The Secret of Seaview Hotel

A summer reader for elementary students

Emma has a new job in the Seaview Hotel. She just wants a summer job but she also finds a mystery on the English seaside. Read and listen to her adventure.

Read the story online here

The Secret of Seaview Hotel

Chapter 1

A New Job

The summer sun is warm. Emma stands in front of Seaview Hotel and smiles. It is a beautiful white hotel near the sea. There are colourful flowers by the front door, and a small path goes down to the beach. Today is Emma’s first day at work.

„I can do this,” she says quietly.

The front door opens. A woman with short grey hair smiles at her.

„Are you Emma?”

„Yes, I am.”

„Welcome to Seaview Hotel. I’m Mrs Green.”

„It is nice to meet you.”

Mrs Green shakes Emma’s hand.

„It is nice to meet you too. Come in.”

Emma follows her inside. The hotel is bright and clean. There are pictures of the sea on the walls. Fresh flowers stand on a small table. Everything is friendly. Mrs Green shows Emma around the hotel.

„There are twenty guest rooms,” she says. „The restaurant is on the left. The kitchen is behind it. My office is next to the reception desk.”

Emma looks everywhere.

„It is lovely.”

Mrs Green smiles.

„I think so too.”

They walk into the garden.

„There are tables here for our guests. Many people like to have breakfast outside.”

Emma looks at the blue sea.

„It is beautiful.”

„It is,” Mrs Green says. „People come here every summer. Some guests come every year.”

At that moment, an old man walks slowly through the garden. He wears a blue hat and carries a bag of bird food. Small birds fly around him. He smiles at Emma.

„Good morning.”

„Good morning,” Emma says.

Then he walks away. Mrs Green watches him.

„He likes the garden very much.”

„Does he stay at the hotel?” Emma asks.

Mrs Green smiles.

„Oh, no. He lives in the town.”

Emma watches the old man for a moment. Then they go back inside. Emma starts work. She takes clean towels to the rooms. She waters the flowers in the hall. She helps Mrs Green at reception. She enjoys every minute.

At lunchtime she sits alone in the garden with a sandwich. A young man comes over.

„Is this seat free?” he asks.

„Yes.”

„Thank you.”

He sits down.

„My name is Tom.”

„I’m Emma.”

Tom smiles.

„Is this your first day?”

„Yes.”

„How do you like it?”

„I love it already.”

Tom laughs.

„That is a good start.”

He points towards the sea.

„I come here every summer.”

„You know this place well then.”

„A little.”

Emma smiles.

„I don’t know anybody yet.”

„You know me now.”

She laughs.

„That’s true.”

For a few minutes they eat quietly. Then Tom notices the book next to Emma’s plate.

„What are you reading?”

„It is a detective story.”

Tom smiles.

„You like mysteries?”

„I love them.”

„If something strange happens,” Tom says, „I know who to ask.”

Emma laughs.

„I only read mystery books.”

„That is how every detective starts.”

Suddenly the garden door opens. Mrs Green walks outside very quickly. She looks worried.

„Emma! Tom! Please come with me.”

They stand up.

„What is the problem?” Emma asks.

„There is a guest upstairs. He cannot find something.”

„What is it?” Tom asks.

Mrs Green looks at them.

„A very expensive necklace.”

Emma looks at Tom. Tom looks back at Emma. Nobody says a word. Then Emma smiles a little.

„Maybe,” she says quietly, „my first day is more interesting than I think.”

Chapter 2

The Missing Necklace

Emma follows Mrs Green upstairs. Tom comes with them. The guest is waiting in Room 8. He is a tall man with grey hair.

„Hello,” he says. „My name is Mr Stone.”

„Hello, Mr Stone,” Emma says.

Mrs Green looks at him.

„Please tell us what happened.”

Mr Stone points to a small box on the table.

„This morning my necklace was here.”

He opens the box. Now it is empty. Emma looks at the box carefully.

„Where did you put the necklace yesterday?” she asks.

Mr Stone thinks.

„I put it in this box before I went to dinner.”

„And when did you see it last?”

„Last night, before I went to sleep.”

Emma looks around the room. There is a bed, a chair and a small table. The window is open.

„Was the window open last night?” she asks.

„No,” Mr Stone says. „I always close it before I go to bed.”

Emma walks to the window. She looks outside. There is a small balcony. The balcony door is also open.

„Did you open this door?” Emma asks.

Mr Stone shakes his head. „No.”

Tom looks at Emma. „Do you think someone came in through the balcony?”

