Harmony House

by Ruth Hay

  Vilma was as good as her word. She rolled up her sleeves and they began to select and eject most of the furniture left over from past generations. For Jannice O’Connor it was as if a breath of fresh air had entered her life and this lovely woman had appeared like an angel exactly when most needed.

  Hilary‘s appointment with her realtor produced two offers to buy her house.

  “I will need you to vacate the premises for a few hours so I can show the clients around. I think the representative of Fanshawe College is the best bet, but I have already informed him there is a competitive bidder also interested in purchasing. I wouldn’t do too much in the way of changing the furnishings or anything else, since the chances are it will be knocked down and replaced fairly soon.

  Just tidy up a bit. You know the score.”

  Hilary could have been offended at this casual dismissal of her family home, but she had mentally moved on already and there was no point in needless emotion. A quick sale was desirable for several reasons as long as the price was appropriate.

  She made a note of the date and time of the showings and drove home to break the news to Mavis and Eve.

  No sooner had she taken off her coat and headed to the kitchen than Mavis appeared from the office where she had been printing the photos Evan had sent.

  “Glad you are home, Hilary! Wait till you see this. Evan has sent them on and he says he had the driveway and porch cleared already so we can go for a look as soon as we like.”

  “Who is Evan? What photos? What’s been going on here?”

  “Oh, sit down and I’ll explain everything. Eve, will you put on the kettle for us? I’ll bring you both up to speed.”

  She proceeded to tell Hilary all she had done with regard to the Niagara House. The colour photos were soon spread out on the island counter top.

  “I’m afraid I can’t figure these out at all. The interior looks very strange to me.”

  “I agree, Eve. What makes you think this is a good candidate, Mavis? It looks like a madman has gone wild with paint in this place.”

  “Try to ignore the décor, ladies. The good news is that the house is underpriced at $750,000 and Evan says an even better deal can be made with the owner. Before you protest, Hilary, there are six bedrooms and more space in the full basement which has a walkout at the rear. The house has five full bathrooms already and the electrical system is state of the art. There’s an updated furnace, forced air heating and cooling, a spacious separate garage building and very pretty gardens at the rear. It’s almost perfect for our needs and a mere five minute drive to access roads into Byron Village. And it’s on a crescent with four other substantial houses so we would not be alone if help were needed.”

  Mavis paused for breath. Hilary and Eve glanced at each other and saw similar expressions of surprise.

  “Well, now, you seem to be convinced this is our house, Mavis dear!”

  “I may have laid it on rather thick, Hilary, but I have a good feeling about this one. It sounds like exactly what we need. What do you think about seeing it soon? Evan is ready to take us around.”

  Hilary made a quick calculation. If she could get these two women to help with the cleanup for her own two viewings, they could go out to see the Niagara House on the same day, leaving Camden Court to her realtor. She felt quite keen to meet this Evan who had swayed the usually-practical Mavis so quickly.

  In her own mind she reserved judgement. She expected the weird interior décor might be so outrageous that it overwhelmed all other factors.

  “The timing could work out very well, Mavis. Once I tell you both my house news you will see what I mean.”

  She would say nothing about the police visit until young Sergeant Price had forwarded his report.

  No need to worry Eve or Mavis unduly.

  At least not yet.

  Chapter 14

  It was a very busy three days. Despite everything her realtor had said about not doing too much, Hilary wanted her house scoured and any extraneous items removed to the basement so the space seemed even larger than it was. She put cinnamon rolls to bake slowly in the oven, sprayed air freshener in the bathrooms and took a last walk around to make sure everything was immaculate. As far as she was concerned, a suggestion her house might be purchased by Fanshawe College was just that… a suggestion. A buyer might well be a family seeking a good solid house and if that occurred she was now confident they would see an appealing possibility in 46, Camden Corners.

  She hustled Mavis and Eve along and closed the front door behind them, placing the key safely in the realtor’s lock box. She was pleased the house would not be left empty while its occupants were viewing the Niagara house and she promised herself she would tell both women of her efforts to apprehend Howard Dobrinski on their return home.

  The atmosphere in the car was part anticipation and part fear of disappointment. The snow had settled down and roads and sidewalks were cleared. The sun shone brightly again in a clear blue sky but the air was frigid.

  Evan was standing on the swept front porch with a beaming smile on his face. Introductions were made amid some confusion as Mavis had to explain her phone call, but soon they were entering the front hall together and removing their boots.

  The trio stood there absorbing the effect of a spacious entrance with a carpeted side staircase rising up to a second level balcony off which were a number of doors.

  Evan was talking about ‘a convenient powder room and generous coat closet’ but none of the three could hear him. They were astonished at the attempt to create an ultra-modern residence inside a traditional exterior. A central lantern light high above at roof level, flooded the entry with bright sunshine which served to illuminate the vibrant colour of the carpeting (was it really that vivid a purple?), while the walls positively zinged with a sharp lemon shade that brought saliva to the mouth.

