Harmony House

by Ruth Hay

  She sent Jannice up to pull down the attic steps and try to find something. First, she warned her to take a torch and to cover her hair in case droppings from rodents were in the rafters. Jannice took the warning seriously and climbed up wearing a coat and rubber boots and a wide-brimmed summer hat. She said, to her knowledge, no person had dared to climb into the attic in many decades.

  In the meantime, Vilma re-read the second newspaper clipping which stated Old East London could be the site of another massive highrise apartment development such as had been springing up rapidly in downtown London in recent years.

  There was a quote in the article from Ian Stone, head of Paramount Developments.

  “The neighbourhood is changing. It will be a chic, happening place with theatre and arts.

  We have a lot of confidence in that area.”

  There was nothing concrete in the article with regard to planning permission, so the time frame was not clear but she thought it was a likely incentive as far as estate agents were concerned. She decided to drive along Jannice’s street on her way home, looking for other properties for sale. A joint proposition could draw interest if others were thinking of selling. She thought an enquiry flyer to that end might be dropped into a few mailboxes as well.

  She was doing some preliminary thinking about the flyer when she heard a very loud noise from above.

  Lord! I hope I was wrong about rodents.

  She ran upstairs and climbed up the ladder to the attic so she could look inside, praying all the while that she wouldn’t see Jannice flat on her back in a cloud of spider webs and dust.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Sorry for the loud bang. I knocked over a stack of boxes and thought they were going to go right through the flooring. I am fine but I don’t think I can move the boxes again. They are very heavy.”

  “Don’t strain your back. What’s in them?”

  “I have no idea. There’s nothing written on the outside that I can see. Probably more old kitchen junk.

  Should I try to open one?”

  “It’s likely to be books. Some old encyclopedia sets, I imagine. They are the heaviest items. Don’t bother, Jannice. Take a look around to see if there’s anything else of interest and come down. You’ve already stirred up enough dust.”

  Vilma carefully descended the ladder and went straight to the washroom to wash her hands and brush her hair. She had a deathly fear of spiders from the time in her childhood when her youngest brother had shoved one down the neck of her school blouse. The dirty, dark attic was exactly where spiders preferred to live.

  By the time she reached the kitchen again, it seemed so much brighter and welcoming by contrast. She put on the kettle for tea and reminded herself to check Jannice for insects, dead or alive as soon as she emerged.

  She was back at the flyer idea and on her second cup before she noticed the time had passed and still no sign of Jannice. There had not been any further worrying noises, so she got up to go and see what was delaying her.

  As she reached the bottom of the stairs to the second floor she stopped short and gasped. A ghostly figure was coming toward her, swathed in long delicate fabric covering arms and legs completely and with a huge cartwheel of a hat concealing the face, heavy with flowers and veils and trailing vines.

  What came to mind was Dickens’ woeful Miss Haversham, frozen in time and still adorned in her wedding finery.

  “What do you think, Vilma?”

  It was a jolt of relief to recognize Jannice’s voice emerging from beneath the hat.

  “I found these in an old wardrobe in a corner behind the box pile. There was a key in the lock and sheets over top of the outfits so they are in good shape, I think. This is gorgeous! So ladylike, don’t you agree?

  I had no clue anything like this was in the house.”

  Vilma had recovered her breath enough to jump start her brain.

  “Be careful on the stairs. Don’t trip over that skirt.”

  She stretched out her hand to help Jannice down to the floor level, all the while examining the quality of the materials and the embroidery that decorated them. Her mind was reeling with ideas. This was a genuine outfit from a prior era and seemed to be intact. Eldon House in London would adore having something like this for their docents who conducted tours in the Harris home. Film companies or Theatre London would compete for the authentic items she saw before her. Historical television shows like Downton Abbey would save a fortune by using real items instead of having to recreate them in inferior materials.

  “You haven’t said anything, Vilma. Don’t you like this? Are you annoyed with me for wasting time?”

  She gulped. The vision of competing buyers was still in the forefront of her mind.

  “Is there more up there?”

  “I didn’t disturb the rest but the wardrobe looks full, as far as I could see. Why?”

  “This dress you are wearing is beautiful. It is hand-embroidered and the material is in great condition. If the other items in the wardrobe are of a similar standard you might well have found our treasures for the Museum experts.”

  “Really?”

  “We’ll have to figure out a way to display the outfits. This dress fits you very well, Jannice. We could take a series of photographs of you in the outfits and take a sample of the materials with us to show the quality. I very much doubt anyone else will have such a thing to show off. It could be exactly what we need to boost the price of the house. I would make the photos and the story available to the London Free Press. It could garner a lot of attention. Do you have any idea how these clothes came to be in the attic?”

  “No. I never heard anyone talk about clothes. Who would have packed them up so carefully? It was beyond my parents to even get up there in their later years. Does it matter?”

