The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor Read Online Free PDF Page B

die.”
    â€œGran, don’t talk like that,” scolded Evie.
    Cora-Camille patted her hand. “I’m not going to live forever, honey.”
    â€œI’m not telling you what to do, Gran. I just think it’s a good idea if you give it some thought,” Harlan said gently.
    â€œI will, Harlan. I’ll give it some thought,” Cora-Camille promised.
    â€œGood. Now, where’s Phyllis? I’d love some coffee,” Harlan said.
    Phyllis came in shortly bearing a tray loaded with cups and saucers. She left and then returned a moment later with cream and sugar. A coffee urn stood waiting on the sideboard.
    â€œPhyllis, there is a large stain on my napkin, and I noticed that there are spots on several other napkins, too. Can you please make sure that these napkins are cleaned properly the next time?” Vivian asked acidly.
    Phyllis looked at her with big dark eyes and replied quietly, “Yes, Mrs. Peppernell.” Everyone else remained silent, though Graydon shot his wife an angry look, shaking his head.
    Talk for the remainder of the meal was of the weather and the farm. Everyone seemed to agree that the heat and humidity wouldn’t break until sometime in September.
    Later that evening after Lucy had spoken to Brad and fallen asleep and the downstairs was empty of other people, Evie and I each sat with a glass of wine in the drawing room. I asked Evie about Harlan’s investor proposal.
    Evie sighed. “Harlan wants to bring in a group of investors who will pay for the restoration. But they aren’t doing it just to be nice, of course. They want something in return. And Harlan’s idea is to open up Peppernell Manor to paying visitors. Tourists.” She spoke the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.
    â€œHow would that work? Could strangers just come in and roam around? Where would your family live?”
    â€œHe wants the downstairs to be public. The family would continue living here and the upstairs would still be private, of course, but our access to the downstairs rooms would be limited. We certainly wouldn’t want to be down there enjoying a glass of sweet tea with people walking through the drawing room.”
    â€œAnd Cora-Camille is against the idea?”
    â€œI think she wants the manor to remain in the family. She doesn’t want a bunch of strangers to have a financial interest in her home.”
    â€œWhy is Harlan trying to persuade her to go with the investors?”
    â€œBecause this manor will probably belong to him and Heath and me someday. If it’s a big tourist destination, it will be worth even more money than it’s worth now.”
    â€œWhat do you think?”
    Evie shrugged. “It’s Gran’s house. She should do with it what she wants. The whole investor idea has some positives, though. For one thing, if the manor was managed by an investment consortium, no one would ever have to worry about spending the money for its upkeep. Second, lots of people would be able to go through the manor and see what life used to be like for the people who lived on plantations back in the nineteenth century.”
    â€œWhat do the others think?”
    â€œHeath thinks that Gran should go with her heart. And Daddy doesn’t really weigh in because it’s his mother’s house. Mother loves Harlan’s idea, though. She thinks Peppernell Manor would make a great tourist destination.”
    We sat in silence for a little while, enjoying the last of our wine, before bidding each other good night.
    The next morning I went to a home store to get some of the supplies I would need to start the ceiling restoration in the entry hall. I was going to work from the top down. I had contacted a Charleston plasterer before leaving Chicago, so he met me at the manor during the afternoon to begin supervising the repairs. We didn’t get too far the first day, but we got the materials organized and formulated a plan to