CHAPTER TWO: MIND YOUR MANORS
The two arrived just shortly after six –having been lost on the back road leading to the property. Their GPS system had unfortunately failed to locate the address and the two had been forced to simply find the place on their own.
"Here we are," Jamie stated satisfactorily as they pulled up from around the corner of several cypress and oak trees shielding the property grounds from view.
The fact that they had driven for almost a half hour through this sort of scenery had started to make Jamie dizzy. They'd had to cross a couple stone bridges and passed some truly magnificent other properties within the bayou before they'd finally found Miller Road and shortly afterward, their destination. It truly felt like a whole new world; a completely different time all the way out of the city.
"Okay remember we're just here to basically introduce ourselves and get a feel for the needs of this guy," Jamie began.
"Yeah, I know. We won't take long."
"Right. Remember, twenty minutes tops," Jamie clarified.
"Twenty minutes tops," Sarah agreed with a nod and they turned their attentions toward the property in front of them.
"Wow take a look at that gate!" Jamie mused.
"I'm looking!" Sarah answered in awe.
"Never mind that house," Jamie muttered in stunned appreciation of what he could make out from their car a few feet from the gates.
"Do you see a callbox?" he asked a few moments later when the gates remained closed to them and no one approached from within the property. Sarah shrugged. "They were expecting us weren't they?"
"Yes of course," Sarah exclaimed.
Jamie rolled down his window. "Hello!?" he called. "Evers and Allways Real Estate!"
"Jamie!" Sarah chastised, "Let's not be rude. The guy on the phone said they don't take visitors much. We need to make a good impression."
"Yeah, sorry. I'll get out."
Sarah followed him and they went up to the gates. The closer they got, the more surreal the property seemed. The Manor itself was probably six times the size of the last house they'd sold. If they managed to go through with the sale of this house, their business and reputation would take a huge boost –as well as their finances. The two tried not to think about it as they now surveyed the gates themselves.
"Well that's nice," Sarah commented dryly, catching sight of the chain wrapped around the bars.
Jamie moved and took the gigantic, worn lock in his hand. It felt heavy and looked a century old although it did not give way when he tugged on it.
"How're we going to get in?" Sarah mused, "I don't see anyone here and there were definitely no people on our way in here."
"Maybe they're disappointed we didn't show up right at six."
"I hope not," Sarah looked worried.
"Hey do you have their number maybe we can give them a call; let them know we're here."
"Gee he didn't give one actually and I completely forgot to take it down from caller ID."
"Hey that's alright. We'll just wait for a bit in the car and hopefully they show up to open the gate. If it starts getting too late, we'll just leave and call them back when we get home and apologize for the miscommunication. And hopefully they'll be understanding."
"Yeah I guess that's about the only thing we can do now. C'mon then," Sarah nodded, heading back towards the car. Jamie followed.
The two were suddenly startled by a loud metal creak from behind them and they turned to see the gates swing open to allow them through.
"Sweet we're in business then!" Jamie grinned and got into the car.
Sarah frowned as she got in. She could've sworn the chains were wrapped around the two gates holding them closed. Perhaps she and Jamie had been mistaken.
Jamie pulled the car through and they drove up the road leading to the front of the house. If they thought the manor looked large from the gate, they now felt that previous thought growing smaller as they beheld the true enormity of the house up close.
"Wow," was all Jamie could say as they got out of their car.
"Have you ever seen anything like this?" Sarah murmured.
"Never," Jamie acknowledged truthfully. "Before we go to the door, I just want to peek around the corner."
"Okay…" Sarah responded absently. She was staring up at the front of the house, mesmerized.
Jamie hurried to the left side of the house and stopped in his tracks when he beheld the vastness of the property that carried on behind the building. Combined with the dark grey clouds rolling in, the sight felt foreboding. It looked like the property went on forever; a mixture of trees and slight hills as well as what looked like buildings and stones scattered closest to the house. Confused, Jamie took the stairs on the side of the house onto the large wrap around stone porch and followed it for a few feet to get a better look at the grounds.
"Uh Sarah…?" he called hesitantly as he slowly realized what he was looking at.
She followed his voice and was by his side within moments.
"They've got, uh, dead people in the backyard."
"Wow," she declared in amazement, her myrtle green eyes widening.
"Who the heck has a graveyard as their back porch view?" Jamie mumbled, hoping only Sarah would be the only one to overhear.
"Some people have pools, some people have private cemeteries; it happens."
"We're going to try selling a house practically on top of a graveyard?"
"You mean this historic, private estate with spacious grounds?" she retorted.
"Sarah you're brilliant! We'll put that on the listing."
