A Vacation from Life

At

The House of Four Seasons

By Atonia Walpole

Continuing the story of the house...

THE GUIDE: Andy

They say things come in threes and Diane Lassiter had her three. First it was the divorce in February, then she’d fallen down the steps at the court house and broken her ankle, and now she’d lost her job. She was also about to lose her daughter for a year. It was hard for her to feel sad about that because her daughter Mary was off to England as an exchange student. At 17 her enthusiasm was boundless and spilled over onto Diane.

“What you need, Mom, is a vacation. Take some time off. You don’t have to go looking for a job right away.”

“Where would I go Mary? Where do single women forty years old go?”

“Take a cruise.”

“I don’t think so. I’ve heard about what goes on there. What I need is some peace and quiet and time to get myself back together.” Losing her job hit her hard. She was an attorney but even large firms were downsizing now. She still had problems walking and that did not bode well for trying to find employment.

“Tell you what, I’ll make a deal with you. I’ll find the perfect vacation for you and you have to promise to go, okay?”

Diane loved her daughter but sometimes…"Okay, but don’t book me into some meat market designation. You know I don’t like that kind of thing. I’d really like some time to myself to unwind.”

That’s how she ended up in line in Logan Airport waiting to rent a car to take her to Salem where she was to meet a guide who would bring her to the house her daughter had rented for her on the coast of Massachusetts.

She checked her watch. She was early and, spying a book store, she walked down the street and chose a couple of books to read. The description of the house her daughter had printed off the internet mentioned a library, but one never knew exactly what that meant. She walked back to the coffee shop and ordered a coffee, glancing around the seating area. No description of the guide had been given and she was beginning to wonder how they were to meet. She didn’t even know the guide’s name.

Andy sat in a back booth watching the woman settle into a seat with a cup of coffee. He knew it was Diane Lassiter, knew she was an attorney presently out of work, knew she was divorced and forty years old. She was a striking woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She was tall and slender and walked with the aid of a cane due to her broken ankle. He smiled to himself. The house would no doubt take care of that for her. It was time…he casually walked over to her table and sat down.

 “Hi, I’m Andy and I’m your guide.” He had the most disarming smile and he used it on her.

“Andy, I’m Diane Lassiter. Nice to meet you.” A very nice-looking young man, she thought.

“Take your time and finish your coffee. There’s no hurry. We’ll have plenty of time.”

“Thank you. How did you know it was me?”

“From the description your daughter gave.”

“Oh, really? I probably should have looked over her shoulder. Heaven knows what she has put out there about me.”

“It’s all private, very private.” That smile again.

“It’s cooler here than I thought it would be,” she added, for something to say.

“Yeah, it will be September in a few days. You really get four seasons here.”

“Do you live around here…that accent?”

“Oh, no. I’m from Australia. I just serve as a guide for the house.”

“Is it seasonal employment or a permanent work?”

“Permanent.” Andy finished the coffee he’d been nursing for awhile.

“Well, I’m through here if you’re ready to get on the road?” Diane gathered up her purse and cane.

Andy described the house and its amenities and the vast property on the ride to the house, also explaining about the present owner, a woman who did not come there anymore. He did not, however, mention what made the house so special. That he would save for later, after she was there.

Diane's interest was high by the time they drove through the gates. It was mid- afternoon on a cloudy day but the fall flowers were all abloom in the gardens, the roses displaying their last hurrah over the porch and a grapevine wreath decorating the door, with yellow mums in blue pots on either side. Inside was even better. A large Turkish rug lay in the entryway. To the left was the living room with comfortable furniture, a sofa covered in cream tapestry with burnt orange and turquoise tasseled pillows across the back. There were fresh flowers, and scented candles burned, giving the room a spiced orange scent.

“Oh, wow! Somebody did a terrific job decorating this place. If I didn’t know better I’d think they chose all my favorite things.” Diane smiled as she was led through the house, through a dining room done in shades of burnt orange and navy with touches of gold on the framed mirror over the sideboard.

The kitchen was cheery in its yellow and white. A blue tablecloth covered a small round table by the glass doors that led out onto a stone terrace. From the terrace the view stretched out forever to the horizon over the sea. The house sat on a bluff with a strip of beach below accessed by a cliff path.

Back inside she was shown a conservatory off the left side of the kitchen and a library tucked in between the dining room and kitchen. Upstairs were the bedrooms and Andy opened the door to hers.

Her room smelled slightly of vanilla and sweet Williams for spice. It was done in shades of amber and soft sage greens with a touch of black here and there. The balcony doors were open to a small balcony that looked out onto the sea.

“This is really beautiful, Andy. It suits me to a tee. Just put those bags down anywhere. I’ve plenty of time to unpack.”

“Would you like some time in here or would you like a bite to eat?”

“Actually, I’m a little hungry. I missed lunch altogether today.”

“Down in the kitchen then…sandwiches okay?”

