Gothic Mystery of the Hilton Abbey Tower…or, Day Two of Jane Austen Society in Portland.

Listen dear bloggers and and you shall hear
Of a gothic tale so dark and drear….
Just as Catherine Morland suspected a woman to be languishing trapped in a tower of Northanger Abbey in Jane Austen’s book by the same name, we had a little suspicion about the mysterious 23rd floor of the Hilton……But more on that later………..
Today’s busy schedule included great lectures and a midnight adventure.
And if that’s not romantic enough, a lively morning with Mr. Tilney and his staunch Team Tilney defenders.
Meeting Julienne Gehrer, the maker of the Pride And Prejudice game that I'd like to get--my daughter assures me one does not have to be an Austen expert to play...or even win!
Viewing first editions of Jane Austen novels and also novels, conduct books, and satirical cartoons by her contemporaries. I was excited to see first editions also of Anne Radcliff''s Mysteries of Udolpho and The Italian, both books and author I've read about in so many historical novels.

Not far from the library, we made a stop at Button and Ribbon Emporium. Just look at these cards of exquisite beaded lace!
And of course, plenty of buttons.
We went to to the Portland Art Museum to see the Rose Garland Dancers.

I took this on the walk back to the Hilton.
Laurie Viera Rigler signed my ’Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict’ and ‘Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict’ books.
And there were costumes!

Kelly Kirchner from the Jasna Portland Region.

Janet

Ellen

It seemed a very normal first half of the Jane Austen Society gathering………..But things were about to change!

It started when we entered a crowded elevator and pushed the button for the 22nd floor. Another hotel patron exclaimed that he had not thought those upper floors existed, and had not seen them in use.

We assured him we WERE on the 22nd floor, and departed to our room, but soon began to wonder about the mysterious 23rd floor.

Could this be the source of the strange noises at night, and the ghostly figure near the elevator?

Late at night my daughter and I decided to go investigate!

The thick stone walls of the tower led us up a narrow passageway, the end of which was blocked by an old iron gate. Terrified we silently made our way up the passage.

Was that a noise? I fainted………..

........ and my daughter ran mad.

Until we decided the safest course of action was to return to our room and resume novel reading.