The Red Velvet Suite

"And, I don't believe I know your new friend." Ted offered his hand to the new guy as if he were the Grand Duchess offering her hand to the king.

Grable turned to his companion. "Bruce, this is my assistant Ted Randolph. Ted, this is Professor Mulvanes."

"Charmed, I'm sure." I rolled my eyes at Ted's simpering. "This is my friend, Allinson Jeffers."

I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Professor."

"Bruce will do." His smile was incredible. I caught him ogling my boobs, an impressive rack, if the drunks in the pubs were to be believed.

"Then you can call me Teddy Bear," interjected Ted with a giggle. I rolled my eyes again.

"Okay, boys and girls," Grable instructed as he rubbed his hands together. "We're here for a purpose this weekend. Now, the caretaker was supposed to have delivered food and supplies for us..."

"This place has a caretaker?" I whispered behind my hand to Ted.

"So we should have everything we need for a two-day stay," the professor continued. "Now, does anyone know the history of this house?"

"Yes, I do." Ted had a smug look on his face.

"Okay, Ted. But did you tell anyone else?"

"No." He turned to me with a grin.

"Good. As Allinson is going to be our resident psychic..."

"Excuse me? I wasn't told anything about that. I'm not a psychic."

Ted waved his hand down at me. "Denial... don't listen to her, Professor. I've seen her do her thing with my own eyes."

I was flabbergasted. "What thing? I don't do a 'thing'."

"Oh, shut up. You do too and you know it."

"Okay," Grable held up his hand. "Let's just try to focus on the reason for being here."

"Which is?" I demanded. "I think I have been lured here under false pretenses."

"Don't mind her, Kyle, just go on." Ted poked my arm.

"Anyway," Grable said, somewhat frustrated. "We want to see if we can determine if the rumors about this place are true. We will use electronic equipment and your impressions, Allinson," he paused a beat then added, "if you have any -- to try to ascertain the validity of the statements of the witnesses."

"What statements? What witnesses?" I blurted. Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Bruce was stifling his amusement.

Grable sighed. "We have been given statements from those that have visited here. The witnesses allege that the Lovejoy Mansion is haunted. We are here to determine if this is true."

"Great!" I threw my hands into the air. I had been led to believe that they were going to do a few experiments while I roasted marshmallows over a campfire. I wasn't told that I was the experiment. I couldn't wait to get Ted alone.

"Are you all right, dear?" Maryanne asked while surveying my obviously flushed face.

"Oh, I'm great," I answered. "I'mjust fine." I gave Ted my most withering look. He pretended to be studying his manicure.

"Well, anyway," Grable continued. "Let's get our things inside and get set up. Ted, you've just been elected to go find the electrical box and turn the lights on. I think you'll find it in the basement." He handed Ted a flashlight.

I smiled maliciously as Ted whined something about spiders and dragged his feet back up the steps. I turned to pick up my bags when Bruce reached down to help.

"Let me get those for you," he said with that super-nova smile.

How could I refuse? He picked up my cameras and my overnight case while I retrieved my bedroll. Together the four of us headed for the house. Grable entered first, followed by his wife. Bruce stood back and waited for me to go through the door. I felt all three of them watching me as I hesitantly made my approach.

I stopped. "Is this how it's going to be all weekend, you guys watching my every move?"

"I'm afraid so," Grable said without an ounce of shame. "We will need to know everything you feel or see or sense in any way."

I let out a snort and stomped through the entrance. I knew my mistake immediately. I had that same sensation of being off-balance and dropped my sleeping bag. The floor seemed to wobble so that I had to extend my arms to find my equilibrium and keep from smacking my face on the marble floor. I took a few running steps until it felt solid again.

"What just happened there?" the professor asked as he sat his bags down and dug a small notebook out of his pocket.

"Nothing, I just sort of lost my balance." I hoped that would end his questioning. I could have sworn I heard a game show buzzer go off and the announcer say, "Wrong answer."

"How did you lose your balance? Was it a matter of feeling dizzy?"

"Not really." I just knew that this man was going to think I was a lunatic if I told him the truth.

"Please describe it for me."

I sighed and reached for my bedroll. "When I walk through it feels like the floor starts to wobble. Almost as if it's not really solid. It's hard to explain."