Emma doesn’t answer. She looks at the floor. There is something near the door. A small piece of blue paper. She picks it up.

„What is this?”

Mr Stone looks surprised.

„I don’t know.”

Emma opens the paper. There are only two words on it.

ROOM 8

Everyone is quiet. Mrs Green looks worried.

„Do you think someone takes the necklace?”

Mr Stone looks at the empty box.

„I don’t know.”

„But the necklace is very important.”

„Why?” Emma asks.

Mr Stone looks at the box.

„It is a family necklace. It was my grandmother’s.”

Emma nods.

„I understand.”

She looks at the blue paper again.

„Someone wants us to find something.”

Tom smiles.

„Already?”

Emma looks at him.

„Already what?”

„You are solving the mystery.”

Emma laughs.

„No.”

„I am only asking questions.”

Later, Emma and Tom walk on the beach. The sea is calm. Small waves move towards the beach. Tom looks at Emma.

„You really like mysteries.”

„Yes.”

„Why?”

Emma thinks for a moment.

„I like finding answers.”

Tom smiles.

„I think you are good at it.”

Emma looks at the hotel.

„I’m only here one day.”

„And already there is a mystery.”

„Maybe Seaview Hotel is not a quiet place.”

Tom laughs.

„Maybe.”

In the evening, Emma writes in her notebook.

Chapter 3

The Room Number

The next morning Emma wakes up early. She thinks about the necklace. She thinks about the blue paper. ROOM 8. The words are simple, but they are strange. Why does someone write the room number? Emma gets dressed and goes downstairs. Mrs Green is already at the reception desk.

„Good morning, Emma.”

„Good morning.”

„Did you sleep well?”

„Yes, thank you.”

Emma looks at the desk.

„Is Mr Stone still here?”

„Yes,” Mrs Green says. „He is in the restaurant.”

„Can I ask him some more questions?”

Mrs Green smiles.

„I think he waits for you.”

Emma finds Mr Stone in the restaurant. He sits near the window and drinks coffee.

„Good morning.”

„Good morning, Emma.”

„Can I ask you something?”

„Of course.”

Emma sits down.

„When did you come to Seaview Hotel?”

Mr Stone thinks.

„Three days ago.”

„Do you come here often?”

„No. This is my first time.”

Emma writes in her notebook.

„Do you know anybody in the hotel?”

Mr Stone looks surprised.

„No.”

„Nobody?”

„No.”

Emma looks at him carefully.

„Why?”

„I only ask questions.”

Mr Stone smiles.

„You are very curious.”

„Yes,” Emma says. „I am.”

After breakfast, Emma goes to Room 8 again. Tom comes with her.

„Do you have a plan?” he asks.

„A little.”

„What is it?”

„Look carefully.”

Tom laughs.

„That is your plan?”

„Yes.”

They open the door. The room is clean. The bed is made. The table is empty. Emma walks slowly around the room. She looks at the window. She looks at the balcony. Then she sees something. There is a small mark on the floor near the balcony door.

„What is it?” Tom asks.

„I don’t know.” Emma bends down. It is a little sand. Tom looks at the floor.

„The beach is very close. But why is there sand here?”

They go outside. The balcony is above the garden. Below them there is a small path. The path goes to the beach. Emma looks down.

„Someone came from the beach.” Emma writes in her notebook. A person with sand on their shoes was in Room 8. Then she stops.

„Wait.”

„What?”

„Mr Stone says he doesn’t know anyone here.”

Tom looks at her. „Do you think he is lying?”

Emma shakes her head.

„I don’t know. I only know that something is strange.”

In the afternoon, Emma walks near the lighthouse. It is an old white building on the rocks. The door is closed. She looks at it. Then she sees the old man from the garden. He stands near the lighthouse.

„Hello,” Emma says.

The old man turns around.

„Oh, hello.”

„You like the lighthouse?”

He smiles. „Yes.”

„Why?”

He looks at the sea. „Because it has many stories.”

Emma smiles. „Stories?”

„Yes. Old stories.”

Then he walks away. Emma watches him. She feels that there is something important about this place. That evening, Emma sits with Tom in the garden.

„I have more questions than answers,” she says.

Tom smiles.

„That is good for a mystery.”

Emma looks at her notebook.

„Maybe. But I need more clues.”

Just then, something falls from a tree. Emma looks down. It is a small blue envelope. She picks it up. Tom looks surprised.

„Another message?”

Emma opens it. Inside there is one sentence.

„Look at the lighthouse.”

Emma and Tom look at each other.

