Anyway, Cathrina had a full day on her own, until Alexander would be back tomorrow morning. For the first time she didn't have to hide away to read the old diary. She could hardly wait to check what the old Gloria put down.
"Ms Prudle complains about the seagulls, and I don't blame her. They are very noisy these days! No wonder how the place got its name!"
Cathrina: Seagull Cottage! Yes, I actually knew that...
"Garden is coming alone fine, today I served Ms Prudle from my first tomato harvest!"
Cathrina: Aw, your own tomatoes! So that's what you grew, beside of those flowers...
She closed the book, one quote per day as usual. But hey, today Alexander would not be interrupting her... okay, so why not... just one more diary page!
"One more lodger, student Erik Hartman. I don't like him, but I know I'm not supposed to build close relations to my guests anyway, thanks Similius!"
Cathrina: Hey, lucky you! That's two guests!
She had a good breakfast, then she walked downstairs to clean the blue room. The window had been left opened over night, most of the smell was gone.
Cathrina couldn't help it, suddenly she felt the woman on the wall talking to her. Not by spoken words of course, but... some other way. She studied the painting closely, the signature was hard to read, but looked like Nicko van Hutch. She never heard about him before. And she didn't think this was great-aunt Gloria. Was it some other relative?
Without really noticing it, this moment Cathrina made the important decision to stay! She knew it would be right to stay here at Seagull Cottage, trying to reopen the bed & breakfast. They had already cleaned most of the house, and except from the first day, Alexander had not grunted about missing the city, not once. She thought he would like to settle here, too.
Now that Cathrina could finally see their future here in Galucca, it was naturally time to work some in the garden. She easily understood where Gloria had grown her tomatoes. It looked like the perfect spot for a vegetable garden!
Cathrina still intended to invite the neighbours, old Viggo Kragger and his son Brad, for a meal here in the garden tomorrow. She didn't need to fix everything at once, just the obvious.
She didn't really feel being observed, she just felt a bit dizzy from the old portrait in the blue room. If it was a relative, why was it in a lodger's room, and not upstairs in the family section? Didn't Emma Hydront say something like the last guest died in the blue room?
Then she heard a bird making noises. Not the ordinary seagull screams, but differently, like wanting some attention, or being scared? But where was it?
Cathrina looked into another garden room, and there, on the rock next to some pretty lovely blue flowers, one of the seagulls were resting. Then she knew she was being watched, and turned!
Cathrina: Oh! Who... are you?
Brad Kragger: Pft... Brad Kragger, neighbour! You alone?
Cathrina: Uhm, not really, my hubby... is inside! What are you doing in my garden?
Brad Kragger : Just coming here to feed my snakes.
Cathrina: Your... snakes?
Brad Kragger: They are good... don't you worry a bit!
Cathrina: Well... uhm, now that we moved in, I'd appreciate it if you stop coming here to... feed those snakes.
Brad Kragger : Sure... nice meeting you anyway. Dad talked a lot about you...
Cathrina: Ah, well, I was actually planning to invite Viggo, and you, for a simple garden dinner tomorrow...
Brad Kragger : Oh well, dad died the night after you visited him. But I'll come tomorrow! We're used to eat in this garden anyway.
Cathrina: What, Viggo is dead? Oh... I wanted to ask him...
Brad Kragger : So, can I still come?
Cathrina: Uhm... sure, 5 PM... No snakes, okay?
Brad Kragger : Can I bring my old aunt? She'd love to join!
Cathrina felt a bit unsure, but Brad would be their neighbour for a while, and they would probably meet his aunt sooner or later anyway.
Cathrina: Sure. But still no snakes!
Brad Kragger : 'Kay.
Cathrina: I think you shall leave now. It's raining again, I need to... join hubby inside... bye!
Brad Kragger : Ha, I'll be around if you need me!
Then she ran back to the house, and locked the door. Were everyone in Galucca that... special? If so, maybe it would take some time to convince Alexander into running Seagull Cottage.
She called a few city friends, mainly to make anyone outside believe she was not alone, but also to tell about her decision. And she was not having second thoughts. Probably not. Then she read her book (not the old diary), and went to bed early after checking that all doors and windows were locked.
She had slept for a couple hours when she heard a sound downstairs! Or was it nothing? Something outside? She could have been dreaming...
Very creepy...
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