In
contrast to the drive to The Manor, the two hour drive home seemed to
fly by, and before I knew it we were pulling up in front of the
house. I had been gone so long that it was almost like I was seeing
it for the first time. The fact that Sean was indeed seeing it for
the first time only furthered this feeling.
“So
this is home.” Sean said, gazing up at the house as I walked
around the Jeep to stand next to him.
“Yes,
it is.” I replied with a little smile.
“American
Queen Anne. It suits ye, little girl.”
I
turned and gave him a surprised look.
“How
did you know that?” I asked.
“I
guess I've never had reason to tell ya. I've a degree in
architecture.”
“Well,
in that case you're really going to love this place! Would you like
the grand tour?”
The
slaves Francis was lending me had already arrived and Derek was busy
seeing that everything was brought inside and put where it needed to
go. He nodded in greeting and we headed up the stone path to the
covered porch that spanned the front of the house and wrapped around
the left side. I pulled open the heavy front door, admiring the
refinished stained glass panel, and we stepped in to the large foyer.
The twelve foot, dark wood paneled ceiling had been refinished, as
had the matching panels on the walls and the cream marble floor
polished to a high shine. All of the dark wood in the room might
have been too much if it hadn't been for the cream color on the walls
in between.
The
large staircase was a brilliant mahogany, the deep red carpet running
up the middle and covering the small landing unchanged. We stepped
through the sliding panel doors to the left – something I'd had
replaced – and in to a parlor that could have been right out of a
history book. My eyes went wide and Sean let out a low whistle.
“Ye
must've had an incredible designer, lass. This has been beautifully
restored.”
“What
I had was a crew of workers that could follow detailed instructions.
I did the design plans myself.”
“I'm
impressed.”
Though
my household colors were black, burgundy and gold, the room was
decorated mostly in green and gold to match the window seat cushion
and the oriental style carpet set in the floor. The drapes were the
same green and gold brocade as the cushion, and the Queen Anne couch
and chair set I had found had been reupholstered in a deep green with
gold accents. The fireplace had needed no work.
Across
the foyer on the other side was the formal dining room, which had
been left as I had found it, with dark wood wainscoting and a striped
gold wallpaper above it. A small gold chandelier hung in the middle
of the room and again there was a fireplace on the far wall. A long
mahogany dining table sat in the middle of the room and the matching
chairs had cushions covered with black and gold brocade.
Going
through a doorway off to the left of the staircase at the back of the
room, we entered a small hallway with a half-bathroom off to one
side. It lead to the kitchen in the back of the house, which was
large and airy with windows on each wall framed in antique lace
curtains. The walls had been painted a sage green and the floor was
hardwood now instead of tile.
The
cabinets were a natural oak, counter tops a black granite. There was
a round, rustic wood table with matching chairs, an electric oven
with a gas range, a very large refrigerator and a dishwasher. All of
these had wood facades that matched the cabinets to make them blend
in. Off of the kitchen was a small butler's pantry that opened in to
the dining room on the other side with charming little white cabinets
on either side of the room and a pull out tray for resting dishes
before serving them.
Going
back in to the foyer, we went up the stairs to the second floor. It
opened in to a good sized, long hall way with the same carpet running
from one end to the other. On the far end to the right, taking up
one side of the house from front to back was the master bedroom and
off of that through French doors a lovely little porch with brick
railing topped with wrought iron. There was a fireplace on one wall
and polished dark wood flooring. The walls had been redone in the
same wallpaper as the dining room above the new chair rail, and below
that was a gold and burgundy print. A door had been cut in the wall
to give access to a smaller room next door that had been remodeled in
to a large master bath where as the door to the original bath had
been plastered over and a door cut in to it from the hall way.
Across from the fireplace was a king size oak canopy bed draped with
gold and burgundy curtains. The room also had matching dressers and
a black velvet covered love seat next to a floor to ceiling book
shelf. A flat panel TV had been hung over the fireplace so that we
could watch from either the bed or the couch.
“So,
this is our room, isn't it lass.” He said as he looked around.
“Yes,
it is. What do you think of it?”
“It's
perfect.” He replied with a smile.
The
master bath had golden and cream colored marble floor tiles and a
matching counter around the his and hers sinks. The large, deep claw
foot tub was set in to a corner, a loop of copper around the top for
the shower curtain to hang from. There were little tile shelves
along the wall behind the tub for candles, a a larger one with a
towel rack for a washcloth. There was a warmer built in to the wall
with a bath towel rack above it, and dressing room lights around a
small vanity not far from the tub. A half wall covered in tile hid
the toilet from view.
From
there, I took him down the hall to the library. It was a cozy room
with thick, deep blue carpet, dark wood paneling on the walls and
ceiling, little brass sconces every couple of feet on the walls and a
fireplace. This room also had French doors that opened on to it's
own section of patio. A bit further there was a smaller room that
had once been used as a nursery, with it's hard wood floors and pale
blue walls. Next to it was a similar room with lavender walls. One
had a fireplace and one didn't, and the Realtor explained that they
had originally been one room that was the family's sitting room in
the house, just as the master bedroom had been the mens billiards
room in the house and the master bath had been the secretary's study.
