‘How great this day’s been and how I don’t want it to end.’
‘Me neither. It doesn’t have to. I don’t think I could manage another meal but we could go out for a drink tonight if you like.’
I smiled at him. ‘I’d like that very much.’
Spotting the boat leaving the previous jetty in the distance, we completed the short walk to the jetty near the hotel. When it arrived, we sat on the back seat where Will put his arm round me and I cuddled against his chest as we cruised round the lake.
A little later, as we approached the jetty closest to Willowdale Hall, my phone rang.
‘It’s my estate agent,’ I said, connecting the call. ‘Hi, Lorna, how are you?’
‘Really good. Just checking you haven’t found anywhere to live yet.’
‘No. I’ve been keeping an eye online and nothing’s appealed so far.’
‘I might have your ideal property. We’d sold a house in Willowdale months ago and the buyer has been dragging his heels with it. We’ve just heard that it’s fallen through and the owners are desperate to find a new buyer quickly so they don’t lose the house they’re buying. It’s bigger than we’ve been discussing – three bed rather than two – but the overall square footage is similar to Mallard Close…’
With the boat secured to the jetty, it was time to get off. Will held his hand out to help me down while Lorna continued talking.
‘…and it’s modern, which I know you like. It’s a little over budget but that’s because the location’s stunning. You should see the view, Yvonne. I know you really want Willowdale so I do think you should take a look.’
‘It sounds great. I can probably stretch the budget a bit.’
‘Fabulous! Is there any chance you can view it this afternoon or tomorrow? I can give you an exclusive on it this weekend but I’ll need to put it online tonight which means potential viewings next week.’
‘That could be tricky. I’m working tomorrow and I’m out at the moment.’
I made an appointment for Monday but, when I disconnected the call and explained the situation to Will, he said there was no point me missing out on having exclusivity and he’d be delighted to accompany me today, so I called Lorna back and arranged to meet her at the house in forty-five minutes.
* * *
My love for Gosling’s Rest was instant. It was the last house in the village at the Willowdale Hall end and set back quite far from the road in an elevated position behind a couple of rows of trees.
‘It’s an upside-down house,’ Lorna said, handing over a copy of the sales particulars after meeting us on the drive. ‘Does that bother you?’
‘Not at all.’ Presumably it had been built that way to take advantage of the views from the living space. ‘When you said modern, I assumed you meant the inside, but the whole building looks pretty new.’
‘It is. The house that was here before was a wreck and the current owner – a property developer – managed to get permission to start over as long as the design was sympathetic to the style in the village.’
The developer had done a brilliant job as Gosling’s Rest didn’t look out of place at all with slate roof tiles and a combination of slate stone and whitewashed rendering. There was a lot of glass and a slate balcony running the whole length of the house.
Lorna gave us a tour of the downstairs first, saying she wanted to save the views for last. We looked in the family bathroom and two double bedrooms, the one at the front of the house being ideal for my craft room due to an abundance of light, before finishing with the en suite master bedroom which enjoyed a view over the front garden. It was a spacious room with sumptuous furnishings and the most enormous bed. Will was standing so close to me that I could hear him breathing. His hand brushed against mine and I flushed from head to toe as I imagined tumbling onto that bed with him and finally reliving our Manchester experience.
‘Upstairs?’ I suggested to Lorna.
‘Absolutely. The upstairs is open plan and there’s plenty of scope to use the space differently.’
We followed her up the oak staircase and straight to the front of the property to breathe in the most beautiful view across Derwent Water and the fells on the east side. I already knew I wanted Gosling’s Rest but this fully confirmed it.
‘That’s impressive,’ Will said.
‘The doors onto the balcony open up fully,’ Lorna said, pulling on a handle and sliding the doors back to show us. ‘Oh! That’s my phone. I’ll leave you to have a wander round up here on your own and meet you outside when you’re done. Take your time and feel free to go downstairs again.’
‘What are you thinking?’ Will asked when she’d gone.
‘That she’s just found me my new home.’
‘I can see you here.’
