Fettigrew Hall - The Biography of a House

Fettigrew Hall - Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Within a few days Megan was back to normal again. Jamie had been waiting for her to feel well enough to tour the garden again and see what he had found there. As he trimmed around the foundations of the wall, he had found a fountain built into the wall. The mouth of a lion was the spout. He knew Megan would be pleased with this find.

When Megan saw the fountain she was, indeed, thrilled. She thought clearing this whole area out would make a nice area for sitting in the garden. Jamie suggested saving what plants were there and thought they might recover nicely once they had some sunshine and room to grow. An old rose was climbing the wall above the lion, and it even had some buds. “How soon until I can put some chairs out here, Jamie?”

“Well, I know that would be nice for you but if you would wait just a bit, I’ll more clearly define the area and put down some gravel so it is nice and clean. I’ll let you know.”

The kitten had been named Twinkle. He seemed to be happy staying in Megan’s room for the time being. She didn’t want him in the way of workers and wasn’t sure he would come back if she called him. It was a very big house and she didn’t want to search for him. So, in the meantime, he lived there and slept on her bed at night.

Next on the list was finding draperies for her bedroom. Since the windows went around the bathroom side and then all along the front of the house, this was going to be quite an undertaking. She wanted to consult with a specialty shop and wanted something rich and sumptuous looking that would go with her rugs and bedspread. She and Gray had talked about doing this together. She would talk to the drapery makers and he would attend to some other tasks. Then they would meet with the Scotty rescue group about getting a dog.

They decided to have an early lunch and then set out. Gray had gone back to the gatehouse to change his clothes and then waited by the truck. When Megan did not come out he went back to the kitchen to see what had become of her. He found her sitting at the table reading a paper. “Megan, I was waiting for you.”

When she didn’t respond, he said again, “Megan?”

With a start she looked at him. “What?”

“I was waiting for you.”

She looked at him like she was alarmed, “That is what he said.”

“That’s what who said?”

“The voice. He kept saying that. I’m waiting for you. Now I remember it, Gray. I went to see the floor in the back bedroom. I got stuck inside and this voice kept saying ‘I’m waiting for you.’ I was terrified.”

Gray was truly alarmed. He also didn’t know what to say to her. He wanted to assure her but he had also begun to fear that something very scary was going on in the house.

“Look at this,” She said, handing him the paper she had been reading. I had forgotten all about it. It fell from behind one of the portraits when they were removed.”

Gray took the paper from her and sat at the table. It was hand written in ink with a scroll pen on very old parchment paper. The ink had begun to fade and there were blots here and there as though water or something wet had fallen on it.

I, Godfrey DeBois, writing in the year of our Lord 1750, document this for all future occupants dwelling within this domain. There is evil and there is good dwelling within. Whence it cometh, I know not, as it was here when I came.

Sinful transgressions from my youth have fed into the evil, making it stronger. Upon my salvation through our lord Jesus Christ, I vowed that I will not allow this evil to become any stronger and will spend eternity working for the end of it.