  “If there’s a connection with a specific family or person of note in London, it definitely makes the clothes more desirable. I think we’re going to have to search that wardrobe for information, but first, please let me help you take that gorgeous dress off. If you rip a tear in the skirt we could never repair it properly.”

  Jannice had simply put the dress over her head without fastening the row of tiny buttons that ran from the lace collar to below the waistline. Vilma removed the hat and placed it carefully on the kitchen table. The flowers were also hand-made of ribbon and sewn onto the brim. There was a long lace ribbon attached to the crown, meant to anchor the hat to a lady’s hairstyle. The workmanship was exquisite.

  As soon as the dress had been carefully removed, Vilma took it up in her arms and examined the neckline. As she had hoped, there was an embroidered satin label stitched in place with the name of the seamstress and, glory be!, the name of the woman who had ordered it.

  * * *

  A unique Kingsmill’s design made for Mrs. Jordan O’Connor.

  * * *

  “The clothes are legitimately yours, Jannice! Someone in your family presumably ordered this dress and the chances are good everything in the wardrobe upstairs belonged to the same woman.”

  “But they are so delicate and expensive looking. Who would have worn this? Where would it be worn? What occasion? Where would this kind of money come from?”

  “We’ll have to dig out some of those answers, but we have a place to start now and if you are up to it, let’s go back to the attic and see what else is in that wardrobe.”

  Hilary had a call from her real estate agent early the next morning after the meeting. She took the call in her office where she had gone to read over her costings for the proposed Harmony House.

  She listened intently for a minute or two and made a few notes on her notepad but did not commit to a definite yes or no. The offers required some thought and she was glad to be able to sit quietly and work out what was best.

  She found it strange to be contemplating two house price negotiations at the same time. Ethan had submitted his developer’s final selling price of $700,000 which reflected the clever way the women had
approached the Niagara house’s deficits. The price was better than she had expected and would give the women some wiggle room with regard to future improvements.

  For her own financial situation, she was pleased to see two bids of roughly similar levels. Clearly, the Fanshawe College offer was preferable but the other bidder was from the Toronto area. This move away from the huge city was a growing trend for retired Torontonians. The couple were anxious to move soon and had finances in place. Fanshawe could take a long time to close the deal as they were heavily invested in the Dundas Street store presently being converted to meet their needs for a new, downtown, hi-tech training facility.

  She wondered if she could put a little more pressure on the second bid, given that the college was still interested. No sooner had this thought occurred than Hilary chastised herself for being greedy. She would easily get her $140,000 for her home and the deal on the future Harmony House was already a bargain. No point in risking trouble by asking too much from fate. Whoever the new owners of 46, Camden Corners were, they could deal with Fanshawe College if they wished. Hilary Dempster had more than enough on her plate.

  She made a note to start the search for a well-known, reliable lawyer and financial advisor and to look for a structural engineering firm to advise about the elevator installation. If that major item could be done first, the moving into Harmony House would be much easier for everyone.

  Harmony House.

  It was, hopefully, a propitious name. Many cultures believe a good name brings good fortune. So far it was proving to be true.

  * * *

  Mavis remembered Vilma talking about the lawyer who handled her inheritance issues. She gave her phone a call and found her at Jannice’s preparing the house for sale.

  “Oh, I recommend Jeffrey highly. He’s the scion of a well-respected London family business. He would handle everything discreetly and promptly. If you like, I will give him a call and set up an appointment.

  And while I am thinking of it…… should we throw poor Ethan a bone and ask him to sell Jannice’s house?”

  Mavis chuckled. “I don’t see why not. That goes for both of your suggestions Vilma! Would you be comfortable attending the appointment with us?”

  “Of course! I’ll be in touch with the date and time.”

  Hilary had already begun to search the phone book’s yellow pages for an engineer to tackle the elevator problem. She found plenty ads for the stair lifts that promised ‘one-day installation’ but nothing of the scope of their project. Mavis assured her there was time to find a suitable firm as the final papers for the sale of the Niagara house had not yet been signed.

  “Yes, about that. We will need a sizable deposit to hold the house. At the moment we only have access to your money and Eve’s. I can add a few thousands to that sum and I am sure Vilma would forward some of hers but I am reluctant to take their money until an official transfer can be authorized by the banks in question. Every single thing from here on, needs to be done with the ultimate in security for our partners. All of us must have complete confidence in the process. That means ironclad contracts.

  I hope Vilma gets that appointment soon. Handling this amount of money makes me nervous.”

  * * *

  To Hilary’s surprise it was Honor who found the engineer. She used an elevator every day in her apartment building and she made note of the firm that inspected the equipment on a regular basis.

  She had even met one of the employees on a day when the elevator was out of order. He was kind enough to carry her wheelchair downstairs for her so she could go out, and she knew the man’s name.

  “I remember him because of his consideration and also because his name was easily confused with mine. He was called Jared Place. We laughed about it. I’ll get the building superintendent to call and see if we can employ him and his company.”

