then the large, gourmet kitchen with an eight eye stove, four ovens, three sink stations and plenty of counter space for a caterer to work with, not to mention more windows that looked out at an arbor covered in wisteria that was slowly fading from deep green to orange as it went dormant for the winter. The kitchen even had two large refrigerators and a freezer area that was separate. She loved the wine area where one could chill the whites and reserve the reds at room temperature. She noticed that this was the only room that was furnished. “You like your wines, eh?” she teased.
He glanced at the bottles that were laying on their sides, pointing downwards and shrugged indifferently. “I entertain a great deal. But honestly, I’d rather just relax at the end of the day with a beer,” he said and led her to the back staircase. “There are seven bedrooms on the second floor and five smaller ones for the household staff on the next floor.”
“Do you plan to fill up all of those rooms?” she asked, loving the idea of a large family. Being an only child, she liked to imagine what it would be like to have a house filled with children and lots of laughter and noise. Probably a great deal of fighting as well, but she could handle that. What she didn’t want when she got married was the silence that had permeated her house when she’d been little. Noise had been banned, and unless the music was appropriate, it wasn’t allowed. Which music selections had been deemed appropriate was determined by her father and no one else.
He opened the first door at the top of the stairs to reveal a pretty room painted in soft yellow with the same hardwood floors that she’d seen downstairs with two large windows across the front wall. James peered in and nodded approval as he let her enter first. “I have lots of family and friends that come to visit, but yes, all the bedrooms will get furnished eventually although it isn’t necessary to decorate them each immediately. I grew up with three brothers and two sisters and we had a lot of fun growing up, but as the oldest, I was the only one who had my own room. Sharing a room with a sibling could be a life threatening endeavor in our house,” he said with a grin, dissipating her concern immediately as she saw on his face that he’d loved all the life and death challenges of growing up in a large family. “Lots of bruises were handed out, but that just comes with the territory.”
Julianna looked up at him, concern in her soft, blue eyes. “You fought with your brothers?” she asked worriedly.
James almost laughed, but realized that she was sincere and tried to tone down his amusement. It made him feel great that she was concerned for him. He liked her feeling as if he were important. “Of course we fought. Viciously at times. But that’s just what boys do.”
She thought of Edward and the way he’d grown up. She shook her head. “Not all boys,” she replied and moved further down the hallway. Edward fought, but only in the ring during boxing practice. He was good in the ring, but she couldn’t imagine him duking it out with anyone other than the fighters that paired up at the gym.
James had no idea what she was talking about. All siblings fight. It was just part of the growing up process. With three brothers, all about equal in size with him, there was probably a bit more rambunctiousness, but siblings fought and loved and punched and irritated each other whenever possible. “I’m guessing you’re an only child, am I right?”
She continued to open doors and peek inside the other rooms, her mind thinking up several ideas for bedroom themes. “Yes. There was absolutely no fighting in my father’s household.” She closed one door and opened another before she said, “Of course, there wasn’t anyone to fight with so that wasn’t really an issue.”
“Didn’t you argue with your parents?” he asked, following her, fascinated by what she was revealing.
She
He glanced at the bottles that were laying on their sides, pointing downwards and shrugged indifferently. “I entertain a great deal. But honestly, I’d rather just relax at the end of the day with a beer,” he said and led her to the back staircase. “There are seven bedrooms on the second floor and five smaller ones for the household staff on the next floor.”
“Do you plan to fill up all of those rooms?” she asked, loving the idea of a large family. Being an only child, she liked to imagine what it would be like to have a house filled with children and lots of laughter and noise. Probably a great deal of fighting as well, but she could handle that. What she didn’t want when she got married was the silence that had permeated her house when she’d been little. Noise had been banned, and unless the music was appropriate, it wasn’t allowed. Which music selections had been deemed appropriate was determined by her father and no one else.
He opened the first door at the top of the stairs to reveal a pretty room painted in soft yellow with the same hardwood floors that she’d seen downstairs with two large windows across the front wall. James peered in and nodded approval as he let her enter first. “I have lots of family and friends that come to visit, but yes, all the bedrooms will get furnished eventually although it isn’t necessary to decorate them each immediately. I grew up with three brothers and two sisters and we had a lot of fun growing up, but as the oldest, I was the only one who had my own room. Sharing a room with a sibling could be a life threatening endeavor in our house,” he said with a grin, dissipating her concern immediately as she saw on his face that he’d loved all the life and death challenges of growing up in a large family. “Lots of bruises were handed out, but that just comes with the territory.”
Julianna looked up at him, concern in her soft, blue eyes. “You fought with your brothers?” she asked worriedly.
James almost laughed, but realized that she was sincere and tried to tone down his amusement. It made him feel great that she was concerned for him. He liked her feeling as if he were important. “Of course we fought. Viciously at times. But that’s just what boys do.”
She thought of Edward and the way he’d grown up. She shook her head. “Not all boys,” she replied and moved further down the hallway. Edward fought, but only in the ring during boxing practice. He was good in the ring, but she couldn’t imagine him duking it out with anyone other than the fighters that paired up at the gym.
James had no idea what she was talking about. All siblings fight. It was just part of the growing up process. With three brothers, all about equal in size with him, there was probably a bit more rambunctiousness, but siblings fought and loved and punched and irritated each other whenever possible. “I’m guessing you’re an only child, am I right?”
She continued to open doors and peek inside the other rooms, her mind thinking up several ideas for bedroom themes. “Yes. There was absolutely no fighting in my father’s household.” She closed one door and opened another before she said, “Of course, there wasn’t anyone to fight with so that wasn’t really an issue.”
“Didn’t you argue with your parents?” he asked, following her, fascinated by what she was revealing.
She
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