RBC06.50 - Marcella, Vampire Mage (30 page)

“I will be in need of a complete historical renovation. Every building on the property needs updating, including the electrical, heating, cooling and plumbing and I don’t even know if it has a kitchen. I doubt it. But the integrity and period detail must be kept intact exactly the way it was. Are you interested?”

“I don’t know of any property around here that needs a renovation like that. Which mansion are we speaking of?”

“I have just purchased the Collier Plantation,” Abbi said waiting for his reaction.

“Really? Are you serious? I saw it once when I was a teenager. And that was on a dare. Everyone around here thinks it’s haunted. Scared the pants off of my friends and me. But I always dreamed of fixing it up one day. It’s why I decided to do historical renovations in the first place. Way out of my budget though.” He looked at Abbi and just shook his head as he sat back in his chair. “The Collier place. Do you have any idea what we’re talking about? It could take millions to return it to its former glory.”

“You let me worry about the money. Are you saying you would be interested then?”

“You bet! When can I get a look?”

“Andrew McDermott is the realtor. I haven’t actually closed, but we’re under contract and I’ve paid a sizable deposit. We’ve just waiting for the title search paper work to close. So I don’t have a key yet.”

“I’ll call him. He’ll let us take a look.”

Bill dialed the phone and got McDermott on the line.

“Andy, I have a young lady in here that says she bought the Collier place. I need to get inside so that I can give her some estimates. Drop the keys off for me will you? No I don’t think she’ll change her mind if she sees it again. Fine, thanks Andy.”

Bill smiled, “You
aren’t
going to change your mind are you?”

“No, no I’m not.”

“Good, he’s going to drop the keys off in about an hour.”

“Perfect, that gives me time to take care of some things. Should I just meet you back here then?”

“That will be fine. I look forward to it, Abigail,” Bill said offering his hand.

“Please, call me Abbi,” she said as they shook hands. “I have to tell you that I’m surprised by your reaction. Andrew told me it was going to be impossible to get anyone to work at Collier.”

“It may be difficult, but not impossible. Times are tough and people around here need the work.”

“Well, I’m relieved. I’ll see you in an hour.”

After what she’d just gone through with Dallas, Abbi didn’t know why she trusted Bill, but she did. She would of course, check him out on the internet, she wasn’t that naive. But there was something about him that felt, well . . . familiar.

Abbi drove to the nearest store and bought some food, a cooler, a bag of ice, some soda, and bottled water. After putting everything in the cooler, she put the cooler in the trunk.

“This is a ridiculous idea. I have to have a place to stay. And this is the closest town. I better call McDermott again.”

Abbi punched in his number and waited for him to answer.

“Hello?”

“Mister McDermott, its Abigail Black.”

“I knew you’d come to your senses.”

Abbi chuckled, “No, that’s not it. I still want to close as soon as possible. It’s just that I am going to have to rent something short term here in town for a while, just until I get some things done to Collier. Do you have anything you can show me later?”

“Of course. Do you want a house or an apartment?”

“It doesn’t really matter.”

“Well then, how about an apartment above a business on main street? Bill has an apartment available right now.”

“Why not? I’ll meet you back there.”

McDermott and Abbi pulled up at Calvert Construction at exactly the same time.

“Nice to see you again, Abigail.”

She smiled, “Yes, it’s been so long.”

“I have the keys for Collier, but if you want to see the apartment, I’ll get the key from Mattie, Bill’s secretary.”

“That would be great, as long as I could move in right away.”

“I’m sure that would be no problem. It’s been available for months. I’ll be right back.”

He went in and retrieved the key. “The entrance stair is just to the left. You have two keys, one for this door and one for the door upstairs. There are two apartments’ up there. The empty one is on the right.”

“I forgot to ask if it was furnished. I need something furnished.”

“It sure is,” he said as we walked up the narrow stairway to the apartment.

The smell of fresh paint filled Abbi’s head as McDermott opened the door. There was a small living/dining area, kitchen and one, nice sized bedroom and bath.

“It’s adorable, I’ll take it,” she said as she finished looking around.

It was simply furnished with everything you would need, including dinner plates, glasses and silver ware. The bed was made, towels were hung neatly in the bathroom and everything was fresh and clean.

“It’s meant for tourists that want to rent by the week, but I think Bill will be happy to have someone stay longer.”

“Well I hope he approves. I think it’s perfect.”

“Let’s go down and ask him. After you.”

They entered the office to find Bill out front waiting for them with a big smile on his face.

“Hey, Bill. Abbi here would like to rent the apartment upstairs.”

“Well, I don’t know. Do you have any references?”

“I can pay in advance.”

Bill laughed, “That’s good enough for me.”

“I’ll have the paperwork ready when you get back. Here are the keys for Collier.”

Bill and Abbi both reached for them at the same time.

“You get them after you close,” McDermott said to Abbi, handing the keys to Bill.

“And have you heard when that will be?”

“I put a rush the title work, with nothing else to order, it should only be a few more days. I faxed the documents to the owner and he will express them back. Your lawyer already wired the money. It’s in the escrow account already.”

“Good, well thank you, Mister McDermott.”

“We better get started if we are going to get back by dark,” Bill said.

Abbi laughed, “I thought you weren’t scared.”

