Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental and no slanderous intent is implied.
This work is copyrighted and I ask that you do not copy, post or electronically download without my express permission.
If you are too young to be here or it is illegal in your state then please leave; finally if you are looking for hot sex scenes then look again as you'll not find any here.
Email me with your comments at ukwriter12@yahoo.com ___________________________________________________________________________________
CHARACTER LIST --------------
Jared Exley -- Uncle Leon Exley -- Guardian of 13 year old Jared Davy - Was Jared's partner, Diane's best friend
Peter Barrington -- Steven's cousin and partner in the law firm
CJ -- Jared's grandson Mason -- Jared's grandson Myles -- Peter's 19 year old son, Ed -- Myles' lover
Mary Gibson -- Matriarch of the family Steven Gibson -- Mary's husband Paul Gibson -- Mary's son and chief of police Jake Gibson-- Mary's youngest son and police officer Dr. Darren Cartwright -- Jake's partner and Jared's doctor.
Jennie -- Mary's sister Diane Gibson -- Mary's sister -Exley HR Director - Steven's ex-wife. Kathy -- Diane's partner Stacy --Diane and Steven's daughter. Tracy -- Peter's secretary
Sheila Easby -- Jared's Aunt William Webster -- Jared's Grandfather
Mavis Pratt -- Stephen's wife
There are varius other ancilliary characters, such as the Pratt family that do not play a major part in the story and so are not listed above.
An effort has been made to only hint at the area that it is set in so it allows you to use your imagination... Chicago is mentioned, but then again so is Gary Indiana so we know the area it is based in. Other than that we simply know that it is based in a city and most cities have the basic things in common. ___________________________________________________________________________________
MOONSIDE MANOR
Chapter 3 -- Real family care...
Apparently I was out of it for four whole days. Darren blamed himself for what happened and made sure that it would not happen again by keeping me in an induced coma until I started to heal.
When they got me back to the hospital I had to be rushed in to surgery and it was touch and go for a total of four whole hours. My family almost succeeded at what they had been trying to do and that was to kill me.
Jake and Myles never left my side. Jake even took more of his marine friends on so that he had sufficient to stand guard over me day and night. Peter was there he said when business allowed him to be, but everyone knew that was pure bull. I also found out that Jake even stayed at my side when I was being operated on as Darren was in with CJ. Once Darren was able to come to me Jake left to stand by the door of the two theatre's.
I found out that the hospital opened the chapel as it was the only room large enough to hold everyone that wanted to wait to find out if things were ok.
Everyone from work came to show their support, Well I was told Gavin had been busy and never showed; every one of the Gibson and Barrington clans again I was told Peter was busy with work and couldn't make it.
I even found out that Myles and Ed had all of their mates there to support them and that it was then that they all fell in love with Mason. The only ones that seemed to have other things to do all of the time were Peter and Gavin.
When I heard this alarm bells were ringing again after what I had sensed in my offices.
If it had not been such a horrible situation Mason would have been lapping up all of the attention. Even the nurses were holding a vigil with the family until they knew CJ and I would be OK.
Stacy, even though she was devastated by what was happening made sure there was food for everyone and that there were drinks if people needed them. Once we were out of theatre Mary, Diane and Kathy took turns sitting with me, whilst the lads including Jake and Darren held vigil over little CJ.
What I didn't know was that Peter came in with Gavin, but Myles to simply stated "Sorry sir only family are allowed to visit with Jared at this critical time. I would appreciate it if you left as you have made it more than obvious that you are not his family and NEVER bring that man in here with you again. The man that calls himself my father can come, but you sir are not welcome here."
Peter looked at him and said, "We're concerned about them so we came to visit as soon as we could."
Kathy shocked everyone by stating, "Is that why you're walking as if you have had a cock up your arse all afternoon, you were that concerned? As Ed rightly said you are nothing but a whore. Now get out of here and let Myles stand watch over his father."
