47. Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Four
A brand-new sign had been put up, a wooden sign engraved with the words Lavender Bay Inn , hanging off a wrought-iron fixture attached to the porch post.
Nadine was spending her days going over the final details and making sure she was ready. The fire inspector was due later that afternoon for one final walk-through. She had illuminated exit signs, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, framed floor plans, and fire extinguishers placed throughout the house.
The official grand opening was in a week. Emma, who currently was taking her final exams, would be coming home and spending the summer with her. Her relationship with her father remained strained, but Nadine had encouraged her to go out and visit him while she was home .
Her thoughts of her checklist were interrupted by the doorbell. Through the glass pane in the door, she spied an older man, sixtyish. He stood sideways on her porch, casting a glance up and down the street.
Opening the door, she asked, “Can I help you?”
He was tall, and thin to the point of being gaunt. His white hair was cropped short, and his white beard and mustache were neatly trimmed. She thought the tweed jacket he wore was a little heavy for May, but to each his own.
“Yes, I’m wondering if you have any vacancies.”
“Come in,” she said, hardly able to contain her excitement. A real live body for one of the rooms. Possibly.
Herman waited, wagging his tail. When he spotted the dog, the man hesitated.
Nadine was quick to explain. “This is a dog-friendly inn.”
“That’s fine,” the man said. “But I don’t have a dog.”
“That’s also fine.” She extended her hand. “Nadine Eberhardt. I’m the proprietor.”
He shook it. His thin hand was cool, but his grip was firm. “Carlton Brady. May I call you Nadine?” His voice was sharp and crisp, reminding her of a bright, sunny, but cold winter’s day.
“Yes. Do you go by Carl?”
He scowled. “Of course not. I go by my name, Carlton. ”
Her cheeks reddened, and she made a mental note to not assign random nicknames to strangers. “Carlton, would you like to see the rooms?” It was a Herculean effort to contain her excitement. This might be her first guest.
“Please. Although I’m sure they’re much better than the motel I’m staying at out on the highway.”
Nadine almost winced but didn’t, knowing which motel he referred to. She took him upstairs and gave him a tour of the brand-new, spruced up bedrooms. They chatted as he followed her from room to room, stepping inside each one, looking out the windows, and inspecting the bathrooms.
“I’m looking for a long-term rental,” he said.
“For how long?”
“About three months. I’m here to do research.”
Curiosity got the better of her. “May I ask on what?”
“I’m writing a book about the shipwrecks of Lake Erie,” he explained.
“Now that sounds interesting.”
His features relaxed and he said, “I hope so.”
After she showed him all the rooms, he said, “I’ll take the large one with the balcony. I’ll need the space for writing and research.”
His decision made, they returned downstairs. Carlton sat at one of the small dining room tables and filled out the paperwork .
They settled the bill, with Nadine using her brand-new card reader to take a payment for three months, eyes almost popping out of her head over the large lump sum. She had suggested he might be interested in paying week to week or month to month, but he’d refused.
“I’ll go check out of the motel and bring my things over.”
“Hold on one moment, Carlton. I’ve got one more inspection to pass this afternoon before I officially open. I couldn’t let you take the room until after that.”
“Fine. You have my number on the form. Send me a text when the room is available.”
As Carlton was exiting the house, Grace Gibson was walking up the steps, hanging on to the handrail with one hand and carrying a canvas shopping bag in the other. She said hello to Carlton as she passed him, and he nodded a greeting as he left.
“Grace, this is a pleasant surprise.” Nadine was delighted to see her; she hadn’t seen her in a while. “Come in.”
As Nadine closed the door behind her, Grace asked of Carlton, “Is that your new beau?”
Nadine laughed. “Nope. He’s my first guest.”
“Congratulations.” Grace looked around the place. “Is it a bad time?”
“Not at all.”
“I haven’t been in this house in almost ninety years,” Grace said .
That affected Nadine. It was a long time. So much had happened and so much had changed.
Grace handed her the bag. “A little gift from me for your new inn.”
Nadine peeked inside and let out a squeal. Inside the bag were two Napcoware lady head vases. Carefully, she lifted each one out. One had blond hair with paler blond highlights, bright red lips, and heavily lined eyes, and wore a pearl necklace and earrings. The second one was slightly different, with darker hair and lighter streaks, and wearing a blue dress adorned with a brooch.
“Are these really for me?” she asked.
“Yes, you said you’d admired them. I want you to have them for your home.”
“Thank you, I love them!”
“Good, then I know they’re in the right hands.”
“Would you like a tour of the house?”
Grace eyed the staircase. “I don’t think I could manage the stairs. At home I have a stair chair.”
“Then how about a tour of the downstairs?”
“That would be nice.”
Nadine took her around the main floor, and they ended up in the library, which was behind the parlor and looked out on the lake. Grace stood for a few minutes, admiring the view, commenting, “The view is the same as it was ninety years ago. Remarkable. ”
“Sit down and we’ll have a cup of tea and catch up,” Nadine suggested.
The elderly woman didn’t stay long, leaving as soon as she finished her tea. She had no sooner gone than the fire inspector showed up.
The house did pass inspection, and Nadine texted Carlton to let him know he could come over anytime.
She did one more final walk-through, making sure every room had guest towels, hospital corners on the beds, the Keurig storage rack fully stocked, and bottled water.
In the top drawer of each dresser was a small first aid kit and a sewing kit. On the shelf in each bathroom were small individual bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion.
The welcome basket on each of the beds contained one jar of Gibson’s grape jelly, maps and places of interest, and stamped postcards of the Lavender Bay area. As the guests arrived, she would add one of Angie’s loaves. She was pleased, and she hoped her guests would be, too.
She was officially open for business.