Today as I was sitting and writing the Captain came in and said."Come with me lass, I've something to show you that I feel will make you see my homeland better." "I didna show you this room before and I would like to show it to ya now."

I got up and the Captain reached out and put his hand in mine and you know, for a ghost, his hand felt very warm and he held my hand tenderly and just looked at it for a second as if he was thinking of something, and the abruptly let it go and told me to follow him.

We climbed up the stairs to the third floor, which I hadn't been up before, and led me to a room off to the side that had a very special door. The door was curved at the top and very ornate. It had drawings on it as if someone had carved this door by hand. How wonderful it looked and I would get some pictures of it for my book that I was writing. 

The Captain took out a small key and opened the lock and stood aside so that I could enter the room. It was a very bright room as it had windows all around it and there were pictures on every space of wall in that room. Some of the pictures had cloths hanging over them, I guess to protect them from the elements. The Captain went to one side and bide me to come too. He gently lifted one of the cloths and underneath it was a hugh picture of his castle in Ireland. It look majestic on top of that hill. He said that his ancesters built it there because it was hard to penetrate by invaders and easier to defend from that height. It had towers and walls so high that you would need ladders to scale them. Another protective element he said. 

Then he took me to another set of smaller pictures under one cloth and open  that one for me. I was surprised at what I saw there and just looked at him and waited for him to explain what they were to me.

He said that this was the buriel ground of his family and that his great great grandparents were in tombed under that hugh cross in their graveyard behind the castle in Ireland. The other two crosses were his great grandparents tombs and his parents were there also. All buried in Ireland. These were so beautiful and the large one had a special edging all around it and an inscription that I could not read. I asked the Captain what it said and he explained that it was gaelic and it was the language of his great great grandfathers family. They had been highland people and so their inscription was in that medieval language that they spoke.

He explained that it simply stated that this was the McClain Clans cross and marker and it named all the McCains that were laid to rest in this special area. It also had a prayer written on it and a blessing for all the deceased McCains. 

I asked if I could photograph these pictures for my book and he gave me his permission , but once again warned me about letting others know where I got the pictures. I agreed with him. I too didn't want anyone snooping around this mansion if I could help it , and I am sure that the Captain would not be so kind to them if he caught them either.

He handed me the key to the room and said that I could come there anytime to look at the other pictures on the walls and if I had any questions to just ask him, or if I wanted him to be there with me all I had to do was ask and he would come. I thanked him and walked around the room and stopped to look out the window . Because this room was on the third floor, I got a good look of all the surrounding area and it was a sight to behold. The grass and trees and all the wildflowers were an aura of color and light. I must have stood there for quite a long time, because when I turned around, the Captain had left and I was in the room all alone. I wondered why he had taken my hand and looked at it so thoroughly and then abruptly dropped it like it was a hot coal? His hand had felt so warm and soft and gentle. I had liked the way it felt in mine.

Slowly as I was thinking about all this I walked across the room and closed the door and locked it and put the key in my pocket. I must find a place that is safe to keep all these keys that the Captain was giving to me. I also must mark them so that I know which is which. I wonder where he goes when he disappears? I wonder if he would tell me if I ask? I am very curious about that, and when I see him next, I am going to ask where he goes and what he does.  But for now, I have to get back to my writing, if I can stop thinking about him holding my hand that is. I must stop this thinking, he is a ghost after all , isn't he?