Drive and Determination

by Louise, Kara

  “I saw that wink, Uncle Edward. You’ve probably found the most run down piece of property and that’s where you’re taking me.”

  They drove about five more miles and finally turned onto a winding road that was lined with trees.

  “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Elyssa asked as she looked around her. “This road seems to go on forever!”

  “This is the driveway!” Maddy exclaimed. “This is the beginning of the property!”

  They drove on in silence, Elyssa taking in the wooded area around her. “It is beautiful here, but for heaven’s sake, are we ever going to reach the house?”

  As they made a final turn on the gently curving road, Elyssa gasped. Situated across a small pond so that its reflection was mirrored, was a beautiful home. It reminded her somewhat of the English estates she had studied in her design classes, although it was smaller.

  “Oh my!” Elyssa exclaimed. “I don’t think that I’ve ever seen a more beautiful home or such picturesque surroundings.” It looked as though no landscaping had been done, but it had a natural beauty to it. She wondered if anyone had ever lived in the home.

  “What do you think, dear?” Maddy asked.

  Elyssa looked at the beautiful stone façade that covered the main floor of the house and her eyes went up to the Tudor style of the top floor. “I can’t believe I actually get to decorate this! For the first time since getting this job, I’m feeling just a little nervous!” She leaned over and reached for her aunt’s hand. “Look, my hands are shaking!”

  “You’ll do fine, Elyssa. Just trust your instincts and your natural talent!”

  Elyssa rested her chin on the front seat, unable to take her eyes off the house. “Do you think it odd that someone… this Richard Fitzpatrick… is willing to entrust his house to someone he’s never met; that there is no budget and I pretty much have free rein to do as I please?”

  Maddy shook her head. “It’s probably someone who knows nothing about decorating and really doesn’t care. All he wants is a nice house.”

  Her uncle chimed in. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s someone who isn’t going to live here all the time. Maybe it’s just a summer home.”

  “Well I can tell you one thing,” Maddy said. “This Richard guy can’t possibly be married. I don’t think any woman would allow someone else to decorate their house without some input.”

  Elyssa let out a dreamy sigh. “Just look at that grand wrap-around porch. Do you know what the first thing I want to buy for it is?”

  Maddy and Edward looked at her and together answered, “A porch swing!”

  Elyssa’s eyes twinkled. “How did you ever guess?”

  They drove home and Elyssa felt as though she were in a dream. She would never have imagined anything so grand and her heart beat ferociously. She even surprised herself when she realized she had not thought about Will once since setting her eyes on the house.

  Elyssa enjoyed the weekend with the Garners. They took her to a couple of nice restaurants, she and her aunt enjoyed a chick flick at the movies while Edward stayed home with the children, and they spent some good, relaxing time in their home. In every free moment, however, Elyssa and Maddy spread out the home design magazines and began to plan and dream.

  *~*~*

  On Monday morning, Elyssa drove the car her aunt loaned her to Regency Home Management Company. It was on the main highway, so it was easy to find. Dressed in her most professional outfit and carrying her brand new briefcase, Elyssa wanted to make a good impression.

  When she pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car, she smoothed out her skirt and pulled her jacket taut. Then she took a deep breath and walked in.

  A friendly looking woman greeted her. “Hi! I’m Emily Brownwood. May I help you?”

  Elyssa reached out her hand. “Hello Emily. I’m Elyssa Barnett.”

  “Oh, Elyssa! I just knew it was you! How do you do?”

  The two exchanged pleasantries and then got down to business.

  “Here, come into my office and I’ll show you what you have to work with.”

  Once in her office, Emily produced a floor plan of the living room and kitchen. She spread it open and the two looked down at it.

  “This is what you’ll begin with. It’s a fairly good sized home, but I hope that doesn’t intimidate you. The living room and the kitchen are the two rooms you are to work on first. Then we’ll talk about whether you want to stay on and do the rest of the home.”

  “That sounds reasonable,” Elyssa affirmed.

  Emily picked up an envelope from her desk. She reached in and pulled out a photograph. “I don’t know if this will make it easier or more difficult, but this is the only thing he insists on putting in the house. You know how some people are. You will see the real thing there.”

  When Elyssa looked down at the photograph, she saw a painting of a large manor, much like one would see in England. She could definitely see a little resemblance to the house she saw yesterday. “It’s a beautiful painting.”

  “It is an estate that was in the family several hundred years ago. You can do whatever you want with furniture and fabrics, but this has to be incorporated.”

  Elyssa looked at it and smiled. She wondered if she would ever be able to meet the owner, but already decided that he held his family, even those long gone, as important and dear.

  Emily pulled out the designer board Elyssa had sent earlier. “We really liked how you fashioned your board, dear. We would like you to do the same thing with your plans for the two rooms, giving us fabric samples and furniture styles. I’ll pass it on for approval. On the floor plan, he will want to see how you will arrange the furniture you buy for the house.”

  Elyssa nodded. “And you said there is no budget?”

  Emily shook her head and reached into the envelope again. “No, and to make it easier for you, we’ll order all the paint, floor coverings, counter tops, and that sort of thing from here. I have a list of approved sub-contractors who will do the work. Just pick out the materials and tell us what you want to do with it.”