The small rooms I had left as they were for storage, or for when I
had children of my own.
I
explained how the previous owners had remodeled the second floor for
the family instead of using the original family quarters on the third
floor as we walked. That was where we went next and where the main
staircase ended. The original master bedroom was right above the one
on the second floor, running from the front of the house to about two
three quarters back, where the original master bath was. It was very
much like the newer one, with a huge claw foot tub and his and hers
pedestal sinks with tables on one side of each and a towel rack on
the other. There was also a lighted vanity as in the other one.
Almost right next to the second master bedroom was the door to a
bedroom that was only slightly smaller and also had its own
fireplace. It was decorated in greens, blues and golds. I made the
mental note that this would be Devon's room, since no furniture had
been ordered for it yet.
Further
down the hall were three other bedrooms, smaller than the second one.
One of them had been turned in to a training room, one in to a room
for Cunt, or whatever slave happened to be my favorite and the other
in to a small guest room, all of them cream with dark wood accents.
From there we took the servants stairs up to the attic, which was
just one large room that spanned the entire house, with the ceiling
slanted on either side. The whole thing had new insulation and
drywall, as well as a refinished wood floor. There were several
dormer windows that allowed plenty of light, with curtains to help
keep it warmer or cooler as needed. At one end of the room two small
bathrooms had been built, each with sink, toilet and shower stall.
Slightly larger than normal twin sized beds took up the majority of
the room, with enough space left for a nightstand by each and a path
down the middle. Each bed had a chest at the foot of it for the
slave's clothing and other personal items, if they were allowed to
have such.
“Twelve
beds? Ya intend ta have a large household, don't ya lass.” Sean
said with a slight laugh.
“Well,
yes, but also wanted to be able to provide someplace for the slaves
of guests if they are not sleeping in the same room.”
“Ah,
that makes sense. Ye have a beautiful house here, Annie, and I'm
proud ta share it with ya.”
“Thank
you, Sir.” I felt myself blush a little at the compliment.
“Now,
if ya don't mind, I'm starvin'!”
I
laughed and led the way back to the kitchen for our first meal in our
new home.
***
The
first week or so back at home I was busier than I had thought I would
be. On the second day back I had taken Cunt to see Frederick and he
had suggested that she be sent to the nearby slave maternity home as
she was close to delivery. Without her at home, I found myself
preparing most of the meals and enjoying doing so. I ordered a bed,
dresser, night stands, lamps, book shelves, a desk with matching
chair and a small couch for Devon, rush delivery, within three days
of being home.
For
the most part my days consisted of working on notes for up coming
presentations and arranging to go to local slave auctions for
household staff. In the evenings, Sean and I swam in the small pool
in the yard and enjoyed the end of summer weather. Francis and his
wife were frequent visitors, and the use of some of their household
slaves was much appreciated. One evening, after being home about a
week, Sean and I were watching the sun set from the front porch when
a thought hit me out of the blue.
“It
needs a name.” I said, catching him off guard.
“What
does?” He replied, confused.
“The
house. Most society houses have one.”
“I'd
never really given it much thought, but yer right lass. We'll call
it Julie.”
“What?!
No, not that kind of name.” I said with a laugh.
“No,
I know, 'tis just the first thing that came ta mind.”
I
thought for a moment, tossing several ideas before I said,
“Stormhold.”
“Stormhold?
I like it, it's regal just like the house. How'd ya come up with
that?”
“It's
from a fantasy movie that came out a few years back. We'll have to
watch it some time.”
“Indeed.
I can'na remember the last time I watched a movie.”
“Well,
we will have to do that soon. I should have it on the shelf in the
bedroom.”
The
next morning had dawned stormy, providing the perfect excuse for us
to take a day for ourselves. We curled up in bed and spent the day
watching movies, starting with the one that had given me the name for
the house. We were on our third movie, some time after lunch, when
the door bell rang. As Derek was at his own house, though he had an
office in mine, and we did not have any borrowed slaves at the time,
Sean offered to answer it.
“Ya
look too comfortable there, lass. I'll get it.”
I
listened to the soft pat-pat of his feet on the floor as he moved
through the hall and down the stairs to the hall way, finding the
sound comforting. When he reached the door he opened it without
thinking, as there had been so many deliveries as of late. However,
this time it was not a delivery. Standing there on the porch,
soaking wet and holding an umbrella, was Devon. Sean unknowingly
glared at him as he stood there dripping. Devon looked at him
expectantly, and after a moment realized that Sean didn't know he was
supposed to be there. A wicked little smile split his face and in a
cheery tone he said simply,
“Honey,
I'm home.”
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