A Family Forever Read Online Free
entrance hall. Victoria's heart faltered as she looked around. Larchfield Hall lived on in her childhood memories as an awe-inspiring house full of treasures and beauty. She'd loved visiting with her grandmother.
Now discolored rectangles on the wallpaper marked the places where paintings used to hang, and bare wires dangled instead of the Victorian glass lampshades. But hints of the property's classy pedigree still remained. The grand staircase rose majestically up to the next floor and the wood paneling and decorative plasterwork retained its faded grandeur.
Most of the furniture had been disposed of by the executors of Lady Welland's estate before the house was sold, but the odd piece remained here and there. An old-fashioned telephone rested on a table against the wall, and an overstuffed chair where Lady Welland's old Labrador used to sleep sat just inside the sitting room door.
She hoped Adam realized the enormous task he'd taken on. A lot of money would be required to bring the property up-to-date and make it comfortable. It would be nice to see the place lived in and brought back from the dead, though.
As Victoria and Sophie followed Harry along the corridor towards the back of the house, Adam appeared at the kitchen door. "Good morning." He smiled, but he looked pale. The tiny lines at the corners of his eyes were more pronounced today as if he hadn't slept well.
Maybe he was realizing the enormity of the project. "The hall's rather old-fashioned. Did you manage okay last night?" she said.
"We didn't stay here. I booked a room at the Plume of Feathers in the village. There's no Internet at Larchfield yet, and I needed to do some work."
Victoria laughed at his warped priorities. "So you don't care about beds and running water as long as your phone and laptop work?"
He acknowledged her joke with a little quirk of his lips. "Upstairs, there's a massive old four-poster, but I wouldn't want to use it. I think the mattress is stuffed with horsehair."
"It wouldn't surprise me. Lady Welland did rather live in the past. I think she yearned for a bygone era."
"Like a lot of old people, I suppose." Adam tapped the door frame. "They knew how to build houses back then, though. I plan to keep as many of the original features as possible."
The smell of coffee wafted enticingly through the kitchen door and Adam extended a hand, ushering her inside. The scrubbed wooden table and chairs that Victoria remembered still stood on the faded linoleum in the middle of the large kitchen. Cupboards warped with age and rusty iron kitchen implements sat around the room, many that had probably been installed when the house was built.
In complete contrast, a new coffeemaker stood on the kitchen table with two white mugs and a carton of milk.
"This is rather like camping inside," Adam quipped as he poured their coffee and offered the children cans of soda.
"You could always do that, camp here," Victoria said. "About five miles away there's a huge outdoors equipment superstore. I'm sure they sell sleeping bags and camp beds."
"Can we, Dad?" Harry chipped in.
"I guess we could think about it."
They all sat around the table and Harry started showing Sophie how his camera worked.
Adam looked completely different today, and Victoria liked the change. Faded denim jeans and a navy T-shirt showcased a trim, muscular body. His forearms were lean, corded with muscle, and dusted with dark hair. He might be a townie, but he obviously kept fit. His dark brown gaze met hers, and a tingle of awareness raced through her.
His hands were bare of rings but that didn't mean he wasn't attached. Even as she reminded herself she didn't have time for a man, she admitted she was definitely interested in the delicious Mr. Cantrell.
"Is your wife going to be joining you?" Victoria tried to sound casual.
"I'm not married."
"So it's just you and Harry?"
Adam's lips twitched and he nodded, obviously aware she was fishing for information about him.
Her
Now discolored rectangles on the wallpaper marked the places where paintings used to hang, and bare wires dangled instead of the Victorian glass lampshades. But hints of the property's classy pedigree still remained. The grand staircase rose majestically up to the next floor and the wood paneling and decorative plasterwork retained its faded grandeur.
Most of the furniture had been disposed of by the executors of Lady Welland's estate before the house was sold, but the odd piece remained here and there. An old-fashioned telephone rested on a table against the wall, and an overstuffed chair where Lady Welland's old Labrador used to sleep sat just inside the sitting room door.
She hoped Adam realized the enormous task he'd taken on. A lot of money would be required to bring the property up-to-date and make it comfortable. It would be nice to see the place lived in and brought back from the dead, though.
As Victoria and Sophie followed Harry along the corridor towards the back of the house, Adam appeared at the kitchen door. "Good morning." He smiled, but he looked pale. The tiny lines at the corners of his eyes were more pronounced today as if he hadn't slept well.
Maybe he was realizing the enormity of the project. "The hall's rather old-fashioned. Did you manage okay last night?" she said.
"We didn't stay here. I booked a room at the Plume of Feathers in the village. There's no Internet at Larchfield yet, and I needed to do some work."
Victoria laughed at his warped priorities. "So you don't care about beds and running water as long as your phone and laptop work?"
He acknowledged her joke with a little quirk of his lips. "Upstairs, there's a massive old four-poster, but I wouldn't want to use it. I think the mattress is stuffed with horsehair."
"It wouldn't surprise me. Lady Welland did rather live in the past. I think she yearned for a bygone era."
"Like a lot of old people, I suppose." Adam tapped the door frame. "They knew how to build houses back then, though. I plan to keep as many of the original features as possible."
The smell of coffee wafted enticingly through the kitchen door and Adam extended a hand, ushering her inside. The scrubbed wooden table and chairs that Victoria remembered still stood on the faded linoleum in the middle of the large kitchen. Cupboards warped with age and rusty iron kitchen implements sat around the room, many that had probably been installed when the house was built.
In complete contrast, a new coffeemaker stood on the kitchen table with two white mugs and a carton of milk.
"This is rather like camping inside," Adam quipped as he poured their coffee and offered the children cans of soda.
"You could always do that, camp here," Victoria said. "About five miles away there's a huge outdoors equipment superstore. I'm sure they sell sleeping bags and camp beds."
"Can we, Dad?" Harry chipped in.
"I guess we could think about it."
They all sat around the table and Harry started showing Sophie how his camera worked.
Adam looked completely different today, and Victoria liked the change. Faded denim jeans and a navy T-shirt showcased a trim, muscular body. His forearms were lean, corded with muscle, and dusted with dark hair. He might be a townie, but he obviously kept fit. His dark brown gaze met hers, and a tingle of awareness raced through her.
His hands were bare of rings but that didn't mean he wasn't attached. Even as she reminded herself she didn't have time for a man, she admitted she was definitely interested in the delicious Mr. Cantrell.
"Is your wife going to be joining you?" Victoria tried to sound casual.
"I'm not married."
"So it's just you and Harry?"
Adam's lips twitched and he nodded, obviously aware she was fishing for information about him.
Her
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