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“Exactly what I intend to do,” I replied.
“Good lad,” Jack smiled. “Same as always?”
“We might be staying a bit longer, if that’s okay,” I said. “Make a day out of it.”
Jack fished for the keys in his pocket and tossed them to me. “Just make sure you’re here before the sun sets,” he said. “Otherwise people’ll think the place really is haunted, and I don’t want any thrill seekers around here. My job’s hectic as is without having to chase kids away.”
I laughed. “Will do,” I assured him. “Thanks, Jack.”
“Welcome,” he nodded. “And glad to see you’re doing well, Andrea.”
“Thank you, Jack,” she replied, and I quickly led her down the embankment to where the boats were docked.
We had decided the other day to spend the afternoon at Eagleville Manor. It was Andrea’s idea, an attempt at rekindling that first time we were together and hopefully ending it in a better way than the last time. I had taken a couple of days off, and for the entire weekend, I was all hers. I had suggested a trip to the coast, and she told me that the only body of water she wanted to be looking out at with me was at Eagleville Lake.
We docked the boat and I helped her out, walking up to the manor with my arm around her waist and her head resting against my shoulder.
“Thank you for doing this,” she sai
d.
“Of course,” I replied. “Besides, Eagleville’s closer than the coast.
She slapped my arm and laughed. “Really? That’s why you agreed to this?”
I laughed. “Nah, you’re right,” I said. “The last time we were here, the rest of the day didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. It’s a great idea.”
“Change the memory,” she nodded.
“Exactly.”
I opened the door and let her into the Manor. I had called ahead and made sure Jack had aired the place, and he had refreshed the flowers in the large vases, adding a little touch of his own that I thought was genius. The smell was incredible, and from the smile on her face, I could tell Andrea felt the same way.
“What did you do?” she asked, frowning as she took in the livelier feeling of the place.
“I might have asked Jack for a favor.”
She looked at me, her smile melting me. “This is gorgeous.”
“Well, it helps that we’re in a manor,” I joked.
“Idiot,” she mouthed, shaking her head in amazement. “What else did you ask Jack to do?”
“I have no idea, honestly,” I shrugged. “I have a feeling there will be a few surprises here and there.”
Andrea winked at me and made her way across the foyer, this time opting to explore the ground floor before going to the terrace upstairs, where we knew we’d end up.
I had never really seen the rest of the place, and I was equally in awe at the majestic rooms and furniture that decorated Eagleville Manor. I couldn’t understand how a pace like this could ever lose its charm. The least anyone could have done was open a restaurant in one of the wings and make use of the view. With UCONN only a few miles away, this place could have really become more than a house standing alone on an island in the middle of a lake.
Or maybe its charm was in the fact that not many people even knew they could visit it.
“Must have been lonely,” Andrea said as we made our way back.
“What do you mean?”
“All this space, and not having anyone to share it with,” she said. “It’s no wonder the first owner didn’t live long after his wife died.”
“Great way to make a beautiful situation morbid, Andrea.”