"What the hell do you mean he's my son?"
Myles and ED both looked up at that point and said, "We no longer know you. Go find a trick you must be in need of a shag by now ... you whore!"
"You watch your tongue; I might be a whore, but..."
"Exactly you said it! Actually I've asked the Judge what I can do to become emancipated. Then I will have no father, but the one that saved my life." He fell into Steven's arms.
"Peter! Leave now it's obvious what is more important to you. We'll sort this out at another time." Steven just stared at him and as Peter tried to say something he just said "LEAVE, now!"
I had been in recovery for two hours though and had been moved to ICU by the time CJ came out of the operating theatre. Bloody hell, six hours! Apparently he had died twice on the operating table, so I had gotten off lightly compared to CJ.
Darren had managed to get the best paediatric doctor and no money was spared on either his or Mason's care. He had been devastated when he thought that he'd lost CJ and it took sheer determination to continue. Jake had to step in at the end of the operation and take him away for some prime time as he was totally drained.
On the fourth day when I started to stir I looked into the most beautiful set of baby blues that I had ever seen. Peter was sat next to my bed, holding my hand. I felt safe. "Well hello there, it's about time we gave the world chance to get to know you." His smile lit the room for me and I was happy for the first time in my life, but inside I knew that this was all false. He jumped up "Jake! Get Darren. Jared's awake" and with that he was gone. He never even talked or said goodbye. All I could think was `What the hell is that all about'.
I looked around and saw Steven and Mary walking in and talking with Diane and Stacy, there was also Myles and Ed. Peter was gone though. I tried to talk, but all I could do was croak and I sounded like a frog in the middle of the menopause. Myles soon had ice chips in the room and after as few were dropped in to my mouth all I could do was smile, wondering why Peter had left so quickly.
It was at that time that I heard a baby cry. Looking around there were three beds in the room. CJ was lying on the bed to my right and Mason was calling for help to escape the crib in the corner. Steven and his extended family had made my family a reality for me. Soon Myles had picked up little Mason and was feeding and changing him like an old pro. "What would his mates say if they saw that?"
Myles looked up and smiled, "Nothing they've all been coming to help us look after him. Dave, Eddy and Mike should be here later, they've just gone to organise some lunch for everyone. They all love this little one don't they?" He asked Mason who was cooing away as if he knew what Myles was saying to him. As Myles was changing his nappy I suddenly heard this huge raspberry being blown and Mason was just giggling so much that we all broke into laughter.
"It was also Myles' idea to have your family in here with you. He felt that for everyone's sake being a family unit was important; not only to you, but CJ and Mason as well. In fact CJ's doctors feel that it will be good for him when he eventually wakes." I wondered why Peter seemed to have had nothing to do with it all, so I decided to step back a little and take off the rose tinted glasses. I knew now that something was wrong.
"How is he?" I managed to ask as I looked at my grandson for the first time and all I could see were wires, tubes and those beeping machines that were keeping him alive. He just looked vulnerable and so frail. Tears just would not stop once they started. Ed jumped up and scooped me into a hug and allowed me to cry.
"They weren't always like that you know. DJ and Ella were lovely kids as they were growing up. She was always like Susan, but I thought if anything he was more like me; then for him to do this..." I looked at CJ and just cried again.
"Come on Jared, he needs us all to be strong, but he is doing really well. I'll tell you let anyone try to hurt him and they will have to go through Jake and his boys."
"His boys?"
Ed continued, "Yes, he now has a team of six ex marines that jumped at the chance to work with you when they heard what had happened. They even sit and guard him at night to make sure that he's safe."
"Really?"
"When Jake is not on duty he's in here at that little fella's bedside. When he is not able to be with him one of the boys is here no matter what the time is, just in case he wakes up. They will not let him be alone when he does come to. Everyone loves the little guy even though he's unconscious."
As we sat and talked, Darren and a doctor that I had never seen before walked through the door. Darren just walked to my bed and hugged me; nothing was needed to be said at that moment other than that.
