everything just the way it was. I'm sorry, kiddo, I should have had those changed. We'll take care of them right away." He'd go to the hardware store himself, he decided, and get enough knobs to change them all. Though they were valuable and fascinating pieces of history, he couldn't see himself grabbing one of these things every time he went in or out of a second floor room.
Opening the door and turning on the light, Theo stood back so he could see the room. "This room, as well as Amber's, still contained some of the original furniture. We found a few more items to completely furnish them."
"Looks great," David said as he entered. Like the rest of the house, it was painted eggshell white--perhaps he would restore a few of the rooms to their original colors later, but the house was typical of the Victorian era and, therefore, dark and shadowy. It needed all the white paint it could get.
A dark cherry four-poster bed dominated the room, a navy spread covering it. A large chest rested at its foot. Across the rectangular room, a freestanding wardrobe waited, with an arch of stained glass that sported a daisy chain of subtly human forms resembling those in the dining room. Built-in bookshelves lined the short wall across from the bed, and a chiffonier and secretary were on the north wall. David crossed to the tall, narrow window near the bed. The top arch was stained glass, but refreshingly ordinary, containing conch shells and sea horses. The view was wonderful. From here, he could see the lighthouse and the cliffs. The beacon embedded in the cliffs beyond the conical structure cast intermittent light against the foggy mist, eerily illuminating the derelict structure at ten-second intervals. "I love it," he said. He'd put a small desk under the window so that he could work on his laptop at night with the most inspirational view he'd ever seen. "I absolutely love it."
"Let's see my room." Amber stood in the doorway, tapping her foot impatiently.
A moment later they stood in an identical room with similar furnishings, though there was a blessed lack of stained glass insets on the furniture. Central to the room was a sleigh bed with a sunny yellow spread. The window was identical also. Amber sat on the bed, bouncing to test the springs, a small smile of approval on her face.
"There's a large bathroom just across the hall from these rooms," Theo said. "Altogether, there are eight rooms plus the bath in this wing. The other wing is identical except there are almost twice as many rooms. Except for one big bedroom like these two, they've all been divided into very small rooms. Except for the bath, of course."
"Lizzie must have added the walls as her business grew," David said.
"You might want to remove some of the divisions later on."
"We'll see," David said. "I certainly don't need the space."
"Dad, could I move over to the big room in the other wing so I can have a bathroom to myself?" Amber asked from the bed .
Theo raised her eyebrows and David grinned. "I told you she's not afraid of ghosts!" He turned to Amber. "Sure, in a few days. Let's get a feel for what we've got here first."
"Okay." Rising, Amber crossed to the wardrobe, opened it, and began examining the drawers and closet space.
"Do you want to see the rest of this floor?" Theo asked.
"No, that's okay. We'll find our way around in the morning. Let's just take a quick peek at the tower and the third floor."
"Okay."
"I'm going to stay here, Dad," Amber said.
"I'll be back," David told her, and followed Theo from the room.
"This way," she said, leading him on past Amber's room to the end of the hall. Left of a window that aimed toward town, the wall rounded outward, destroying the squareness of the hall. A heavy arched door was set into the center of the round. Unlike nearly everything else in the house, the door to the tower was unornamented. Theo thumbed the simple brass latch and the door glided open, revealing utter darkness.
"The switch is here," she
Opening the door and turning on the light, Theo stood back so he could see the room. "This room, as well as Amber's, still contained some of the original furniture. We found a few more items to completely furnish them."
"Looks great," David said as he entered. Like the rest of the house, it was painted eggshell white--perhaps he would restore a few of the rooms to their original colors later, but the house was typical of the Victorian era and, therefore, dark and shadowy. It needed all the white paint it could get.
A dark cherry four-poster bed dominated the room, a navy spread covering it. A large chest rested at its foot. Across the rectangular room, a freestanding wardrobe waited, with an arch of stained glass that sported a daisy chain of subtly human forms resembling those in the dining room. Built-in bookshelves lined the short wall across from the bed, and a chiffonier and secretary were on the north wall. David crossed to the tall, narrow window near the bed. The top arch was stained glass, but refreshingly ordinary, containing conch shells and sea horses. The view was wonderful. From here, he could see the lighthouse and the cliffs. The beacon embedded in the cliffs beyond the conical structure cast intermittent light against the foggy mist, eerily illuminating the derelict structure at ten-second intervals. "I love it," he said. He'd put a small desk under the window so that he could work on his laptop at night with the most inspirational view he'd ever seen. "I absolutely love it."
"Let's see my room." Amber stood in the doorway, tapping her foot impatiently.
A moment later they stood in an identical room with similar furnishings, though there was a blessed lack of stained glass insets on the furniture. Central to the room was a sleigh bed with a sunny yellow spread. The window was identical also. Amber sat on the bed, bouncing to test the springs, a small smile of approval on her face.
"There's a large bathroom just across the hall from these rooms," Theo said. "Altogether, there are eight rooms plus the bath in this wing. The other wing is identical except there are almost twice as many rooms. Except for one big bedroom like these two, they've all been divided into very small rooms. Except for the bath, of course."
"Lizzie must have added the walls as her business grew," David said.
"You might want to remove some of the divisions later on."
"We'll see," David said. "I certainly don't need the space."
"Dad, could I move over to the big room in the other wing so I can have a bathroom to myself?" Amber asked from the bed .
Theo raised her eyebrows and David grinned. "I told you she's not afraid of ghosts!" He turned to Amber. "Sure, in a few days. Let's get a feel for what we've got here first."
"Okay." Rising, Amber crossed to the wardrobe, opened it, and began examining the drawers and closet space.
"Do you want to see the rest of this floor?" Theo asked.
"No, that's okay. We'll find our way around in the morning. Let's just take a quick peek at the tower and the third floor."
"Okay."
"I'm going to stay here, Dad," Amber said.
"I'll be back," David told her, and followed Theo from the room.
"This way," she said, leading him on past Amber's room to the end of the hall. Left of a window that aimed toward town, the wall rounded outward, destroying the squareness of the hall. A heavy arched door was set into the center of the round. Unlike nearly everything else in the house, the door to the tower was unornamented. Theo thumbed the simple brass latch and the door glided open, revealing utter darkness.
"The switch is here," she
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