He was jotting down notes with the stub of a pencil. Then he flipped the little book shut, returned it to his pocket and retrieved his luggage. "Let's get settled in our rooms." He started to lead the way. "Now the house is fully furnished. You will want to be careful of the furniture though. Be sure to test it before putting your weight on it. Some of it is pretty rickety. The house has three stories, a basement, a sub-basement and two wings. Maryanne and I will take what is called the Blue Suite on the second floor. Bruce, I think I'll put you in the Yellow Suite in the west wing and Allinson, I want you to take the master suite in the east wing. It's also called the Red Velvet Suite."

I figured Ted would be jealous of my sleeping someplace called the Red Velvet Suite and I wondered if he was to sleep in the west wing with Bruce. The thought almost made me laugh out loud.

"Professor Grable," I said.

"Call me Kyle, please. If we're going to live together for the next couple of days I want us on first-name terms."

"Okay, Kyle. Where will Ted be sleeping?"

"I'm going to put him in the room next to ours. I may be working late and will need his assistance. No need to disturb everyone else's rest."

As if anyone was going to get any rest in this place, I thought.

As we wound around from the back of the house to the front, I was amazed by what I saw. The kitchens (yes, that's right, plural, more than one) were massive. There was a formal dining room that could have seated an army, and a breakfast room that was nearly as big. We passed by, and through, so many rooms that I lost track of what they were and what possible uses they could have had. There was a thick coating of dust on everything and cobwebs hanging everywhere. Drapes in the windows were filthy and tattered, and it appeared that one of the massive chandeliers had given way at one time to crash on the in-laid flooring. I felt as if I were walking through a bad TV script.

"Why was the house allowed to fall into such a state?" I asked no one in particular.

Maryanne clucked her tongue. "It looks like it used to be such a beautiful place."

"No one seemed to be able to stay here long enough to take care of it," Kyle said. "It's still owned by the Lovejoy estate. They pay a caretaker to look after things, but no one has lived here in more than forty years. Those that lived here before that didn't stay long. Not even the caretaker will come here after dark."

A shiver prickled my spine. "Thanks. That's reassuring."

I followed the little group to the stairway. I felt another urge to turn and run. I heard a sigh behind me and turned, looking for Ted. There was no one to the rear, only the three people in front of me. The tiny hairs on my arms stood on end.

"You all right?" Bruce asked from two steps above me.

"Yeah, this place gives me the creeps. Where the hell is Ted?" At that moment I heard a buzzing noise and the grand chandelier in the main hall flickered to life. Ah, Ted was still in the basement with the spiders. I smiled spitefully at the thought of the pantywaist trapped in the dark with the objects of his worst phobia. It served him right.

From the back of the house came a terrible and horrified screaming. It started somewhere in the bowels of the structure and drew quickly nearer. My smile broadened. I knew that girlish scream. Within just a few moments, Ted came flying around the corner swatting at something that no one else could see. His immaculate black suit was covered in a fine netting of cobwebs.

"Ugh," he grunted as he swiped at the offending strands of spider silk. "This is disgusting. You can't make me go down there again. I won't do it." He pouted at the professor and I rolled my eyes. What a wimp.

"Get your things, Ted. You're taking the room next to mine." Grable turned his back and continued his climb.

Ted stomped a foot. I knew what he was thinking. He had intended to choose the room he wanted and he wanted to be close to Bruce. I nearly laughed at the comical way his face twisted in disappointment. But he didn't say a word as he turned to go find his belongings. We continued without him.

At the top of the first floor, Kyle opened a door and ushered his wife inside. "This is our room." He put his things down and returned to the hall. "If you follow me, Bruce, I'll show you the way to your room."

I followed as well. There was no way I was staying behind with the wife in the Blue Suite. We walked along the corridors until Grable stopped and opened a door.

"Here you are. All the comforts of home." I peeked in to see a sunny room designed for sitting. The room itself was massive with large sets of double doors at either end. "You'll find the bed through there. Get yourself settled in." He turned his keen eyes on me while taking my bags from Bruce. "Follow me, Allinson. I think you will find the Red Velvet Suite to be to your liking."

I had my doubts but I followed him just the same. As we crossed back by Grable's room, Ted was just topping the stairs with his arms loaded. "Where do you want me, Kyle?" he whined.

