“There you go, Killer.” Maggie said as she offered the food to the cat. He rubbed against her leg purring in appreciation. She leaned down to scratch his head. Then she gathered up her small dinner and headed for the dining room.
It had felt strange cooking a simple baked potato in such a well-equipped kitchen, but spending six years living in university dorms only really prepared her to cook with a microwave.
She felt even more awkward eating her simple meal alone in the opulent dining room. Years of conditioning made her uncomfortable in such a formal room without the proper attire. Over the last several years she’d become accustomed to solitude, but there was a big difference between sitting alone in a small dorm room eating a microwaved baked potato and eating one in a dining room fit for hosting elegant dinner parties. The chandelier overhead seemed to be mocking her meager setting. She ate quickly then headed to the library.
Now this was one room she felt at home in. It had been so long since she’d been able to read for pleasure. She circled the room scanning the wall to wall bookshelves and finally picked a random point to start. Just as she was selecting a book to settle down with for the night she heard the front doorbell. She jumped at the sound. She wasn’t expecting anyone and wasn’t sure if she should answer. After a moments debate she headed cautiously to the front door. She opened it a crack to peek outside.
“I hope I’m not intruding.” Andi smiled at her through the crack in the door. Maggie relaxed and let the door sway open to rest against her shoulder. “I brought wine!” Andi declared holding up the bottle. Maggie smiled and opened the door wide as she invited her in.
“Wow, this place is amazing!” Andi exclaimed as she examined the unique circular foyer.
“You’ve never been in here before?” Maggie asked as she opened the set of French doors that led to the parlor.
“Nope. Got close once, but I chickened out,” Andi explained distractedly as she looked around the sitting room, wandering over to the love seat near the unused fireplace.
“What do you mean ‘got close’?” Maggie asked, joining her at the couch with the two wine glasses that she’d retrieved from a china cabinet.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Andi shook off her bewilderment. “It’s just so weird to be in here.” she explained cryptically, as she sat on the sofa and poured the wine.
“You see, growing up in Sweetwater no one ever saw old Ms. Devereaux. Oh, we’d all heard of her and knew of the house of course, but no one I knew had ever actually seen the old woman.
“Some believe she died years ago but had paid her staff well enough to stay on for decades and just pretend that the mistress still ran the house. We all see the staff comin’ and goin’, the house and yard always kept picture perfect. But we never see the woman, and no one, at least no one I know, has ever been in the house,” she said with another awed glance around the room.
“No one?” Maggie practically whispered. What would cause an old recluse to reach out halfway across the country and invite a stranger into her home when she didn’t even reach out to people in her own community?
“Nope. So I guess this place was kinda like a haunted house to us kids growin’ up. A very well kept haunted house,” Andi laughed. “Anyway, I went off to Savannah State University a couple years back. I only came home this summer to help my daddy at his store. When I got back to town all anyone was talkin’ bout was the strangers that were coming to stay at the old Devereaux place.”
“You mean she’s never had anyone else come to care for the property before now?” Maggie asked. This entire scenario was getting stranger by the minute.
“Never,” Andi confirmed “Like I said, we never even saw the woman. Truth is I was starting to believe that she really was dead and gone. There were stories that maybe she didn’t want the house sold off after she died so she just made arrangements to keep it lookin’ like she still lived here. You know, that way no one else would get the house. But obviously she’s still around. I mean, she invited you here.” Andi left the statement hanging in the air and looked at Maggie expectantly.
“I’ve never met her,” Maggie admitted when the silence drew on and she realized Andi was waiting for her to share what she knew about the mysterious Ms. Devereaux. Andi looked a little disappointed as if she’d hoped to learn some great secret.
“Oh well, here’s to another mystery left unsolved.” She smiled as she raised her glass in toast.
Maggie tried to calm her nerves as she raised her glass to clink against Andi’s, but she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that perhaps she hadn’t just answered a random ad, but instead that she’d been intentionally brought here. But why? How? It seemed too ridiculous to be possible.
The wine had a strong earthy flavor that reminded her of olives. Maggie didn’t recognize it. She glanced at the bottle but saw no label.
“Muscadine,” Andi said, noting her gaze. “Homemade.” She winked.
Maggie took another sip. It was very good.