twelve feet in height, giving the room a feeling of openness. The floor is a parquet design and appears to be made of oak. All in all, in my judgment, a very handsome room indeed.
“It’s very impressive,” I comment, looking around.
“Well, we entertain here when we’re casual … other than that, it’s really A.J.’s favorite room… sort of his own personal men’s club. He has his sound system and he likes to work here when he’s home… which hasn’t been very often.” Sheri sounds a bit wistful with the last comment, but I decide not to pursue it. “Come, I’ll show you the living room.”
We cross the foyer and enter the living room. This room is a bit more formal and much more feminine. It is also unfinished.
“As you can see, we still have a little work to do here.” Sheri comments. “I’m looking for just the right painting. When I find it, then I will bring it all together. Right now it’s just about the way it was when we moved in.”
The room matches the library’s position on the other side of the front door, so there is a matching bay window and tray ceiling and so on. The size appears to be about the same as well… perhaps slightly smaller. The decor, however, is much lighter with off-white walls, sconces and wall-to-wall carpeting. While quite different from the library and a bit more formal, it is still very comfortable in its appearance.
The rest of the tour covers the location of the master bedroom suite, the guest rooms, the servants’ quarters on the top floor, and the children’s rooms which are adjacent to Mary Stanley’s bedroom. Mary’s room is the only room that can be entered from the exterior of the house by crossing the roof of a lower room and from there to an outside stairway. Sheri comments on this, saying it’s a comfort to her in the event there is ever a fire, the children could get out easily. Returning to the kitchen, Sheri points to a door on the right of the hallway, just before entering the kitchen.
“That’s the door to the cellar. A.J. has a small wine cellar, but the rest of the place needs cleaning, so I’m not going to go down there. You can see for yourself, if you like.”
“That’s okay, I’ll pass for now. I’ll see to it that it’s cleaned as soon as possible.”
Sheri smiles. “That’s the tour, except for the gym which is just down the hall from your room. A.J. or Ned can show you the grounds whenever you like. Oh!” she taps her temple gently with the tips of her fingers. “The garage has rooms on the second floor, but they need cleaning, too. A.J.’s security guys live out there. It’s a real pig sty.” She wrinkles her nose and looks at me as if expecting a comment, but before I can say anything she offers, “I’m going to have some juice… want some?”
“Perhaps a glass of water,” I reply.
Sheri walks to the cupboard and retrieves two glasses. She hands one to me and points to the sink while she walks to the refrigerator for the juice. Drinks in hand, we sit at the kitchen table.
“You look very fit,” she says in her matter-of-fact way. “Do you exercise often?”
“Yes, I do,” I reply. “Exercise is an important part of my daily regimen. I’ll return the compliment, if that’s what it was… you and Mr. Jackson look as though you stay active.”
“Oh, we do… or at least we try. We’re pretty good about it when A.J.’s in town. We run several times a week and A.J. works out in the gym. He says he’s going to get more equipment in there, but he hasn’t done anything about it yet.” She pauses, takes a sip of her juice and continues; “Do you run? What do you do?”
“Yes, I run.” Now it’s my turn to pause. Ah, what the hell, they’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. “I also practice martial arts,” I add.
Sheri’s eyes grow wide. “You mean like Kung Fu? Do you do that kind of thing?”
I laugh. “I’m not sure I know what Kung Fu means to you,” I confess, “but I
“It’s very impressive,” I comment, looking around.
“Well, we entertain here when we’re casual … other than that, it’s really A.J.’s favorite room… sort of his own personal men’s club. He has his sound system and he likes to work here when he’s home… which hasn’t been very often.” Sheri sounds a bit wistful with the last comment, but I decide not to pursue it. “Come, I’ll show you the living room.”
We cross the foyer and enter the living room. This room is a bit more formal and much more feminine. It is also unfinished.
“As you can see, we still have a little work to do here.” Sheri comments. “I’m looking for just the right painting. When I find it, then I will bring it all together. Right now it’s just about the way it was when we moved in.”
The room matches the library’s position on the other side of the front door, so there is a matching bay window and tray ceiling and so on. The size appears to be about the same as well… perhaps slightly smaller. The decor, however, is much lighter with off-white walls, sconces and wall-to-wall carpeting. While quite different from the library and a bit more formal, it is still very comfortable in its appearance.
The rest of the tour covers the location of the master bedroom suite, the guest rooms, the servants’ quarters on the top floor, and the children’s rooms which are adjacent to Mary Stanley’s bedroom. Mary’s room is the only room that can be entered from the exterior of the house by crossing the roof of a lower room and from there to an outside stairway. Sheri comments on this, saying it’s a comfort to her in the event there is ever a fire, the children could get out easily. Returning to the kitchen, Sheri points to a door on the right of the hallway, just before entering the kitchen.
“That’s the door to the cellar. A.J. has a small wine cellar, but the rest of the place needs cleaning, so I’m not going to go down there. You can see for yourself, if you like.”
“That’s okay, I’ll pass for now. I’ll see to it that it’s cleaned as soon as possible.”
Sheri smiles. “That’s the tour, except for the gym which is just down the hall from your room. A.J. or Ned can show you the grounds whenever you like. Oh!” she taps her temple gently with the tips of her fingers. “The garage has rooms on the second floor, but they need cleaning, too. A.J.’s security guys live out there. It’s a real pig sty.” She wrinkles her nose and looks at me as if expecting a comment, but before I can say anything she offers, “I’m going to have some juice… want some?”
“Perhaps a glass of water,” I reply.
Sheri walks to the cupboard and retrieves two glasses. She hands one to me and points to the sink while she walks to the refrigerator for the juice. Drinks in hand, we sit at the kitchen table.
“You look very fit,” she says in her matter-of-fact way. “Do you exercise often?”
“Yes, I do,” I reply. “Exercise is an important part of my daily regimen. I’ll return the compliment, if that’s what it was… you and Mr. Jackson look as though you stay active.”
“Oh, we do… or at least we try. We’re pretty good about it when A.J.’s in town. We run several times a week and A.J. works out in the gym. He says he’s going to get more equipment in there, but he hasn’t done anything about it yet.” She pauses, takes a sip of her juice and continues; “Do you run? What do you do?”
“Yes, I run.” Now it’s my turn to pause. Ah, what the hell, they’re going to find out sooner or later anyway. “I also practice martial arts,” I add.
Sheri’s eyes grow wide. “You mean like Kung Fu? Do you do that kind of thing?”
I laugh. “I’m not sure I know what Kung Fu means to you,” I confess, “but I
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