The Summer Getaway: A Novel(48)

Mason told himself that anticipation was good. It made life interesting and gave people things to look forward to. Expectations were different—especially unrealistic ones, which his would be, if he was dumb enough to have any. The chance to explore the house with Robyn was plenty. Spending time with her was going to be fun. Whatever he felt when she was close was his business and his problem. But damn, there was something about her.

He stood by the rear staircase, where she’d told him to meet her. He was three minutes early because being on time was the same as being late in his mind—a characteristic neither of his wives had appreciated. He was prepared to wait all day. But about thirty seconds before the hour, Robyn appeared on the landing.

She smiled when she saw him—an easy, welcoming smile. Friendly. He smiled back, taking in the long blond hair, the big blue eyes and the way just looking at her was a kick to the gut...and the groin.

“Hi,” she said as she approached. “Are you excited about our house tour?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.”

She laughed, a sweet, happy sound he couldn’t get enough of. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“You’re right. I’m a good sleeper. Years of training. Get it while you can.”

“It’s an admirable superpower,” she teased. “Come on. Let’s head upstairs. I thought we’d start on the fourth floor. This is the only staircase to that part of the house. It’s smaller than the other levels because it only covers the northeast section. Interestingly, you can’t get to the roof from it. You have to use one of the other staircases and go up through the third floor.”

“Nothing about this house surprises me.”

She laughed. “I’m happy to tell you that you are in for many surprises today.”

They went up to the fourth floor. Each staircase narrowed progressively, with the final one barely three feet wide.

“You wouldn’t want to bring a king-sized bed up here,” he said when they reached a small landing with a hallway heading off in each direction.

“I agree, and yet there are some very large pieces of furniture on this floor.” She started toward the left. “I think they used ropes to pull it up from outside. Although the windows aren’t that big, either.”

The narrow hallway lacked the high ceilings of the other floors. There were closed doors and empty built-in shelves. If the house was haunted, it all happened up here, he thought.

The hardwood floors looked like they hadn’t been walked on very much. She led the way to the end of the hallway and opened an unassuming-looking door.

“Prepare to be amazed.”

He stepped into a huge room with soaring ceilings and tall windows on two sides. The walls were painted with old-fashioned tableaus of exotic locations. Display cases held dozens and dozens of globes. Small, large, plain, enameled, bejeweled. Large tables were covered with piles of maps. Bins held rolled maps. There had to be hundreds, maybe thousands of maps. Many looked old and hand drawn while a few were more contemporary.

He turned in a slow circle, trying to take it all in. When he glanced up, he saw constellations painted on the ceiling, along with the points of a compass. He looked at Robyn.

“I don’t know what to say.”

She smiled. “Told you. We refer to this as the map room, but it really needs a better name.” She motioned to a bookshelf in the corner. It was crammed with books of different sizes. No, he thought, walking closer. Not books.

“Journals?” he asked.

“Yes. Handwritten travel journals. It’s all very random. Some are detailed. Some barely say anything. A few have wonderful drawings. It’s as if someone went around the world and bought up old travel journals, then brought them all here.”

She crossed to the table and pointed to the map on top. “It’s the United States, just before the Louisiana Purchase. See the detail and how the western part of the country is barely drawn in?”

He stared at the delicate sheet. “You can’t just leave this here. It needs to be preserved. Shouldn’t it go to a museum or something?”

“Possibly, but Mason, this is just one map. There are hundreds even older and more important. And this is just one room. The house is filled with treasures like this.”

He looked around. “That’s a huge responsibility. I’m glad I only have to deal with the house.”

“I figure it will take that year you have until you sell the house. But I’m not worried. Lillian has promised to never die.”

“Let’s hope she keeps the promise.” He’d grown to like Lillian and spending time with her.

“Come on,” Robyn said, starting for the door.

“Wait. I’m not ready to leave. I want to look around.”

Her expression turned indulgent. “We have to keep moving. I want to give you a taste of the house. Now that you know this is here, you can come back later and explore.”

He nodded, then followed her out of the map room. On the way back to the staircase, she showed him a few other rooms. Most were empty, with a few still furnished as bedrooms.

There was an old-fashioned bathroom complete with a pull-chain toilet and a claw-foot tub.

“I think the water’s turned off on this floor,” Robyn said as she started down the stairs. “To cut down on leaks.”