Chapter 4

The Lighthouse Secret

Emma and Tom walk to the lighthouse after breakfast. The morning is sunny, but there are dark clouds over the sea. The lighthouse stands on the rocks. It is old and quiet.

„I wonder what is inside,” Tom says.

„Maybe nothing,” Emma says. „But someone wants us to look here.”

They walk around the building. The door is old and grey. Emma tries to open it. It does not move.

„It’s locked,” Tom says.

Emma looks at the door. „Maybe we need a key.”

They walk around the lighthouse again. Then Tom stops. „Emma.”

„What?”

„Look there.” There is a small blue envelope on a rock. Emma picks it up.

„It is another message.” She opens it. Inside there is a small piece of paper.

It says: „The past is near the sea.”

Tom reads it. „The past? What does that mean?”

Emma looks at the lighthouse. „I don’t know yet.”

They sit on the rocks and look at the sea. The old man comes along the path. He stops when he sees Emma.

„Hello again.”

„Hello,” Emma says.

„Do you know something about the lighthouse?”

The old man looks at the building. „I know many things about it.”

„Can you tell us?”

He smiles. „Some stories are better when you find them yourself.” Then he walks away.

Tom watches him. „He is mysterious.”

Emma smiles. „Yes. But I don’t think he is dangerous.”

In the afternoon, Emma goes back to the hotel. She wants to talk to Mrs Green.

„Mrs Green, do you know anything about the lighthouse?”

Mrs Green looks surprised. „The lighthouse?”

„Yes.”

„Why?”

Emma shows her the message. Mrs Green reads it. For a moment she says nothing. Then she looks at the sea.

„The lighthouse belongs to the old days of this town.”

„What happened there?” Emma asks.

Mrs Green sits down.

„Many years ago, there was a small hotel here. The lighthouse was important for the people in the town. Then the hotel closed. And later Seaview Hotel opened.”

Emma listens carefully.

„Was there a necklace?”

Mrs Green looks at her.

„Why do you ask that?”

Emma thinks. „I don’t know. It is just a feeling.”

That evening, Emma and Tom sit in the garden. They look at the clues. The missing necklace. The blue messages. The lighthouse. The old man.

„The necklace and the lighthouse are connected,” Tom says.

„I think so too,” Emma says. „But how?”

Suddenly, they hear a noise. Someone is walking near the garden gate. Emma and Tom stand up. A person runs away.

„Wait!” Tom calls.

They run to the gate. But the person is already gone. On the ground there is something small. Emma picks it up. It is a button.

A blue button.

Chapter 5

The Office Key

The next morning Emma looks at her notebook. She reads the clues again. The necklace. The messages. The lighthouse. The blue button. There are many questions. She needs more answers. When she goes downstairs, Mrs Green is at the reception desk.

„Good morning, Emma.”

„Good morning.”

Mrs Green looks tired.

„Is everything OK?” Emma asks.

Mrs Green shakes her head.

„No. There is another strange thing.”

„What happened?”

„Someone was in my office last night.”

Emma looks surprised.

„Was anything missing?”

„No.”

„Nothing is missing.”

„Then why do you think someone was there?”

Mrs Green walks to her office.

„Because my things are not in the same place.”

Emma and Tom go into the office. The room is small. There is a desk, a chair and a bookcase.

Mrs Green points to the desk.

„My notebook was here. Now it is there.”

Emma looks at the desk.

„Did you move it?”

„No.”

Emma looks around the room. The window is closed. The door is locked.

„How does someone come in?” Tom asks.

Emma does not answer. She walks to the window. Then she sees something.

„Look.”

There is a small piece of sand on the floor.

Tom looks at it. „Again?”

Emma nods. „Again.”

„The sand was also in Room 8.”

Mrs Green looks worried.

„Do you think it is the same person?”

„I don’t know yet,” Emma says. „But I think the clues are connected.”

Emma looks at the desk. There is something under a piece of paper. A small key.

„Is this yours, Mrs Green?”

Mrs Green takes it. She looks surprised.

„No. I don’t know this key.”

Emma looks at it carefully. It is old and silver.

„There is a number on it.”

Tom reads it. „Eight.”

Emma looks at him. „Room 8 again.”

They are quiet for a moment. Then Emma turns the key over. There are two small words on the back. OLD OFFICE

„Old office?” Tom asks.

Mrs Green looks at the key.

„I don’t understand.”

„Maybe there is an old office in the hotel,” Emma says.

Mrs Green thinks.

„Not in this hotel.”

„But…”

She stops.

„What?”

„Many years ago, there was another building here.”

