The color died again, but at least she didn’t scream. “There’s someone—something—in that room. It—she—was standing right over the bed. She touched me!”

“Lola, nobody’s in there,” her husband began.

“I saw her. The door to the porch was open, wide open! She came in through the door.”

When everyone began talking at once, Hope raised her hands. “Just give me a minute, please.”

She opened the door to Elizabeth and Darcy, thinking, Damn it, Lizzy, and switched on the lights. She saw nothing out of place, but she could certainly smell honeysuckle. Mr. Redman came in behind her, with Jake Karlo at his heels. Jake’s wife held the door open, her eyes sharp as she tightened the belt of the inn robe she’d thrown on.

“There’s nobody in here,” Redman began, and checked both porch doors. “These are still locked from the inside.”

“Nothing in the bathroom,” Jake announced, then got down on all fours to peer under the bed. “All clear.”

“Bad dream, that’s all,” Redman said and scrubbed at his close-cropped gray hair. “She just had a bad dream. I’m sorry for the disturbance.”

“Please, Mr. Redman, don’t apologize.”

“Austin,” he said to Hope and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m standing here in my underwear. Make it Austin. Sorry about that, too.” With a sigh, he stepped over to take one of the robes from the hook in the bathroom.

“We’re all pretty casually dressed.” Jake stood in jeans so hastily yanked on he’d yet to fasten them. “Is there anything we can do?”

“I’m sure we’re fine now,” Hope told him, “but thank you.”

She stepped out to where Mrs. Redman remained in the hall, her arms crossed tight, hands hugging her elbows. She might have been a pill, but she was shivering, and obviously frightened.

“Austin, maybe your wife would like a robe.”

“I don’t care if there’s no one in there now.” Lola jutted up her chin, but it trembled. “I don’t care if you say the doors are locked. There was someone.”

“Lola.” With a patience Hope found admirable, Austin laid the robe over his wife’s shoulders. “You had a bad dream, that’s all. Just a bad dream.”

“I saw her. The door was open, and the light shone right through her. I’m not going back in that room. We’re leaving. We’re leaving now.”

“It’s two in the morning.” Twin edges of irritation and embarrassment jutted through the patience. “We’re not leaving now.”

“Why don’t I go down and make you some tea?” Hope suggested.

“I’d appreciate that,” Austin said when his wife remained silent. “Thank you.”

“I’ll give you a hand.”

Jake’s wife—Casey, Hope remembered—fell into step beside her. “You don’t need to bother.”