CHAPTER 3

Afraid of the unfamiliar place but I took the courage and let go of the uncertainty. I was about to go in when I heard the loud engine of a motorcycle coming to a stop.

A lean man goes off his Ducati motorcycle swiftly. He sways his hair right after he removed his helmet.

With a white t-shirt on and black leather jacket paired with denim, the guy walked towards me. He glanced at my car before looking at me.

“Nice car.” He said when he arrived in front of me.

“Thanks.”

“What are you doing about here?” I glanced at the tarpaulin beside my car, he looked at it also.

“Don’t tell me… you’re going to apply for being a housemaid?” I nodded at him with a force smile. He couldn’t believe it

“Tell me, you’re just joking.” I chuckled after he said that.

“I’m sorry to burst out your bubble but I’m serious here. Very. Serious.” I gave him a straight face after I said that.

“Oh.. w-well, let’s go to the library for signing a contract then.” He led the way, so I will be working for him.

As I took my steps I can’t take away my eyes on the vast ocean. The noon breeze of the wind is calming even though the sun is at its peak.

I am behind him when we enter the mansion, the interior of the house is focused around a large central hallway serving as the main avenue of traffic and entrance area to the adjacent rooms. The hallway flows into a large, wide staircase that provides the main means of egress from the entertainment area of the house to the private rooms on the second floor.

We enter a room filled with a lot of books. I smiled when I realized how Riggs will react if he’s here. I am sure he will be happy.

Riggs is fond of books. He is only three years old but he can say and understand some complex words.

“You can seat here.” he said while pointing a chair in front of the desk, he went to his desk and opens some drawer before he gets the paper. Maybe that’s the contract.

His phone suddenly rings. He picked it up and looked at me

“I’ll just answer this call, excuse me.”

I nodded at him and he went out.

This room contains original wallpaper including ceiling panels of small birds and orange flowers with vibrant leaves of green and yellow set upon a light blue background. The main body of the wallpaper is shades of tan and brown with light blue highlights. The fireplace is on the west wall of the room with a mantel similar to the one in the front sitting room. On the hearth are dark tiles of geometric designs with lighter colored tiles of a thistle design around the firebox. This room retains the original Brussels carpeting laid when the house was built.

After a long while, Arthur came back.

“Uh my cousin is on his way from Manila. We should wait for him so you can discuss the contract before signing it.”

Wai-what? I’m not working for Arthur? I glanced at my watch and it’s almost one in the afternoon. I looked at my phone, there’s no text from Kirsten so I’m assuming there’s nothing problem at them.

“I’m not working for you?” he put his arms crossed in his chest and scans me from foot to my face.

“I would like you to work with me but I’m not ready to die.”

I creased my brows at him, he laughed at my reaction.

“My cousin wants this house but I’m managing this because he’s a busy person. He has a lot of responsibility in his work. I lived in Tandag City, but I’m taking care of this house.”

“So your cousin will go home here now to take care of his own house?”

“Yes, since I will go to Manila tomorrow to take care some stuff there.”

I nodded at him, he then invites me to tour the house. I agreed since I will be working here its better if I’ll be familiar with the place, right?

Off the main hallway, to the right, is a small sitting room. The fireplace, situated on the interior wall facing east, has a tall mantel of Birchwood with turned spindles flanking a rectangular mirror supporting a tapered hood. The hearth is set with dark patterned tiles of Eastlake designs with light blue and white floral tiles surrounding the firebox. The ceiling is painted pressed metal with a curved crown molding. The tall windows are of the Queen Anne style, banded at the top by a panel of colored lights (blue, amber, purple, red). The height of the window is emphasized by a dado panel of wood with molded trim beneath each window. This style of window is repeated throughout the fenestration of the main block of the house.

Wow, I really like the house. It screams elegance. It looks like King and Queen should be the one who settle and live here.

Across the hall from the music room is the formal dining room. The fireplace is located on the east wall of the room and is of wooden moldings with a large mirror over the mantel, bracketed by electric candles and tiered over mantel. The dining room has panel doors on the west wall, one of which opens to the pantry and continues to the kitchen, and the other door opens to a small work and storage area.

The hallway landing on the second floor serves as the central point to the rooms radiating to the north, east, and south. There is a large floor to ceiling mirror of dark varnished wood mounted on the east wall. The tower room is entered directly off the landing by a doorway to the left of the large mirror. It is a small room, possibly used for a sewing room, with a set of four wide steps leading up to casement doors that open out to the second story balcony of the tower. The painted railing of the small interior staircase is comprised of vertical and angled balustrade pieces of Eastlake design. The doors are set under a fixed transom of various sized rectangular panels of colored glass. There are triangles colored glass inserts in the middle of the door with a large pane of clear glass above.

“So, how do you like the house so far?”

“I think Queen and King used to live here.” I chuckled after I said that.

He smiles at me and nodded.

“Yeah, our ancestors lived here. No one wants it here but my cousin said he wants here most of a sudden. I think he is so done of city’s smoke and noise?”

Maybe… because I’m so sick of the city once, not just because of the smoke and noise but also because of the people I’m with.

The door suddenly opens, remarkable fragrance elegantly balanced by dashes of bergamot and jasmine that segues into woody heart of cedar, incense and vetiver fills my nose. It’s been a long time since I smell that fragrance.

I turned my head towards the person who’s in the door.

I saw the man I once I am attractive back then even though I only saw him once. He looks more handsome now, his jaw and shoulder spoke of strength as always.

“Let’s go to the library.” His raspy voice thundered inside the place while looking at me deadpan.