The Men of Northshire Inn

Chapter 2

I contacted him two days later, driving the few miles to Northshire Inn, having fallen in love with the property at first site: large white main house, extension of rooms to the right of the house, semi-frozen pond, gazebo in the distance, and the surrounding woods. David and I sat for two hours over cups of Earl Gray tea and discussed the arrangement: free room and board for however long I wished to stay under his wing; a substantial paycheck; days off when I needed them; a business credit card for expenses regarding the inn. My duties included a long list of tasks. David told me, “You’ll be the missing link to many things. Glue where glue needs to be. A helpful player in this mismanaged game that I’m sure you will be able to repair and make efficient. A Robin to Batman. Pepper to Salt. You understand.”

I agreed to his conditions and he showed me my room on the second floor of the main house: navy blue walls, reading chair, small writing desk, queen-size bed, walnut dresser from the 1920s, large closet, and three windows that overlooked the woods behind the property…

Three years later, as David bounced from one eye doctor to the next, domestically and internationally, his vision becoming worse during those passing days; I pretty much managed the inn all by myself. Rosemary Fare and her nephew, Clint, did the housekeeping. When one of them couldn’t, I filled in. Husband and wife team, Betty and Brent Bestian ran the inn’s kitchen. They prepared breakfasts for the guests; expensive dinners in the dining room, and cooked for small private parties when necessary, catering. I was told never to bother them, and agreed to such a condition, fearing their sharp knives, meat tenderizers, and other kitchen utensils that could have easily taken my life or certain body parts that I desired to keep. Maddy O’Dee, Kelvin O’Donnal, and Hilly O’Starr operated the front desk. And Cal Pipp, a cute part-timer at the inn, did the plumbing, heating, and maintenance on the property. Cal also spent Mondays and Tuesdays cutting the lawn and gardening; a true help and perhaps one of my favorite employees at the property, and someone not so bad to look at…wink wink.

That was our small family at the inn. We each had our own little jobs to do, under David Claire’s order and care, and we each had our own little stories of survival, sharing similar but different lives. Together, we operated the inn as one, and provided temporary comfort for those who came and went, enjoying the establishment. Lives intermingled. Some clashed. Others became distanced. Guests returned or were never seen again. The Northshire Inn…home away from home…for all of us.