“I said I would take the job. I never said I wasn’t spooked by the place.”

“All right then, we better go.”

“We might as well ride together if you’re coming back here anyway.”

“I guess you’re right. I was going to stay…”

“What!” Bill and McDermott exclaimed at the same time. “No, you can’t stay out there. Especially not alone,” McDermott insisted.

“I
can
and I already have. Last night I got stranded there by the storm. My car wouldn’t start and I had no cell phone service. As you can see, I survived and I had no problems at all.”

“The house is locked up tight, where did you sleep?”

“In the carriage house.”

They looked at each other and shrugged.

“Let’s go,” Bill said. “It’s the white truck.”

Abbi walked around the truck and climbed inside.

After buckling their seat belts, Bill started the truck and they were on their way.

“I can’t believe you stayed the night in that place.”

“Well I guess the spirits like me.”

“Good, that means as long as I’m with you I should be safe.”

“Yes, I think so. I don’t mind the teasing.”

“Tell me something. Why do you really want this place Abbi?”

“Why do you love to restore them?”

“I want to preserve the past. You can’t find detail work like that anymore. And I love the time period.”

“Ah, you’re a romantic at heart.”

“I guess I am.”

“Is there a Mrs. Calvert?”

“Nope. You?”

“No, I don’t have a Mrs. Calvert either.”

“Funny. You are going to need that sense of humor once we start this project. Really Abbi, why would someone so young take on a project this big right now?”

“I turn twenty-five on Sunday. You can’t be
that
much older.”

“I’m twenty-six. My parents wanted me to go to college, but like I said, all I ever wanted to do was this. So I apprenticed under several of the best period renovation companies in the south and as soon as I thought I was ready, I came here and started my own company. I’ve never regretted a day of it.”

“Hmm, that’s when you know you are doing the right thing. I know that too, Bill. As soon as I saw Collier I knew. As for: why now? I was in college out east when my parents were killed in a plane crash six months ago. After that nothing really seemed important anymore. I never went back. This is a new start for me, and for Collier.”

Abbi could feel Bill studying her. “We’re going to be a good team you and me, I can feel it.”

“You seem as excited as I am to get started,” Abbi laughed.

“I think I am.”

CHAPTER FOUR

T
hey arrived at Collier already very comfortable with each other.

“I thought McDermott said the drive was impassible?” Bill said as they pulled in and stopped.”

“That is strange,” Abbi said. “We had to walk in yesterday and I walked out again this morning. I did notice it looked different after the storm.”

“Yes, it must have been the storm.”

Abbi gave him a disparaging look.

“What else could it be? We can still just walk in if you want to.”

“Just drive.”

Bill cautiously pulled the truck ahead. Abbi smiled to herself. Her welcome committee was still at work.

It took some time to navigate the narrow passageway that led to the mansion because of the vines and the ruts, but it was nothing like yesterday.

“The last time I was here, I’d only had my driver’s license for a week. It was Halloween weekend and my friends and I dared each other to not only come here, but to walk up onto the porch and look in the window.”

“And did you?”

“I was the only one that did. I remember peering into the dark interior and I swear someone was standing by the fireplace. Scared the crap out of me, and I took off running for the car.”

“Still it left quite an impression on you didn’t it?”

“It did. It’s just around the corner isn’t it?”

“Nervous?”

“A little.”

And then, there it was; Collier. Even with all of its age and condition issues, it was so beautiful, stately, elegant and…intimidating.

“It’s exactly as I remembered. Except for the overgrowth,” Bill marveled.

Abbi didn’t comment further, because to her it looked so different than even this morning. The vines were definitely receding.

“This is one of the few plantation houses that I have ever come across that was so far from the river. There is no view of it at all is there?”

“To tell you the truth I never even thought about the river until you mentioned it.”

Bill frowned, “You’re a strange one, Abigail Black. It’s the Mississippi river, the life’s blood of the plantation. We could clear some trees if…”

“No! No clearing.”

“Okay, okay, calm down. It was just a suggestion.”

“I’m sorry. I just want to keep it the way it was. Let’s go inside.”

“Sure.”

Bill and Abbi got out of the truck and walked together in silence towards the front of the magnificent house.

“They made these columns out of cypress. There is still no rot and the termites don’t like it either. After over a hundred and forty five years, that’s amazing. Abbi are you all right?”

She was mesmerized by the house. It was frozen in time. Abbi kept having flashes of the house in her dreams, when it was new and perfect.

“I’m fine. I just am so excited to get inside.”

Bill pulled the key out of his pocket and walked to the door.

“I just can’t believe it. The condition of everything is so much better than I ever imagined. I mean this front door, even the lock.”

“Will you unlock it already? I want to go inside sometime before lunch.”

Finally the key was in the lock and it clicked open. Bill pushed hard expecting the door to give him some resistance, but it swung freely on its brass hinges.

“How about that, no swelling. How is that possible? I…”

Abbi didn’t wait for more explanations; she pushed her way past Bill and into the house.

“It’s just like they are going to be back any minute. Nothing is out of place. I mean it’s dusty, how could it not be. The wall paper is stained by time and it smells musty. It’s old; I mean it’s
really
old. But should it look like this after being abandoned for over a hundred and forty years?”