The next morning, Julie and Amanda met up with an air of normalcy, as if the previous evening’s tension had never occurred. Their small disagreements were common, and neither of them held a grudge once they were over. Amanda couldn’t help but notice Julie glancing at her with an unreadable expression several times throughout the morning. Finally, Amanda’s curiosity got the better of her.
“What’s with the staring, Julie?” Amanda asked, her voice tinged with impatience.
“Oh, nothing,” Julie said, waving her hand dismissively. “I wasn’t staring. Just lost in thought.” She quickly changed the subject. “By the way, do you think we should delay the candlelight exploration until next week? Maybe we could get more candles by then. How about Saturday instead of today?”
Amanda raised an eyebrow, her expression serious. “Why wait? Today is perfect. We might run into something that prevents us from doing it next week. My heart’s set on doing it today.”
Julie shrugged. “Alright then. But if this turns out well, maybe we could do it again next Saturday, too.”
“You can organize it if you want,” Amanda said with a laugh. “But don’t count on me. I’ll be broke by then!”
They spent the morning dusting and tidying up the drawing-room and library of the Boarded-up House. Amanda was meticulously planning their setup.
“We’ll put the candles in the drawing-room’s candelabrum,” Amanda said, “That’ll take about forty. We’ll have enough left for the library and the ‘locked-up room.’ Let’s head up there and dust it now.”
Julie hesitated. “Why light up that room? It gives me the creeps just thinking about it.”
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Amanda’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of defiance and excitement. “I want it lit up! If you don’t want to come, I’ll go alone. But those candles are going in there.”
Julie, though apprehensive, followed Amanda up the narrow, creaky stairs, their footsteps echoing in the dimly lit house. “This secret stairway is so odd,” Julie remarked. “It feels like it’s been hidden away for years, even before Mrs. Collingwood lived here. She probably didn’t even know it existed.”
Amanda raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure that?”
“Well, it’s all boarded up and papered over. That could have been done before Mrs. Collingwood moved in. And if she had known about it, she wouldn’t have bothered to lock up the room—if indeed she did lock it—when there was an easier way to access it.”
They dusted the locked-up room, avoiding the old desk in the corner. Amanda carefully arranged six candles in holders, ready for their intended purpose. They descended the stairs to arrange the remaining candles. The candelabrum was tall, requiring them to precariously balance on chairs to place each candle. Finally, everything was set, and they rushed home for lunch, agreeing to reconvene at two for the “great illumination.”
When they returned that afternoon, Amanda had cleverly brought along a gas-lighter, a tool that proved invaluable for lighting so many candles at such a height. As each flame flickered to life, the room transformed into a soft, glowing haven. Julie’s eyes widened with delight.
“This is incredible!” Julie exclaimed. “It’s even more enchanting than a Christmas tree! Candlelight really does have a magical quality. Look at how the room has been completely transformed. We never appreciated these pictures before.”
Amanda nodded, her voice almost reverent. “It’s like stepping back in time. Back then, gas lighting was common only in cities or near them. Rural houses used oil lamps or candles. It seems this house was one of the few that preferred candles, even if they had the option of gas.”
Julie studied Amanda closely, her curiosity piqued by Amanda’s intense interest. The room, bathed in the warm glow of candles, seemed to pulse with a hidden energy, as if the house itself was awakening from a long slumber. Julie’s unease about the locked-up room lingered, but Amanda’s fascination seemed to envelop her completely, adding an air of mystery to their evening of illumination.