  “That’s great!”

  “You’ll be responsible to order any furnishings for the house yourself, but you can charge them to me. I have an account with most of the major stores around here.”

  Emily reached into the envelope again and pulled out some papers. “Here’s my card, business license number, and a letter of authorization from me that will enable you to charge it to me. If you run into any problems, I’ll write a check for the amount.”

  Emily handed the envelope to Elyssa. “Inside is a sheet of paper with some of the stores close by and in Chicago that you might want to check out. I have included home design stores, wallpaper, paint, and tile stores, and some of the finer furniture stores. But don’t feel as though you have to stick with only them.”

  Emily turned to face Elyssa. “Do you have any questions?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure I will.”

  “Good. Would you like to go see the house?”

  Elyssa beamed. “I would like nothing more!”

  *~*~*

  Elyssa followed Emily in her car to the house, purposely neglecting to tell her that her aunt and uncle had already driven her out there. Even though it was her second time out, Elyssa’s heart still lurched when she drove around that last bend and beheld it in all its grandeur.

  When they walked up the porch, Emily handed Elyssa the key. “This is yours, dear, as I’m sure you will be coming and going throughout the day.”

  She stepped back and let Elyssa open the door. It swung open slowly and Elyssa’s mouth dropped at the sight before her.

  They entered into an expansive foyer that seemed to travel forever. Emily pointed off to the right and they stepped through an opened set of carved wooden double doors.

  Entering into the living room, Elyssa took a great liking to its spaciousness and its tall ceilings. Glistening wood floors seemed to stretch out in every direction. An unfinished
fireplace with a heavy mantel dominated one side of the living room. Elyssa knew it would be up to her to decide whether to finish it with stone, tile, wood, or a combination. Large paned windows let in light from every direction.

  “What do you think?” Emily asked Elyssa.

  “It is beautiful. There are so many possible directions to go.”

  “Come, over here is the painting.”

  The painting was protected by a heavy cloth draped over the front. Elyssa was astounded at the size. It had been difficult to ascertain how large the painting was merely from the photograph. Emily pulled the cloth down and Elyssa stood even more dumbfounded as she cast her eyes over the most magnificent oil painting she had ever seen.

  “This is absolutely beautiful!” she exclaimed. “I’d love something like this in my house!”

  “It truly is a beauty. The only thing I can think of that might come close to its beauty is the real home itself. I believe it was somewhere in England.”

  Elyssa walked up more closely to study it. “It definitely has hints of taupe, apricot, and spruce green. I could use any of those as my primary color.” Her eyes swept over it again. “But then again, there is mustard, ice blue, mauve, and ivory.”

  Emily tilted her head. “I think you have your work cut out for you, my dear. Just deciding on the colors to use in this place would have me in quite a state!”

  Elyssa looked around her, beginning to feel the enormity of the task before her.

  She turned back to look at the painting. “I think that having this painting as the focal point will actually help me. It will definitely dictate the mood that I will want to create in the room.”

  “Good. The wall above the fireplace will be where it is to be hung. Those are really the only instructions.”

  Emily clasped her hands. “Now, if you need anything, feel free to give me a call. My work number and cell phone number are on my business card. Do you have a cell phone in case I need to reach you?”

  Elyssa reached into her purse. “Yes,” she exclaimed, proudly pulling it out. “I actually purchased it before I came out here. I must confess I tend to drag my feet when it comes to modern technology.”

  Emily laughed as Elyssa wrote down the number for her. “I’m sure you will soon wonder how you ever survived without one!”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “Well, Elyssa, I guess we’re pretty much finished here, unless there’s something else you need.”

  Elyssa chuckled and looked inquiringly up at Emily. “Do you mind if I ask you about the owner? I mean it may affect the direction I go if he is married or has children.”

  “Mmm. Yes, I can understand that. No, he is not married, but I think he most definitely has a wish to be married someday and have a family live here.”

  “Well there goes my idea of a bachelor’s pad!” Elyssa laughed. “Seriously, though, that really helps.”

  “If there’s nothing more, then I guess I’ll leave you to begin.”

  When Emily left, Elyssa walked over to her briefcase and pulled out a large drawing pad and a fan deck of paint colors. The pad would be the place to jot down and sketch her ideas. She then walked to the very center of the room and began to turn slowly. As she did, her mind played through various scenes of furniture styles and arrangements, colors and textures. After she had done that, she walked to the edge of the room and paced along each wall, playing the same scenes over in her mind, with a few new ones added in and a few being tossed out. This style would work; this one wouldn’t. This color would be great with that color; no, that one wouldn’t do well. She took notes as she did this, as well as drew some ideas for furniture arrangements. Then she walked to each door that entered the room and imagined what would be pleasing to the eye.

  When she finished doing that, she sat down on the hardwood floor to get a final view. She had to laugh as she considered that her whole house would probably fit in this room alone.