The other doctor got busy with CJ. "Doctor Cartwright, I think that we need to start bringing him out of his coma. This little guy is healing so fast that it's almost unbelievable." He turned and almost as a second thought said, "Oh, I am so sorry. People always say that I have blinkers on when I'm looking after patients. Welcome back to us Jared. I'm Doctor Norcross, CJ's and Mason's doctor."
"Hello. I never found out what his full name is or what really happened to him."
"Christian Justin." God that was just so beautiful.
"Do you think that you are strong enough to hear what he has been though Jared?" asked Darren.
"I think so. I need to know what they put him through." I looked at Norcross.
He nodded and continued. "From what we found when he came into the hospital your son had been selling this little one to men for several months. I'll leave it to you to determine what could have happened; believe me you will not be very far away from the truth no matter how outlandish you let your mind wander." He let that sink in for a little while.
Darren continued, "When he came in he had been tortured by those men, used for their pleasure and had been taken to the point of death several time. Believe me they were sick bastards that had him. Your son had sold him as a slave DEAD or alive."
"Jared, we need to move on and I have a little guy that wants to have a hug from his Grand Dad. Do you think that's possible? Is there one in there for this little fella?" Myles asked as he looked down at Mason.
Darren and Mary helped me to sit up and Darren gave a strict warning "Do not let me overdo it." As he saw me wince at the pain when they moved me.
With tears rolling down my face Myles handed Mason to me. "Well hello to you too." I said has he cooed away happily and grabbed my finger to suck. What is it with the tears today? I just looked up to try to find Peter and he was nowhere to be seen, but my wonderful family were.
Suddenly I heard a raspberry and looked down and there was Mason blowing a very loud raspberry copying Myles as he blew on my fingers. We just fell around laughing for a while and he realised it was him that had caused it so did it again which made it worse.
Peter seemed to walking funny when he wandered back in to the room and everyone just looked at him, soon after Gavin appear. I now knew what was going on, but decided to bide my time. Looking at Peter I innocently said, "You been knocked around in court or something? Looks like you have had a cock up your arse all day."
He coughed and glared at me and then sighed ... I looked at him to make him squirm a little and then looked at Mason."You know I know that I am these little guys grandfather..." Tears just welled up and I had to stop.
"I can hear a `but' brewing. What do you want Jared?" Peter asked, but just seemed subdued by everything.
"You're the attorney and I know that they're my grandchildren... I want you to use everything in your power to make it possible for me to adopt them. Once we get that done we can sort out with everyone who'll be the god parents and I already know Jake's put his name down for CJ." They laughed and Jake just held CJ little hand.
"People, they're not going to have the stigma of their past hanging over them for the rest of their lives. I want them to be CJ and Mason Exley." I looked at Norcross, "Ok doctor, now I know what he went through how is he?"
"Surprisingly well considering what he has been through and healing at an alarming rate. You should be very proud as he is determined to live."
I looked at Peter and Myles. "I am." I looked at Peter, "You know... What I said a moment ago was wrong. I want us to be a family. So I want my name to be Jared Ian Exley-Barrington, since I do not want to lose Exley it's about where I come from. It was Uncle Leon's family name. I also want the little ones to be Exley- Barrington as well." Peter was trapped well and truly. He just stammered and stared at Gavin. Myles had in tears in his eye as he knew what I was trying to do.
I smiled and continued, "I want a Will creating that states that if anything happens to me that everything goes to the four children equally with Myles and Ed being their guardians and if they have any needs other than that, that Mary and Steven also be listed as joint guardians. Overseers for Exley International or any of my companies if anything happens to me will be Steven and Mary, but if something happens to them then Jake and Darren with the help of Diane until the children are old enough to take over and that includes Myles and Ed. Can we do that?"
Myles' smile was wider than the Pacific Ocean as he overheard what I was asking. "Do you really think that is a good idea? Do you want these little ones to have to have Myles and Ed as their daddies?"
