Page 11 of Halloween with a Daddy
The wonder and excitement in her eyes reminds me of my younger years exploring this gothic masterpiece. I take her through a few of the rooms I’ve always loved, and while the sights seem to enchant her, she hangs on every word when I explain the stories behind them. I never thought these stories would be good for anything other than passing on to the next generation. Now they’re coming in handy as we wander the halls.
We spend a good two hours going through places I’ve explored on my own and rooms I’ve sat in while my dad taught me the history of my ancestral home. I paid attention, even if I wasn’t always interested in the conversation. More-so than Elly, and she was the one who wanted to magically become a gothic princess who lived in Grimwillow Manor all the time. Telling the stories to Bethany makes Grimwillow Manor feel like less of a burden and more of a blessing. I often forget how much I loved this place when I was a boy.
I get to the last room I can show Bethany without getting the full set of keys from downstairs. Our drinks are long gone, but I’m still intoxicated by her.
“Alright, I think you’re going to like this one.” I motion for Bethany to follow me to a large door.
“The door looks different from all the others.” She says, walking up as I open it.
“This is called is the Cabinet Room.” I say as I step inside. “It’s where the man of the house would spend his time when he didn’t want to have to deal with his wife, children, or any of the servants.”
“What about the woman of the house? Where does she go?” Bethany glances towards me.
“She goes to the Pouting Room.” I chuckle. “I forget the fancy name, but that was the translation. It’s the room we saw next to the Master Suite down the hall.”
“Oh, so she gets a room with a tub and a place to sew, while the man gets this elaborate…” Her words trail off, then she spins around. “Man cave!”
“That’s exactly what it is!” I laugh louder than I normally do. “Times were different back then. You’d hate to see where the servants stayed. Not the ones who lived in the manor, but the rest of them. They had a guest house in the back that was as drafty as a barn. It was torn down ages ago.”
“So much history in this place.” She wanders around the room, fully exploring it while I watch. “Thank you for showing it to me.”
“I haven’t even shown you the best part.” I walk over to the wall, push a book into the bookcase, and wait.
A couple of seconds go by before a cranking sound can be heard, and the bookcase opens like a door.
“Is that a secret passage?” Bethany moves closer, and I turn to confirm just in time to see her eyes sparkle with excitement.
“It is.” I say. “Would you like to see where it leads?”
“Um.” She gives me a playful nudge. “As long as it doesn’t go to the dungeon.”
“No, that’s downstairs.” I walk in before she can respond.
I give the door a tug to close it once Bethany enters the secret passage, and then I beckon for her to follow me. The passage has dim lighting, so there’s enough to see, but it’s not somewhere you’d want to run. I walk past several exits before coming to the one I’m looking for. A quick press of the button on the back replicates the same thing that happened on the other side of the house and the door opens up.
“After you.” I motion with my hand. “I promise it doesn’t lead to the dungeon.”
“Right, cause that’s downstairs.” She eyes me for a moment before stepping into the room. “Wait, we’re back in the library!?”
“Yep.” I step out behind her and push the passage door closed. “What’s better than a man cave? A man cave with a secret passage to the library!”
“Okay, but at the time this was built, couldn’t he have just called a servant to retrieve the book for him?” She turns to me.
“You would really call a servant instead of using the secret passage?” I motion to it. “It’s a fucking secret passage!”
“True, I guess you’re right.” She smiles and nods. “Well, that adventure lasted much longer than I thought it would. I should probably check on my friend.”
“You’re leaving?” I ask, picking up the bottle of whiskey from the desk and walking over to the table so I can sit down. “You haven’t even paid for the tour.”
“I didn’t realize I had to pay you for it.” She laughs. “How much do I owe you, Mr. Grim?”
“Sit and have a drink with me.” I reach for the bottle of whiskey and pour some into my glass. “I’ve basically told you my entire family history, and I know nothing about you.”
“I don’t know…” Bethany reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone to glance at it. “Maybe just for a few minutes since my friend hasn’t texted me yet.”
“It sounds like the party is still going. She’s probably having fun.” I motion to Bethany’s cup and she puts it down so I can pour her some whiskey.
“Alright, Mr. Grim. What do you want to know about me?” She lifts her whiskey for a sip, clearly not used to the strong taste, but she seems to be fine with it.
