“That was near on twenty years ago, Dear,” the woman replied and Thomas shook his head in surprise.
“It does not seem so long as all that,” was his answer.
“Ah, but it’s no matter. We are old and this house … well, it still has a great deal of life in it. It would be silly to retain it any longer.”
“We are glad that you have decided to part with it. It really is a lovely house and one that we never imagined that we would find,” Diana interjected.
“Have you been looking for a long time?” The woman asked and Diana glanced at Mathew with a smile.
“It has not been so long, though it feels as though it has.”
“Ah, I understand. When you are searching for the perfect thing it can often feel as though time stands still. But I am glad that our home will be the start of a new life for you. It has been so much to us … to see it become all the same to a new family … It is a wonderful feeling. I cannot wait to see what you do with the place.”
“We are excited for the opportunity as well,” Diana replied and the woman smiled at her and then over at Mathew.
“You are such an adorable couple,” the woman added and Diana couldn’t help but smile at Mathew again. “They’re so much like we were when we had just gotten married, aren’t they Thomas?” The woman looked to her own husband who gave her a gentle look.
“Perhaps they are,” he agreed, “And this place has certainly become a lot of upkeep. The staff it takes to run this household … well, it’s something that we certainly don’t need either. It should not be a problem for you, of course, Your Grace,” he added. “The expense shall be nothing to you.”
“Thomas!” The woman sounded offended but Mathew simply smiled and shook his head.
“I am sure it shall be no concern,” Mathew agreed. He actually seemed to appreciate that the man was being so practical and so open about everything. The cost of keeping up the house and the household staff would not keep him away from this place, of that she was certain.
“We’ll take some of our household with us, of course, but there shall be some who we will release as our new home shall not be quite as large. We would give recommendation to any of this household, of course.”
“Excellent. Thank you, very much,” Diana replied, pleased that they should have no trouble with getting a full household staff for the new house.
Of course Mathew would like to keep his household, but with a larger house there would be need for more.
“Now, let us see to these papers, shall we?” The solicitor finally spoke up and Diana glanced over, startled.
She had just about forgotten the man was there, but as he passed out the forms for their signatures she tried to give the stern man a smile.
Not that he seemed to care. He simply stared back at her and then went back to what he had been doing. Which was simply staring at his own paperwork.
“We’ll need signatures on each of these, of course. This will transfer ownership from the Warner’s here, to your family, Your Grace.”
“Thank you,” Mathew acknowledged, reading through the forms quickly and efficiently.
Watching the way his brow furrowed as he read, the way his eyes scanned the page, Diana could easily see what he looked like when he went about his work and there was something so … endearing about this moment. Something about watching him this way that made her heart beat a little faster in her chest. And when he looked up at her with a smile … well, that made it patter even more.
“Please sign here when you are ready, Your Grace,” the solicitor stated, and Matthew finished his review of the content and added his signature to the bottom of the page. “And Mr. Warner,” Mr. Warner did not bother to read through the contract as Matthew had done but merely added his own signature. “And that is all that is necessary.”
“Are you ready, Diana? This house is ours now,” he told her and she smiled back.
“I am certainly ready. I am excited to begin our lives here,” she replied
“Oh, they are just so cute,” the woman stated again and then glanced over at her husband again before turning toward Diana again. “The two of you are just starting the rest of your lives together, and that’s absolutely wonderful. To see this lovely house filled with children… to hear their laughter and play in the halls…”
Diana stiffened slightly at that, and Matthew gave her a strange look. His hand reached toward hers, but she quickly pulled it into her lap.
“I always wished that we would have children of our own, but it simply never happened for us.” The woman looked so sad at the comment that Diana couldn’t help reaching out to her.
“I am sorry that things did not happen quite the way you had hoped. But you did have a happy life, did you not?”
“I did,” the woman replied, looking at her husband with a soft smile.
“Friends, parties, a husband who loves you,” Diana continued.
