Part 2

Madeleine sank down into her chair after the governess was out of sight. Whatever will we do now for a governess? she asked herself. She remembered the large number of interviews she’d done before finding Miss Lefferts, and groaned at the prospect of repeating that experience. We’ll think of something. I’ll definitely have to find out more about this Miss Trask Honey mentioned.

She was still sitting in the chair when Honey appeared in the hallway, rubbing her eyes. “You didn’t sleep long,” Madeleine said.

“I just got up for a drink of water,” Honey replied. “I thought I heard you and Miss Lefferts talking.”

“We were, darling. Miss Lefferts won’t be staying on,” Madeleine told her. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find a new governess who is more in tune with what you need.”

Her daughter, who had always seemed so reserved and self-contained, ran the few steps needed to cross the room and hugged her. “Thank you, Mother! Thank you!”

Overcoming her shock, Madeleine embraced Honey in return. “All I—all Daddy and I—want is for you to be happy, my darling! Maybe I can get in touch with your Miss Trask about changing jobs.”

“That would be wonderful—perfectly perfect!” Honey closed her eyes in ecstasy at the prospect.

Madeleine hugged her again and said, “We’ll have to keep our fingers crossed. She may not be interested in leaving the school, but we’ll definitely try. Now, maybe you’d better try to rest a bit longer.” She smoothed Honey’s hair away from her face. Her daughter’s eyes looked hollowed and her thin face was flushed with exertion. Her chest heaved with the effort of breathing after running across the room. Madeleine felt her own chest clench with fear of what might have happened.

“All right, Mother.” Honey kissed her and headed back to her bedroom.

March 14, 1969

“George! It’s good to hear from you again so soon. Don’t tell me you’ve found another property for me.” Matthew Wheeler hoped his attorney friend had exercised a little more due diligence this time. He’d given them leads on three properties already, but none of them met the Wheelers’ requirements for size, location, and amount of renovation needed. He pulled out a sheet of paper to take down some notes and drummed a pen on his desk blotter as he waited for George to begin.

“As a matter of fact, I believe I’ve found an almost ideal property,” George told him. “There’s a large estate just outside of Sleepyside, in Westchester County. It’s about forty miles north of the City, with a train station in the village. The property is over a hundred acres, with a lake and a good bit of woodland for that wildlife preserve you’ve talked about developing. There’s a large house, three stories with space for live-in staff. It’s been empty for several years and needs some renovation, but I think Maddie would enjoy putting her personal touches on it. You’d want to build a garage, and the existing stables need to be rebuilt; the fencing needs work as well.”

“Sounds promising. When can we see the place?”

“How about Tuesday? Meet me at Grand Central, in the main concourse near the clock, at 2 p.m. and we’ll head out to Sleepyside,” George offered.

“That sounds good. I’ll see if Maddie can come along.” The last thing he wanted to do was to waste time looking over a property if Maddie took an instant dislike to it for any reason.

“Even better,” George agreed. “Afterward, I’ll treat you to the best cheeseburgers this side of Louisville, Kentucky.”

“Burgers? Louisville?” Matt blinked at the non-sequitur. What in the heck was George talking about?

“Sure. Wimpy’s—in Sleepyside—is a diner in the finest tradition, and Kaelin’s Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky is a diner known as the home of the cheeseburger. I eat there every time I go to the Kentucky Derby.” George chuckled. “Although, I don’t know if Wimpy’s will meet Maddie’s ideas of a luncheon spot.”

“She’ll love it. She’s always on board to try new and exotic foods.” Matthew gave a hearty laugh as he pictured his wife’s reaction to eating a burger at a small-town diner. “Seriously, I think she’ll get a kick out of it.”

“See you Tuesday, then.” For once, the lawyer didn’t waste any more time on chit-chat and Matthew hung up the phone, a thoughtful look on his face. He drummed on the desk with his pen again for a moment, then pressed the intercom button on his desk to call his secretary.

“Dorothy, will you hold any calls for about the next fifteen minutes? Better yet, take a message and tell them I’ll get back to them.”

“Of course, Mr. Wheeler.” Dorothy’s well-modulated tones held no hint of curiosity about her boss’s request. Matthew dialed his home phone number, sending a thought message to his wife. Be home, be home.

“Wheeler residence, may I help you?” Irene, the housekeeper, answered the telephone. That fact meant nothing. Neither of the Wheelers was in the habit of answering the phone. That was the reason they had staff.

“This is Matthew Wheeler,” he said. “Is Mrs. Wheeler in just now?”

