Diana grinned.“Hi, Theo.This is exciting.I never thought Charlie would become a social media star.”
“I’m not sure how the posts will go, but it’s worth a try.Barbara and I are in the kitchen.Come on through.”
“Apart from bringing Charlie here, I have some exciting news.”
Barbara stepped into the hallway.“Did you win the lottery?”
“It’s better than that.”
There was only one thing Theo could think of that would make Diana’s eyes shine.“Does it have anything to do with Abraham Lincoln’s letter?”
“It does.”With a beaming smile aimed at her sister, Diana said, “We won’t have to worry about our bookings.The Smithsonian is releasing its press release about the letter tomorrow.Before you know it, all the rooms at the inn will be fully booked for at least a year.”
Instead of being excited, Barbara frowned.“I thought they weren’t telling anyone about the letter until the exhibition is ready.”
“Chloe said they’ve been answering a lot of questions about what we found.She thought it would help build interest for the exhibition if people could view the letter now.”
Theo cleared his throat.After spending most of the night thinking about what stories he could promote on social media, he had his answer.And with Diana’s help, it could be the beginning of an incredible Instagram career for Charlie.
CHAPTER 4
Two days later, Barbara wished they’d asked the Smithsonian not to say anything about Abraham Lincoln’s letter.The press release was articulate, accurate, and so enthusiastic that at least fifty vehicles had stopped in front of the inn and taken photos.And it was only eleven o’clock in the morning.
It wouldn’t have been so bad if they lived in a wide, suburban street.But Honeysuckle Lane was a short, stubby road that hardly had room for two cars to pass each other, let alone provide parking.
“If anyone rings our doorbell again, I’m pretending no one’s home,” Katie yelled from the kitchen.
Diana flopped onto the sofa beside Barbara.“Tell me that, once everyone’s interest in the letter goes away, we’ll return to a normal life.”
“I don’t know if it will ever be normal again.”Barbara scrolled through The Lakeside Inn’s Facebook page.“Look at all the people who have liked our post about the letter.”
Penny rushed down the stairs.“We’re trending on YouTube!”She squashed herself between her sisters and opened her laptop.“Mom will be ecstatic.Everyone’s talking about the letter and guessing how it ended up in Montana.Some of the theories are incredible.”
Barbara read the first four comments.“I can’t believe anyone knows that much American history.Did the railroad even come this far west in the late 1800s?”
“I don’t know,” Diana said as she refreshed the page, “but a whole lot of other people do.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.”Barbara checked the alarm that sounded on her cell phone.“Oh, no.Our website’s crashed.”
“Have we been hacked?”Diana asked.
“It’s probably happened because of all the traffic visiting our site.Look at these statistics.”She turned her phone around and showed everyone.“I’d better fix it.If the website’s down, no one can book a room.”
The doorbell rang and Diana glanced at the front door.
Katie appeared in the living room doorway.“Don’t even think about it,” she whispered.“If they think we aren’t here, they might go away.”
Barbara ignored the front door and focused on her laptop.After the first eager history buffs had landed on their doorstep, she was given the dubious honor of politely telling people to go away.Most of their visitors had respected their wishes, but a few weren’t happy.They seemed to think that, because Abraham Lincoln’s letter was found in a private residence, they could invite themselves in for a cup of coffee and a photo opportunity.
Katie might be onto something.If they kept away from the windows, they might be able to get some work done before the next guests arrived.
Another ring of the doorbell sent Charlie scurrying across the room.Standing on his hind legs, he scratched the wooden panel, trying desperately to get to whoever was on the other side.
“Charlie!Down!”Diana said in a firm voice.Charlie ignored her.
Her sister rushed across the room and grabbed his collar.“Down, boy.”This time, Charlie did as he was told.When the doorbell rang again, he lost what little control he had and started barking.
“Charlie,” Katie said, “do you want a treat?”
