Twenty-one
The hotel was quiet when they made their way through the carpark towards a side door at the rear of the building. Nick inserted a key into the lock and pushed the old timber door open then held it for her to walk in ahead of him.
A dim glow from the night lights lit the lower floor, reminding Jenny of the restaurant they’d eaten in earlier and its dark interior. Such a stark difference from the busy hotel the Coach House usually was when she’d been here before. Now, late at night with everything locked away and no customers, there was a kind of peace she hadn’t expected.
‘It’s a beautiful building,’ she said as they approached the big staircase leading to the second floor.
‘She’s pretty special,’ Nick agreed. ‘Wanna see something really cool?’
Jenny smiled at the mischievous grin that reminded her of an excited little kid. ‘Sure.’
She followed him away from the bottom step and walked under the staircase, watching as he pushed on a section of the white timber wall panelling. Her eyebrows raised as the panel swung open to reveal a dark void behind.
‘Is that a secret door?’ she asked, feeling a tingle of excitement.
‘Yep. We found it when we pulled off the old water-damaged plasterboard.’
‘Why would they have boarded it up?’ she asked, eyeing the doorway.
‘No idea.’
‘What’s in there?’
‘I’ll show you.’ He switched on the torch on his phone then ducked under the low entrance and disappeared inside. Jenny hurried to follow, barely having to lower her head, stepping into the surprisingly cool, rough stone–walled tunnel. A damp, old smell hit her senses almost immediately and she shivered as she followed Nick closely until he came to a stop. She heard the squeak of a door opening and stepped into a wide open space that instantly filled with light as he flicked a switch. They were in the centre of a square spacious room.
‘What is this place?’ she asked, confused by the discovery.
Nick shrugged. ‘I have no idea. I’m assuming it was some kind of cellar at one time, maybe from the original, much smaller, building the pub started off as just after the gold rush.’
It was definitelynotan inviting room by any account. It was cold and dark and had no window. Another shiver ran through her body and Nick quickly ushered her out.
‘Come on, let’s get out of here. You’re freezing.’
‘You could do ghost tours,’ Jenny said, once they were back in familiar surroundings.
She heard him give a small grunt and eyed him warily. ‘What?’
‘Well, not to freak you out or anything, but a few of the old regulars have been telling me the odd story or two of strange things that have happened around the place over the years.’
‘Ghosts? Here?’ she replied, smiling. Recalling the creepy cellar, though, she soon decided she’d rather not know.
‘Nah, I reckon all the banging and building lately would have chased off any hanging about,’ he told her cheerfully. ‘I promised you dessert,’ he said, leading her towards the kitchen. He switched on the bright overhead lights and crossed to a large cool-room door, which he pulled open, disappearing inside before re-emerging with two slices of lemon meringue.
‘Can you grab a pair of forks from under that cupboard over there?’ he asked, pointing his chin.
When Jenny held the cutlery up triumphantly, they headed upstairs.
At the top of the staircase was a hallway with several timber doors. They passed the doors and reached a set of French doors that opened onto a wraparound verandah. Jenny took in the view of the town below.
‘This is really lovely,’ she said, taking a seat at a small table and shrugging out of her jacket to hang it on the back of the chair.
‘Yeah, I like to wind down out here at night.’
‘Are you the only one who lives onsite?’ Jenny asked, digging into her dessert, savouring the flavour as the fluffy meringue melted and the sweetness mixed with the tangy lemon.
‘Yeah. I have the whole place to myself at the moment. Eventually I’ll get all nine bedrooms redecorated and ready as boutique accommodation.’
‘So, not your basic pub room then?’ she asked, kinking an eyebrow.