“Just a moment, sir.” Matthew could hear the receiver being set down on the telephone table although he could not hear the woman’s footsteps as she walked away.

“Matthew? Is anything wrong?” His wife’s voice held a note of anxiety. It was unusual for him to call home during the day.

“Nothing is wrong, darling. I just got off the phone with George Rainsford. He thinks he may have found a place that will fit our needs.”

“My goodness, I hope so.” Maddie sighed. “The ones he’s found so far are either too small, too far from the city, or need too much renovation.”

“This one’s a couple of miles outside of Sleepyside,” Matthew told her. “Really the perfect distance, and a train runs right into the city twice in the morning and twice in the evening.”

“Sleepyside? Oh, yes, Ed and Margaret Lynch live near there.” Maddie’s voice was thoughtful. “I wonder if it’s anywhere near their house.”

“It’s very close to where Win Frayne’s uncle and aunt live,” Matt reminded her. “I haven’t been out there in years. It’s a shame we lost touch after he married that girl.”

“Katie—her name was Katie.” Maddie sighed. “I just never felt she seemed suited to Win’s ways. He was so idealistic, and she was... well, I would never call her a gold-digger, but she seemed so conscious of money all the time.”

“Probably because she never had any, and she wanted financial security,” Matt reminded her. “I might have given her another chance for Win’s sake, but I needed someone reliable and she never told me when she got sick and couldn’t complete the job.” He drummed on his desk again. “Enough about the Fraynes. This house—an estate, really, is a large place, perfect for entertaining and with plenty of land. Space for the horses, a lake where Honey could swim, acres of wooded land that could be used as a wildlife preserve with some hunting allowed. The house hasn’t been occupied for years, but there is a caretaker and it’s been maintained. What do you think? Worth looking at?”

“Oh, yes, I think so.” Maddie’s voice conveyed sincere pleasure. “It certainly sounds like a perfect location.”

“We’ll meet George at the station at two-o’clock Tuesday and head out there. He’s treating us to dinner afterward, at a local burger joint.”

“A burger joint?” Maddie hesitated, and Matt could picture her lips pursed in a fastidious moue. “I suppose that might be good.” She was obviously lying, and he chuckled.

“George assures me the burgers and fries are world-class,” he teased. “But seriously, you can eat a half serving or less, if you want to. And I’m sure the place will have Tab,” he added, referring to the diet soda Maddie occasionally drank in place of sparkling water.

“I’ll make the sacrifice for our potential new home,” she assured him with a musical laugh.

March 18

The following Tuesday, Matthew and Maddie were a few minutes early for their meeting with George Rainsford at Grand Central Station. Maddie fingered the string of graduated pearls at her neck as her brows furrowed with worry. “I hope Honey will be all right while we’re gone,” she murmured.

“Of course she will,” Matt assured her. “She’s twelve years old, not two, and Irene and Cook are both in the apartment. They can help with anything she needs.”

“Oh, I know I’m being silly.” She sighed. “I just feel guilty leaving her, even though if I was there, she wouldn’t need me anyway.”

“We’ll only be gone for a few hours, and no one could be more reliable than our staff. Besides, don’t you have an interview scheduled with that Trask woman—Honey’s mathematics teacher?”

“Yes, Briar Hall’s Spring Break starts at the end of this week, and she’s interviewing with me next Monday. I do hope she’s as kind and competent as Honey says. That would be the answer to a prayer—if she is willing to leave the school.”

“I can’t imagine that would be a problem for her.” Matt snorted. “I know for a fact we can offer her a higher salary; she’ll have one student, who’s both intelligent and wants to learn; the hours will be shorter, and she’ll have room and board included. What’s not to like?”

“I expect you’re right,” Maddie agreed. “But you never know. And even if it seems like a perfect match now, who knows how she—or we—will feel in six months?”

“As Ben Franklin said, ‘Never trouble trouble ’til trouble troubles you’.” Matt laughed. “Relax! Here comes George now.” He waved at the older man, and Maddie raised her own hand in greeting as well.

Matt had already purchased their tickets, so the trio moved to the boarding platform for the Sleepyside train. Their car was rather sparsely filled, the majority of passengers apparently returning from shopping trips into the city. Although Matt was anxious to see his potential property, the time passed more quickly than he had feared. Soon, the train vibrated as its engine started; hydraulic brakes hissed as they were released, and the car pulled smoothly from the station.

As soon as they reached the open countryside, George pulled a tube of papers from his briefcase.

“I was able to get a copy of the property survey map, so you can see the house in relationship to the land, adjacent properties, the road, and the river,” he said, unrolling one of the sheets of paper.