A sudden boom of thunder clapped, and startled the two as it announced the beginning of a storm. Rain drops began falling slowly at first, then faster and larger after only several seconds.
"Oh crap. This sucks," Sarah stated in disappointment.
"I hope it's not raining at the lake," Jamie lamented as he took her hand and they quickly made their way to the front door; trying not to get rained on.
Immediately, Jamie reached for the knocker on the door and signalled their arrival. They waited anxiously but no one opened.
"That is one big knocker," Jamie observed softly, moving closer to take in the carved detailing of the wood.
"Evers and Allways Real Estate!" he called after a few more moments had passed. "Should I knock again?" he asked Sarah when still there was no answer.
But before she could reply, the door swung open slowly on its hinges and the two wasted no time in entering when they saw no one standing directly in the doorframe.
"Hello?" Jamie repeated gently when they were both within the door and out of the rain overhead. "Evers and Allways Real Estate." His voice echoed creepily in the empty space.
Sarah stood as close as she could to Jamie, feeling a shudder of cold go through her.
They both glanced around them and saw no one in the giant foyer. Jamie decided the wind had blown the door open –or a draft had pulled it open even. He tried his greeting again, hoping not to startle anyone to their sudden presence within the house.
He didn't want to be presumptuous and rude by being inside but the sudden rainstorm had practically left him and Sarah no other choice but to stand in the doorway.
No one answered them yet again and Jamie took the initiative to close the door behind them that was letting in more rain and a definite wind now.
"How's my hair?" Jamie muttered anxiously, after straightening out his suit.
"Just a tad windswept but it's fine," Sarah assured as she stroked a few stray pieces of his ashy brown hair back into place.
"Thanks," Jamie murmured appreciatively.
"Holy," Sarah murmured under her breath; finally taking in the sight before them.
Two slightly curved staircases framed a dark corridor several feet away in front of them. There was a rather large clock above the entry to the same hallway, which was bordered by a marble-looking stone archway. Atop the pillars of the arch stood two majestic statues holding candelabras in front of their chests, providing both decoration and light. The foyer was lit furthermore by a gigantic chandelier which had several loops of sconces. Giant lamp-post style sconces stood beside each staircase. Sarah could see the staircases joined just behind the clock on a landing, which then gave access to a second floor set of corridors to the right and left. The staircases and banisters were all made from hand-carved wood stained a deep chestnut brown. A large intricately patterned carpet spread out in front of them, and matching carpet made its way up each of the staircases. It was absolutely stunning to behold.
"It sure could use some dusting though," Sarah murmured, noticing the cobwebs and dust upon practically everything in front of them.
"Don't worry we can get a cleaning crew in here to tidy up and with a little polishing and Mr. Clean, the place will be sparkling and smell as fresh as a linen closet," Jamie proclaimed.
Another large crash of thunder echoed from outside, causing the two's hearts to race once more.
Just as Jamie was about to say something about the awkwardness of their situation, they heard the sound of a door being opened and closed at the end of the corridor in front of them. A split second later, lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the dark hallway and revealing a man walking slowly towards them.
He was very old, with a shock of white hair that seemed to go in every direction and deep sunken eyes. He was rather tall and walked upright as though his back was stuck to remain perpendicular to the floor at all times. He wore a suit of deep navy which came right up to his chin with white gloves and black polished shoes. Jamie and Sarah immediately felt he couldn't be the "master" of the home even though he had not yet said a word.
"Sarah Allways?" he finally declared slowly. The tone of his voice made him sound like he was on death's door; wheezy and airy.
"Yes, I'm Sarah," she confirmed, trying to sound confident. His sudden appearance and his demeanour made her feel rather shy.
"My name is Ramsley," he introduced himself stiffly, rolling his "r" slightly and thus sounding dramatic. His accent sounded English more than the Southern drawl which would have been expected.
"Oh yes we spoke on the phone," Sarah validated. She knew by his voice even had he not introduced himself.
"We are so pleased you could come on such short notice," Ramsley expressed.
"Well it is our absolute pleasure to be of service to you," Jamie responded enthusiastically, stepping forward to greet him. "Jamie Evers of Evers and Allways Real Estate," he introduced himself.
Ramsley made no move to shake Jamie's hand. "We were not expecting others," he wheezed disdainfully.
"Yes my apologies; we were on our way out of town," Sarah expressed regretfully.
"But when we realized the enormity and beauty of your unique estate, we decided to devote both halves of Evers and Allways to your needs," Jamie followed up smoothly, "Please accept this waterproof calendar," Jamie began, attempting to pull one out of his jacket but came up at first with the matchbox he'd stuffed in his pocket (having almost forgot it for the trip before they'd left), "as a…as a sincere token of our appreciation for considering us. It includes next year on the back as well."
