Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“That’s a stunning house. The views of the mountains in this valley are breathtaking.”
Alice huffed again. “Mr. and Mrs. Bishop’s home. And I grew up here, so the mountains make no difference to me.”
My eyes widened. What a charming lady…not.
“I was the Bishops’ housekeeper for many years, until Lisa died. Then Mrs. Bishop had me come and start taking care of Aiden’s place. Single father and all.”
“Yes, I see,” I offered.
Picking up my suitcase, I followed Alice up the porch steps and into the house. We walked into a small foyer that housed a bench and hooks to hang up jackets and such.
To my right was a living room with a giant fireplace. The furniture seemed formal with a bit of casual thrown in. There was a gorgeous piano sitting in the corner.
“Does Hadley play the piano?” I asked Alice, stepping into the room.
“No, Mrs. Bishop did. No one has touched that since she passed.”
My heart sank a little. A beautiful piano like that one needed to be played. The house could use some music to fill it up. Music, for me, had always been so healing.
On the other side of the hallway were double doors that led into an office.
“That’s Mr. Bishop’s home office. When the doors are shut, you leave him alone.”
I nodded. There was a long hallway in front of us, but through the living room, I spotted a formal dining room. “Do Aiden and Hadley eat in the dining room for dinner?”
Alice turned and gave me a look. “Do you mean, Mr. Bishop?”
Okay. So this is how she wants to play this.
“Mr. Bishop has asked me to call him Aiden. But if that makes you uncomfortable, I can call him Mr. Bishop when you and I speak, if you’d like.”
The housekeeper stared at me like I was a bug that needed to be stepped on and swept down the hall. Fast. “If he’s already told you that, then no, please continue to call him Aiden. And to answer your question, no. They eat in the kitchen at the island. Mrs. Bishop liked the formal dining room, so he doesn’t eat in there. Ever.”
I nodded.
At the end of the hall, we emerged into a kitchen. It was attached to a family room that looked distinctly different than the rest of the house and featured another fireplace and much more comfortable-looking furniture. It was a room that looked lived in.
The kitchen was gleaming, with fancy appliances and a big island that held four stools. “Oh my goodness, this kitchen is huge!”
Alice nodded proudly. “It is. Do you like to cook?”
I nodded back while running my hand over the granite. It was cool to the touch. “Yes, very much so.”
That made her smile. Finally, something she liked about me. Small miracles, Emma.
“Thank goodness. Aiden isn’t much of a cook, and most mornings, poor little Hadley gets a Pop-Tart and a SunnyD.”
I scrunched up my nose.
“Yes. He tries, but some things he hasn’t mastered…and that includes mornings.”
Chuckling, I let Alice show me the pantry, the laundry area, and the upstairs, which housed three bedrooms. Aiden’s master bedroom was downstairs, and she didn’t show me that room, but she did mention his room had been the original cabin on the property, along with the family room. The wood in the family room was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. You could tell it was old, so I could only imagine how beautiful Aiden’s room must be.
Upstairs, a loft area with comfortable seating and a large-screen TV led out to a sizable connecting balcony. Alice nodded across to the old carriage house.
“It’s unlocked, the key is on the counter. I’ll let you get settled while I start cleaning Hadley’s bathroom.”
“Thank you, Alice. I appreciate you giving me a tour of the house.” It seemed as we went along through the house, Alice had warmed up to me a bit. It was probably weird for everyone that another woman was taking up residence in the house.
“If you need anything, let me know. I’m not sure when Aiden and Hadley will be home. I normally clean the house on Sundays, so that I can make Aiden a few meals for the week, but now that you’re here I’m turning that over to you.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
“Thank you again!” I called out as she headed back through the loft area and into Hadley’s bedroom.
I walked toward the door that led to my new home, passing an outdoor table and chairs and a fancy-looking telescope. Taking a deep breath, I turned the handle and walked in.
My breath caught in my throat.
The living area was one huge open room with a big picture window that overlooked the mountains. The kitchen was the perfect size for me. A large island with two stools separated the kitchen from the living room, a fireplace sat in the corner, and cozy French country-style furniture filled the space. I made my way into the kitchen and inspected the cabinets. They were stocked with all the cookware and dishes and everything else I needed. There was even a Keurig on the counter. I couldn’t wait to make a cup of steaming hot chocolate and sit in front of the fire with a good book.