Page 7 of Ghost Hunters 1

Chapter Five

Jillian got a feelingshe would only find out if she found Matilda’s diaries as well.Glancing up at the ceiling, she wondered which of the remaining rooms upstairs had been Matilda’s.

And what about those sounds she heard last night?

Jillian found herself climbing the stairs and going from room to room in search of something that would tell her which room belonged to Matilda Belmar.She searched each one thoroughly until she came to the last room in the hall, the one with the door that wouldn’t open for the Pruitt’s.

Jillian had a creepy feeling about this room.She took a deep breath and reaching for the doorknob she tried to turn it but she found it wouldn’t turn.Squatting down, she looked at the handle.There didn’t seem to be any obstruction in the lock.Jillian tried it again but the door was truly stuck shut.

She was determined to get inside the room.She went back downstairs and around to the back of the house.Jillian could see the bedroom window and the glass was black.It wasn’t the same as the others but then she believed that the others had been replaced when the Pruitt’s owned the Inn.She wondered why they hadn’t changed this window.

Jillian went to the garage in search of a ladder.She found one lying along the side of the garage and carried it over to the bedroom window.Climbing up the ladder, she found herself looking to a bedroom.She saw a big bed in the middle of the room and everything in it told her that this was Tilly’s room.A suitcase was open on the bed and she could see there were clothes packed inside.On the bed were at least two piles of clothes that needed to be packed yet.

Drawers in the dresser were left open and the closet door stood open.The room looked as if someone had just left and would be coming back at any minute to finish packing.

She wondered what had happened to delay the packing and why the door wouldn’t open.She tried to lift the window sash and was surprised when it slid open under her hand.She pushed the window up as far as she could and climbed up the last bars of the ladder to gain entry into the room.

It smelled musty and dusty in there but she found no sign of the fire that had destroyed the Inn.In fact, since she arrived, she had yet to find any sign of the fire and she was beginning to have doubts about there being a fire at all.

Jillian looked around the room then went over to the open suitcase on the bed and looked inside.A beautiful white linen dress was lying on top.She touched the fabric and it felt smooth.How could this still be sitting here?

Moving over to the closet, she opened the door.

This closet looked similar to the one in Claire’s room.Jillian checked the wallpaper for any tears.She was disappointed when she didn’t find any.With a small gasp, she swung her gaze back to the suitcase on the bed.

If Matilda was leaving would she take the diaries with her?Jillian went back to the bed and began taking the clothes out of the suitcase.Piling them up neatly on the bed she discovered that Matilda was indeed taking the diaries with her.Jillian found four handsomely bound books on the bottom of the case.

She went over to the door and tried to open it from this side but she couldn’t get the door to move.Tucking the books under her arm she went over to the window and climbed back down the ladder.It was trickier trying to hang on to the books at the same time but she did finally get to the ground.

Going back around to the front of the house she sat down on the porch and opened the first book.It was as she expected...Matilda’s diary.Jillian wanted to skip the parts that didn’t deal with Matthew but she knew if she did she wouldn’t get the whole story.She wanted to know Matilda as well as she felt she knew Claire.

As she read the entries, Jillian noticed a distinct difference in the two women.Claire was more of a dreamer while Matilda was more down to earth.Matilda had no illusions of grandeur and she spoke of herself as less than beautiful but all that changed when Matthew came to stay with them.

Matilda spoke of how she didn’t trust Matthew Nixen and how she thought him nothing more than a ladies’ man:

“I don’t trust him.”She wrote.“The look in his eyes reflects more knowledge about life than he lets on.I can see my sister is becoming infatuated with him and his stories of his travels.Funny tales of the fancy places he’s been to and famous or rich friends that he claims to have.But it’s his eyes that captured my attention.They are a color not usually associated with eye color.I’ve never seen eyes the color of lavender blooms in summertime.They often change from lavender to gray without warning.”

Jillian frowned at the description of Matthew’s eye color.Her words said one thing but her description said something else entirely.She continued to read...

“Matthew Nixen is probably nothing more than a flirt waiting and hoping that either my sister or I will give him the time of day.He looks at the world through weary eyes and I think he’s looking for a soft place to lay his head, away from the worries and troubles of the world outside these walls.I can’t help but be wary of his intentions and yet...I have to wonder what it would be like to be held in his arms and kissed.He has the loveliest lips I’ve ever seen on anyone.”

Jillian raised her eyebrows and laughed out loud.Matilda might not think of herself as a dreamer but her words betrayed her as one.Jillian turned another page.

“Matthew has found out about my secret attraction to him and I’m worried that he will exploit it or worse yet...he will tell my sister about my wanting him and they will laugh at me.I have noticed that they have become close, closer than I care for.”