The Haunting of Annabelle Read Free Page A

headed up
the stairs, and when Annabelle glanced back, she saw John watching
intently. I wonder what’s going on, she mused. She clutched the leather portfolio
that she had been making notes in tightly to her chest. So far, she
hadn’t seen anything to dissuade her from making the purchase. She
felt slightly uneasy, wondering what the catch was, as they reached
the first landing. A note to have a building contractor come out
and inspect it was definitely a priority she thought as they
stopped. Edward continued with the real estate pitch on the
landing.
    “ Now that we’ve reached
the second floor, you will see that there are two bedrooms on
either side of the house and two larger bedrooms here at the back
of the house. Each bedroom has a full master bath, while the two
larger bedrooms here at the back also contain sitting
areas.”
    He patiently showed her
each room and explained that the hallways down each side met in the
front of the house to the next set of stairs. As they continued up
to the next floor, she glanced over her shoulder to look out the
large paned windows, which gave an amazing view of the front
lawns. Side chairs with tables and
lighting could be arranged there, she
thought as they continued up the stairs and on with the
tour.
    The third floor was slightly different as
there was a master suite with an additional room, which ran the
length of the back of the house. Each room opened to a covered
terrace that allowed for an outside area. It appeared that the
current owner had combined the two original rooms to allow for
perhaps a study or office off the bedroom. The other rooms were
similar to the floor below so they continued on to the fourth
floor.
    When they arrived at the landing on the
fourth floor, Annabelle felt a slight shiver go down her back and
made a note to check for drafts as they continued. Edward went on
to explain that this floor was exactly like the second. They went
to each room and Annabelle was again amazed at their condition. It
seemed as if the entire house was primed and ready to go for
painting and decorating. The bedrooms and bathrooms were in
excellent shape and every room had a fireplace that was a work of
art. Annabelle could imagine the color palettes that matched or
complemented the colors of the marble in each room. She made notes
and jotted down impressions and ideas as fast as she could write.
By the time they reached the stairs to head back down to the main
floor, she’d already made up her mind to purchase the estate if the
inspection came back clean.
     

Chapter 8
     
    Walking down with the real estate agent, she
could sense his excitement of a pending sale, and she was just as
excited at the idea of acquiring the property. By the time they’d
started down to the main floor, her hand was tapping the railing—so
much for the businesswoman persona. Annabelle could see the current
owner standing there waiting for them, when suddenly, on the next
to last step, a cold breeze seemed to slide down her back and
encompass her entire body. She froze and held on to the banister,
wondering what was going on. She looked back up the staircase
searching for the source of the draft.
    Annabelle felt her hair ruffle with the cold
air and as she shivered, couldn’t help saying, “Oh my God, where is
that draft coming from?”
    Edward had stopped behind her and seeing his
face, sensed that he was holding his breath.
    She turned around as she heard John stride
forward. Reaching for her hand he said, “Ah…now we come to the part
I wasn’t looking forward to.”
    Annabelle searched his blue eyes, not sure
what he was implying. He looked at her and said, “It’s my
obligation to inform you that this house is supposedly haunted.
That is the main reason why the asking price for the estate is
below normal. Nothing has ever occurred to me personally, so I find
this difficult to believe, but we’ve had several prospective
clients come through these doors. They had a tour of the house,