False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [5]
Vanessa turned again to the dining-room window and imagined Ethan and his cousin, Drew, as little boys playing hide-and-seek in the cane fields. How did those two little scamps keep from getting lost in there? She imagined herself surrounded on all sides by cane stalks considerably taller than she and felt short of breath. She heard a car door slam and came back to the present. Who even knew they were out here? She walked through the parlor and opened the front door.
A white Toyota Prius was parked in the driveway, and Pierce and Zoe Broussard were already out of the car and heading in her direction.
“Hey there.” Zoe waved. “Hope you don’t mind the intrusion. Pierce and I decided to take you up on your offer. We want to see the house before you start renovating.” She grinned. “So we can appreciate it afterward.”
“I’m glad you did. Come in.” Vanessa held open the door and imagined for an instant that she was welcoming the first guests to the bed-and-breakfast. “Don’t get your clothes dirty. The maid hasn’t been here in years.” She laughed.
Pierce followed Zoe inside. “I didn’t realize Langley Manor is only three miles from Les Barbes,” he said. “For some reason I thought it was twice that far.”
Zoe’s gaze danced around the room. “It’s not as big as it looks from the outside.”
“Probably because it’s empty. Except for that dining-room table and chairs and a few pictures on the wall, everything else was sold in the estate sale years ago. Great-Grandmother Augusta specified that the table and family pictures were to stay with the house. She probably never dreamed it would be vacant this long. But Ethan’s dad and uncles didn’t want to leave Tennessee.”
“Where are Ethan and Carter?” Pierce asked.
“Upstairs looking for the imaginary fellow in the closet.”
“Ah, the candy man.” Zoe shot her a knowing look.
“I think once Carter’s familiar with every inch of the house, his imagination will take a rest,” Vanessa said. “I’m sure it’s been hard having his entire world uprooted.”
Zoe glanced up the white staircase. “Tell me again how many bedrooms.”
“Four up and two down. We plan to knock out a few walls upstairs so we’ll have six guest rooms.”
“Where will you live?” Pierce asked.
“On this level. There’s plenty of space in the back of the house to add a third bedroom and make it into our private living quarters.”
“So all the guest rooms will be upstairs?”
Vanessa nodded. “The biggest challenge could be adding private baths to each one. People who routinely stay in B and Bs have probably shared a bathroom with other guests at some point. But I never liked it.”
Pierce shot her a crooked smile. “I know bed-and-breakfasts are really the in thing, but I find it amusing that people actually pay to sleep in an old house and share the toilet with strangers.”
“It’s about the ambiance, cher.” Zoe poked him with her elbow. “It’s a little slice of history and a lot more romantic than staying at a motor inn.”
“Well, if at all possible,” Vanessa quickly added, “the guest rooms at Langley Manor will have private baths. Thankfully the house has been updated over the years and has indoor plumbing and electricity and modern conveniences. But it’s been empty a long time, and it needs a complete makeover.”
“Who’s going to do the work?” Pierce asked.
“We’ve contracted Southern Pride.”
He nodded. “I’ve heard they’re the best. When do they start?”
“The plans are being drawn up now. We’re hoping to see blueprints sometime next week.”
“So how much longer will you be renting the apartment from us?”
“Oh, I don’t see us moving in here for at least eighteen months,” Vanessa said. “Probably closer to two years. Even if our private quarters are finished before that, I have no desire to move in here until all the remodeling is finished. I wouldn’t do well with the mess or with the workers traipsing in and out.”
“Not that I want to lose you as tenants, but I can hardly wait to see this