Because of Lauren: A Love Story
Page 35
“What kind of an idea?” Lauren asked again.
“We own some apartment buildings in the city, and I knew of a unit that would soon become available. It was an especially nice, spacious one, with a large balcony and a view of the harbor. She could have outdoor furniture plus a dozen large flower pots there if she wanted.”
When he paused, Lauren looked at him. “And you told her about it?”
“Not then, but she agreed to have lunch with me when I returned from my trip to the States. Mrs. Viik and her housekeeper came here the week before our wedding, and after lunch, I presented the idea to her and offered to show them the apartment I had in mind.”
“And she liked it!”
Jonas smiled at the excitement in her voice. “Not exactly. She refused to look at it. I dropped the idea and resigned myself to waiting.”
“So, what happened?”
“Tonight, I learned from Morten that the reason she had no interest in seeing the apartment was that she had fallen in love with another place we own.”
“But that’s wonderful, Jonas.”
“You may not think so when you find out how inconvenient life will be for us during the next few months,” he said with humor. “Unless you change your mind about wanting the house.”
“You are talking in riddles.”
His lips twitched in amusement. “According to her son, Mrs. Viik fell in love with this apartment. The minute she stepped onto the terrace, she knew this was where she wanted to live. Morten said he understood his mother had given the impression it might be a while before she was ready to sell. And that was true until she saw my apartment.”
“Did you tell him it wasn’t available?”
“I mentioned that, but he brushed it aside. He said his mother loved it because it didn’t feel like an apartment, it felt like a home. But it was the terrace and the view that convinced her she could be happy here. Those, and the central location.”
“I’m speechless. We’re supposed to relinquish our home at a moment’s notice because of a whim of his mother’s?” Lauren shook her head. “Wouldn’t it make more sense for the family to find her a place she likes first and then offer the house for sale?”
“To her way of thinking she has found the place she likes and therefore is ready to sell,” said Jonas dryly. “She’s been putting pressure on her son to get in touch with me since the day she was here. When I told him we were on our honeymoon, he agreed to postpone the final discussion. He was very apologetic for having intruded.”
Lauren gave a deep sigh. They’d had so few days together. The thought of packing up and moving right away did not appeal. “So, what do we do, Jonas? I don’t like being pressured into moving. And I love it here.”
Puzzled, Jonas gathered his wife in his arms. A house she had dreamed of for a decade or more was now within their reach, and she was hesitant? “I won’t let them pressure us, but I think we can agree to rent this apartment to Mrs. Viik. If we turn her down now, we may not get a second chance at buying the house. I don’t want to risk that, do you?”
He felt Lauren’s imperceptible shake of the head. “Is there an apartment with a similar terrace to ours in any of your buildings?”
“Unfortunately not. My grandparents had the original two apartments on this floor converted into one large one for me, including the extended terrace. Ours is one of a kind.”
“How soon would we have to move?”
“Not for a while yet. As I said, we still have to come to an agreement on the price, and I think we should be able to negotiate a timetable that suits us. Don’t forget, we have something Mrs. Viik wants, too.”
Lauren raised dark, glistening eyes. “What’s wrong with me, Jonas? For so long I have been in love with the house, have dreamed of living in it. And now, when the dream is within reach, I feel reluctant to leave here. This is our home now, a place where we have made memories together.”
He looked at her troubled face. They had spent almost no time here as husband and wife and very little time before that. And yet to her, those few occasions had been important. For him, the memories were tied up in Lauren, not in the apartment itself. He kissed her brow gently. “The memories will go with us, Lauren. They will always be part of us no matter where we live. But if you have changed your mind about the house, I’ll tell Morten Viik we are no longer interested.”
After several moments, Lauren looked at Jonas apologetically, “I am not very grateful am I, Jonas?”
In a soothing voice, he said, “I think the upheaval of the last few weeks is finally catching up with you. And now, when we have barely settled into our life together, this new development comes along. I understand, Lauren.”
Lauren clung to him. “Can we please have a few weeks of tranquility here? I can’t bear the thought of moving just yet.”
“As many weeks as you need,” he assured her and knew he would do whatever it took to make that happen. “We’ll work it out with the Viiks.” He kissed her gently, then finally got ready for bed.
Before sleep claimed them, they lay awake talking quietly about the house and its possibilities. Lauren felt more relaxed and accepting of the upcoming move as she listened to Jonas’ soothing voice and realized he was as excited about the house as she had always been.
“Is remodeling absolutely necessary?” she asked sleepily. “Or could it wait?”
“It is a fully functioning kitchen, but when you see it, you may not want to wait. I don’t think it’s been updated in over fifty years,” he said without exaggeration. “The refrigerator is in the butler’s pantry and the stove looks like a holdover from the middle of the last century. So does the linoleum on the floor and the counter tops. And unless you feel strongly about us having a butler,” he teased, “I think the space can be much better utilized by combining the two rooms, which will give us a large, modern family kitchen.”