Grable sighed with the patience of Job and pointed at a door. "In there. The Green Suite adjoins the sitting room next to my bedroom. I want you to go in and set up a workspace. Get my laptop out and clean up some of the dust."

Ted turned and dropped his things on the hall floor. He shoved the door open and moaned just enough to voice his displeasure at the sleeping arrangements. I stuck my tongue out and said, "Nannee-nannee." He was not amused.

Grable then led me down the long hall to another door. "In here," he said as he opened it, "is the master suite."

"Is this where Lovejoy slept?"

"Yes. Go on in. I think you will find it comfortable."

I could feel him watching me as I peered through the doorway. It was easy to tell that he expected something from me. I didn't like the room I saw one bit. It took me a moment to figure out what was wrong with it. The room wasclean. The furnishings looked new. Everything in the large sitting room was done in blood-red velvet. Red velvet drapes lined one wall. I studied the drapes and hugged my sleeping bag tightly. There didn't seem to be a reason to have drapes hanging there. It was an interior wall.

"What do you feel?" the professor asked.

"Like I'm going to puke," I muttered. I couldn't seem to make my feet move as I stood in the doorway. "I don't think this is a good idea. I don't like it here and I want to go home."

"No one is forcing you to stay. If you feel that you need to leave then, by all means, go. But I think something important can be discovered here and I think you are a vital part of that."

Oh, sure. Make me feel guilty. "What's wrong with this place?"

"That, my dear, is what we are here to discover. So, will you stay?"

I closed my eyes and stepped into the room. I heard a woman scream and my eyes flew open. I whirled around to see the professor looking at me questioningly. Had he not heard her? "What was that?" I demanded.

Grable started digging once again for his notebook. "What? Did you hear something? Did you see something?" He started scribbling notes.

I shook my head. I was coming unhinged. "Nothing. I think I would like to get unpacked now."

"Of course." He flipped his notebook shut. "I'll be just down the hall if you need me."

"Kyle," I said as he turned to leave. "Why is this room clean? All the others are filthy and worn out but this one looks new."

"That, Allinson, is one of the mysteries we are here to solve." He walked out and closed the door.

The minute the door was closed, I felt the walls caving in on me. There was tremendous pressure in my head and the room seemed to be spinning. It became a roiling sea of blood-red fuzz, and I felt sick. I heard a voice whispering and a giggle. Tossing the bedroll down, I ran for the door and pulled it open. Horror of horrors, there, on the other side of the threshold was Ted. His sudden appearance nearly wrenched a scream out of me. I slugged him in the arm.

"You asshole!" I yelled. "You scared the crap out of me."

He made a great show of walking around me, looking at the floor under me and at my slacks. "No, I don't see any crap. I think you're exaggerating." I slugged him again.

"I am going to pound you for dragging me here. Why didn't you tell me that I'm the professor's guinea pig?"

"Ooo, how do you rate a clean room?" He flopped down in a crimson velvet-covered chair. "My room looks like the maid was cleaning in reverse. Can I sleep with you? I promise not to steal the blanky."

"Ted, I hate you. I want to go home. This house..." I looked around from my vantage-point at the room's threshold. "Something really strange is happening here. I don't want to be here."

Ted sat upright. "Don't tell me you're scared?" He leaned forward resting his chin on his hand. He had a gleam in his eye that reminded me of a gossipy old woman. "Did you see any spooks? What do they look like?"

"Ted, be serious." I was in no mood for games. "Something is wrong with this place."

True to Ted form, Ted sobered up and quick-changed into my friend. He trotted over and wrapped his skinny arms around me. "There, now. Don't you worry. The bogey man doesn't live here."

I pushed him away. "I'm not so sure about that." There was a sudden cacophony of voices echoing throughout the room. Clamping my hands over my ears I stepped back into the hallway.

"Allinson, what is it?" Ted was taking one step forward for every step I took back. He looked startled. "Honey, you're scaring me. What's wrong?"

The chaotic noise halted and I dropped my hands. "Nothing. I don't know. Everything." I turned on my heels and walked up the hallway.

Ted ran after me. "Girlfriend, you're starting to weird me out. Where are you going?"

"Away from that room." I quickened my pace. When I reached Grable's room I kicked the door open. "What happened in the Red Velvet Suite?" I yelled at him.

"I rather hopedyou would tellme," he answered, completely unperturbed. Maryanne looked startled.

