lightening rods run up the sides and grounded into the earth to protect them from dangerous weather.
“This is lovely,” she said with amazement as she stepped out of the car. She looked around and was already thinking of several wrought iron seating arrangements that would enhance one of the small, enclosed areas created by the higher bushes. She had to pull herself back because he might prefer the newer outdoor furniture with the plastic-like wicker that resists wear and tear from the elements. She had to admit that there were pros and cons to both, although she still preferred the old world charm of the iron furniture, or even the real wicker furniture that had to be repaired and painted almost constantly.
He picked up the picnic basket from the back seat then came around the hood of the vehicle to meet her as she stared up at the house. “What do you think?” he asked, his arm touching her shoulder as if accidentally, but she knew it was on purpose. She didn’t mind though. At least not this gentle touch. She was too busy enjoying her first view of James’ house with all the elaborate brickwork and three stories of windows not including the dormers that gave people a view from the roof.
She saw seven chimneys and thought that was odd since most of these old houses tended to be very balanced in structure. If someone wanted a fireplace in one room, generally the builder would put a fireplace on the opposite end of the house. But this seemed a bit more….chaotic. And it fit James perfectly.
“I think it’s exactly like you,” she replied, smiling when she felt him look down at her curiously but she kept her eyes on the house, not acknowledging his glance but smugly thrilled that she’d thrown him off balance even slightly. He’d done it to her often enough, it was about time she threw him off kilter somehow.
“Show me the inside,” she encouraged, eager to view the space in which he wanted to live. She had pictured him in something ultra modern and almost sterile in appearance. This was nothing like what she’d imagined. The complete opposite, in fact, so there was yet another nuance to this man, another piece of twine to unravel.
Not that she was going to do any unraveling, she told herself as she moved forward, stepping onto the stone sidewalk leading up to the front door.
James put a hand to the small of her back as he led her through the house. She could see that he’d done several repairs and remodeling already but more work was still underway. As she walked through the stained glass front door, there was a new security system that looked state of the art and very complicated, although he disarmed the alarm with only a few buttons. There was a large parlor area that looked to have been expanded and all new windows were installed. She had to admit that the new windows were a good idea. They helped save energy by reducing the air leaks through the older wood holding the previous glass in place, but the multiple panes also helped to filter light so the sun wasn’t so hot in the summer, and didn’t allow the cooler temperatures to seep in during the winter.
The foyer was large and open with a curving staircase framing the circular wall, an ornate iron balustrade creating a delicate but decidedly firm portrait to look at when a person entered. “I love this house!” she breathed as she walked through one room after another. There was a living room that was perfect for social events because of the large windows that would let in the sunshine during the day with tall trees outside that she pictured filled with white lights for evening ambiance. As she passed into the next room, she gasped at the gorgeous, old hardwood floors that had been saved and therefore had a golden sheen to them. The boards hadn’t been sanded down and now had several gouges, even some stains that showed off the history of the room. A large dining room connected to a massive butler’s pantry with glorious storage space and
“This is lovely,” she said with amazement as she stepped out of the car. She looked around and was already thinking of several wrought iron seating arrangements that would enhance one of the small, enclosed areas created by the higher bushes. She had to pull herself back because he might prefer the newer outdoor furniture with the plastic-like wicker that resists wear and tear from the elements. She had to admit that there were pros and cons to both, although she still preferred the old world charm of the iron furniture, or even the real wicker furniture that had to be repaired and painted almost constantly.
He picked up the picnic basket from the back seat then came around the hood of the vehicle to meet her as she stared up at the house. “What do you think?” he asked, his arm touching her shoulder as if accidentally, but she knew it was on purpose. She didn’t mind though. At least not this gentle touch. She was too busy enjoying her first view of James’ house with all the elaborate brickwork and three stories of windows not including the dormers that gave people a view from the roof.
She saw seven chimneys and thought that was odd since most of these old houses tended to be very balanced in structure. If someone wanted a fireplace in one room, generally the builder would put a fireplace on the opposite end of the house. But this seemed a bit more….chaotic. And it fit James perfectly.
“I think it’s exactly like you,” she replied, smiling when she felt him look down at her curiously but she kept her eyes on the house, not acknowledging his glance but smugly thrilled that she’d thrown him off balance even slightly. He’d done it to her often enough, it was about time she threw him off kilter somehow.
“Show me the inside,” she encouraged, eager to view the space in which he wanted to live. She had pictured him in something ultra modern and almost sterile in appearance. This was nothing like what she’d imagined. The complete opposite, in fact, so there was yet another nuance to this man, another piece of twine to unravel.
Not that she was going to do any unraveling, she told herself as she moved forward, stepping onto the stone sidewalk leading up to the front door.
James put a hand to the small of her back as he led her through the house. She could see that he’d done several repairs and remodeling already but more work was still underway. As she walked through the stained glass front door, there was a new security system that looked state of the art and very complicated, although he disarmed the alarm with only a few buttons. There was a large parlor area that looked to have been expanded and all new windows were installed. She had to admit that the new windows were a good idea. They helped save energy by reducing the air leaks through the older wood holding the previous glass in place, but the multiple panes also helped to filter light so the sun wasn’t so hot in the summer, and didn’t allow the cooler temperatures to seep in during the winter.
The foyer was large and open with a curving staircase framing the circular wall, an ornate iron balustrade creating a delicate but decidedly firm portrait to look at when a person entered. “I love this house!” she breathed as she walked through one room after another. There was a living room that was perfect for social events because of the large windows that would let in the sunshine during the day with tall trees outside that she pictured filled with white lights for evening ambiance. As she passed into the next room, she gasped at the gorgeous, old hardwood floors that had been saved and therefore had a golden sheen to them. The boards hadn’t been sanded down and now had several gouges, even some stains that showed off the history of the room. A large dining room connected to a massive butler’s pantry with glorious storage space and
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