A/N: Hello Friends - I started this story for the Twilight Tricks and Treats contest last fall, but I missed the deadline. I planned to set it aside and finish it when the contest rolls around again. However, the story includes a little mention of one of my favorite actors, the wonderful Alan Rickman. I was saddened to learn of his death and inspired to finish this little story in his memory. Rest in peace, Mr. Rickman. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Sincerest thanks to my beta on this, Owlsarebirdstoo.
This is short: seven chapters, all pre-written, posting every few days.
Chapter 1
Edward came out of a lengthy meeting with architects and engineers after reviewing the progress on the company's latest building project, which was almost complete. While he enjoyed these projects, the endless final punch lists that had to be dealt with in these last stages were tedious. He made it to his office and started logging-in to check his email when his cell phone rang. A grin spread across his face as he saw Bella's smiling picture light-up the screen and he answered the call.
"Hi, sweetheart."
"Hi, Edward. How's your day going? Did the meeting cover everything you needed?"
"Yeah, baby, it did. It was a bit tiresome going through last minute things still to be done, but we got through everything. Don't worry, we're on schedule so nothing's going to interfere with our trip," he chuckled. "I know that's really why you're calling."
"Okay, I'm busted. We've been planning this for a long time; I just don't want to have to reschedule it."
"No worries there, Bella. I'm cleared to be out of the office. Operation Ghostbusters is a definite go!"
Both Bella and Edward had a fascination with ghost-lore, and they were taking some time to tour upstate New York on a ghost tour. The tour organizers guaranteed ghost sightings and they were cautiously optimistic.
"That's good because I was calling to let you know that I heard from our first choice bed and breakfast - the one where we were put on the waiting list – and they've had a cancellation. We are booked in a suite at The Erie Mansion!"
"Really? That's fantastic! We get to stay at the Erie Mansion." Edward said the last words in an exaggerated scary voice and Bella laughed.
"There's only one 'E' at the beginning of the name, dork," she teased. "It's not the Eerie Mansion," she said, mimicking his voice.
"Okay, just so you know that I'll protect you if you get spooked," he said.
"I'll hold you to that!" she replied with a laugh. "Now, get back to work so we can leave on time this weekend. No delays allowed!"
"No delays, I promise. See you at home. Love you, Bella."
"I love you too, honey. See you later."
That Saturday, Bella and Edward were on their way north from their home in New York City, heading to the Erie Mansion, so named because it was located along the Erie Canal. It was early afternoon when they arrived. The building was a stunning Victorian home situated on a large piece of land. A long driveway led from the road to the house, curving in front of the porch before ending at a carriage house and a small parking area off to the left. The property included an expansive backyard that bordered a path running along the edge of the canal.
The home itself was three full stories plus a turret tower rising another two stories above the roof. Four broad steps led to a generously proportioned porch spanning the entire front of the house and gracefully wrapping around the right side of the building. In line with Victorian tradition, it was colorfully painted; the clapboard siding was a pale yellow and the elaborate trim was a dark forest green with accent pieces repeating the yellow base. The square tower had a balcony under the window on each side with heavily embellished railings. Pointed gables rose over nearly every top floor window, crowned with pointed spires.
They exited the car and stood for a moment admiring the house.
"Wow," Bella said.
"You aren't kidding, baby," Edward replied, grasping her hand in his own and leading her up the porch steps.
Just as Edward reached for the handle of the front door, it swung open and they were met by a tall, trim woman.
"Hello, hello my dears! You must be Bella and Edward," she said as she waved them into the impressive entryway. The focal point was the stately staircase to the left. About ten stairs rose to a landing after which they changed direction and continued out of sight.
"We are so thrilled to have you. I'm Maggie. Do come right in." Maggie appeared to be in her mid-sixties with dark red hair heavily streaked with grey. Her handsome features hinted at the beauty of her youth.
"We're so glad to be here. This house is simply stunning," Bella said.
"Thank you, dear."
"Yes," Edward said, "I've been intrigued by The Erie Mansion since I first saw it online. We were very excited that you had accommodations available."
"Oh! Well, I was just as pleased to have you on the waiting list. We had a last minute cancellation and I hate to have empty rooms, so you're very welcome here indeed," Maggie replied. "Let's get you registered and then I'll show you to your room. I'm sure you're ready to stretch your legs a bit. We serve tea at 3 o'clock and I'm happy to suggest some local eateries for dinner."
Maggie ushered them in to the parlor, where there was an ornate writing desk being used as a registration table. She sat down behind the desk and motioned for Edward and Bella to sit across from her.
"If you would just fill out our registration form and I'll need to see the credit card for payment," she said, sliding the form and a pen across the table.
"Of course," Edward said, pulling out his wallet and handing her his card. While he completed the registration form, Bella looked around the room. It was a typical Victorian home: rich in elaborate wooden trim, a marble fireplace, attractive but heavy drapes on the windows, richly appointed furniture and gorgeous carpets. The high ceiling echoed what they had seen in the entryway with molding along the edges and a stunning ceiling medallion framing an ornate chandelier.
"I want to say that your home is beautiful, but that seems a wholly inadequate way to describe it," Bella remarked. "The detail is stunning. It must be quite a job to keep it maintained so meticulously."
"Oh, it keeps my husband, Peter, and I busy, no doubt about that," Maggie replied with a smile.