  Their heads turned to the rooms on left and right hoping for relief from the eye-watering effect, only to see a blue drawing room suite so dark in tone as to appear black against a white carpet. On the right was a dining room with an ornate table and high-backed chairs set on a floral nightmare of a rug and with dark panelled walls belonging to another era entirely. To make matters worse, (was it possible?) the walls appeared to be the repository of someone’s art collection. This varied from copies of Picasso’s Blue Period to stark landscapes reminiscent of some of the Group of Seven.

  Open mouths and in-taken breaths revealed the horror the women were experiencing. Evan seemed impervious to this reaction. He continued to extoll the virtues of the rooms without a pause until Hilary could stand it no longer and interrupted with a loud exclamation.

  “Just a minute, young man! Were these people mad? This place is a nightmare. Was a decorator employed at all? What is this all about? Is the whole house like this?”

  Evan gulped, chose to respond to the last impassioned question and turned to face his hoped-for future clients with rather less of a confident smile than previously.

  “Oh, I believe you will be much happier with the bedrooms. Why don’t we go upstairs right away, ladies. I can show you the marvellous kitchen and rear patio later.”

  They trooped upstairs in despair. The bedrooms would need to be exemplary to counteract the horrible effect of the first floor.

  Hilary was appalled.

  Eve was intrigued. She felt there was a story here.

  Mavis was not too surprised. Evan’s clues on the phone had given her prior warning. She still retained some small kernel of hope, nevertheless.

  “There are four ensuite bedrooms within this section.”

  “I thought there were six bedrooms?”

  Oh, this one is going to be a real buzzkill!

  He composed his face and continued. “To your left through that door is the entrance to an additional substantial bedroom suite in the upper tower room. Shall we see that now, ladies?”

  Mavis nodded enthusiastically. If there was anything in this place that might convince Hilary to
stay longer, it would be the tower room. She crossed her fingers and hoped.

  Evan turned around and walked to the door separating the two bedroom sections. He opened the door with a theatrical flourish and invited the women to enter first.

  Hilary took the lead with Mavis following behind Eve.

  The tower room with three long windows and wide sills, could not have been more different from the kaleidoscope downstairs. The four-poster bed was draped in silk panels of a delicate blush hue. The furniture was set against the curved outer wall where all the pieces fit perfectly, and all were of a light beech wood. There were blinds and drapes on the windows of a similar blush pink to the bed hangings and the carpeting was wall-to-wall cream broadloom matching the delicate shade of the wall paint. Four crystal wall lights gleamed between and beside the windows and a set of matching lamps sat on two bedside tables. The bed coverings were so sumptuous they invited the viewers to touch, then lie down and rest, in total comfort in this magical setting.

  Evan stood back and watched the magic take over.

  “It’s like a childhood dream,” whispered Eve, with unconcealed longing in her voice.

  Mavis was checking out the walls near the bed for two more doors. There must be an ensuite washroom and a walk-in closet to make this perfect.

  “Well, that’s more like it,” said Hilary, grudgingly. “But it’s a child’s room, obviously! Not exactly suitable for our needs.”

  Evan merely inclined his head. He was aware of the effect even if she was denying it. Now he had to consolidate the sale before the magic dissipated.

  “Shall we take a quick look at the other bedrooms then I’ll show you the second staircase leading to the modern kitchen with a spectacular view.”

  There was no way he was going to subject these women to the entrance hall again. A well-planned, functional kitchen was always a major selling point in his experience.

  The four bedrooms seemed prosaic after the tower room’s extravaganza but each was similar in size, without furniture, had an ensuite washroom, a pair of useful closets and either one or two windows.

  The wall colours were more neutral but as Hilary had promised all of the women could choose their own colours, this was not a matter of concern.

  The second staircase was concealed behind a double door at the opposite end of the balcony from the tower room. Evan took the lead down one flight to the kitchen. This was a show-stopper and he stood back without saying a word. The women walked around the generous space where the appliances all looked new and boasted a matched set of attractive pale green fronts. The huge island was pale grey as were the floor tiles, and the cupboards, of which there were plenty, were a slightly darker shade of grey with details picked out in darker green. The kitchen was open to a breakfast nook in front of a bay window but it was the view from the window and the sliding door exit to the deck that drew all eyes.

  The garden was heaped in mounds of snow punctuated by large fir trees. There was the hint of paths winding through the beds toward a bank of trees marking the boundary of the property.

  “I can assure you, ladies, this is a lovely garden. The lady of the house was most particular about the garden which she had marked out very early in the building process. In spring there will be an amazing display of colourful flowers from the hundreds of bulbs she had planted.”

  “So, there was a gardener working here?”

  “That is correct, Mrs. Dempster.”

  “What’s the story here, Evan? It’s clear there was a great deal of money and work put into this property and now it is for sale. It cannot be very old. There must be a reason for the sale so soon after the house was finished.”