Ramsley stared at the calendar looking unmoved. After a tense moment, his hand slowly moved to accept the token of gratitude.
"We shall have to place other settings," he murmured as he turned on his heel back in the direction he'd originally come from.
"Settings?" Sarah repeated.
"Yes, Master Gracie wishes to discuss his affairs over dinner."
"Oh I'm afraid we–"
"Now Sarah don't be rude. We'd be delighted to join you," Jamie encouraged.
Sarah shrugged indifferently and the two followed Ramsley down the dark corridor towards the double doors at the end. Along the way, they passed a dozen suits of armour all brightly polished and standing vacantly as though frozen guarding the space. In the dim lighting from the overhead, they made both Jamie and Sarah feel wildly uncomfortable and the two were glad when they finally reached the doors and followed Ramsley into the next room.
It was brightly lit by several smaller chandeliers as well as many elegant wall sconces and one huge fireplace directly across the room from the entrance. Immediately in front of them stood a huge dining table directly in the center of the room; able to seat at least twenty people Jamie estimated. All the chairs were rather large; their back rests rising at least six feet. All the chairs were made once again from hand-carved wood and once they got closer they could see the expensive upholstery of the seat cushions and back rests. Elegant candelabras were set upon the tabletop amongst several plates of food scattered across the table ready to be served.
Jamie took particular attention to the crown molding of the room; large and elegant and the wall panels which were considerable in size and prominent features of the walls. They were of dark colours; plums and deep navies it appeared in the lighting at first glance. The marble stone detailing again formed large baseboards four feet from the ground framing the entire wall from where they'd entered. On the far wall, six large narrow windows from floor to ceiling stood spaced out evenly on each side of the fireplace; all framed by thin sections of wall that held the light sconces. Thick drapery was pulled back on each of the windows and held with thick silky ties.
Sarah ran her pale fingers delicately over the carvings on one of the chairs. Ivy leaves and a few small buds of flowers had immediately caught her eye in the delicate design. The wood of the table and chairs seemed to mirror the deep colour of the staircases in the foyer.
Neither could believe what they were seeing; the room was absolutely gorgeous. And this time, they couldn't spot a single trace of dust or cobweb; it was either a room kept up well or simply cleaned with the intention of its use for their arrival that evening.
"Master Gracie will be with you shortly," Ramsley announced in his unique tone.
"Thank you very much," Jamie nodded appreciatively.
With that, Ramsley bowed his head slightly and retired out of the room via a smaller door to the far right of the one they'd all entered by.
"Wow Jamie can you believe this?" Sarah murmured in awe.
"This is absolutely breathtaking. God if we had all the money in the world I'd buy this place off the man."
Sarah turned her attention to the grand fireplace. "Look at the size of the fireplace. Can you believe this Jamie? This is just amazing." She walked over to examine it in closer detail.
"Just think of the hot dogs and marshmallows you could roast inside that thing!" he joked.
Sarah smiled. "But come look at this! Look at that detail. It's stunning." Sure enough, the fireplace also had a design etched into the inside of it and the mantelpiece which framed it also bore a mural of sorts.
"Incredible craftsmanship," Jamie murmured.
"God it's gorgeous! I've never seen anything like it."
"Haven't you?" a voice with an English accent declared from several feet away and another clap of thunder crashed outside the house.
The two jumped slightly; startled by the sudden voice rather than by the weather. They turned in the direction the voice had come on their right-hand side and beheld a young man, probably around their own ages of twenty six and twenty seven, respectively.
He was dressed in a dark suit, complete with a silken embroidered waistcoat and a white dress shirt underneath. He stood erect, as Ramsley did, except instead of a more military stance with his hands constantly remaining glued to his sides, this man held his behind his back in a more Victorian style.
"My grandfather spared absolutely no expense when he built this mansion," he proclaimed in a voice which carried well from his position several feet away across the room.
Recovering from his surprise, Jamie stepped forward, "Well your grandfather had excellent taste and style. I'm Jamie Evers of Evers and Allways Real Estate," he introduced, holding out his hand to the young man.
"Alexander. Alexander Gracie," the man introduced with only a bow of his head.
Jamie dropped his own had shyly. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Gracie."
"And I'm Sarah. Sarah Allways," she proclaimed, coming up from behind Jamie to introduce herself to their client.
Now that she saw him up close, she felt taken aback. He was very handsome, with dark chestnut hair, a straight nose and smooth alabaster skin. He had prominent cheekbones within an oval face and bright ultramarine blue eyes which stared at her from beneath thick lashes. He stood a few inches taller than herself and Jamie, making him around five foot eleven or even six feet perhaps Sarah thought.