"You know what happened. Tell me."

Ted seemed fascinated with the exchange. He cocked a hand on his hip and shifted his weight to one foot. The good professor continued unpacking his books. Maryanne looked at all three of us in turn as she tried to fathom what this crazy woman was doing in her room screaming at her husband.

"Allinson, for reasons of maintaining the purity of this study I won't tell you anything about this house. I wish to see if you can discover it on your own."

"You pious dick," I muttered as I headed for the stairs with Ted on my heels. He was laughing when we reached the bottom.

"I can't believe you said that to him. No one ever talks to Grable like that. I would have paid money to see it. High five, sister." He raised his hand in the air.

I left it hanging and turned from him in disgust. I tried to open the front door but it wouldn't budge. I walked toward the back of the house. Ted was still following me as I tried to find my way out of that accursed mansion. I finally found the kitchens but stopped short when I saw Bruce.

"Hey, where you going in such a hurry?" he asked as he rifled through a box.

"Oh, she's bailing," Ted crooned. "I guess it's just us now." He smiled sweetly at the psychology professor.

Bruce merely smiled in return and continued speaking to me. "I hope that's not true. I thought it might be fun to get to know you a little." All memories of my experiences in the room upstairs faded in the face of his brilliant smile.

"Oh, she has a boyfriend, but I'm available," Ted simpered.

I rolled my eyes and stepped closer to the box of supplies Bruce was digging through. "What are you looking for?"

"I was hoping Kyle saw fit to throw in a couple of beers but I'm not having any luck. I thought I would fix myself a snack. You hungry?"

"Oh, Ted, there you are." Maryanne walked into the room. "Kyle's looking for you. You better hurry."

"Oh, pooh," Ted pouted and stalked off to do his master's bidding. Maryanne followed, chastising him for disappearing.

"Ah, alone at last." Bruce flashed that grin at me once again. My poor little heart went pitty-pat. "How about some PB&J?"

My stomach was still a little annoyed with the world. "No, thanks. So, just what is your interest in all this?"

Bruce began smearing peanut butter onto a slice of white bread. "I'm just here as an observer. I was intrigued when Kyle told me of his experiment. Doesn't sound like you're too happy about it, though."

He reached for the jar of grape jelly. I was treated to a tasty view of his arms flexing as he cranked the seal open. I wasn't sure what was happening to me. It was like I was in a trance or something, but everything about the man screamed sex. I just couldn't seem to stop staring at his body.

"I'm not. I have to remember to give Ted the beating of his life if I ever escape this mess. I thought this was going to be a campout. You know, with sing-a-longs and hot chocolate? I didn't know I was gonna be the pet lab rat." I watched as he sucked a bit of jelly off his thumb.

Bruce nodded his understanding as he squashed both sides of his sandwich together. "I can see where that would upset you. Tell me about your abilities. I'm really curious about it."

I scoffed loudly. "I think Ted gave everyone the wrong impression. He's just like that, always exaggerating everything." I smiled as I tried to change the subject. "You better watch your ass, Doc. He's got the hots for you."

He laughed around the bite he had taken. "So I noticed. Is he always so...?"

"Flamboyant?" I finished for him. "Yeah, that's my little Teddy, a flaming gayrod. He's a good guy though. And, don't worry, he's mostly harmless."

"Getting back to you. How long have you known about your special talents?"

I sighed. He had a one-track mind. "Here I was hoping you wanted me for my body and all you care about is my brain."

The good Professor Mulvanes choked on his peanut butter. With nothing to drink he had to struggle to clear the food out of his windpipe. I smiled innocently at him and waited.

"Ahem," he sputtered. "Well, it's a truly magnificent body, and I didn't mean to minimize the significance of it in this conversation, but I really am interested in how you do what you do." His sapphire eyes did a sweep of my body.

I was starting to enjoy myself, maybe a little too much. I moved a step closer to him. "And just what is it that I do?" I had the sudden urge to reach out and run my hand down his chest. Something was wrong with me.

He set his sandwich down and dusted his hands off. "Are you deliberately evading the subject?" he asked, warming to the game.

"Could be. Maybe I just don't want to talk about it."

"Fair enough, but if you ever do I would really like to hear what you have to say."

I took another step closer, amused as he tensed up a little more. "Why are you so interested?"