"Ummm, well there's that I suppose, but that would only be if we've gone on to the great beyond and I have no intention of doing that at the moment. Do you? Plus I happen to think that those two, other than a couple of possible exceptions, are the best people that we could entrust the futures of these precious little ones to. I think that they will make great daddies, but I have never had a proper will before and now we have a family I want to make sure it's done correctly and fair to everyone."
Peter could tell that I was speaking more to Steven than to him and he had not missed the fact that he had not been mentioned at all in the specifications for my will.
He still had to say "Sweetheart, stop worrying I am not wanting for money myself. My grandparents were what people call OLD money and so was my wives family. Both Stephen and I are well taken care off. I do not even know how much I have, maybe a couple of hundred million. I leave that to the investment advisors at my accountant and just send everything to them to look after for me."
He almost glared at Myles, "As for Myles I think he has more than me. His fortune is made up of his mother's insurance policies and grandpa and grandma on his mother's side of the family left everything to him as well."
"It doesn't matter what he has I want to be fair to all four of them. If more come along I will be just as fair to all of them is that clear to everyone. My will in the future might as well just state I leave everything to the children and only the children."
We continued to discuss how we wanted my will to work and Peter discussed how he would change his so that we could be listed as life partners. I stepped in and at that point made it known that I was not ready to commit like that as we had only just met and needed to take it slow.
Suddenly I heard shouting in the corridor that sounded very much like a broad Yorkshire accent and you could tell that Jake's man was not going to let whoever it was get into my room no matter what happened.
Peter pulled out a beeper, which I found out was a panic button that Jake had given to everyone that was close to me. Soon the rest of the Exley Security had sealed off the floor.
As that was happening the door opened slightly and it was like hearing my mother's voice. It couldn't be! She had been dead for years... but it was her! Oh my God I knew who it was.
I turned to Myles, "Quickly go out there and tell security if she answers to Aunty SheShe and is checked for weapons then I'll see her, but he stays in here to protect the children. Her name if I'm right is Sheila and she's my mother's baby sister. I have not seen her since I was thirteen years old." I was crying now and Mary simply hugged me.
I could hear some discussion and then what surprised me was Sheila's last comment "If you had not insisted on frisking me I would have told Jared sack you all after what he has been through." Then she swept through the room like there was a whirlwind, checking exactly who was there, "Ian ... You know your mother would have loved the name Jared."
"Aunt Sheila!" We hugged, "The name again may change, sorry guys I've been thinking, as I may take my partners name. It would become Jared Ian Exley- Barrington." Pointing to Peter I stated, "This is my partner and his son Myles. Forget that though, what you are doing here?" she just slumped down in the nearest chair and sobbed.
"Ian you do know that I never agreed with what your father did to you? I was stuck, they threatened me if I did not go along with them and cut all ties that I would suffer as well... and you know damn well what they meant by that. They were all nasty pieces of work."
The room was totally silent and everyone that I was close to and called a family just sat and watched things develop. "Oh God, I have missed you so much sweetheart. I've cried every night since that bastard threw you out at thirteen. No one knew what happened to you. I hated no knowing."
I could not believe what I was hearing. Sheila was my mother's only living relative, her baby sister. She was just ten years older than me. She continued, "When I heard what they were doing that was the straw that broke the camel's back and I sold everything over there, all of the houses and villas abroad and arranged to run my retail businesses over here. I even applied and succeeded in becoming a US citizen as my father was American." She saw my confusion.
"You did know that your grandfather was from this area didn't you? Why am I asking, you must have because you moved here."
"Steven I have never tried to get citizenship before, but you know what I am going to ask."
"I am already on it." He said as he picked up his phone again and walked out again. Stacy, having just arrived started taking notes so that she could ensure everything had been done as things were happening very fast at the moment.
Sheila's face was a picture. "You mean that you didn't know? My father left everything to you when he died."
