ANNELI ESCORTED Wade from room to room. Behind her back, his grin widened. He loved every minute of the five-cent tour.
At the threshold to yet another seemingly endless number of rooms, Anneli looked directly at Wade.
“How many rooms make up this mansion?”
Wade scratched his head. “Twenty I think.”
Anneli felt stunned at hearing the number. She turned the door knob they were standing in front of and pushed on the heavy solid door.
The room looked relatively small, about half the size of the others they had entered. The slate tiles appeared to have an entrapping glow. The painted walls seemed to beckon her inside.
“This is the sun room,” explained Wade. “The former owners used to sit in here after dinner. The last time I came in here someone set up a small table at the balcony doors.”
“What do you mean the last time?”
“Before buying the house, the owner showed me this room. He informed me he and his wife used to enjoy watching the ocean on winter mornings and in the cool of the evenings in the summer.”
Anneli marched across the room to the large double glass doors. She opened the curtains on another splendid view of the ocean. She stood watching the large cargo ship entering Port Phillip Bay.
“I’m flabbergasted,” she whispered. “It seems every room has a view of the ocean.”
“Almost every room does,” announced Wade. He opened the doors to let the sea air waft into the room. He stepped up to Anneli, slipping his arm around her waist.
Both enjoyed the intimate embrace as they stared out across the sea, soaking up the sunshine.
“What about your bedroom?” Her voice sounded cheeky, full of mischievous schoolgirl innocence.
“Our room is at the far end of the house. I call it the ‘masterpiece of the home.’”
“You’ll have to show me. Seeing how we’ll be spending a great deal of time there after we’re married.”
Wade led the way back along the hall, past the large kitchen. They walked past ten doorways before coming to a spiral staircase. Off to the right, Anneli saw a study room. The deep patterned dull red carpet looked new. An open fire, stocked full of logs looked ready to light, while one wall boasted a floor to ceiling bookcase full of books. Two black leather recliner rockers were situated in front of the fire. Again, the double glass doors opened out to the view of the ocean.
“It’s up to you whether we climb the stairs or take the lift,” commented Wade.
“There’s a lift into our bedroom?” Anneli looked totally surprised at the comment.
“Yes. The previous owners had completed the renovations before they placed the mansion on the market.”
“What an awesome, inspiring find. How long were you looking when you discovered this place?”
“To cut a short story shorter, I happened to be driving past the front fence about two years ago, when I saw the for-sale sign. I knocked on the door. The gentleman offered me a guided tour. He also told me his wife had fallen ill. They made the decision to move to Perth for a warmer climate. I asked him how high my offer will have to be to secure the sale. The owner insisted he couldn’t ask for anything less than one million eight hundred thousand dollars. I offered him two million. He signed the dotted line right where we stood.”
“You offered above what he asked for?”
“I loved the mansion before the tour finished. The only thing missing was someone to help me enjoy her. You’re the special someone.”
Anneli looked slightly perplexed. “How could I have been, we hadn’t met.”
“I knew one day I’d meet someone special, and I did, in you.”
“This place is truly magnificent,” chirped Anneli squeezing Wade’s hand.
“Wait till you feast your beautiful eyes on the main bedroom,” boasted Wade, leaning forward to press the lift button.
When the single door opened, Anneli stepped into the lift car, followed by Wade. Floor to ceiling mirrors lined the walls.
The ride to the third level felt effortless. The lift door opened on an area larger than four bedrooms combined. Off to one side, Anneli saw a mahogany coloured doorway. Wade escorted her across the room to show off the inner room. The walk-in robe looked relatively narrow. On both sides, suits of varying colours were hanging neatly from the horizontal metal pole. Beyond the walk-in wardrobe was the bathroom. The floor tiles were cream coloured while the wall tiles were of a dull plum colour. A free-standing bath and shower boasted gold fittings.
Anneli whistled at the splendor.
Wade slipped his hand over Anneli’s so he could escort her back towards the lift. A king sized four post bed sat directly under the chandelier in the middle of the room. Glass windows surrounded the entire area.
“This room is round,” Anneli managed to whisper.
“The hired architect had been given explicit instructions the design must be built to scale.”
“Extraordinary. I don’t know of any house which has a round room in the floor plan.”
Wade patted her on the shoulder. His eyes glistened at the next surprise.
“Now I want you to hold onto the bed post.”
Anneli watched Wade step back to the lift door. He pushed a button on the wall. One by one the shutters over the windows were automatically wound up. In slow motion, she followed the opening shutters. Eventually, Anneli completed a full lap of the room. Sunlight streamed through the windows. The ocean sparkled.
“This room is a magical fairytale.” She knew her voice sounded worse than a whispered croak.
“I told you something trumped the view from downstairs.”
Anneli stared out of one window, slowly nodding. “I didn’t think it could be possible. I can see why you wanted to buy this place.”
“Two hundred and seventy degrees of ocean viewing at your fingertips,” stated Wade.
“I can only imagine how it will feel to wake each morning to this amazing view.”
“You won’t have to wonder for too long. Tonight you’ll be able to view your first sunset in your new home. In the morning, you’ll view your first sunrise; the first one of decades to come.”
Anneli darted her gaze to Wade. Her smile couldn’t be any wider. “Thank you for rescuing me from my future pathetic life.”
Wade side-stepped, placing the champagne bottle with the note Anneli wrote on the shelf next to a photo of Charlotte.
“I think this is the perfect place for the bottle. The hand-written note inside will remain sealed. I want whichever one of our great-grandchildren who opens the bottle and reads the note to know ‘Anything is possible when you believe.’”
Anneli walked over to kiss her hero. She cuddled into him. Inwardly she couldn’t feel any happier.
“There’s one more button,” mentioned Wade.
“Another surprise?” asked Anneli.
“I think you’ll find this next surprise might even trump what you’ve seen so far. I’ll let you decide which one is greater.”
“What about you, which one did you pick?”
“The jury is still out on trying to decide. I want you to press the top button.”
Anneli pushed it. For a few seconds, nothing happened. She heard a clang. She looked up to see the metal shutters covering the roof were retracting upwards.
“This whole room resembles the dome on top of a lighthouse. The original owner happened to be a lighthouse keeper. He constructed the room for his wife. After saying she hated it, he sold it to an amateur astronomer who in turn needed to sell the mansion to pay for his nursing home and a twenty-four-hour nurse. The man I bought the house from loved this room too. He converted it into what you see today. This room helped me make up my mind to pay more than the asking price. I didn’t want to hear the words ‘no sale.’ Almost every night I lie in bed watching the sunset. In the morning, I watch the sunrise. Come on let’s step outside onto the balcony. It encompasses the whole dome.”
Wade led Anneli over to the glass d
oor. They stepped onto the balcony together. Slowly they circled the room from the outside.
“This is a magical place,” Anneli sighed almost breathless, viewing the sea and the plateau the house was built on. She looked up into Wade’s eyes. The words he spoke, his actions towards her since they met relayed the message; ‘she didn’t have anything to fear.’ She felt positive he’d see her right. Above all else, she wanted to hear the three words he spoke earlier one more time. Her heart needed to hear them.
Wade took her in his arms, gazing lovingly into her eyes. Anneli lapped up every moment.
“Anneli, I love you more than life. If you aren’t living in this house, it will never be a home.”
Anneli hugged his chest. Tears fell unhindered down her cheeks. “I love you too.”
As the sun rose steadily in the sky, Wade and Anneli rekindled the kiss they shared on the bridge twelve months earlier, only this time it seemed to be more real, more love, lacing the very essence of the moment.
Anneli felt determined nothing will ever break the chain.