Page 31 of Air Of Mystery
I slung my arm around her shoulder. “You betcha.”
“I’m glad you came to visit.” Danielle smiled.
“Me too.”
Danielle led the way back around to the front of the building and to the private entrance used by the family. Here a Japanese maple, underplanted with painted ferns and a variety of hostas, reigned in the small, shaded courtyard. Old bricks had been used to create a walkway, and the carved wooden door was flanked with huge urns that had flowers spilling out of them.
As we walked closer, I noticed a large antique stone gargoyle that stood sentry by the front door.
“Hello, gorgeous.” I crouched down to get a better look at him.
“That’s Louie,” Danielle informed me. “Maman says she found him buried in the gardens before I was born.”
“He’s pretty cool,” I agreed. Danielle punched in a code and the door unlocked. I followed the girl inside to an impressive foyer. Wide and open, the elaborate parquetted floors gleamed. To the right there appeared to be offices for the running of the hotel, and opposite of that a gorgeous carved, wood staircase swept up to one side. A staircase that Gabriella was now jogging down to greet me.
“Come on up,” she invited.
I nodded calmly, making small talk as we traveled up the stairs and past the security gate that divided the business section on the ground floor from the private family space. But inside I was practically jumping up and down. I’d never been in the eastern side of the building—the family wing. I knew from my own research that the eastern wing also had a history of many paranormal disturbances.
The second floor consisted of a bathroom and a large open kitchen with a sprawling family room. On the third floor the children’s rooms, a guest bedroom, and a library were held. The top floor had been converted out of attic space and now made up a primary suite for Gabriella and Philippe.
Gabriella led the way down the hall of the third floor into a dramatic room that incorporated the tower. A huge stone fireplace dominated, and the library was made cozy with tall bookshelves, comfy leather sofas, and club chairs.
It was an incredible room and if I could have discreetly pulled it off, I would have taken a video of it all with my cell phone.
Gabriella gestured to the sofa, and I sat on one end. “I texted Nicole,” she said. “She’s our PR person for the winery and the hotel; she’s going to bring up some paperwork for you to look over so we can answer any questions about having you film at the mansion in October.”
I nodded. “I have some release forms you’ll need to sign as well, giving me permission to film here for my channel.”
A moment later a brunette glided in carrying a notebook. Despite the fact that she was heavily pregnant, she moved fluidly in high-heeled sandals. Her maternity dress was a snazzy black and white pattern and sleeveless in deference to the summer. The woman’s dark hair was cut short and framed her pretty face.
“Nicole Dubois,” she introduced herself and took a seat in a chair across from me.
I recognized her. She’d always been in the background working at the Halloween ball. “Hello.” I nodded and the meeting began.
After Nicole and Gabriella gave me a brief talk about the history of the property and the 1800-era Marquette family—most of which I knew already—we chose a Thursday night in mid-October. It had to be on a Thursday as the weekends were completely booked for weddings. The ghost tours ran on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and evenings in September and October every year. They’d proven very popular, both with history buffs and ghost enthusiasts. The tours added a nice additional income stream for the mansion.
I was informed that the ghost tours began in the museum room on the ground level of the hotel wing, and then went through the ballrooms and up to the third floor where the missing dowry was found. Weather permitting, the tour also went out to the gardens.
Once the meeting was done, Nicole sat back in her chair with a tired sigh.
“If you want to head home a tad early, Nicole,” Gabriella began, “go ahead.”
“I may take you up on that,” she said.
“Before you go,” I said to Nicole, “would you take a look at the calendar and see if I can book the smaller event space here at the mansion for an afternoon bridal shower for my sister Brynn? I was thinking mid-September...”
Nicole flipped open her electronic notebook and began typing. “We don’t have any Saturdays that aren’t booked in the months of September and October, however, I do have a Friday afternoon spot open in early September. Would that work?”
“Yes,” I said immediately. “About thirty to forty guests, I’m thinking. We’d bring our own food, but our family is huge, and when we did Cordelia’s bridal shower at our house, we were too crammed in.”
“Your email?” she inquired. I rattled it off to her and waited as she typed away. “There.” She closed her laptop with a click. “I just emailed you the contract. Send me the deposit before the end of the week and it’s yours.”
I smiled. “You’ll have the deposit by tonight.”
“Perfect.” She glanced down at the floor. “Aw nuts,” she muttered, as she tried to bend over from the chair. “I’m not going to be able to reach my shoes.”
From the opposite side of the coffee table I saw that she’d taken her shoes off at some point during the meeting. “I’ll get them for you,” I offered and popped up to grab them.