I started having a panic attack and nearly blacked out, Myles jumped forward, "Jake get Darren he is having another panic attack! ... Come on Jared, breathe deeply and he handed me the oxygen mask. Breathe and count slowly to ten. Count in your head; one, two, breathe in three breathe out ..." Darren entered and took over, but I was pretty much ok by that time.
Sheila looked totally dumbfounded. "I thought that you knew. Everyone in the family does and has done for years. I am so sorry sweetheart."
"You feeling OK now?"
"Thank you Darren." He stood back with Jake.
"Dad as I said left everything to you, it was not that he hated me, but I was the black sheep of the family and already had several successful businesses of my own." She looked at me and drifted off into deep thought.
"He doted on your mother and he hated the marriage she made. God, he hated your father. My marriage had set me up for life and he was a good man even though he died young and liked the occasional man in his bed, but we loved each other and when he died I was set for life. Dad knew that and so he made sure that you and your mother would never need anything as he knew your dad was just a fucking loser, but also that she loved him.
"Your mother died though and when he heard what your father did to you he was totally devastated. Thirteen years old and living on the streets of Yorkshire in winter. He immediately left everything he had to you so that you would never want and also made it so that no-one would be able to touch his will, but you as he knew the family so he tied it up so tight that only you can open it. I don't know how, but we will find out. "
Peter walked back into the room with Steven and Mary "Hi Sheila, I am Jared's partner Peter Barrington. I am also an attorney. Do you happen to know the full name that your father was known by over here when he died? Jared obviously has never heard any of this." By now Myles was hugging me and I was openly sobbing.
"William Webster."
Peter and Steven looked totally shocked. "William Webster? The William Webster who died in the late 1980s; The William Webster founder of...?"
Steven stepped in, "'Webster Transport, Metal and Food', always thought that was a weird name for a company."
"It was, but those were the three areas that dad loved working in. So yes that was him... Why are you asking?"
"Jared that estate once settled ... Take deep breath, no more panicking ..." Steven said the next part very slowly, "will now be worth well in excess of $2 billion."
"Mary, stay with Jared I'm heading back to the office to get things moving for him. I'll be back."
It's a well known fact that the substantial Webster estate has never been settled, but for it to be mine I just couldn't get my head around that at all. What I did find out was that my wonderful family, including my wife and kids had all tried to pose and Ian Pratt to claim the inheritance.
Never once had anyone been able to answer the one question that only I knew. "What was the name of your mother's dogs?" To me it was simple, you see had many dogs but for it to the THE name of THE dogs it could only be one thing and that was Mrs BarkeyVonWoof'. She'd had Mrs BarkeyVonWoof' when she was a little girl and then `Mrs BarkeyVonWoof' when I was a little boy. No one else knew that other than me as no one knew her in the family when she was little.
Once Steven had left Peter continued, "Sheila I knew your father when I was a young boy. He was the best friend with my grandfather, who was also his attorney a newly established William Smyth."
"Aunt Sheila, Peter is a partner in the law firm Gibson, Barrington and Smyth. Smyth was his Grand Father." I said and Peter just had a strange look on his face.
"I remember Uncle Billy Webster coming over to see grandpa and grandma all the time. He never remarried and always had a lost look on his face when talking about family. I remember him saying to grandpa when they talked about getting married `Why look for perfection when I have already lived with it?' He said that none of his family was good for anything except Etta who had died. Sheila you may not know, but when Etta died the family took you two girls away from Billy and told him to go home!"
Sheila was visibly shaken by this; Peter paused to let everything sink in and then continued, "I'm sorry I thought you would have known... Oh my god!" he just stared at me and cried.
"I was so young when he picked me up and visibly wept calling Ian over and over again. I later found out Ian was his grandson and from that day he insisted that everything he had was to be left in trust until little Ian was found. Apparently the family took great delight in telling him about your sister and then telling him that they had `disposed' of Ian. He was beside himself and hired a Private Investigator, but all he could find out was that Ian had been thrown out and no one knew where he was.