  She drew a couple more sketches and jotted down a few more ideas. She had a fairly good idea of what she would like, although she wouldn’t know precisely what it was until she saw it. She needed to visit fabric and furniture stores and hoped that what she saw there would harmonize with the character she envisioned for this room.

  She then took the fan deck of paint colors over to the large oil painting. Thumbing through the medley of hues, she selected several that matched the colors in the canvas. She marked them, not really knowing which ones she would go with. She figured she would know when she saw the fabrics she wanted to use.

  Before leaving to go into the city to check out some stores, she had to see the rest of the house, even though there was the possibility she might only end up doing the living room and kitchen. She gave herself a quick tour, opening doors and imagining what she would do with the plethora of rooms. She ran upstairs and found four bedrooms plus an immense master suite. She walked in and immediately was drawn to the large bay window that overlooked the front. She sighed at what her eyes took in. Oh, I could very easily wake up to this view every morning!

  The window overlooked the small pond she had seen in front. She knew there had to be houses nearby, but from this vantage point, she could not seen any evidence of them.

  She walked to the window on the other wall and saw that it overlooked a dense wooded area. In her active designer’s mind, Elyssa could foresee a small garden in a clearing down there and thought a little landscaping would certainly add some color. “But not too much!” she caught herself saying aloud. “I don’t think you can improve too much on its natural beauty.”

  When Elyssa returned to the car, she pulled out her map. Just looking at it began to overwhelm her. She was grateful that her aunt told her she would accompany her into Chicago when she was ready and would happily give her pointers on getting around using the transportation system.

  Elyssa looked down at the map at every little “x” and the one circle. She didn’t want to put off another day to stop by the Pemberleo offices and express her appreciation to Will. She knew the sooner she got this over with the better off she would feel. Her heart picked up its pace as she simply mulled it over. One way or another, by the end of the day she would know how William Denton felt about seeing her again.

  Chapter 22

  Elyssa drove slowly back out the winding drive. Her gaze drifted from right to left and up the towering trees about her, taking in all the beauty. She hoped that her job responsibilities wouldn’t preclude her from taking some leisurely walks through the woods while she was here.

  She drove the five short miles to her aunt’s home and they ate a quick lunch before setting out. They walked Lillian and Frederick to Maddy’s neighbor, who had two children around the same age of her two. She and Maddy often traded baby sitting responsibilities.

  As her aunt drove to the commuter train station, Elyssa spoke with unabated excitement about her morning and gushed over details about the house and its one sole accessory. “Aunt Maddy, you must see this painting! It’s beautiful!”

  The look of amusement in her aunt’s eyes did not escape Elyssa’s notice.

  “I know that look, Maddy. You think I’m carrying on as usual!”

  Maddy reached over and grasped Elyssa’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “No, my dearest niece. It just warms my heart to see you truly happy again. Your uncle and I have been worried sick about you.”

  Elyssa smiled. “It has been a difficult few months. There were times when I felt completely weighed down with grief. When I think I’ve finally made it through, when I least expect it, something will happen that will trigger a memory and just drown me in sadness.”

  Maddy patted Elyssa’s hand before returning it to the steering wheel. “And most likely it will continue to do so. Prayerfully, though, you will find your waves of grief lessen with time and someday you will be able to think of Janet with joyous memories alone.”

  It was silent in the car as Elyssa considered the reality of her aunt’s statement. When she first arriv
ed in Guatemala, she had been frequently overcome with grief. As the week went on, though, she found herself enjoying the things Janet had enjoyed. A soft moan escaped as she recalled how her sorrow and pain had actually eased in Will’s presence and had been replaced with feelings of joy and delight -- in him.

  Maddy looked over at her. “Are you all right?”

  Elyssa nodded. She knew her aunt could read her so well and for that reason, she could not tell her about her feelings for Will until she knew for certain how he felt. She did not want to give Maddy something else to worry about and hoped that if she did indeed experience a broken heart while here, she would be able to keep it from her aunt.

  “I have been thinking about what Pemberleo did in establishing the memorials for Janet and Chad. I wanted to wait to thank them until I arrived and could do it in person. When we get into the city the first thing I want to do… I need to do… is go there and thank them.”

  “And face that dreadful Mr. Denton?” Her aunt gave Elyssa a smile.

  Elyssa turned her head to look out the window, a little too quickly for her own peace of mind. Elyssa let out a forced chuckle. “I guess he’s not all that dreadful since he is the one who came up with such a perfect memorial for them both.”

  “No, perhaps he’s not, but I can’t help but recall how upset he made you.”

  Elyssa guiltily looked down and wished she could correct her aunt’s estimation of him. At length, whatever the outcome of her meeting with him, she would tell her what he is truly like.

  When they reached the commuter train station, they had several minutes to wait before the train arrived. Maddy explained to her a little about how the Chicago transportation system worked, the different types of trains, and how often they ran.

  Elyssa pulled out her map and they talked about which stores they wanted to visit. There were an unlimited number of wholesale stores in the Merchandise Mart, but Elyssa decided against going there today as they wouldn’t have time to see even a fraction of the shops. There were a few other stores not too far from the Pemberleo offices, and they decided to stop in as many of them as they could today after her visit with Will.