„The old hotel.”

Emma looks at Tom.

„The old hotel near the lighthouse?”

Mrs Green nods slowly.

„Yes.”

That afternoon, Emma and Tom walk towards the lighthouse. They do not go inside. They look around the old building. Behind the lighthouse, there is a small wooden door. It is almost hidden by plants. Emma looks at the key.

„I think this is it.”

She puts the key into the lock. Click. The door opens.

Tom smiles. „We found it.”

Inside there is a small room. There are old boxes, books and pictures.

Emma looks around. „This is the old office.”

On the wall there is a picture. It shows the old hotel. And next to the picture…

There is a picture of a necklace.

Chapter 6

Behind the Lighthouse

Emma and Tom look around the old office. There are many old things in the room. There are books on a shelf. There are boxes on the floor. There are old pictures on the wall.

„This place is like a little museum,” Tom says.

Emma smiles.

„Maybe we can find something about the necklace.”

They open the boxes carefully. Inside one box there are old letters. In another box there are old hotel papers. Then Tom finds a small book.

„Look at this.”

Emma takes the book.

On the front there are two words:

Seaview Hotel

She opens it.

„It is a diary.”

Emma reads the first page.

„Today we open the new Seaview Hotel. The old lighthouse is still important to us. We want people to remember the history of this place.”

Emma looks at Tom.

„The old hotel and the new hotel are connected.”

Tom nods.

„Keep reading.”

Emma turns the page. There is a picture. It is the same necklace from Mr Stone’s box.

Under the picture there are some words:

The Seaview Necklace

„The necklace has a name,” Tom says.

Emma reads more.

„The necklace belongs to the first owner of the hotel. It is a symbol of the family and the town.”

„A symbol?” Tom asks.

„It means something important,” Emma says.

She looks at the necklace picture.

„So the necklace is not only jewellery.”

Suddenly, they hear a noise outside. Someone is near the door. Emma closes the diary.

„Who is there?”

Nobody answers. The door opens slowly. It is the old man. Emma is surprised.

„Hello.”

The old man looks at the diary.

„You found it.”

Emma looks at him.

„You know this place?”

The old man smiles.

„Yes.”

„Who are you?”

He looks at the old pictures on the wall.

„My name is Peter. I worked at the old hotel many years ago.”

Tom looks surprised.

„You worked here?”

Peter nods.

„I was young then.”

Emma holds the diary.

„Do you know about the necklace?”

Peter looks at the picture.

„Yes. The necklace is important to this place.”

„Then why is it missing?” Emma asks.

Peter is quiet.

„Maybe it is not missing.”

Emma and Tom look at each other.

„What do you mean?”

Peter smiles.

„Sometimes people hide things because they want someone to find them.”

Emma thinks about the messages.

„The blue papers?”

Peter does not answer.

„Did you write the messages?” Emma asks.

Peter looks at her. Then he smiles.

„You are a good detective.”

Emma waits for his answer.

But Peter only says: „Some questions need time.”

Then he leaves the room. Tom watches him go.

„I’m sure he knows something.”

Emma closes the diary.

„Yes. But now we know something too.”

„What?”

„The necklace is part of a story.”

That evening Emma talks to Mrs Green.

„I found the old office.”

Mrs Green looks surprised.

„You found it?”

„Yes.”

Emma shows her the picture. Mrs Green looks at it carefully.

„I remember this necklace.”

„You do?”

„Yes.”

„My grandmother told me stories about it. She said it was safe.”

Emma looks at her.

„Safe?”

„Yes.”

„She never said it was lost.”

Chapter 7

The Final Clue

The next morning Emma goes to the garden. She sits at a table and looks at her notebook. There are many clues. The necklace. The messages. The lighthouse. The old office. Peter. But one thing is still not clear. Where is the necklace?

Tom comes into the garden. „Good morning, detective.”

Emma smiles. „Good morning.”

„Any new ideas?”

„Not yet.”

Tom sits down. „Maybe we need to look at the clues again.”

Emma nods. „Good idea.”

They read the notes together.

Then Tom points to the notebook. „Look.”

„What?”

„You write that Peter knows the old hotel.”

„Yes.”

„And Mrs Green’s family knows the necklace story.”

„Yes.”

Tom looks at her.

„Maybe they know each other.”

Emma thinks.

„Maybe.”

They decide to talk to Peter. They find him near the lighthouse.

„Hello, Peter.”

„Hello, Emma.”

„Can we ask you some questions?”

Peter smiles. „I think you have many questions.”

