“
Annabelle Lee, I
presume?” he said, as he helped her out of the car.
“
Yes,” she replied,
holding out her hand.
“
I’m Edward Davis, the
local real estate agent, and I’ve been requested to give you a tour
of the home and show you the surrounding grounds. May I introduce
you to the owner,” he said as they walked up the steps to the
imposing figure that awaited them.
His eyes were a shock of blue against the
gray-white hair as Edward introduced her.
“
Mr. Andrews, this is Miss
Annabelle Lee.”
She offered her hand and he took it and held
on, as his eyes seem to search hers, for what she did not know. She
smiled tentatively, wondering if he really did intend to sell the
estate. With a quick nod, as if coming to some internal assessment
he said, “Call me John,” and released her hand to turn back to the
open doors.
Chapter 5
Annabelle admired the
large white doors as she passed through and paused to take in the
deeply carved panels on its front.
You
don’t see workmanship like this anymore
,
she thought. The modern age may have gained something in its unique
designs, but work like this was becoming a lost art. She turned to
find both men watching her as she paused at the threshold and she
smiled.
“
The doors are beautiful,
I particularly like the detail of the carvings,” said
Annabelle.
As she moved forward to join the men in the
entryway, she looked down to see a creamy white floor that appeared
to have streaks of yellow or gold through it. She quickly looked
up, “Is that marble?” she exclaimed.
Both men turned back, but John replied,
“Yes, it is.”
Edward smiled and went into real estate mode
and began explaining that when the house was being built, the
original owners were involved with every aspect of the estate’s
development. They had personally selected Italian marble for the
entire home.
“
You will find that it was
used for the entrance, kitchens and bathroom floors. The fireplaces
and other fixtures in the house such as the work tables in the
kitchens, counter spaces, vanities in the bathrooms, etc. were all
laid with various shades and designs.”
“
It’s quite stunning,” she
replied, “And this floor is in excellent condition from what I can
see.”
She walked over the floor admiring how the
light from the windows reflected off the gold specks in the marble.
Her eyes were drawn to the grand staircase and the mahogany
balustrades that were on each rising step. From her view, she could
see that the staircase split as it arrived at the first landing.
She tried to keep her excitement in check when Edward continued
with the tour.
They made their way to the first room left
of the entrance, and as they entered through the double doors, she
saw that it must have been a formal sitting room. Although the room
was empty, it did contain a beautiful onyx colored marble
fireplace. The fire screen in front was a combination of black
wrought iron and shiny brass. The ceiling and moldings were freshly
painted white, along with the wood frames surrounding the windows.
Blue painters tape was still present and it appeared that the walls
had been prepped for painting, as their color was off-white.
The end of the room contained a set of
pocket doors, which opened into another room of a slightly larger
size with the same features. Except this room had an elegant
crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling, and the fireplace in
here was a deep rose with streaks of gold running through it. The
double doors at the end of the room led to a large connecting
hallway. She could already picture using one room as a lounge for
guests and perhaps the other as a dining room.
In the hallway directly across, was a set of
matching doors that opened into what appeared to be the transition
area off the main kitchen. The room was lined on each side with
cabinets running along the top and bottom of the room. The marble
counter space on each side was pure white. A large service table
ran down the center of the room and someone had installed work
lights above the table. Opening the doors, she saw shelves and
pullout drawers of every size imaginable. Her previous assessment
appeared to be correct. She could picture linens, dinnerware,
flatware, and other things necessary for the setting of dinner
tables and some of the larger cabinets could well hold the coffee
urns and buffet serving trays. Like the previous rooms, it still
had the blue painters tape and the primer on the open wall spaces.
She could imagine a cozy seating spot off to the one side while the
other side could contain a desk and filing area. The ceiling was
again painted white.
Through the archway, she could see into the
kitchen and headed there next. Her inspection revealed an appealing
mix of modern appliances along with traditional wood cabinets and a
long work island spanning its center. The kitchen was equipped with
an extra-large double sink and she was amazed to see the
professional size refrigerator, double ovens and cook tops, along
with the industrial size dishwasher. There at the end of the long
room she saw a set of doors, which opened to a walk-in pantry lined
with shelving and a dry goods area. The upright freezer tucked in
the corner would be ideal for her plans. They must have entertained
on a regular basis in the past she thought, as the appliances
appeared new.
The men followed her silently, except when
Edward pointed out the pantry or answered some of her inquires.
John followed silently, his blue eyes occasionally following her
gestures, but he made no comments. Edward pointed to the other set
of doors, which led out of the kitchen into the intersecting
hallway. It appeared that the first floor of the house was
connected with a series of hallways, which ran alongside, and
behind the grand stairs to the other rooms. She saw doors leading
out towards the back of the house, but the group continued on to
another room. The rooms on the other side of the house mirrored
those she had already seen and as she waited to enter, she had the
feeling that something slid down the length of her hair. Putting
her hand up to check she found nothing. Brushing the end of her
shoulder off, she focused on the next area.
Chapter 6
They entered the room
through the doors directly across from the kitchen. This could have
been a private sitting room; it had patio doors opening to a
terrace in the back of the house. Turning, she saw it also had
doors that opened to the intersecting hallway. As they crossed the
hallway to the next room, she realized that its counterpart was the
dining room. This room however had different lighting and French
pane doors leading out to a terrace on the side of the
house.