Edward passed the registration form back across the desk to her. "I actually work in construction and am a bit of an architectural buff," he shared. "In fact, that's one of the reasons we wanted to stay here. Well, that and the ghost tour, but I'd love to talk with you about the history of the home at some point."
"Oh! That is truly one of my favorite subjects. I do so love it when our guests take an interest in the history of our Erie Mansion. I'd be pleased to chat with you about it. So, you're in the area for the ghost tours, are you? Well, Peter is a bit of a local expert on the subject and even participates in the part of the tour that comes here. Perhaps you'd like to speak to him as well? Once I show you to your rooms, I'll be preparing for tea. Let's visit after that?"
Bella and Edward exchanged excited glances.
"Yes, we'd love to talk with Peter, thank you," replied Edward.
"Now, let's see. You'll be staying in the Rose Room. And here, I'll give you each two keys. The small one is to your room and the larger one is to the front door. You do know how to use keys don't you?" she asked with an amused expression. "Some folks only know how to use those magnetized cards but we don't have those silly things in a historical building – goodness no! Now where was I? Oh yes, the house is locked at 9 pm so you'll need the house key if you are out later than that. We serve breakfast at 8 am and, as I said, we offer some refreshments for tea at 3 each afternoon. We are happy to provide you with a picnic lunch if you are planning an outing for the day, otherwise, you are on your own for lunch and dinner. Now, follow me and I'll show you to your room. I can tell you a little about the house as we walk." They rose from their seats and Maggie led them out of the parlor and back to the entryway.
"Let me just orient you a bit to the house. If you continue down the entryway, the next room to your right is the dining room. That's where you'll come for breakfast. Beyond that is the kitchen, which you're welcome to take a peek into if you would like. On the left, just past the stairs is the music room. We are fortunate enough to have a grand piano that's kept in tune. You're invited to play if you possess that particular gift. I must admit that I most certainly do not!" she laughed, but Bella looked at Edward meaningfully and he gave her small smile in return. He had years of piano lessons and loved to play, but it had been months since he had sat down at the upright piano in their apartment.
"Tea is served in the parlor where we took care of registration," Maggie continue, oblivious to Bella and Edward's silent conversation as she led them up the grand staircase.
"Now, there are three suites here on the second floor, plus the library. Here's the Rose Room. The next door down is the library and across the hall are the other guest suites. Both are occupied this week, though the guests are out at the moment. I expect that the Clearwaters will be back in time for tea. They're a lovely couple who take a little holiday with us every fall. The Crowleys may well be out the rest of the day. They came to visit their daughter who is attending college nearby and they've kept quite busy during their days here," she said as she opened the door to the Rose Room.
"Now, this is the sitting area. The bathroom is to your right and you walk through it to get to your bedroom."
Bella and Edward followed Maggie in to the room and Edward was immediately drawn to the fireplace at the left of the door.
Bella made her way slowly around the room, taking in her surroundings: the cozy seating arrangement in front of the fireplace, the two chairs and small table in front of the bay window, the classic Victorian décor and the stunning gilded-edge mirror over the fireplace. To the left of the mirror, on the wall between it and the doorway, a bell was hanging from an ornate hook.
"That's interesting," she said, moving to get a closer look. "What's the function of the bell?"
"Aha. You've spotted one of the most unique aspects of the Erie Mansion," Maggie replied with a smile. "Are you familiar with servant call-bell systems?"
"A bit," Edward answered. "Bell pulls were installed in the rooms of the house and connected to bells located in the servants' area. Based on which bell was rung, servants would know where their services were needed."
"Right you are!" Maggie said, pleased that he was familiar with the system.
"Wait," Bella interjected. "Do you mean like in the movie Sense and Sensibility when Kate Winslet was visiting London and kept calling the servant at all hours to send messages to Willoughby?"
Edward put his arm around Bella's shoulders and kissed her temple. "Exactly, babe. Maggie, put anything in the context of a literary classic – in either written or movie form – and Bella will recognize it immediately," he chuckled.
"Oh, a fellow bibliophile! I love the classics as well, Bella. Ms. Austen did us all such a favor having Marianne not fall prey to that horrible Willoughby and instead ending up with the dashing Colonel Branden," Maggie gushed. "I had a bit of a crush on Alan Rickman," she continued in a confidential tone. "He will live forever in my mind's-eye as the lovely Colonel!"
Bella and Edward chuckled at her confession.
"Any-who, back to the bell system. It's quite ingenious, if I do say so myself. The system has been obsolete for over 100 years now. While lodging locations typically have phones in every room, we didn't feel that was feasible or very authentic. Back in the 1980s, Peter and I decided to reverse the system, providing us a way to communicate with guests more easily. Your bell will ring once at breakfast and once at tea time. If it rings twice it means that we have a message for you at the registration desk. I admit, those occasions are rare these days since most people have cellular phones and don't use the main phone here in the house, but that is how it works in any case," she finished with a satisfied smile on her face.
"That is ingenious!" Edward remarked as Bella nodded in agreement.
"Thank you. Now, I must go prepare for tea. I'll find you there so we can talk more about the Mansion, yes?"
"Yes, thank you." Bella answered. Maggie smiled and gave a slight nod before leaving and closing the door behind her with a soft click.
A/N: Thanks for reading. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. See you in a few days!