The Mystery of Kolbe Mansion: Part III

Be sure to read Part I and Part II

THE MYSTERY OF KOLBE MANSION: PART III

Inside Kolbe Mansion

Uncle Bill left in rush slamming our door behind him.

            “I don’t think Uncle Bill likes me,” said Annie a bit frightened at Uncle Bill’s outrage.

            “Na, he likes you he just needs a bit cheering up. After all his must be sad and lonely after Miss Anne died.” I said trying to comfort her.

            “You know of Miss Anne?” A voice said coming from the hallway. I face appeared around the door. I woman in her mid-thirties who had blonde curly hair repeated her question, “You know of Miss Anne?”

            “Uh, well a little, the old man at the train station said she was carried off by a secret admirer five years ago.”

            “Ha that old man needs to get his facts straight.”

            I gave her a questioned look, “Then she didn’t disappear?”

            “Oh she disappeared but she wasn’t taken. You see I was there that night, Miss Anne, well better known as Annie-“

            “Annie! That’s my name,” Annie interrupted.

            “Well so it is, anyway Annie wasn’t too happy with Mr. Kolbe.”

            “Why not?” I asked,

            “Well Annie loved to spend money on dresses, hire servants, and host parties. And Mr. Kolbe hated it, he hated spending money, he hated lots of servants, and most of all he hated people.”

            “But he has so many servants now, and why shouldn’t he like people?” I asked her.

            “Well he has a lot of servants now because he’s not strong enough to take care of the house and he hated people because he didn’t like to talk much.”

            “Oh,” I said,

            “Why doesn’t he like me,” Annie asked her gazing into the servants brown eyes.

            “I guess because you remind him a lot of her, your name for one thing and your attitude, you’ve got a lot spunk missy.” “Well do guys have names or are you just Mr. Kolbe’s nephew and niece?”

            “I’m Owen and this is-“

            “Annie,” cried Annie giving me an angry look.

            “So it’s Owen and Annie, fine names for fine children.” She smiled, “Well now that I know your name you need to know mine, I’m Diana the maid, well one of the maids.” Suddenly the clock chimed five O’clock. ‘Oh dear here I am chattering away and I have work to do, so long.”

            Diana left the room and Annie went out the door. I wondering why Annie decided to go exploring without me called to her,

            “Hey Annie wait for me!”

            “Good gracious,” a voice rasped, “Can’t you speak in and inside voice you’re not leading in army to battle.” An old woman with chalk white hair wearing a similar uniform to Diana stood between me and where Annie used to be. Annie dashed down the stairs when she heard the old woman.

            “Well? Cat got your tongue?” she asked with her hand on her hip.

            “No M’am,” a snapped back, “my sister doesn’t her way around here and I need to stay with her so she doesn’t get lost.”

            “It’ll serve her right for wandering around places she doesn’t belong.”

            “Well maybe you think it will teach her a lesson but I think it’s just gonna scare her out of her wits.” With that I walked around the old woman and marched down the stairs in the direction Annie had gone. I could hear the old woman was quite outraged and knew I shouldn’t have talked to an elder that way.

            “It serves the old woman right, why Annie’s just a little girl she doesn’t know any better.” I thought. I reached the bottom of the large stairway, and came to a foyer similar to the one near the front door. Thinking like Annie I went towards the hallway that smelled of chicken and bread, then I realized Annie and I had eaten nothing since early morning. I heard the clamoring of dishes and the smell of bread got stronger. I heard laughing and then looked in the room, it was the kitchen, and there was Annie with a man, rather plump kneading dough.

            “Look Owen I’m making bread with Gregory!” Annie smiled punching the dough with her fists and sending flour into her hair.

            “Well you must be the brother Annie keeps talking about; I am Gregory, the chef.”

            “I am Owen, my sister and I have come to stay here for awhile.”

            “Well your welcome here. I hear you got into some trouble with Mistress Porter, huh?”

            “Oh the old woman? She doesn’t scare me.”

            “Well she should she’s just a sour old goose who doesn’t have anything better to do than complain.”

            “Owen come make bread with me!” giggled Annie covering her face with flour.

            “I don’t think so, cooking is woman’s work.” I replied in a manly manner.

            “Oh is that so, well I am a man and look I do nearly all the cooking.” Gregory told me quite upset with what I had told Annie.

            “Well where we come from only woman cook.” I told him trying to sound sorry for my remark.

            “Don’t fret, all the maids make fun of me, I’m used to it.”

            “Annie lets have a look around,” I said taking her floury hand into mine. We left the kitchen and continued down the hall, the hallway came to a dead-end but then Annie cried,

            “Look it’s a spiral staircase.” Pointing to an old wooden staircase that looked like it had dent been used in years. “Let’s go up,” Annie said slipping her hand out of mine.

            “Wait,” I yelled as she placed her feet on the first step, “It may not be safe.”

            “Are you scared?” she asked in a cooing voice, “Yes you are.”

            “I am not!” I yelled back at her, “I just don’t think its safe.”

            “It’s safe come on!” So with that she continued up the stairs with me following after.