (it was a favorite of everyone) and played Monopoly while sitting at a much smaller table. Before bed, a pot of hot cocoa was served. It tasted so rich and creamy thought Jenny. Not too sweet, not too hot. They knew how to make a guest feel welcome.

         The manor had several guest bedrooms; one of which was ideal for a young girl, but Jenny wanted to stay with her friend, it would help her feel more comfortable she said. Janie’s bedroom was decked out in purple with turquoise accents - a magical room. Outfitted with a study desk with built in shelves, a wardrobe, dresser, and chest by the window that doubled as a reading bench. The four poster bed she slept in had curtains around it - it would be like sleeping in a tent. What fun thought Jenny. There was a Himalayan salt lamp that gave off a soft light - this would be left on each night as a kind of night light, just enough to see by. Soft cotton sheets, fluffy pillows, plush blanket, and a satin bedspread made this Janie’s second favorite place to spend time (the library being the first). Janie said she had saved money from raking leaves, baking bread, and other chores to get the items. A sleepy Jenny thanked her friend for inviting her and drifted off to dreamland.

There came a soft purring after a short while.

“Hush Lavender. It’s good to see you, sleep on this side tonight; I don’t want to frighten my friend.” A dent in the pillow next to Janie - her beloved pet had come to visit. She had been gone three years but still made appearances now and then.

Jenny woke after midnight to see the rocking horse moving by itself. Was that a faint outline of a figure? Too frightened to think of what it was she shut her eyes tightly and pulled the blanket up over her head. She tried to calm her nerves and secretly hoped that the rocking horse that moved by itself was the only “weird” thing she would see that weekend. No wonder her new friend was so quiet and always had her head in a book, her reality would make any sane child crazy.

         Both girls were early risers so were dressed and outside the house before the adults were even awake. They waved to the caretaker and headed to the grotto in the gardens. They “breakfasted” on wild blackberries at the back of the garden. Jenny looked toward the house and saw a treehouse - yes, it was there. She thought for a while that she had imagined it when she first spotted it yesterday.

Jenny saw what her friend was looking at and said

“Oh yes, Joe and I built that last summer - would you like to see inside?”

“I would, yes!”

“Follow me!”

They climbed the base of the tree all the way up. There were notches in the trunk so climbing was easy. Janie’s mother sent them up a picnic lunch in a basket, pleased that her daughter was happy. In the afternoon, the girls put black sunflower seed on the “windowsill” opening and sat quietly on little chairs watching chickadees, finches, and cardinals come by for food. 

         They returned to the house when daylight started to fade and were going to take turns having a bubble bath in the large claw-footed tub (large for a small person anyway). Janie insisted that Jenny have the first bath.

Jenny suddenly sensed the bathroom getting a chill in the air. Then a mysterious written message appeared in the steamed up mirror.

She read the message - 

The housekeeper is no more.

Who is next to be taken?

Je….

A scream … followed by silence.  

And then there were three.