  He was prepared for this question. He invited the women to sit on the comfortable sofas arranged in front of a beautiful gas fire, which he clicked on with the touch of a remote. When all were seated he began the tale. He stood by the side of the fireplace leaning on the marble mantel.

  Quite the showman, our Evan, thought Hilary.

  “As I mentioned before, a developer built this property for his wife. He chose the exterior stylings according to his own taste but his wife, a very forceful lady, was not pleased with any part of it when she returned to London with her daughter after spending the winter in the Bahamas. The developer insisted he could not afford to rebuild as he had invested a great deal of his available money in buying the land and having the plan designed especially to his requirements.

  A huge disagreement ensued. His wife was furious. She employed a designer to reproduce the tropical setting she had enjoyed while in the Bahamas. You have seen the results. The potted banana trees have been removed.

  Fortunately, she left the kitchen untouched but she made a princess palace out of the tower room for her daughter to spite her husband who had intended it as a master bedroom for the couple.

  To cut a long story short, the dispute ended in divorce. Neither the wife nor the husband spent one night in this house. The daughter, who adored the tower bedroom, was here only briefly.

  It was a sad and expensive venture for the developer hence the reduced cost of the house. You can see it is too large for the average family. None of my viewings has produced a reasonable offer and the developer is very keen to sell.”

  The unspoken comment was that the man needed the money for his divorce settlement.

  He stopped and looked at each woman in turn with a question in his eyes.

  Eve was touched by his story and felt sad for the child.

  Mavis was trying to calculate the cost of repainting, as well as removing the ugly carpets.

  Hilary was impressed by the wonderful kitchen breakfast and lounge area but she concealed this from Evan’s gaze.

  “Thank you for the tour and for the information. We will consider what you have shown us.”

  “But, there is much more to see,” he spluttered. This was not what he expected.

  “There’s a finished basement with lovely features and the base of the tower is quite charming.”

  Mavis caught on to Hilary’s plan and stood up at once, tapping Eve’s hand to encourage her to follow.

  They wished Evan good day and were soon back in the car and driving away. Evan stood at the front door in shock as they waved goodbye. Mavis’s parting words from the car were to remind him she had his contact information. She also had a copy of the house plan taken from a display counter in the kitchen.

  As soon as they were back on the road, Eve asked what had just happened.

  “Is it not our Harmony House after all?”

  Hilary chuckled, but Mavis replied.

  “It could be, Eve, but we need to get the best possible price and it doesn’t do to appear to be too eager at first.”

  “So this is a trick to make the poor developer lose more money as well as losing his family?”

  “Don’t be concerned, Eve. We do not know how much of that sad story is actually true. It wouldn’t be the first time an agent has lied to potential customers.”

  “Did you see the horrific purple carpet on the stairs?”

  “And the ghastly dark panelling in the dining room?”

  “What about the lemonade walls?”

  “And the art gallery misfits?”

  “And the totally over-the-top tower room?”

  Eve listened in confusion as the two women laughed uproariously, recalling one after another of the worst features of the home. She felt naïve for believing everything they had been told. She was especially upset at the way they mocked the fabulous pink bedroom meant for a little girl. If she had been blessed with a daughter such a place would have been her ideal. She was glad she had not made many comments. Clearly she was not as worldly as Mavis and Hilary. She decided to keep her opinions to herself and see what developed.

  Chapter 15

  Hilary knew she was playing a waiting game. Evan would contact the developer and a new price would be offered. In the meantime she and Mavis had the viewings of Camden Corners to assess and the next me
eting of the women to prepare for and that involved bringing them into the picture about the possible house purchase and what the financial contribution of each member of the group might be.

  To do this adequately, she sat down with Mavis to prepare a list of costings for additional changes to the Niagara house, if they managed to buy it at a reasonable price, of course.

  There was also one other matter she needed to discuss with Mavis and Eve, but she postponed that one until the financial topic had been explored.

  “Let’s see what we would need. It can be a comprehensive list at first. We can establish priorities later and I think we should ask Eve for her opinion on the list.”

  Mavis had been thinking about the Niagara house ever since their visit and she was prepared with a few ideas which she wrote down on Hilary’s notepad.

  New paint in entrance, stairway and dining room.

  Removal of panelling in dining room?

  Possible change of carpeting in entrance and stairs?

  Convert back stairs into elevator.

  Rugs to cover white carpeting in lounge.

  “Oh, you have been busy, Mavis. I like your ideas for the interior. I was also thinking of exterior requirements.”

  Employ gardener.

  Snow removal contractor.

  Check on condition of garages.

  Check condition of driveway.

  Talk to neighbours.

  “This looks quite comprehensive. Which is the most costly?”

  “The elevator is bound to be in the tens of thousands of dollars, but the fact there is a space for it is a bonus although the cost of removing the stairs first of all will add to it.”

  They gazed at the list and tried to estimate the costs.

  “I can do a bit of painting.”

  “Vilma has offered to advise us on design elements.”

  “Perhaps the former gardener can be employed again.”