Upon hearing the word ‘butler,’ Lauren turned to him with a speculative look. Sleep was all but forgotten, and a mischievous grin appeared. “Butler? You know Jonas, I think I could get used to a butler. He could bring me breakfast in bed.”
“I’ll bring you breakfast in bed,” growled Jonas against her neck. “I’m not having a butler barging in on us first thing in the morning.”
“A maid then,” suggested Lauren delicately. “She would be too well trained to raise an eyebrow, even if she saw me sprawled all over you.”
Jonas shook with laughter at the picture she drew with words. “Over my dead body!”
Lauren sighed dramatically. “No butler! No maid! What has our world come to?”
“I would say a choice between an apartment and a house,” Jonas replied lightly as he leaned over her and on impulse began tickling her ribcage. “Butler indeed!”
Lauren’s laughter rang out. “Stop, I’m very ticklish!”
Jonas chuckled at her predicament and eased up a little. “Good. I learned something new about you today.”
“Don’t, Jonas. No more. Please! I don’t like it.” Lauren threw her arms around his neck and hugging him tight implored him in a whisper, “Please, Jonas?”
His hands stilled at her urgent plea. He felt her bandages rubbing against his neck and crushed her to him. “I’m sorry, Lauren. I was just having fun with you. I’m sorry.”
“I know. It’s all right. Love me, Jonas?”
Chapter Thirty
They woke to pouring rain. Jonas stood by the window and watched the water sluicing down the panes of glass. Hardly honeymoon weather, he thought. Not fair to Lauren. He turned and looked at her, still tucked under the duvet. Her tousled head peeked out, and a soft smile touched her lips.
“Not exactly honeymoon weather,” he said wryly. “How about a run to the Mediterranean?”
Lauren slid out a fraction from under the cozy cover. “Just like that?”
“Ever been?�
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“Uh-uh.”
Jonas sent a grin her way. “Wanna go?”
Lauren slid all the way out and sat up. “You want to go to the Mediterranean because it’s raining outside?”
“The Adriatic, then?” he suggested with a grin. “It’s still a good time of year to visit Venice.”
Lauren crawled out of bed and joined him by the window. “What’s wrong with here?” she wanted to know.
“It’s pouring,” he pointed out superfluously.
Lauren shook her head and started laughing. Rain was Bergen’s claim to fame. “That comes as a surprise to you?” When Jonas didn’t comment, she looked up at him and flashed a happy grin. “Wanna don rain-gear and head to the island?”
Jonas grabbed her and gave her a smacking kiss. “Thought you’d never ask! Let’s get dressed.”
“You are such a fraud,” Lauren said over breakfast. “You didn’t want to go to the Mediterranean at all, did you?”
“I would have taken you if you had wanted to go.”
“And if I had wanted to go there, I would have suggested it when we talked about honeymoon destinations. I knew there was a chance the weather could turn on us.” She thought a moment, then grinned. “But I won’t turn down the offer of a trip there in the middle of winter.”
Jonas reached across the table for her hand. “How come you make things so easy?”
“How come you haven’t figured out yet that I am not some spoiled hothouse flower?”
“Touché. I’ll help you clean up, but before we head out let’s check your arms.”
Lauren pulled up the sleeves of her top and glanced at them. “They feel better this morning.”
“We’ll still check them,” Jonas insisted. “Just to be sure.”
“They are looking much better,” he agreed a few minutes later as he peeled off the last bandage. “No sign of infection today. I think you should still keep them covered, though.”
“I will,” she agreed and gave a silent prayer of thanks.
Jonas kissed her arms and gave his own silent thanks.
There was no sign of the rain letting up, but the island house was cozy with the crackling fire, while candles dispelled the gloom of the day. Earlier they’d made sure the boats were properly secured, and then Jonas took Lauren exploring on the back side of the island. There she spotted a little half-moon beach she hadn’t noticed before.
“But this is perfect, Jonas. The Viik estate has a long shoreline, but there are no shallow areas for toddlers or kids just learning to swim.” She picked up a flat rock and sent it skimming across the water. “Our kids will love this little beach!”
“I loved this little beach,” Jonas smiled. “This is where I learned to swim. When my grandfather felt I was ready for the deep, he tied a rope around my middle and let me swim in the water off the dock while he walked back and forth holding on to the other end of it. When he no longer had to tug on the rope to keep me from going under he knew it was safe for me to jump off the dock on my own.”
“Did you learn the breaststroke?”
“Sure did.”
“My mom learned the same way, only off the deck of the bathhouse. She had a floaty around her middle because of the deep until she got the hang of it, and her dad tied a rope around her middle, too.” Lauren smiled happily. “Some things haven’t changed much, have they?”
Jonas looked at her glowing face and thought if he didn’t already love her, he would be falling in love with her this very instant. The look on her face was irresistible.
