Work

Marilyn said goodbye to her father the next morning. Dinner the evening before had been uneventful but fun. Mr. Broadman and Mr. Coolidge mostly kept to themselves in the parlor, while Alice showed Marilyn around the Broadman Inn and its surrounding property.

The Inn itself was of modest design, but its magnitude—it was the largest structure on Coulter Point—distinguished it from anything else. Mr. Broadman drew inspiration from an old hotel in Pennsylvania, the design of which was repeated here: three wings, forming a large “Y” shape, with a large porch stretching between the front two. The outside was white brick, and the roof was made of terra cotta shingles painted deep orange.

Upon entering the hotel, Marilyn found herself in the middle of a four-story tall grand foyer, anchored on one side by a large, winding wooden staircase, and on the other by a rock fireplace. A bar counter took up most of the corner on the fireplace side.

Most of the guests at the Broadman Inn were tourists, rather than folks who summered here, and many of them relaxed in the foyer that evening. Alice introduced Marilyn to a gentleman wearing a dark suit and standing off to the side of the staircase. “Mr. Rostan, this is my friend, Marilyn Coolidge.”

“Ms. Coolidge, it is a pleasure to meet you,” Rostan said. “I am the manager of the hotel and property. Are you staying with us? Please forgive me for not seeing your name on our registry when I checked it earlier.”

“Oh no, Mr. Rostan, Marilyn is a staying as our guest at the house,” Alice said.

“Very good,” he replied, his smile emerging from his thick, gray beard. “We are happy to be of service to you should you require anything, Ms. Coolidge. Please don’t hesitate to call upon me or anyone on my staff.”

“Thank you,” Marilyn replied.

“We’re hoping to talk tomorrow with Mr. Moscow,” Alice said. “I’ve been working some at the restaurant to fill time, and I’d like Marilyn to join me.”

“I’ll be sure to let him know to expect you then.”

“Thank you, Mr. Rostan.” Alice grinned. “Can you ask him to keep the work light?”

Mr. Rostan chuckled. “Only because you’re making your house guest work for her room.”

to be continued...quite soon.