Perhaps this could be used as a
breakfast room,
she thought. It too had
pocket doors and led to the room in front of the house. The library
she thought, as she ran her hand across one of the empty shelves
that lined the walls. The gleaming black marble fireplace in the
center wall had a built-in box for wood. She could imagine sitting
here in a comfortable chair, reading. Walking through the doors,
they came full circle and were back at the entranceway, in front of
the grand staircase. Edward then guided her down the staircase
hallway and pointed out the powder room. He also advised her that
there was another on the opposite side. They continued along the
hallway and he showed her doors to closets that contained shelves
for linens, cleaning equipment and supplies
“
Yes…we’ve ensured that
the estate is ready for the next owner. The only thing you have to
worry about is the interior decorating. As you can see, all of the
walls are prepped ready for painting. Of course, any carpeting you
want down here is for you to decide. The hardwood floors are in
perfect condition,” said Edward. “Would you like to take a break or
move on to the next three floors?”
Annabelle looked from Edward to John and
said, “If you don’t mind, can we continue?”
With a wave of his hand, John replied, “You
two go on ahead; I’ll wait here.”
Chapter 7
They turned and headed up
the stairs, and when Annabelle glanced back, she saw John watching
intently.
I wonder what’s going on,
she mused. She clutched the leather portfolio
that she had been making notes in tightly to her chest. So far, she
hadn’t seen anything to dissuade her from making the purchase. She
felt slightly uneasy, wondering what the catch was, as they reached
the first landing. A note to have a building contractor come out
and inspect it was definitely a priority she thought as they
stopped. Edward continued with the real estate pitch on the
landing.
“
Now that we’ve reached
the second floor, you will see that there are two bedrooms on
either side of the house and two larger bedrooms here at the back
of the house. Each bedroom has a full master bath, while the two
larger bedrooms here at the back also contain sitting
areas.”
He patiently showed her
each room and explained that the hallways down each side met in the
front of the house to the next set of stairs. As they continued up
to the next floor, she glanced over her shoulder to look out the
large paned windows, which gave an amazing view of the front
lawns.
Side chairs with tables and
lighting could be arranged there,
she
thought as they continued up the stairs and on with the
tour.
The third floor was slightly different as
there was a master suite with an additional room, which ran the
length of the back of the house. Each room opened to a covered
terrace that allowed for an outside area. It appeared that the
current owner had combined the two original rooms to allow for
perhaps a study or office off the bedroom. The other rooms were
similar to the floor below so they continued on to the fourth
floor.
When they arrived at the landing on the
fourth floor, Annabelle felt a slight shiver go down her back and
made a note to check for drafts as they continued. Edward went on
to explain that this floor was exactly like the second. They went
to each room and Annabelle was again amazed at their condition. It
seemed as if the entire house was primed and ready to go for
painting and decorating. The bedrooms and bathrooms were in
excellent shape and every room had a fireplace that was a work of
art. Annabelle could imagine the color palettes that matched or
complemented the colors of the marble in each room. She made notes
and jotted down impressions and ideas as fast as she could write.
By the time they reached the stairs to head back down to the main
floor, she’d already made up her mind to purchase the estate if the
inspection came back clean.
Chapter 8
Walking down with the real estate agent, she
could sense his excitement of a pending sale, and she was just as
excited at the idea of acquiring the property. By the time they’d
started down to the main floor, her hand was tapping the railing—so
much for the businesswoman persona. Annabelle could see the current
owner standing there waiting for them, when suddenly, on the next
to last step, a cold breeze seemed to slide down her back and
encompass her entire body. She froze and held on to the banister,
wondering what was going on. She looked back up the staircase
searching for the source of the draft.
Annabelle felt her hair ruffle with the cold
air and as she shivered, couldn’t help saying, “Oh my God, where is
that draft coming from?”
Edward had stopped behind her and seeing his
face, sensed that he was holding his breath.
She turned around as she heard John stride
forward. Reaching for her hand he said, “Ah…now we come to the part
I wasn’t looking forward to.”
Annabelle searched his blue eyes, not sure
what he was implying. He looked at her and said, “It’s my
obligation to inform you that this house is supposedly haunted.
That is the main reason why the asking price for the estate is
below normal. Nothing has ever occurred to me personally, so I find
this difficult to believe, but we’ve had several prospective
clients come through these doors. They had a tour of the house, and
like you, some have experienced things. One claimed he saw shadows
on the staircase. Another felt something brush repeatedly against
her. Still another claimed they actually felt a hand grasping their
arm. After each episode, they all backed out. Nothing Edward or I
said could persuade them to reconsider. I don’t believe in such
nonsense. I do admit that I have felt the cold air on occasion, and
heard noises when I was alone; but when you’re in a house of this
size and age, it’s just something you expect. All houses have their
own sounds and just because they do, that doesn’t mean that they’re
haunted.”
Annabelle stood there silently, assessing
his words and trying to make sense of what she was hearing. She had
her own beliefs about supernatural events, but had to admit that
she’d never encountered one. Standing there considering what he
said, she concluded that she and John seemed to be on the same
page. Neither of them would believe it unless they had seen or
experienced it personally. She wasn’t going to let an isolated
episode dissuade her from her goal of acquiring this property.
“
I’ll take it,” said
Annabelle.
“
I can see you’ve made
your decision and know what an excellent opportunity this is,”
Edward said. “I’ll have the preliminary paperwork drawn
up.”
She noted she would be signing a release
form on what they had just discussed, and that a non-refundable
deposit was required. Annabelle agreed to meet him the following
day, and as they all walked to the front door, she gazed back one
last time.