Chapter 1
I had opted for an early retirement and at age 45 was looking around for some options to keep me out of trouble. I say this because I am a horn-dog and when combined with good looking women usually gets me in deep shit, not because they are beautiful but because more often than not they are in some sort of relationship.
I was on a leisurely trip thru New England when I saw the For Sale sign next to a long driveway. I could just see the edge of the house around a bend and in a spur of the moment decision decided to stop and see if anyone was home. The driveway was hard topped with white crushed marble and led to a circular parking area at the front door. I was impressed with the older house that was two storied with an attic. As I started to mount the steps a well-dressed older woman greeted me from the door. I introduced myself as Caleb Williams and explained that I was interested in looking at the house and she motioned for me to sit down in a chair that was on the porch. Joining me in a matching chair she asked me about myself, I think she was just trying to sort out the curious. I explained that I was recently retired and thought a move to a country setting was something I might consider if I could find a suitable house.
Mrs. James invited me to look thru the house providing she could be the tour guide. I readily agreed and she held the door as I went in before her. I got a momentary cold chill as I entered and put it down as just the difference between the outside and inside air. The home was well maintained and Mrs. James explained that her husband had recently passed away and she didn't need the big old house. The ground floor had the usual kitchen, dining room, half bath, an old fashioned summer kitchen and a parlor as well as a front room. I was surprised that there were still houses around with a parlor and remarked about it to Mrs. James. She smiled at me and explained that her and her husband used to entertain quite a bit and having a parlor kept the mess in one place.
There was a beautiful staircase leading to the second floor and when we started up Mrs. James took my arm and held me close to her as we alighted to the second floor. There was a hallway that led to the master bedroom with an attached master bath and three other bedrooms with a family bath to service them. A door opened to a narrow stairway leading to the attic and Mrs. James said if I wanted to see the attic I could go up myself and look around. I did that and found a spacious area that was empty except for what looked like an old trunk from the 20ies or 30ies. I came back to the second floor where Mrs. James patiently waited for me to return. I told her that I was very impressed with the house and asked if I could look around the grounds, she agreed and we went back down to the ground floor. She led me to the back door and said I could look around all I wanted but please come back to the house before leaving.
There was a large two stall garage and a small barn that had been built within the past 20 years or so and both buildings were in great shape. The grounds could use some work but could be restored to excellent condition without much effort. I remembered that Mrs. James mentioned that there were about 10 acres and I thought that this would be a terrific place if the price was right. I went back to the house and told Mrs. James that I was interested if we could come to terms on the price. She smiled and slid a piece of paper into my hand. I looked at it and almost fell over when I saw the price. I asked if this was the correct amount and if it included all the land and out buildings. She said it did and I immediately agreed to her terms. I asked if she would accept a check as a good faith binder, to which she readily agreed.
A few weeks passed before the contracts were drawn, signed and the property closed on. I gave Mrs. James all the time she needed to move out and she didn't take advantage of my good nature. I took possession a week after the closing.
Chapter 2
I had a moving company move my belongings from the city and I decided to camp out at my new house while I waited for them to deliver my stuff. I walked thru the front door and again got the cold feeling I did the first time I saw the house with Mrs. James. I didn't think much of it and set about blowing up my air mattress in one of the bedrooms. I had brought some coffee for morning and decided to explore my new property. My car fit in the garage with plenty of room and the barn was going to make a great workshop. There was a small copse of woods on one side of the land that would afford privacy on that side. I could probably rent some acreage to a farmer so he could grow hay or some sort of feed, in the meantime it was just some hay fields to enjoy.
I had brought a book to read and turned in early. I had a few interesting dreams and woke up early to wait for the movers. I was sipping a cup of coffee when they arrived and it didn't take long for them to unload everything and put it in the rooms that it was marked for. I did a quick inspection and didn't find anything damaged so I wrote them a check and they were on their way. I looked around and found I had a daunting task ahead of me to get everything unpacked and put away. I decided to tackle the kitchen first and then do the bedroom. That made sense to me because I had to eat and sleep. By the end of the day I had most everything organized and put away and was ready to turn in.
I woke up early and refreshed after my busy day yesterday. I had slept soundly and didn't have any unusual dreams like I had the previous night. I needed some supplies so I went into town to do some shopping. There was an A&P in town, the first one I had seen since I was a little guy, and I did a month's shopping before I got out of there. I had spotted some great steaks on sale so I stocked up along with other meats. I got a feeling of satisfaction when I put stuff away and the freezer was full.
A Satellite disk was included in the sale of the house, so all I had to do was call and have it activated to my account and I had TV for entertainment.
I had picked up the local paper and a tourist guide while I was in town and looked thru them for what was offered in the form of night life. Like most sleepy New England towns there wasn't much to do but an hour away was a major city with all kinds of things to do. I did find a few restaurants that were local and I knew that I would try them out before I took a guest out for dinner. My sometimes girlfriend was a city girl and I didn't expect her to be a frequent visitor. I would have to see if there were any local female companions available, single and unattached I hoped.