The Wheelers listened and gazed at the property survey map as the attorney described the various features as well as the amount of acreage it encompassed.

“The house is set back from the road at a higher elevation, and a curved driveway leads up to it,” George told them. “There are mature trees between the house and the road for privacy, and a lake of about five acres is behind the house.”

“It looks like the property goes all the way to the river bank,” Maddie said, pointing at the map. “Is that the Hudson?”

“It is. But although the property does back up to the river, the bank at that point is far below. You have kind of a lookout over the bluffs; there’s no real access to the river.”

“I like that,” Matt offered. “More privacy, and it means we’ll never have development encroaching on our view.”

“The driveway was relocated a number of years ago,” George continued. “It used to be somewhat off to the side compared to where it is now. There was originally a gatehouse, and the structure still exists, but it’s dilapidated and basically covered by vines. There’s a drystone fence across the front of the property, and a couple of good, solid stone gateposts. The iron gates probably need replacing, and the stone wall is covered in vines, so it’s hard to know what kind of shape it’s in.”

Maddie tried to be very tactful about covering a yawn. The condition of the stone wall was less than fascinating to her. “Didn’t you say you were able to get a copy of the floor plan of the house, too?” she asked, hoping to change the subject.

“Yes, I was.” The lawyer rolled up the survey map and dropped it into his briefcase, pulling out another tube of paper.

The rest of the trip to Sleepyside was spent in going over the floor plans. Matt was encouraged to see the interest his wife took in the house’s layout. He was also pleased to see the size of the house. It would be plenty large enough for their family and staff, but could also accommodate houseguests, business entertaining, Maddie’s charity fundraisers, or almost any kind of party.

The real estate broker George had engaged met them at the Sleepyside train station.

“Bill McKay,” he introduced himself, extending a hand to Matthew and Maddie in turn. “I’ll take you to the property and show you around the inside of the home first, and then we’ll walk around the outside. Quite a bit of the immediate surrounding area is accessible by car, and we’ll do a bit of a driving tour for the part that is. During the tour and afterward, if you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer them. I’ve had the property under contract for quite some time, but still might have to go back to the office to consult the records for some details.”

“That’s fair,” Matt commented. “We don’t expect you to have every detail at your fingertips.”

“The house is twenty years old, although the floor plans indicate an older design. The owners had a new roof put on last year after the original one was significantly damaged by hail,” the agent said. “I believe that was a big reason they decided to sell. Before that, they’d always expected to return someday. With the expense of the new roof, they finally decided it was too expensive to continue to carry the maintenance on a house where they weren’t living.”

As the group followed Bill McKay through the house, Maddie felt herself becoming excited at the opportunity of placing her personal stamp on it. Certainly, she had made their apartment a beautiful space, but this house provided more scope, as well as at the end, a better place to entertain their business associates and donors to her philanthropic causes.

She took note of the spacious rooms, high ceilings, and large windows, as well as the ready access to two outdoor terraces and covered porticos. Considering that the house was only twenty years old, even the kitchen was a good size, showing that more than one person was expected to be able to work in it. Maddie knew almost nothing about cooking, but she was experienced with the space requirements of caterers preparing food for a large dinner party or reception.

“Matthew, just think of the parties we could throw at this house!” she exclaimed. “There’s plenty of space for parking outside, no one would feel cramped in the entertaining space, and this kitchen has plenty of room for the caterers to work. Of course, all this”—she waved her hand at the old appliances and worn cabinetry—“would have to be gutted, but the potential is here.”

Matthew squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you like it,” he answered. “Let’s go upstairs and see the bedrooms.”

Once again, Maddie was pleased with the available space and layout. The master bedroom was flooded with natural light from windows on two sides; it boasted an en suite bathroom and a good-sized walk-in closet. The bedroom she thought would suit Honey best was on the opposite end of the upstairs but also had double exposures and a connecting bath.

“We could redo these two smaller rooms next to Honey’s to add a sitting area and bath, and have the new governess right next to her,” she mused aloud.

“Yes, if we could have the plumbing connected to Honey’s bathroom, it wouldn’t be too bad,” Matthew agreed.

“Make sure you have a contractor inspect the place and give you estimates before you sign,” George warned. “Even if the roof is new, there are plenty of unknowns, especially since you want to make alterations.”

“There are additional smaller bedrooms on the third floor, as well as another bathroom and a couple of unfinished attic spaces,” the real estate agent said. “Shall we take a look at them?”

