think?” She was resting a hand on her hip provocatively as she asked
the question.
“It’s a very attractive proposition,” he replied, and she
was well aware of his eyes on her as he said it.
“I’m glad you think so.” She was surprising herself at
her own brazenness. But as she watched his reaction, she knew it was
being well received.
They discussed cost as they walked over to the house, and by
the time he had sat down at the kitchen table, everything was agreed. The
terms she was offering would have been difficult to refuse.
Although she was eager to move things along, she also
realised there were some practical issues she had to deal with first.
“Obviously the room isn’t ready yet,” she explained, “so
I’ll have to sort it out for you before you settle in.” She was quite
happy to give Ian cause for concern, but she wasn’t going to be too bloody
obvious. If he came home to find a stranger in the house, the guest room
not made up, but his own bed looking recently used, she might as well suggest
he sit and watch her being unfaithful.
“Would you like a drink while I get things ready?” She
was already reaching for the kettle as she asked.
“Do you make a decent cup of tea?” he asked. “It’s one
of the few things I’ve missed.”
Fortunately she did, and a few minutes later he had a mug
filled with a strong, sweet brew. Satisfied that he was settled, she
hurried from the kitchen and into the annexe.
Four doors led out of the kitchen. The first was into
the yard. Almost directly opposite that was the doorway into the dining
room. If you made a left turn as you faced the dining room, you found the
door that led into the hallway – a huge open space that led to the sitting
room, living room and the way out to the garden. It also contained the
staircase to the upper floor. Since they’d moved in, at Tanya’s
insistence, a lot of work had been done to the house in order to “make it more
bearable”. The hallway, a dark space made all the darker by the oak beams
and the wide oak staircase – had been the final area she planned to
change. Unfortunately, the money had run out before they got to that
part.
The fourth door was in the same wall as the entrance to the
dining room. This one was to the far right of that wall. It led
into a corridor that housed three rooms. The first of these, on the right
hand side of the corridor, was a utility room, though it was rarely used for
anything other than housing the many and varied pairs of boots Ian used for
tramping around the woods and building sites. Next to that was a sitting
room which served no purpose to the rest of the house, but was useful if you
were a guest – or if you wanted your guests out of the way. It was
furnished with an armchair, two-seater sofa, coffee table, television and a
small writing desk. Opposite the door to the sitting room was another
door that led out into the garden, so anyone stopping in the annexe didn’t need
to disturb the rest of the house to come in or go out. Between the
entrance and sitting room doors was the final door, which led to the bedroom.
Furnishings in the bedroom weren’t lavish but they were
comfortable. While work on the master bedroom had taken place, Tanya had demanded
that they sleep in the annexe because it would keep them away from the dust and
debris. It also meant she still had access to an en -suite
shower room and could maintain a suitable distance between herself and the
workmen. She might be happy to stray, and even to simply tease other men,
but she felt no inclination to put herself in any compromising positions with
relatively local tradesmen. Especially if there was a chance her husband
would employ them to work on The Barns .
So she had spent a few weeks using the guest room in the
past and knew it would be comfortable. In spite of the double bed, the
large wardrobe with matching dressing table and chest of drawers,
the question.
“It’s a very attractive proposition,” he replied, and she
was well aware of his eyes on her as he said it.
“I’m glad you think so.” She was surprising herself at
her own brazenness. But as she watched his reaction, she knew it was
being well received.
They discussed cost as they walked over to the house, and by
the time he had sat down at the kitchen table, everything was agreed. The
terms she was offering would have been difficult to refuse.
Although she was eager to move things along, she also
realised there were some practical issues she had to deal with first.
“Obviously the room isn’t ready yet,” she explained, “so
I’ll have to sort it out for you before you settle in.” She was quite
happy to give Ian cause for concern, but she wasn’t going to be too bloody
obvious. If he came home to find a stranger in the house, the guest room
not made up, but his own bed looking recently used, she might as well suggest
he sit and watch her being unfaithful.
“Would you like a drink while I get things ready?” She
was already reaching for the kettle as she asked.
“Do you make a decent cup of tea?” he asked. “It’s one
of the few things I’ve missed.”
Fortunately she did, and a few minutes later he had a mug
filled with a strong, sweet brew. Satisfied that he was settled, she
hurried from the kitchen and into the annexe.
Four doors led out of the kitchen. The first was into
the yard. Almost directly opposite that was the doorway into the dining
room. If you made a left turn as you faced the dining room, you found the
door that led into the hallway – a huge open space that led to the sitting
room, living room and the way out to the garden. It also contained the
staircase to the upper floor. Since they’d moved in, at Tanya’s
insistence, a lot of work had been done to the house in order to “make it more
bearable”. The hallway, a dark space made all the darker by the oak beams
and the wide oak staircase – had been the final area she planned to
change. Unfortunately, the money had run out before they got to that
part.
The fourth door was in the same wall as the entrance to the
dining room. This one was to the far right of that wall. It led
into a corridor that housed three rooms. The first of these, on the right
hand side of the corridor, was a utility room, though it was rarely used for
anything other than housing the many and varied pairs of boots Ian used for
tramping around the woods and building sites. Next to that was a sitting
room which served no purpose to the rest of the house, but was useful if you
were a guest – or if you wanted your guests out of the way. It was
furnished with an armchair, two-seater sofa, coffee table, television and a
small writing desk. Opposite the door to the sitting room was another
door that led out into the garden, so anyone stopping in the annexe didn’t need
to disturb the rest of the house to come in or go out. Between the
entrance and sitting room doors was the final door, which led to the bedroom.
Furnishings in the bedroom weren’t lavish but they were
comfortable. While work on the master bedroom had taken place, Tanya had demanded
that they sleep in the annexe because it would keep them away from the dust and
debris. It also meant she still had access to an en -suite
shower room and could maintain a suitable distance between herself and the
workmen. She might be happy to stray, and even to simply tease other men,
but she felt no inclination to put herself in any compromising positions with
relatively local tradesmen. Especially if there was a chance her husband
would employ them to work on The Barns .
So she had spent a few weeks using the guest room in the
past and knew it would be comfortable. In spite of the double bed, the
large wardrobe with matching dressing table and chest of drawers,
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