The Hotel - 3

Our bags were on a trolley standing in the hallway. Everyone got theirs, once they'd chosen their rooms. I wasn't terribly surprised when I saw Jenn and Kirby open the doors of adjoining rooms before Kirby said something to her that made her giggle. If I were to guess, it had to do with being able to sneak into each other's rooms when no one was watching. Not that they were at the point of sharing a bed, as far as I knew, but it was definitely in their future. Perhaps before we go back to the city I thought. The hotel was romantic enough, if you discounted its slightly spooky aura.

I put my bags on the dresser and began unpacking once I'd determined one of the doors beside the dresser opened onto a closet. The other was for a small bathroom with a clawfoot tub, a sink, and a toilet. Not exactly modern, but I supposed I shouldn't complain. At least we wouldn't all be sharing one, somewhere down the hallway.

After putting away my clothes and personal items, I set my laptop on the table, found an outlet, and plugged it in. Then I used the room phone to call the front desk, asking how to get online. Felicia answered and told me. Not that I was going to do it that minute, but it was good to know it really was possible.

"The rooms are fantastic, or at least mine is," Noah said, leaning on the doorjamb, looking around my room.

"Makes me feel like we're in some old hotel in Europe," I replied. "Are you unpacked?"

"Yep."

"Me, too," Jenn said, joining us. "Shall we go downstairs and explore?"

"Wait for me," Marsh called out as he walked toward us.

"We'll wait for everyone," I replied. "No sense in making Felicia play tour guide more than once. Which rooms did you all choose?"

When they told me, I gave them the appropriate key, as well as everyone else as they congregated outside my room. Once they'd all locked up we took the elevator down to the entry hall.

"Are you ready to see everything?" Felicia asked.

"Lead on, Macduff," Kirby replied. He wagged a finger at us. "Do not tell me I'm misquoting. I know it's 'Lay on, Macduff,' if we were doing The Scottish Play." He was referring to 'Macbeth', which was believed to be cursed. Therefore it was never mentioned by name in theatrical circles.

We laughed, and followed Felicia as she led us through a large doorway on the left wall of the entry hall. "This is the main lounge. It was the living room when the mansion was still, well, a mansion."

It was huge, with deep wine-painted walls above mahogany wainscoting. There was a flagstone fireplace at one end and several seating areas with sofas and chairs, also mahogany, set around coffee tables. Two chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and as in the entry hall, there were sconces along the walls with lights meant to look like candles.

"You could throw a masquerade ball in here," Ramsey commented.

"Nope. That happens in the official ballroom," Felicia told him. She took us through a doorway at the far side of the lounge and down a short hallway, flinging open a set of doors.