Emma shows him the old diary. „You worked at the old hotel.”

„Yes.”

„Did you know Mrs Green’s family?”

Peter looks at the sea. „Yes. Many years ago, we all worked together.”

„Then why do you leave the messages?” Emma asks.

Peter is quiet.

Then he says: „Because someone needs to find the truth.”

„The truth about what?”

„The necklace.”

Peter sits on a rock.

„The Seaview Necklace belongs to the first hotel owner. Many years ago, there was a problem. The necklace disappeared. People looked everywhere, but they did not find it.”

Emma listens carefully.

„Was it stolen?”

Peter shakes his head. „No. It was hidden.”

„Why?”

„Because the owner wanted to keep it safe.”

Tom looks surprised.

„Who hid it?”

Peter smiles.

„That is the final clue.”

Emma looks at him.

„Can you tell us?”

Peter points towards the hotel.

„Look at the place where the story starts.”

Emma and Tom look at each other.

„The hotel?”

Peter nods.

„Sometimes we look far away for answers. But the answer is very close.”

Emma and Tom walk back to Seaview Hotel. They look around.

„The story starts at the hotel,” Emma says.

They walk through the garden. They walk past the reception desk. They walk to the old picture on the wall. Emma stops.

„Wait.”

„What?”

She looks at the picture. It shows the old hotel. It shows the lighthouse. It shows the garden. Then she notices something.

„Tom.”

„What?”

„Look at the garden.”

In the picture there is a small stone near the flowers. Emma looks outside. There is the same stone in the garden. They run outside. The stone is old and there are plants on it. Emma moves the plants carefully. There is something. A small wooden box. Tom is excited.

„Is it…”

Emma opens the box. Inside there is a beautiful necklace. The Seaview Necklace. At that moment, Peter and Mrs Green walk into the garden. Mrs Green looks at the necklace. Her eyes become big. „I cannot believe it.”

Peter smiles.

„The necklace is home again.”

Emma looks at him.

„You knew where it was.”

Peter nods.

„Yes.”

„Why didn’t you take it?”

Peter smiles.

„Because the story needs someone curious.”

Emma looks at Tom.

Tom smiles.

„I know someone like that.”

Emma laughs.

Chapter 8

The Truth

The garden is quiet. The Seaview Necklace is on the table. Mrs Green looks at it carefully.

„It is beautiful.”

Peter smiles. „Yes. It always was.”

Emma looks at Peter. „Can you tell us the whole story now?”

Peter nods. „I think it is time.”

„Many years ago, my family worked at the old hotel,” Peter says. „The first owner of the hotel had a special necklace. It was a gift from his family. People in the town loved the necklace because it was part of the hotel history.”

„What happened to it?” Tom asks.

Peter looks at the necklace. „One day, the owner decided to hide it.”

„Why?” Emma asks.

„Because he wanted to keep it safe. The hotel was closing, and he did not want the necklace to disappear. So he hid it in the garden.”

Emma looks at the necklace.

„But why did people think it was stolen?”

Peter smiles.

„Because nobody knew the secret. People thought someone took it.”

Emma nods. „So the mystery started many years ago.”

„Yes.”

„But why did you leave messages for me?” Emma asks.

Peter looks at the lighthouse. „Because I need someone to tell the story. Many people know the hotel, but they do not look carefully. You looked at the small things. The paper. The sand. The button. The old key.”

Emma smiles.

„Small clues.”

„Yes.”

Mrs Green looks at Peter. „You knew where the necklace was all this time?”

Peter nods. „Yes.”

„Then why didn’t you tell us?”

Peter smiles. „Because the necklace is not only an object. It is a story. It needs someone who wants to find the story.”

A few days later, Seaview Hotel has a special celebration. People from the town come to see the necklace. Mrs Green puts it in a beautiful glass box. Now everyone knows the story of the Seaview Necklace. Mr Stone also comes to the hotel. He smiles when he sees the necklace.

„I am happy it is safe.”

Emma looks at him.

„Did you know about the mystery?”

Mr Stone laughs.

„Yes, of course. And I am happy I was part of it.”

In the evening, Emma and Tom sit in the garden. The sun goes down over the sea.

„It was an interesting first week,” Tom says.

Emma laughs.

„Yes. I wanted a summer job. But I found a mystery.”

Tom smiles.

„And a necklace.”

„And some new friends.”

Emma looks at the hotel. She likes Seaview Hotel. She likes the sea. She likes the mystery.

„I think I want to come back next summer.”

Tom smiles.

„I hope you do.”

The End

Listen to the story here