“What do you think of our little cemetery?” Mr. Hudson asked as the children stepped back onto the porch.
“It is quiet and peaceful,” Jessie said. “Just like you said it would be.”
Josh was rocking back and forth on a squeaky wooden rocking chair in the corner. He glanced at Jessie then quickly looked away and bit down on his lower lip.
“I sure hope you will all stay for some lunch,” said Mr. Hudson.
“Lunch? You bet!” cried Benny. “What are we having?”
“Oh, Benny, that’s not polite,” Jessie said.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hudson. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Benny sniffed the air. “But I can smell something really good.”
Mr. Hudson laughed. “It tastes as good as it smells, Benny. That’s my famous red clam chowder cooking on the stove. I made a big pot of it and I have a plate of sandwiches as well.”
“Clam chowder!” Benny said. “That’s my favorite!”
Jessie and Benny set the table, and Henry and Violet poured tall glasses of lemonade for everyone. The kitchen had wide oak floors and pretty flowered curtains on the windows.
“Your home is so beautiful, Mr. Hudson,” Violet said.
“Thank you, Violet.” Mr. Hudson filled her bowl with hot soup. “I do hate to sell it. It is filled with so many memories. My parents moved here years ago before I was even born. They hoped that the house would always stay in our family.”
“Did you write all your books here, Mr. Hudson?” asked Henry. He took a turkey sandwich and passed the tray to Grandfather.
“Yes, Henry, I did. There’s a small room upstairs that looks out over the cemetery and the woods. I started writing stories up there when I was a little boy. I get some of my best ideas when I am looking out that window.”
Josh dropped his spoon. “Is that where you were when you saw the vampire?” he said.
Mr. Hudson shook his head. “Now, Josh, I thought we agreed not to talk about such things.”
“You agreed. I did not.” Josh pushed his chair back from the table. “Until we solve this vampire problem, I don’t see how I will be able to sell this house. Mrs. Fairfax says she found blood on her back porch yesterday! Some of the other neighbors have heard strange sounds coming from the cemetery at night. Word is getting around town that the vampire in your book has come to life.”
The Alden children looked at each other across the table. Benny sat very still, the soup spoon frozen at his lips.
“Josh, please stop that vampire talk. You know it is just a story,” Mr. Hudson said.
Josh shrugged. “I’m only trying to do my job.”
Mr. Hudson shook his head. “I don’t think this kind of talk is helping.”
Josh stood abruptly. “I’m sorry, but I have to get back to the office, now. Thanks for the lunch, Charles. Call me before you leave,” he added. The screen door slammed behind him.
Mr. Hudson sighed. “Josh is so excitable,” he said. “I should have hired a nice, calm realtor to sell my house.”
“Is there really a vampire around here?” Benny asked.
“Of course not,” Grandfather answered. “Vampires are not real.”
“Your grandfather is right,” Mr. Hudson said. “When I was growing up in this house, there was an old legend about a vampire around here. People said prowled the town at night and brought his victims to the cemetery. During the daytime, he hid in his coffin and slept. I always loved scary stories. As a matter of fact, I used to frighten my little brother by telling him all about the vampire. Sometimes, he was so afraid that he would have to sleep in my bed with me. I thought that the vampire story was so much fun that when I grew up I turned it into a book.”
“The Legend of the Vampire!” Benny cried. “We checked it out of the library this morning. It’s outside in my backpack.”
“Yes, Benny. That’s the one. It became a popular book. It has been so popular that I am hoping to convince a producer to turn my book into a movie.”
“How exciting,” said Jessie. “Would it be filmed here in Greenfield?”
Mr. Hudson refilled Benny’s bowl with chowder. “I had hoped so,” Mr. Hudson said. “I was supposed to go out of town to meet with some people to discuss the project. But with the house for sale, I’m not sure that I can leave just now. There’s no one to look after the place while I’m away.”
“We would be happy to do it,” Henry offered.
“Yes,” Jessie added. “We could check on it every day if you like.”
“Are you sure?” Mr. Hudson asked. “You really wouldn’t mind? I would be happy to pay you.”
“We’re sure,” Violet said. “And you don’t have to pay us anything. We can ride our bikes over. I’ll water the flowers out front in the garden.”
“And I can cut the lawn,” Henry said.
“Benny and I will sweep the porch and dust the furniture for you,” Jessie said.
Grandfather smiled. “My grandchildren are very helpful.”
“I can see that,” Mr. Hudson said. “And I’m very grateful. Now I can go away without worrying that I might lose a sale because the house is not in good shape.”
After Grandfather left to attend a business meeting, Mr. Hudson walked with the Aldens to the back of the house. He opened the door to the shed. “The lawn mower is a little old,” he said to Henry. “Sometimes it acts up.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Hudson,” Jessie said. “Henry is very good with motors and with fixing things.”
The shed was large, but dark. Mr. Hudson called the children over to the corner. He lifted a clay flowerpot from a wooden shelf. “This is where I keep a spare key to the house,” he said. “It will be right here under this pot whenever you need to get inside.”
“Wow, this is a cool bike,” Violet said, running her hand over the shiny front fender of an old-fashioned blue bicycle.
Violet admiring old bicycle.
“Yes,” said Mr. Hudson. “It is very old, but I like to keep it in good shape. It belongs to my brother. It’s odd, though. I thought that I had stored the bicycle in the back of the shed. I wonder how it got up here?”
“Does your brother live nearby?” asked Benny.
Mr. Hudson dropped his hands into his pockets. He looked at the ground for a few moments before answering. “No. I’m sorry to say that my brother and I had a fight a long time ago when we were younger. My brother left town and I never heard from him again. It was a silly fight. I don’t even remember what it was about anymore. It happened over forty years ago.”
Suddenly, everyone heard loud shouts coming from the front of the house. They ran from the shed. An older woman was pointing at the Aldens’ bicycles and calling out for Mr. Hudson.
“Look at this!” she cried. “Bicycles are blocking the sidewalk! How am I supposed to get my shopping cart past? I think I hurt my ankle on this one.” Mrs. Fairfax pointed at Benny’s small bike.
“Hold on, Martha,” Mr. Hudson said. “We’ll get them out of your way.”
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny quickly moved their bicycles onto the lawn. Mrs. Fairfax glared at them.
“We’re so sorry,” Jessie said. “It was careless of us to leave our bikes there. We hope your ankle doesn’t hurt too badly.”
“Children are always careless!” Mrs. Fairfax said. “These children aren’t moving in here, are they, Charles?” she asked.
“These are the Aldens,” Mr. Hudson said. “They are the grandchildren of James Alden, an old friend of mine. They will be looking after my house while I am away on business.”
Mrs. Fairfax pushed her glasses up on her nose and stared at each of the Aldens. “Well, you better make sure they don’t leave their things lying around in my way.”
“We won’t do that, Mrs. Fairfax,” Henry promised.
Mrs. Fairfax marched up the sidewalk and into her home.
Mr. Hudson sighed. “I’m sorry about that, children,” he said. “Mrs. Fairfax is not a bad lady. She was a good friend of my brother’s and has lived next door to me for fifty years. But she is worried that I might sell my home to a noisy family with lots of children and barking dogs. She likes her peace and quiet.”
“We’ll park our bikes behind the house from now on,” Henry said. “We should never have left them on the sidewalk.”
The four Aldens said goodbye to Mr. Hudson. As they pedaled toward home, they saw Mrs. Fairfax staring at them from the front window of her house. |