Page 106 of Authentically, Izzy
Him.
“Now he’s calming a bit so we’ll let him join us on our tour until we head upstairs.” He stood and shot Izzy a wink. “Too much trouble for a curious dog to cause in the unfinished upstairs.”
“Well, this entry is absolutely lovely.” Izzy waved toward the room and Argos took it as invitation to come back to her side for another pet.
“You like it? I just completed it last week in expectation of your arrival.” He led the way forward, with Argos dashing off to sniff or chew on something or other before rejoining them. “Mum chose the wall color. I’m not exactly a decorator so every room that I’ve finished so far has been an exact re-creation of something I found online. But the chandelier is original to the house.”
“I love the rich taupe color with these pale stone floors, and... the chandelier is stunning.”
“Those are the original floors.” His expression was bright with excitement, like a little boy with a new toy. “I’ve been able to restore all the floors so far except those in the garden room. I did these myself.”
“You did an excellent job. Wow. I am beginning to wonder if there is anything you can’t do.”
“I’m not a visionary like you. And you have a much easier way with people than I do.” He walked to another set of double doors to the right. “And truth be told, I’m a bit messy.”
Which still seemed fairly small in comparison to all the things he did wonderfully well, like care, and tenderness, and a quirky sense of humor.
“Here is my next project. The sitting room.” He opened the doors to reveal an empty room with white walls and floor-to-ceiling windows lining the front. The large-slabbed wooden floors lay scratched and aged, but Izzy could envision them restored. A honey color with sage-green walls, perhaps? And freshly painted crown molding. The barren room came to life in her imagination. A bay window at the far end showcased a glimpse of sea. What a wonderful place to sit and daydream!
“You’re seeing the potential, aren’t you?”
She sent him a grin. “So much potential.”
“Do you know how to renovate?” He narrowed his eyes. “With all your creativity, I’m certain you’d be an excellent partner.”
She raised a brow, wondering if he’d meant the double entendre orif her heart just seemed to read between every one of his lines like he was taking his quotes from a romance novel. “I can paint.”
“Well, that’s excellent, because I paint poorly.”
As if he meant for her to be here... with him, painting hiscliffside manor house!
They continued from the sitting room into another—a long, elegant space with an enormous marble fireplace. Brodie thought it had been a dining room.
“And now for the spaces that are actually complete. Here’s the kitchen.”
Immediately they entered a room almost large enough to fit Izzy’s entire apartment. Light-oak floors complemented the white kitchen cabinets that wrapped around one-third of the room. The rest of the space encompassed a small table and chairs by a bay window and a sitting area in a cozy half-circle in front of a small fireplace, bookshelves on either side. She recognized the space from their video chats. Brodie’s wall and throw-pillow color choices breathed of the sea—a soft blue-green—which could be seen in the distance through the kitchen windows.
Argos dashed across the floor to attack a mangled tennis shoe in the corner.
“Ah, another casualty to the puppy.”
Izzy laughed and stepped farther into the cozy room. “You have everything you need in this one room. Kitchen, living, dining.” Izzy stepped forward, entranced. “It’s wonderful.”
“I’m so glad you like it.” He gestured toward the table. “And actually, I had hopes of making dinner for you, if you’d like?”
She laughed, wrapping her arm through his and leaning her head against his shoulder. “Is that a trick question?”
“Good.” His grin crooked with an added twinkle in those eyes as he stared at her. Could this really be her future? With him? He was worth her future, but . . . how could she even imagine leaving home?She pushed the thoughts away. She didn’t have to make that decision today.
“I’ve renovated the room across the hall into a bedroom, but it would make an excellent study in the future, and it has an adjoining washroom.” He pulled her through a different exit from the kitchen into a hallway. “But there’s one unfinished room Imustshow you because I think it should be the library.”
He closed the door behind them, trapping Argos in the kitchen, before slipping up a narrow stairway, likely used as servants’ stairs in its historical life. They emerged into a hallway that spilled out onto a landing from the grand staircase she’d seen in the entryway, doors on all sides. The center boasted a skylight with unique stained glass designs that cast rainbow colors against the staircase below.
“I only had the skylight restored last month because it took a year to locate enough pieces to attempt a replica of the original.” At her look, he continued. “My uncle had dozens of historical photos of the place left by his grandfather before him, and I wish to restore as much as I can.” He tagged on a wink. “Except for things like updated kitchens, washrooms, and electricity. I’m quite fond of running water and working lights.”
She chuckled and linked her arm back through his again. The barren, broken walls waited for careful hands to stitch them back to their former beauty. The stone floor, similar to the entry, awaited repairs and refinishing, but the potential was there. Everywhere. Like an unedited story. Or a blank canvas. Her imagination brought the space to life, like the bookshop. All it took was a little “seeing beyond” as her dad had called it, though Izzy’s seeing beyond had been kept safely within the confines of her family’s expectations.
She paused on the thought a moment as Brodie drew her around the grand staircase, where they passed a few closed doors before stopping in front of another set of double doors.
