shook her head. “I doubt there’s any gorgeous Scotsmen
in there. Not anymore anyway.”
Lucy
giggled and looped her arm through Samantha’s as Annie pulled the suitcases out
of the boot. “Maybe you’ll be lucky and be haunted by a hunky Highlander.”
“Thanks,
Luce, that’s really going to help me sleep tonight.” Not only did she suffer
with insomnia, but her horrible older brother had also pulled several pranks on
her as a child, all of which had been designed to make her as scared as
possible of the dark.
Unhooking
her arm from Lucy’s, she grabbed her suitcase and set it on its wheels. Her
chest became heavy as the four of them approached the large double doors of
Inverrock Castle. Yeah, just what I need , she thought with a smirk, another
reason not to sleep.
The
doors groaned - of course - open and a small, plump woman with short
grey hair greeted them. “Welcome, welcome,” she said as she ushered them into
the hall.
Samantha
gazed around, aware her jaw had dropped. The inside of the castle was
rustically beautiful. The walls were still bare stone and iron chandeliers hung
from the ceiling. A dark carved staircase curled around to the next floor.
Animal horns and swords and heraldic crests hung from the walls.
“Wow,”
Lucy breathed.
The
old woman smiled. “Welcome to Inverrock Castle. I’m Aileen and I’ll be looking
after you during your stay.”
Annie
stepped forwards, taking charge as usual. “Hi, I’m Annie, we spoke on the
phone. Thanks for having us, it’s just beautiful.”
Aileen
nodded and grabbed some keys off the reception desk. “We’re keen to see what
you think of our haunted tours. If all goes well, then we’ll be doing them
regularly.”
Samantha
lips twisted. “Well, the setting is right for it.”
Aileen
nodded with a grin. “Yes, and it does help that we do have our own ghosts here
at Inverrock.”
The
smile dropped from her lips and Samantha clutched tightly to her suitcase.
“Oh.”
“Not
to worry,” Aileen reassured her as her eyes twinkled. “They’re very friendly.”
Why
did that not make her feel any better? Bloody Annie. She should never have
agreed to come along. Annie worked for the company that were helping Inverrock
with their publicity and had jumped at the chance to try out their ghost hunt
experience. How the hell Samantha got roped into it too, she couldn’t exactly
remember. She was pretty sure someone mentioned a four-poster bed. With her
insomnia, it was probably the only enticement she needed. It was only when they
had piled into the car, did she remember the part about hunting for ghosts.
“Well,
here’s your room keys.” Aileen distributed them between them. “Just go up the
stairs and turn left. You’re not all together I’m afraid, but you are all in
the east wing. Dinner is at seven and then the tour will start at ten.”
Thanking
Aileen, they all dragged their suitcases up the wide stairs and set out to find
their rooms. The east wing was divided by a long corridor, lined with family
portraits. The squeaking of their suitcase wheels echoed against the wood
panelled walls. Samantha found her room and stopped in front of it. Room
thirteen. She rolled her eyes . Naturally.
Slotting
the iron key into the heavy oak door, she froze as a strange sound reached her
ears. Her pulse thudding erratically as she listened intently. She jolted.
There it was again, an odd moaning sound.
“Found
it!” Lucy called out from the other end of the corridor as she fumbled with her
keys. “Sam, what’s wrong?”
Straightening,
she shook her head. “Nothing,” she said brightly. “Nothing,” she muttered
again. Bloody idiot, your imagination is on overdrive . Damn that Aileen
and her ghost stories. They may be hunting for ghosts tonight but she sure as
hell didn’t want to find any.
Pushing
open the door, Samantha released a breath. A four-poster bed. Yes! Hopefully
she’d sleep well in a bed like this. Wheeling her suitcase to
in there. Not anymore anyway.”
Lucy
giggled and looped her arm through Samantha’s as Annie pulled the suitcases out
of the boot. “Maybe you’ll be lucky and be haunted by a hunky Highlander.”
“Thanks,
Luce, that’s really going to help me sleep tonight.” Not only did she suffer
with insomnia, but her horrible older brother had also pulled several pranks on
her as a child, all of which had been designed to make her as scared as
possible of the dark.
Unhooking
her arm from Lucy’s, she grabbed her suitcase and set it on its wheels. Her
chest became heavy as the four of them approached the large double doors of
Inverrock Castle. Yeah, just what I need , she thought with a smirk, another
reason not to sleep.
The
doors groaned - of course - open and a small, plump woman with short
grey hair greeted them. “Welcome, welcome,” she said as she ushered them into
the hall.
Samantha
gazed around, aware her jaw had dropped. The inside of the castle was
rustically beautiful. The walls were still bare stone and iron chandeliers hung
from the ceiling. A dark carved staircase curled around to the next floor.
Animal horns and swords and heraldic crests hung from the walls.
“Wow,”
Lucy breathed.
The
old woman smiled. “Welcome to Inverrock Castle. I’m Aileen and I’ll be looking
after you during your stay.”
Annie
stepped forwards, taking charge as usual. “Hi, I’m Annie, we spoke on the
phone. Thanks for having us, it’s just beautiful.”
Aileen
nodded and grabbed some keys off the reception desk. “We’re keen to see what
you think of our haunted tours. If all goes well, then we’ll be doing them
regularly.”
Samantha
lips twisted. “Well, the setting is right for it.”
Aileen
nodded with a grin. “Yes, and it does help that we do have our own ghosts here
at Inverrock.”
The
smile dropped from her lips and Samantha clutched tightly to her suitcase.
“Oh.”
“Not
to worry,” Aileen reassured her as her eyes twinkled. “They’re very friendly.”
Why
did that not make her feel any better? Bloody Annie. She should never have
agreed to come along. Annie worked for the company that were helping Inverrock
with their publicity and had jumped at the chance to try out their ghost hunt
experience. How the hell Samantha got roped into it too, she couldn’t exactly
remember. She was pretty sure someone mentioned a four-poster bed. With her
insomnia, it was probably the only enticement she needed. It was only when they
had piled into the car, did she remember the part about hunting for ghosts.
“Well,
here’s your room keys.” Aileen distributed them between them. “Just go up the
stairs and turn left. You’re not all together I’m afraid, but you are all in
the east wing. Dinner is at seven and then the tour will start at ten.”
Thanking
Aileen, they all dragged their suitcases up the wide stairs and set out to find
their rooms. The east wing was divided by a long corridor, lined with family
portraits. The squeaking of their suitcase wheels echoed against the wood
panelled walls. Samantha found her room and stopped in front of it. Room
thirteen. She rolled her eyes . Naturally.
Slotting
the iron key into the heavy oak door, she froze as a strange sound reached her
ears. Her pulse thudding erratically as she listened intently. She jolted.
There it was again, an odd moaning sound.
“Found
it!” Lucy called out from the other end of the corridor as she fumbled with her
keys. “Sam, what’s wrong?”
Straightening,
she shook her head. “Nothing,” she said brightly. “Nothing,” she muttered
again. Bloody idiot, your imagination is on overdrive . Damn that Aileen
and her ghost stories. They may be hunting for ghosts tonight but she sure as
hell didn’t want to find any.
Pushing
open the door, Samantha released a breath. A four-poster bed. Yes! Hopefully
she’d sleep well in a bed like this. Wheeling her suitcase to
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