She wasn't sure why his height was so suddenly interesting to her but perhaps it was because of the way he stood which exuded a sense of pride, manners and entitlement. She had never truly met anyone who stood so calmly and yet expressed so much without a word.
She did all she could not to blush as he smiled gently and gazed into her eyes. "It is a pleasure to meet you," he murmured gently. Sarah smiled back shyly.
Jamie too felt uncomfortable and anxious. He had expected the owner of Gracie Manor to be quite elderly, first of all. Secondly, he felt slightly intimidated by the young man's demeanor and good looks.
It was not that Jamie didn't also consider himself somewhat handsome, however, something about the way Alexander Gracie spoke and stood made Jamie feel like he himself was out of his league. This young man was obviously well-bred and much unlike anyone Jamie Evers had ever met.
"Please, won't you both sit down?" the young Mr. Gracie offered, with a smooth gesture of his arm towards the table.
Ramsley pulled out their chairs for them on the side of the table and then pulled his employer's out at the head of the table.
"What do you think of the house, Miss Allways?" Master Gracie asked when they had all settled into their chairs comfortably.
"I think it's absolutely stunning. From what I've seen so far, I am just taken aback. I can see the wonderful Italian influence in the architectural designs and the Renaissance style moldings and furnishings are breathtaking. It must have taken many years to accumulate all the pieces that have been incorporated just in this room alone. You don't see houses with such attention to detail like this, or at least I don't."
"Great care and love went into the making of this mansion," Alexander replied affirmatively with a soft smile.
"I can certainly imagine," Jamie piped in, trying to remain comfortable, "Tell us Mr. Gracie a little more about the house and the property."
Alexander's gaze finally moved onto Jamie again. "This entire property is my birthright," he began, "However as of late, it has become more than I can bear."
Jamie nodded understandingly.
"I'm afraid I have really no other choice. There have been more disturbances and I cannot stay here much longer in present circumstances."
"Disturbances?" Jamie repeated softly.
"Tell me, Mr. Evers, do you believe in ghosts?"
"Ghosts? Well, sure I suppose I do. I don't think that's a good thing to put on the listing though," he advised, "You should focus more on something like bathrooms or bedrooms. People love to have a lot of those."
Another clap of thunder echoed from outside and the lights flickered slightly.
Before anyone could continue conversation, Ramsley spoke from his position standing at one of the windows, "The storm has flooded the road."
"Say again?" Jamie exclaimed in surprise.
"The storm has flooded over the road," Ramsley repeated fastidiously, "I'm afraid there will be no leaving the mansion tonight."
"Oh dear, um," Sarah began, looking in panic at Jamie.
"Of course, you are more than welcome to stay here," Alexander offered.
"Oh thank you but we really can't. We have plans," Jamie answered apologetically.
"I'm afraid what Ramsley says is true," the young man countered, with a glance towards the window nearest him, "The water should drain out by morning but until then, you have no other choice I'm afraid," Master Gracie informed them.
"I'm sure we'll be alright; it's just a bit of water," Jamie assured, "We have a good car we'll just drive right through and everything should be fine. And then we can return for a more in-depth appraisal Monday or a day of your choosing starting next week."
"I'm afraid that is most impossible. It's truly not safe. Unless you'd rather die trying to leave, I suggest you spend the night here. I'd rather you not risk your safety," Alexander proclaimed, looking between the two though he stared at Sarah the longest. "I am truly sorry there is no other way. Ramsley can show you to your rooms. I'm sure you will find them most accommodating for one brief night."
Jamie felt they had no choice but to obey the man's advice. "Well thank you for your hospitality Mr. Gracie. We truly appreciate it."
"Be sure to let Ramsley know if there is anything else you require." Alexander stood up from his chair. "I bid you good night as there is something I must attend to. I hope you pass a pleasant rest of the evening under the circumstances."
"Thank you," Sarah nodded with a grateful smile and she and Jamie stood too.
"Please, enjoy your dinner; there is no rush," Mr. Gracie insisted and with a short bow, he left them.
Sarah and Jamie stared at each other incredulously. This was certainly a turn of events neither had anticipated. Both silently decided they would just make the best of it.
This would certainly be a story to tell for many years to come. Little did they know just how much of a night they were in for that evening.
Author's Note: This is the point that I'd love some feedback as I think the story is now set up a bit and things will start to "go down" hehe. I hope I was able to convey the visuals of The Manor well, and to describe the appearance of their host. I will update some pictures later of what Gracie sort of looks like in my mind but until then I want you to imagine your own version and hopefully that works out to how I described him! Yes you will notice some of the same lines from the movie are used here; my story is pretty much the same as the movie but there will be my own twists so I wanted to incorporate source material mixed in with my own. I hope you enjoyed!