Dream Cottage by Harriet J Kent Read Free Book Online

the open back door. “Have to take you through the servants’ entrance; can’tfind the key for the front door!” he added.
    As Greta and Max walked in through what appeared to be the kitchen, Greta gasped. She stopped in her tracks.
    “Oh Max; it has such a lovely feeling about it,” she gushed, looking wildly about her.
    “You’ve only just stepped over the threshold,” Max laughed at her.
    “Trifle dark in here; power is off, I’m sorry to say.” Rev Oli continued to lead the viewing through into the dining room, again in virtual darkness. “Doesn’t help with the windows boarded up. But I couldn’t take any chances with squatters. They have more rights than most folk these days. Strange thing, that…” he muttered.
    “It’s fine, Reverend. Max has a torch, so we can see all right.” Greta followed closely behind Rev Oli, and looked around her.
    Max hung back in the kitchen. He shone the torch to take a closer look at the walls and, to his relief, could not see any dire structural happenings; not in that part of the house, at least. He was intrigued by the very old-fashioned wallpaper.
    “There is still some furniture in here; I must arrange to get it cleared, but the price of second hand furniture is very poor at present…” The Rev was talking to himself and indicating with his arms, as Greta waited for Max to join her in the dining room. “Be careful you don’t fall over anything!” he warned.
    “Has Greenacres got a drawing room?” he joked.
    “Through here, Maxim. Drawing room is just through here!” the Reverend answered.
    Max and Greta had to stuff their hands in their mouths for fear of an out of control outburst of laughter.
    “Mummy would be the Reverend’s number one fan,”Greta whispered to Max, who had turned his back to compose himself. “She would be in her element!”
    “And this is the living room; lounge; whatever you would like to call it; the light is a little better in here. Come on in, don’t be shy!”
    Rev Oli was stood in the doorway of a very cosy lounge with an inglenook fireplace and windowsills fitted with faded seat pads large enough to deposit even the plumpest of bottoms. One of the boards on the window was dislodged. From that vantage point, Max could see that it looked over the immense overgrown gardens. He beckoned for Greta to have a look.
    “Oh this is just lovely; it’s so quaint.” Greta walked into the lounge and closed her eyes. “It has such a friendly feel to the place; nothing sinister.”
    “Yes, that’s right,” Rev Oli concluded. “I am glad you like Greenacres. But I still have to show you the upstairs rooms and also the grounds. Come along now; before we lose any more daylight. The sun is becoming weaker in the heavens!”
    Reverend Oli ushered Greta and Max upstairs where they found four double bedrooms, a bathroom and attic rooms. Greta was completely bowled over by the amount of space and the views from each of the bedroom windows. Each room lacked any form of suitable décor and ached for a modern-day makeover. Threadbare strips of off-cut carpet lay across most of the floors with linoleum beneath. The rooms, with bare floorboards, were covered in a thick layer of dust and spent masonry. Each bedroom contained an ornate period fireplace in black cast iron. One had evidence of a bird’s nest amongst a pile of soot and dust on the hearth. The odd black feather was a giveaway and a faint smell of mustiness and damp permeatedthe air. Rev Oli noticed Greta staring.
    “Crows, my dear. Always seem to be a lot of crows. They like to build their nests in the chimney pots. Confounded nuisances!” He held his fingers together in prayer fashion and bent forward as he spoke. “Needs the chimney sweep to come over and prod them off their perches with his set of rods; usually does the trick!”
    “We could do so much with Greenacres; to bring it back to life again,” Greta gulped. She felt a lump in her throat. She felt close to