Hailey.
“This is Mary Gray’s journal. She wrote about her life a long, long time ago, and she’s the one who made the quilt I’m trying to preserve.”
“Oh,” Angela said, stepping forward, “it’s a piece of history. This is priceless, I’m sure, especially tied to the house and the quilt. I certainly don’t envy whaling captain’s wives. Either they went with their husbands for years on a ship or stayed home alone. I’m not sure which is worse.”
“Mary stayed behind, and one of the projects she worked on was this quilt. And she had a baby, too,” said Kelly.
“Where did you find that?” Tom heard himself ask.
“I found it inside a bench, up in the lookout room,” Kelly said. Then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, I should have told you. The roof up there is leaking, I think. I don’t know if you can help with that, but Mr. Chandler never called me back about it.”
“A lookout room?” Hunter asked. “You mean like a lookout for ships?”
Kelly nodded. “You can see the harbor from here. I can take you up there. Not much room. It might fit four people, at the most.”
Hailey grabbed Kelly’s hand. “Take us?”
“Sure. We can all go, take turns looking out the top of the lookout.” She led them up another level of stairs, yet another part of the house Tom had never seen. A house of secrets. And the journal Kelly had found.
“Careful, this set of stairs is steeper,” Kelly’s voice came from above. “And narrower.”
The kids scampered up behind her, with Angela following and Tom last of all. He had so much to do, but he’d never been this far inside the house before. They all reached the third floor, which was in stark contrast to the rooms below. Servants’ quarters, Tom assumed.
“One more flight of stairs. Much smaller.” Kelly smiled at the kids, then her eyes met Tom’s. “Let’s go see the harbor.”
Angela remained below. “It’s almost enough to make someone claustrophobic. I’ll stay right here.”
If anything, Tom needed to see the water damage or leak that Kelly mentioned. “I’m going to take a look. Think there’s room for the four of us?”
Kelly nodded. “I think so. Not much. C’mon.” She started up the last, narrow wooden staircase. “It’s worth the climb.”
Once the four of them were inside the lookout room, Tom had to agree. He couldn’t stand upright inside the square room, and he could touch opposite windows with both hands at once.
The kids exclaimed about the boats far away. Hailey perched on a low bench and pressed her nose against the glass window “I can see the ocean. I wanna go to the beach.”
“Me too.” Hunter squinted out at the harbor. “Did someone sleep in this room?”
“I don’t think so,” Kelly said. “It’s kind of small.”
“And it’s leaky.” Tom reached up to the ceiling, inches from the top of his head. “I’ll see if I can get a response from Mr. Chandler.”
“Good.” She looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. “How are you feeling? Did your appointment go well?”
Tom shrugged, and Hailey said, “Uncle Tom can’t drive his motorcycle.”
“For thirty days,” Tom added. “But I’m feeling fine, for the most part.”
“I wish I had a spyglass,” Hunter said. “Like a sea captain. They could see everything.” He held up his hands as if holding an imaginary spyglass.
Tom ran his hands over the ceiling. Part of the wood had a water stain. He didn’t relish climbing this high, but he figured the roof would need a quick patch. Or maybe not. It might take a whole lot more work than that.
“Is this all?” Hailey asked. “I want to go downstairs now.”
“Go ahead, but go slow. The stairs are steep,” said Kelly. She moved to head down the stairs as well, but Tom caught her by the arm.
“Just a second.”
She glanced down at his hand on her arm, then up at him. She pulled away. “What is it?”
“Since, uh, I’m not allowed to drive right now, would you pick me
“This is Mary Gray’s journal. She wrote about her life a long, long time ago, and she’s the one who made the quilt I’m trying to preserve.”
“Oh,” Angela said, stepping forward, “it’s a piece of history. This is priceless, I’m sure, especially tied to the house and the quilt. I certainly don’t envy whaling captain’s wives. Either they went with their husbands for years on a ship or stayed home alone. I’m not sure which is worse.”
“Mary stayed behind, and one of the projects she worked on was this quilt. And she had a baby, too,” said Kelly.
“Where did you find that?” Tom heard himself ask.
“I found it inside a bench, up in the lookout room,” Kelly said. Then she snapped her fingers. “Oh, I should have told you. The roof up there is leaking, I think. I don’t know if you can help with that, but Mr. Chandler never called me back about it.”
“A lookout room?” Hunter asked. “You mean like a lookout for ships?”
Kelly nodded. “You can see the harbor from here. I can take you up there. Not much room. It might fit four people, at the most.”
Hailey grabbed Kelly’s hand. “Take us?”
“Sure. We can all go, take turns looking out the top of the lookout.” She led them up another level of stairs, yet another part of the house Tom had never seen. A house of secrets. And the journal Kelly had found.
“Careful, this set of stairs is steeper,” Kelly’s voice came from above. “And narrower.”
The kids scampered up behind her, with Angela following and Tom last of all. He had so much to do, but he’d never been this far inside the house before. They all reached the third floor, which was in stark contrast to the rooms below. Servants’ quarters, Tom assumed.
“One more flight of stairs. Much smaller.” Kelly smiled at the kids, then her eyes met Tom’s. “Let’s go see the harbor.”
Angela remained below. “It’s almost enough to make someone claustrophobic. I’ll stay right here.”
If anything, Tom needed to see the water damage or leak that Kelly mentioned. “I’m going to take a look. Think there’s room for the four of us?”
Kelly nodded. “I think so. Not much. C’mon.” She started up the last, narrow wooden staircase. “It’s worth the climb.”
Once the four of them were inside the lookout room, Tom had to agree. He couldn’t stand upright inside the square room, and he could touch opposite windows with both hands at once.
The kids exclaimed about the boats far away. Hailey perched on a low bench and pressed her nose against the glass window “I can see the ocean. I wanna go to the beach.”
“Me too.” Hunter squinted out at the harbor. “Did someone sleep in this room?”
“I don’t think so,” Kelly said. “It’s kind of small.”
“And it’s leaky.” Tom reached up to the ceiling, inches from the top of his head. “I’ll see if I can get a response from Mr. Chandler.”
“Good.” She looked at him, her eyes filled with concern. “How are you feeling? Did your appointment go well?”
Tom shrugged, and Hailey said, “Uncle Tom can’t drive his motorcycle.”
“For thirty days,” Tom added. “But I’m feeling fine, for the most part.”
“I wish I had a spyglass,” Hunter said. “Like a sea captain. They could see everything.” He held up his hands as if holding an imaginary spyglass.
Tom ran his hands over the ceiling. Part of the wood had a water stain. He didn’t relish climbing this high, but he figured the roof would need a quick patch. Or maybe not. It might take a whole lot more work than that.
“Is this all?” Hailey asked. “I want to go downstairs now.”
“Go ahead, but go slow. The stairs are steep,” said Kelly. She moved to head down the stairs as well, but Tom caught her by the arm.
“Just a second.”
She glanced down at his hand on her arm, then up at him. She pulled away. “What is it?”
“Since, uh, I’m not allowed to drive right now, would you pick me
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