Dust particles floated in the air and Maddie sneezed. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and held it over her nose and mouth. “As long as we don’t see any spiders, I’m game,” she said. “But you men can go in front—if there are any cobwebs, I don’t want to be first!”

She followed the men up the stairs to the third floor but decided someone must have been up preparing the area for their showing, as she didn’t spot any cobwebs. The finished area was surprisingly bright, with a window at the top of the staircase and a dormer-windowed alcove containing a telephone table between two of the bedrooms. Four smallish bedrooms each featured a window and a small closet. A kind of common room with a sofa, chairs, and a giant, vintage radio console provided space for relaxation, and a shared bath completed the finished space.

“These ceilings look like they’re eight feet,” Matthew estimated. “We’d have to install air-conditioning up here. But I think it could be attractive quarters for live-in staff.”

“I don’t see any signs of water leaks on the ceilings,” George pointed out. “That’s a plus.”

“The unfinished attics are accessed at the end of this hallway,” the agent said. “Shall we take a look?”

“I’ll let the rest of you do that,” Maddie replied. “There are bound to be spiders and cobwebs in there.” She shuddered. “I’ll wait outside.”

While Matthew and the other men tramped across the grass to see the garage and stable, prior to taking the driving tour Mr. McKay had promised, Maddie walked around the house to inspect the service entry and back terrace, from which she could see the lake. It wasn’t long before the men returned.

“Thanks for showing us around the property,” Matthew Wheeler said to the agent. “My wife and I will discuss it and we’ll be in touch by the end of the week.” He shook hands with the other man.

“I look forward to hearing from you,” Bill McKay said with a smile. He then turned back to lock up the house and the Wheelers and George Rainsford waited for the taxi George had scheduled to pick them up.

As Matt held the taxi’s door so Maddie could enter it first, she was silent, considering the size and the amount of work needed on the house before they could live in it. She had no idea how much it would cost to ensure the roof, structure, wiring and plumbing were in good shape. Those boring things would all have to come before the fun of decorating. Matt had loved the property—its size, the potential for using part of it to develop a wildlife preserve, the lake, the space for a stable and pastures for their horses, the privacy. All the way into town, he waxed eloquent about its suitability.

“It’s a great place,” agreed George. Maddie waited, almost holding her breath. Please don’t act like it won’t cost anything to get that place livable , she thought.

“A great place and I think it could be perfect for you,” George continued. “But you’ll have to get a good contractor out to look at it and do a thorough inspection. You don’t want to make an offer without doing due diligence, and no one has lived at the Manor House for a dozen years.”

“Damn straight,” Matt concurred. “I don’t mind putting money into it because it has so much of what we need, but I want to have an idea of just how much it’s going to cost to get the place where we need it to be.”

Maddie let out a tiny sigh of relief. She had liked the place, too, even though it was so far out in the country. It’s just what the doctor ordered for Honey, she thought. I wonder if I’ll enjoy living out here in the middle of nowhere. But she didn’t want to get emotionally attached to the Manor House, or too excited about decorating it, until she knew for sure that what they wanted was possible. Since Matt hadn’t gone completely irrational over it, she felt sure he wouldn’t insist on buying it if the repair costs were completely out of line.

The local diner George had praised was called Wimpy’s, and it was housed in a storefront on Sleepyside’s Main Street. As Maddie walked inside, she saw that the booths and the overhead lighting came from an old dining car. Even the soda fountain looked as if it had once been part of a passenger train’s bar. It was as neat as a pin, and at this time of day they were almost the only customers. She smiled, more excited about this dinner than she had felt before. Matthew held her coat as she slid into an empty booth, and then hung it up on a coat tree near the front door.

“I’m getting a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke,” he said. “What would you like?”

“I’ll have the same, but with TaB if they have it,” she replied. “And no onions on the burger.”

After a surprisingly enjoyable dinner of burger and fries, Maddie hastily covered a yawn with her hand. All of that walking around in the chilly spring air had resulted in a rather pleasant fatigue, and combined with the hearty fried food, a comfortable lassitude. Her earlier anxiety over the potential for an extended and expensive renovation had dissipated as she listened to Matthew and George’s animated conversation about Matt’s plans for the land.

If Matt was that excited over the property, even extensive repairs to the house probably wouldn’t stop him from deciding to buy it. He’d always wanted acreage, both for privacy and for his dream game preserve, and finding that kind of property so close to the city wasn’t an easy task. She smiled and nodded just in case they were paying attention, but her mind was busy with ideas for color schemes, new furniture, and renovating the master bedroom and bathroom. Although Matt had been excited about the lake, she’d prefer a nice fish-free swimming pool. Maybe someday...