The meeting went well with Eleanor. Arthur OK’d Mom coming along (he’s just picky about that sort of thing. It’s a house of vampires Can’t just let anyone in.) and we met with Eleanor in the library.

She didn’t really have much information for us to go on and I’m not sure either of us will be able to help her. But I’ll try. So will Mom.

We arrived at Arthur’s around 9pm and he led us to the library and offered refreshments, but my idea of refreshments and his idea are two very very different things, so we declined. He left us alone after that. The library was large and cozy at the same time. Dim lights illuminated the bookshelves which lines every wall and we took seats in the leather wingback chairs in the center of the room.

I wasn’t sure what to expect really. Would she walk in the door or fade in right in front of us? I made nervous smalltalk with Mom who was as excited as I was to experience this new phenomenon. It wasn’t long before Eleanor appeared (she faded in, by the way) and smiled at us.

“Thank you for coming back.” She said to me. Turning to my mother, she introduced herself and let her now how very grateful she was that Charlotte McGee had come to her aid as well. Evidently, in the ghostly world, Mom’s well known. Mom puffed up a little. Must remember to tease her about that later.

What Eleanor told us tore at our hearts. When they were alive, she and Beth, they were on their own. Beth’s father had died when Beth was a baby. Thanks to his careful planning, however, he left them enough to live comfortably in the house he had built for Eleanor when they were married. Beth and Eleanor were very close, and very happy. But when she turned 12, she contracted tuberculosis and soon afterwards, Eleanor did as well. Beth died first and the heartbreak Eleanor suffered only quickened her own death. She had given up. The loss of her daughter was just too much to bear and she couldn’t see the point of fighting to stay alive.

Imagine her joy when she passed and discovered that through some fluke neither could explain they were reunited. Eleanor told us that she remember breathing her last, and then she seemed to wake up. She was healthy again almost in the blink of an eye. She sat up in her bed, and heard the sound of running feet. When she looked up, Beth had run to her, pounced on the bed and was “hugging the stuffing” out of her.

Eleanor said that there was a period of adjustment for both of them. They were both clever, so it didn’t take them long to work out they weren’t of this world anymore and they did what they aways did: They made the best of it. So happy were they, that they never tried any spectral haunting to scare away new tenants in their house. They found ways to coexist with them for over a hundred years.

Mom and I listened to her talk, both of us just fascinated as hell. After she told their story, we came to the Big Question. What has happened to Beth?

“Two weeks ago, I woke up one morning and went to wake Beth like always. She wasn’t in her room which is very unusual.” She told us. “I searched the house and grounds as far as I could - we are limited as to how far we can go on the premises - and I just could not find my Beth. I became distraught. I fear I may have disturbed the present residents of the house with my weeping.” She looked down at her hands.

“Can you remember anything unusual happening that morning? Strange sounds? New houseguests - anything like that?” I asked.

“No I’m afraid not.” She replied. “One day is very much like the next to us. Everything is very routine. I am sure I would remember anything that was out of the ordinary.”

Mom and I asked a few more questions, but we really don’t have much to go on here. When Eleanor seemed as if she was tiring (her form would sort of flicker, like a light about to burn out) we said our goodbyes. I told her we would do everything we can to find Beth. I tried to be as reassuring as possible, but I think when she heard her own story out loud as she spoke to us, she came to the same realizations we did. There was precious little to go on.

As Mom and I left we talked about what we should do. She’s going to “feel” out the house and see if there are any signs of malevolent forces. I’m going to interview all of the vampires and see what they know. I’m afraid that’s all we can do for now.

I’ll keep you posted.