Her rain-hat had streams of water dripping off the wide brim, but her face was mostly dry. He tilted, then shook his head to drain the water off his own hat, brushed the worst of the moisture off Lauren’s and pulled her close.
“I have never kissed a girl in a deluge before,” he told her. “One more memory that’s ours alone.” Under the heavy clouds drenching them and with the water lapping at their feet, they clung together, delighted with the day and each other.
Now, curled up together on the sofa, they tossed around ideas about the house that would soon be theirs. “How strongly do you feel about full time, live-in help?” Jonas asked.
“I feel very strongly about not having it,” Lauren replied. “The house isn’t really that big. We should be able to handle it, at least for now.”
“And you could manage with someone coming in once or twice a week to help?”
“Absolutely. Why?”
“Down the road, I would like to revamp the servants’ wing into something more useful. The construction will be less intrusive than the kitchen remodel because there is a door between the kitchen and the servants’ hall.”
“How about I get us some hot chocolate and cookies, and you can tell me your ideas.” Lauren stood up and started toward the kitchen, then thought of something. “Oh, and Jonas,” she called, “my mother has the original architectural drawings of the house and property. We could ask her to fax them to us when the time comes so the architect will have a copy to refer to.”
Jonas got up and joined her in the kitchen. “Your family has the original drawings?”
“Yes, they were discovered among my grandfather’s papers after he passed away. My mom brought them home with her.”
“I can’t believe it. No one could be that lucky.” Jonas automatically opened the fridge, reached for the milk and poured it into two mugs to heat in the microwave while Lauren got out the cookies and arranged them on a plate.
The milk heated, he added chocolate powder to the mugs and stirred. Lauren continued chatting about the house.
“Among my grandfather’s papers were also several pictures showing what the house looked like in the early nineteen-thirties, when the original owner lived there. It was amazing, with marble statuary strategically placed around the formal gardens, and an interior that looked like something straight out of Downton Abbey.”
“No kidding?” Jonas laughed. “I sincerely hope you’re not planning on us living like that. I’m afraid I’d have to veto the idea.” He picked up the mugs, Lauren grabbed the plate of cookies, and they trooped back into the living-room.
“I want to hear your plans for the servants’ wing,” said Lauren as she sipped her hot chocolate by the sizzling fire.
“Have you seen it?”
“No, just the main part of the house.”
“It’s located just off the kitchen. One door along the hall leads out to the forecourt. It would have been the delivery/servant entrance in the old days. And then there are three doors along the right side of the hall, two of which lead to fairly good-sized bedrooms. A third room, the one closest to the kitchen, is quite a bit smaller. No bathrooms, but the two larger rooms each have a sink, so there is plumbing.”
“No toilet or tub?”
“A half bath is tucked between the large hall and the kitchen. I imagine the maids used the toilet in there and were allowed a weekly tub soak in the hall bathroom upstairs.”
Nibbling a cookie, he outlined his vision for the servants’ wing, including the expansion of the rooms into comfortable, self-contained guest quarters, plus an office/library. Lauren liked his ideas, but the home was already spacious, and she wasn’t convinced they needed the addition, at least not for several years. Jonas agreed.
“I can use one of the upstairs bedrooms as an office for now, but I’ll need somewhere quiet to work once the rooms start filling up with little Juuls.”
Lauren’s eyebrows shot up. “How many little Juuls did you have in mind?”
Jonas took her mug and put it on the coffee table then tugged her into his arms. He gave her a guarded answer. “I noticed that eight boys were passing the sacrament in your parents’ congregation. In the church here, there were only two boys, and the rest were men. They need some more boys here, Lauren. I thought we could supply a few of them?”
He looked down at her and smiled. “Not quite. We need some girls, too.”
They said goodbye to the island early Saturday evening. They were reluctant to leave their sanctuary so soon, but Sunday was reserved for church.
The organ music welcomed them the next morning and so did Elder Dawson and Elder Jensen. In the foyer, they shook hands warmly and received congratulations on their marriage.
“Jonas told us during our last meeting that he was headed to Salt Lake City to be married,” said Elder Dawson. “He took us by surprise as he hadn’t mentioned you during any of our discussions.”
“Jonas is a very private man,” said Lauren with gentle affection.
“He called us as soon as he got back from the States last time, just as he said he would.”
Lauren remembered Jonas telling her he had agreed to meet with the missionaries. She was glad he had kept his promise and followed through.
“We met with him almost nightly until he left again,” Elder Jensen told her. “I can tell you he has been the most challenging and interesting investigator I have taught. There wasn’t a question he didn’t think to ask.”
“There was a lot for me to learn,” inserted Jonas, “in a short amount of time.” He looked at the two elders, so young yet so mature in their knowledge of the gospel. He had wanted to be baptized when he returned to Lauren, and because of their willingness to spend so much time with him, he had been ready.
“Jonas kept us on our toes,” admitted Elder Dawson. “We had to make sure we were one step ahead of him. We even called the mission president for advice once or twice.”