The will had to be so strong that none of the family would be able to touch anything unless it was Ian. He knew from your mum's letters that Ian was the only one that knew your mum had two dogs called `Mrs BarkeyVonWoof' and they were both the Lassie type dog.
He made a point of telling me that I had to find his grandson. I had to find his little Ian and he even said he knew that I would. He had to be safe. How could a father be so cruel to be able to do that to his own son? Him and me we had to find him." He stopped and looked at me as I sobbed.
"For years I thought that I was all alone. Making a name for myself and trying to move on and all the time there was someone looking for me." I screamed now in emotional agony. Myles simply cling to me for dear life.
I was so tired that I don't remember anything else until the next day when Sheila was sat next to my bed with her knitting in her hands. "Well a grandma should make things for her grandkids don't you think? Since your mum's not here I'm their nominated Grand Mother from England on your side ... Goodness only knows they are going to have plenty of Yankee Grandmas fighting over them." Mary, Diane and Kathy just laughed.
As everyone in the room heard her voice they all gradually came over to my bed. I was handed Mason and when I looked over there was CJ smiling at me. He mouthed "I love you Papa." That was it tears rolled silently down my face, he was finally safe.
"Aunt Sheila can you tell me how is CJ is doing please?"
Darren had been checking him over at the time and had heard my voice ... "He's doing just fine papa. In fact we think that he'll be terrorising the wards soon if we're not careful." He looked at CJ and added "He has definitely stolen everyone's heart that's for sure young man." And he looked and Jake. As I watched him, his little hand reached out over the space between the two beds and mine copied soon we were holding hands and everyone in the room was in tears.
"Well if that's not hands across the ocean then I do not know what is" Whispered Sheila.
Peter walked in and was not at all happy. "Darren do you think that CJ will be able to handle bad news?"
"Depends, but I think he will."
"CJ, CJ's Papa and Sheila I have just got off the phone with Paul. Apparently the people in the prison holding your family heard what they did with Mason and CJ. DJ was found dead in his cell this morning and Ella and Susan are both in critical condition and are not expected to last the day. Added to that, your father over in England Jared has had a massive heart attack and I am so sorry he didn't make it. I don't know what to say ... I'm sorry." He just came over and held my hand and then we heard the words that said everything.
"Papa does that mean that they will never be able to hurt me or Mason again?"
A teary eyed Jake took CJ in his arms and whispered to him so we all could hear, "No one will ever hurt you again not while Uncle Jakey and Darren still live little man. Papa, Myles or even your Eddy would not let that happen." CJ wrapped his arms around Jakes neck and cried.
"Jared I know that they were our family, but I have never been so ashamed in all of my life."
"Sheila, I never got chance to ask you, but these kids are going to need someone at home with them while we have to work and Myles and Ed are at college. Think you would like to be a stay at home Gran in the future? I was going to offer to buy your retail businesses from you anyway and include them under the Exley International wing."
Tears of joy rolled freely this time ... "Me, an old spinster look after these angels?"
"Please Aunt SheShe" CJ whispered.
"You want me to little man?" He smiled and nodded his head.
"Well then it looks like our family is growing. You remember Mavis Pratt, my cousin Stephen's wife?"
"Do I... she went to school with your mother and at one time was my best friend."
"She'll be living with us as well, but since you will be heading the `Easby Retail World' division of "Exley International" there will be times when you will be needed in the boardroom with me, or even the interview room as there is only you that knows what your businesses need at the moment. I'm sure you and Mavis will be able to work things out.
"Hell I don't even know where we will be living yet!" I stated as I looked at Peter who had just come back into the room. Why did he keep going missing like this all of the time?
"Well I've done what Myles has been begging me to do for ages and put the house up for sale. Already had an offer and been told to accept it as it was quite a good one. I want to live with my man no matter where he may be."