  Every little bit of help was welcomed by Mavis and Hilary. It meant they were no longer alone in making important decisions. The more each person in the group participated, the better their long-term success would be.

  “It’s good that we all have an equal stake in this project succeeding. It reminds me of the most effective school staffs I worked with. When everyone has a voice there are fewer complaints and concerns unexpressed and liable to breed discontent.”

  “I never thought of it that way, Hilary, but I suppose every business works best with cooperation among employees. It certainly applied to my job at the courthouse. We must make sure every one of us has an important role to play right from the beginning. Is there anyone you are concerned about?”

  “I suppose Eve is the one who has the least to offer.”

  “I disagree, Hilary. She is gradually coming out of her shell. She does a lot of the kitchen work and I know she wants to be a full member of the team. I think she would make a great ‘house mother’ to keep us all in order. A kind of communications person; she has a sweet personality.”

  “I didn’t mean to sound disparaging, Mavis. You are right, of course. I haven’t spent as much time with Eve as you have.”

  “There’s been a lot on your mind, Hilary, but I am hopeful things will smooth out soon. We are well on our way.”

  Chapter 18

  Sometimes, when everything seems the most blocked, one item breaks the impasse and forward progress begins to flow in a more normal fashion again.

  The visit to Vilma’s lawyer was that item for the Harmony House group.

  In only a matter of minutes, Jeffrey Thomas laid out a series of actions to move their house purchase along rapidly. He had already been in contact with Evan and the developer and secured the house transfer which would be done formally in the Thomas Andersen Pitman offices within a week.

  “The developer chappie would have liked the entire purchase price up front but I declared that suggestion was totally unrealistic, and substituted a payment schedule starting with a down payment of 10% on signing.”

  Hilary could feel her tension evaporating with every word from the mouth of Jeffrey Thomas. He was an older gentleman wearing a navy suit and waistcoat and a tie she knew belonged to the London Hunt Club. He was shaved and combed and his grey hair was slicked back with a touch of pomade in the old style. She recognized the scent as one her father once used.

  Further confidence was established as soon as she observed the manner in which he greeted Vilma; like an old friend but with respect. He shook her hand and attended to her introductions as was proved by the fact he called Mavis and Hilary by the correct names.

  “Mrs. Dempster, I believe I played golf with your husband several times. He was a fine player. Many were sad at his early demise. My sympathies to you, and to your family. Is Desmond back in town?”

  “Thank you for your kindness. No, Desmond is still working in Toronto. I don’t see him very often these days.”

  The tone for the meeting was set and Mr. Thomas proceeded to advance through the legal requirements commending Mavis and Hilary for the groundwork they had provided.

  “I have consulted a colleague in Bracebridge who put me in touch with Shelley Raymond, president of Solterra Co-housing. I now have the details of Ontario legislation concerning building codes, provincial and municipal legislation and human rights laws. I can assure you everything will be done in accord with these regulations. You need have no worries about that.”

  He turned some papers over and checked his computer screen before continuing.

  Mavis and Hilary had just enough time to mouth ‘Thank God!’ to each other. Vilma caught this and smiled contentedly. She was happy to have steered them to the right place and especially to the right person.

  “With respect to the down payment; I recommend a bank order from each person who will be contributing. Divide the $70,000 equally and I will have receipts notarized as soon as the cheques are handed over. This will give you access to the property for inspections and any improvements you wish to make. I know this is a new build but I suggest an engineer be employed to do a thorough insp
ection of the footings and the roof, and the mechanical room. I have taken the liberty of asking a local company with which I have had successful dealings, to do this task for you. Here is the card. He will report to me when his inspection is complete and the cost will come from my fee.”

  Hilary was emboldened by his obvious efficiency and asked his opinion of the company Honor had mentioned for the elevator installation.

  “The elevator is an excellent idea, which will reduce your insurance premiums. The company has installed most of the elevators in London highrise buildings which speaks well of their reputation. Let me see the bill for the work and I will have someone review it and also supervise the actual work for you.”

  Mavis felt as if a weighty cloak of worry had fallen from her shoulders. She spoke up on behalf of her friend, in the knowledge that Hilary felt the same.

  “Mr.Thomas, I can’t tell you how relieved we feel to have you advise us so competently. You have given our project much thought and we are tremendously grateful to you for your work on our behalf.”

  * * *

  The three women emerged from the offices of Thomas, Andersen and Pitman into a day of dazzling brightness that perfectly matched their feelings. There was a new light covering of snow on the ground, and they were standing near the outdoor skating rink of Covent Garden Market with lunchtime skaters whizzing around mothers whose children were dressed in bright colours. Sounds of carefree laughter rose into the cold air.

  “Look, we have to go through the market building to get our cars from the parking levels, why don’t we make a morning of it and have fresh-ground coffee here with bagels or sandwiches prepared to order.”

  “Wonderful idea, Vilma! We could buy some fresh vegetables from the stalls and a celebration cake for later and isn’t there a cheese stand with selections from all over the world?”