Affairs of the Heart by Maxine Douglas Read Free Book Online Page B

upon
until this moment. A chill crept through me as a picture of those
glamour years danced before my eyes and the iconic Titanic flitted
through my mind; minus the sinking into freezing cold water of
course. I was entering another world and I felt it down to my
bones. I walked over to check in, sure the chill was anything but
déjà vu. The smarmy desk clerk beamed at me no doubt glad of the
publicity I might bring to this floating hotel.
    “ Welcome
aboard the Queen Mary, Mr. Masterson. We’ve worked hard to meet all
your requirements, including making sure the other guests will not
interfere with your investigation. You’ll be staying starboard side
in room A105.” He handed me the keycard, then pointed toward a
hallway just past a small lounge. “Enjoy your stay with
us.”
    “ Thank you.”
I gathered my bags then walked the short distance to the room.
Pausing for a moment at the small hallway entrance to the room
door, I gazed in awe of the mile long corridor disappearing into
infinity.
    At that moment of
anticipation a delicate shadow caught the corner of my eye and I
smiled. “And so it begins,” I muttered, swiping the keycard. I
opened the door and stepped into a long narrow room. Nothing
paranormal in nature jumped out to greet me. Two twin beds lined
the wall to the right with a small round table and lamp sitting
between the foot of each of them. A television stand sat directly
across from the table, leaving barely enough room for one person to
pass by.
    It was pretty much what I
expected. Yes, my room was a bit meager than the first class
accommodations I could have stayed in. But it was exactly what I
wanted, simple and cozy affording me the quiet I needed to
work.
    “ Alrighty
then, good thing I opted to room alone after all.”
    Tossing my bags on the
far bed, I unpacked for the next week or two. Taking the digital
camera out of its protective casing, I checked the lens and the
amount of space left on the SD card. A quick glance into the bag
holding the 35mm affirmed my supply of black and white film was up
to par.
    When G.H.O.S.T. received
a call to investigate the Queen Mary, there was no way I could turn
down a chance to disprove the ghost stories surrounding one of the
most historic hotels in the country. The entire purpose of this
requested investigation was to find a rationale reason for what
people thought they saw along the ship’s hallways, in pictures, or
at pianos. Nine times out of ten, a camera will pick up dust
particles in the air that seem to suggest spirits moving around.
With the ship’s history of service during World War II, I hated to
disprove the theory of the ship being haunted, but it was part of
my job and I’d perform it to the best of my ability.
    This assignment has
become two-fold and personal. Not only would I be able to do what I
loved—dissecting hauntings—but now I’ll also be able to find out if
in fact the stories about my great-grandfather were true, and not
the ramblings of a lonely physician treating the wounded during
World War II.
    According to the tattered
journal packed safely between my socks and underwear, my
great-grandfather Dr. William Masterson fell in love with an
English nurse while caring for the wounded aboard this ship called
The Grey Ghost during the Second World War. My great-grandfather
went on leave promising to return for the young lady the next time
The Ghost came into port.
    Upon the ship’s return,
William found the nurse was gone. Instead, he’d been met by the
ship’s commanding officer and given a small pouch housing a gold
locket. He’d recognized his beloved’s locket on sight because it
contained precious pictures of them and his heart had broken. The
commanding officer told him, Hanna Amery had died of influenza on
their return voyage from Sydney, Australia and been buried at sea.
As she lay dying, he’d promised her to deliver the package to Dr.
Masterson upon the troopship’s return to the States.
    After seeing the