"Tell him what we were thinking about dad."
"Ok ... What I do want to show you though is your grandfather's estate. It's a beautiful old mansion just outside of town" with that he pulled out his laptop and put it where everyone could see. "The building itself is like an old colonial plantation built on three different levels. With a basement come entertainment centre and an attic that has been converted into a studio. It has over 15 individual bedrooms, with a master bedroom and two other suites as well." Hell I'm from a one bedroom flat in Cullercoats, this sounded more like a hotel to me than anything.
I suddenly heard Peter's voice again "...The grounds are well maintained and are completely walled with a security access at the gate. Then there are also two cottages, both with three bedrooms on the grounds and a sports complex that's been added. The swimming pool can be either open air, or covered depending on the weather.
"There's also a ranch called Headlands' attached to the estate out in the country that runs a massive horse breeding operation; with two more horse ranches and three cattle ranches close by. The cattle are a typical hardy breed from the UK, Aberdeen Angus I guess that you have heard of them. The total ranching operation is known as Headlands Horse and Cattle company' and was famous before you grandfather inherited it.
"What really made his fortune though are the three ranches down in Texas where oil was discovered. All of these have been maintained by the estate, as well as a few retail businesses that he ran, because he enjoyed the challenge, until Ian Pratt could be found. There was no way that the estate could be touched until the welfare of Ian Pratt was known. Well, now he's been found."
Peter's phone rang at that point. "That was Steven. The transfer to you of the estate should complete about the same time that you can get out of here, apparently the full extent of the estate will only be known once the estate is handed over." He seemed almost distant again and I did not know why, surely this was all good news for us.
I just looked at him, "What have I done to deserve you?"
A quick kiss on the lips and a little hand across the divide to hold... "What do you think? Can we live there? If so dare I release Mary, Diane and Sheila to make sure everything is liveable and how we would want it? Oh and Myles and Ed want to be involved with the modernisation of the place as well."
"You mean that my grandfather's house could be a place to offer his great grand children safety and happiness? A place for us to create a future, you bet! I like the sound of that. When can we get access for the ladies to start getting contractors and decorators in?" I looked at Sheila, "What do you think he'd say to know that his little girl was coming home?"
Her smile just grew and grew, "God he would love it!"
Steven soon arrived back at the ward and announced that he had the keys for the ladies to do their magic. Diane as HR had access to my accounts anyway and I gave Myles a credit card so that they could charge whatever they needed to my account. Steven told him to ignore me and that all costs had to be covered by the estate itself and to just send all receipts to Tracy, Peter's secretary.
"OK what colours do you like? Do not go all macho or none of us will ever visit you. You can have a pink bedroom if you want with feathers and cushions, but none of us want to see that either." said Mary.
I looked at her and sighed, "I like rich earthy colours that make a statement. I don't like pastel shades. I love natural colours like oatmeal, tan, terracotta, coral... They just say welcome home to you. I do not like everything white it looks so sterile, but I used to have a room that was post box red. You know really bright red. I loved that room as even on a cold day it was warm and inviting. If there is a summer room or one that has a lot of daylight then it has to be vibrant yellow.
"Bedrooms are meant for sleep; again my favourite would be a dark base with blinds or curtains that shut out all of the light. Let's think... I love tartans so would love some of the bedrooms with a Scottish theme, but also I would absolutely love a very American theme. You know Little house on the prairie', Doctor Quinn Medicine woman' or even a very American boy next door look with football jersey on the wall and trophies everywhere. Do I sound a typical Brit? It's just something that we never had in the UK." they all laughed.
Myles, Mary and Sheila all made notes as we discussed what we wanted our new home to look like. As there were so many going to be around the place I wanted all of their ideas and then the team could get together and work their magic on the place. One thing was for certain, I wanted the main living area to beg you to stay; to be so nice and homey that you would never want to leave.
That's all for now folks, chapter four will follow soon and the family grows yet again.
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