“Anything.” She followed him down the stairs.

“Just have a seat. I won’t be a tic.” Andy pulled out everything he would need to make a sub sandwich and quickly went to work.

“I could help you, Andy.”

“No…I got it. You might make a pot of coffee if you’d like. Everything is there by the pot.”

“Sure, where does all this food come from? I assume there is a grocery nearby.”

“I dunno about the grocery…you won’t need one anyway.”

Diane glanced at him and filled the pot with water. “I might…three months and things will go bad.”

“Not here. Do you believe in magic, Diane?”

“Not since I was a very young girl. Life has a way of taking away your innocence. I believe in what I see.”

Andy assembled the sandwiches. “Maybe it’s time to get a little of that magic back.”

“That would be nice.” She flipped the on button on the coffee maker.

“It’s possible, you know, here in this place. It’s a magical house.”

She smiled and walked over, looking out the glass doors. “I can almost believe that. It’s lovely.”

He plated up the sandwiches and added some pickles and chips. “Sandwiches up.”

“You sound like a cook.”

“That’s what I do when I’m not working here. I work in a restaurant.”

“Oh, I thought the guide business was permanent?”

“It is but it only comes around once every three months or so. Depends on what the occupant wants to do. I understand you have the house for three months with an option to extend your stay.”

“Yes, I do. I doubt I will be extending it. I need to look for employment.” She put the plates on the table while he quickly cleared away the mess on the island.

“You never know. You might get to like it here.” He smiled that smile again.

They began to eat the sandwiches. “This is very good. You said you would be here for a few days. What are all the other rooms upstairs? You don’t expect other visitors, do you?”

“Those are season’s rooms…and there will be another occupant for fall.”

“That’s not what I understood, Andy. I have the house…paid the rent.”

“Yes, you do have the house. You see, there are things about this place I need to explain.”

“My daughter made the arrangements. Perhaps she misunderstood.”

“No, there was no misunderstanding. She did everything correctly. You were chosen to come here from many applications that were submitted. The house is very particular about who comes here. Diane, what I said about this place being magical…it's true. This house was built on an ancient magic. It’s always been so since the beginning of time. It’s the magic of love.” He watched her confused face.

“You lost me there. There is no magic to love. I found that out the hard way.”

“You’re wrong…sorry…anyway you know this is called The House of Four Seasons. You come for a season or for a year or for however long you want to stay. It’s very flexible that way. You will have a companion, either one of your choosing or one of the house’s choosing. It’s rarely wrong in these matters. He will come the first day of autumn and leave the last day. If you elect to stay for another season, another will arrive. You cannot have the same one but for a season each year.”
 

“HE…now wait a minute, Andy! This is not happening. I told my daughter about booking me into such a situation. How could she have…”

“She didn’t know, Diane. The house does not advertise itself that way. It’s not that kind of place. That’s why I said it chooses carefully. You will be in no danger here. Nothing can harm you because you are protected by magic. You see, it really is magic. All your wants and needs will be taken care of. You don’t have to shop for food or clothes or anything. If you need something, it will appear.”

“Like salt…I could use a little salt.” She opened her sandwich and by her hand a salt shaker appeared. “This is a trick of some kind.”

“No tricks. It’s magic.”

“About this companion again. I don’t understand exactly what is going on.”

“One of the rooms upstairs will be prepared for him. I don’t know who it will be. I’m not usually privy to that information. He will be compatible with you, Diane, and someone you would like to spend some time with. Of course, if you have someone in mind?”

“Absolutely not! Andy, that’s the last thing I need right now, a man to complicate my life. I’ve just gotten over a divorce after nineteen years of marriage.” She shook her head and got up to pour the coffee.

“Diane, sometimes we don’t know what we need. Give it a chance. It’s only for three months, a vacation away from your life. An experience you will never be able to have anywhere else, or ever again if you leave.”

She brought him a cup of coffee. “I know what I should do. I should get in my car and drive back to Boston and get my ass out on the next flight home.”

“But you won’t, will you?” He looked up at her with his big green eyes.

She took a breath. “No, I won’t. I’ll see it through. Well, I think I will. If something goes wrong with this companion I can leave, right?”

“Yes, of course you can. You can leave anytime you want to for twenty four hours. After that the gates lock and you will not be able to get back in. if you leave for good…the gates lock and you’ve lost the chance, Diane.”

“A vacation with a complete stranger, a man I don’t know. It’s a little frightening.”

“You might know him already. Like I said, this is magic.”

She sat down with her coffee and looked across the table at him, “You are very good at what you do, Andy.”

He smiled, “Am I?”

“You know you are. Anything else…anymore surprises?”

He met her eyes. “None that I know of…but then I will be here for three days.”

She looked at him over her coffee cup, “Yes…you will.”

ON TO HARVEST OF HOPE

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BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE ORIGINAL HOUSE STORY

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