Chapter 15 - THE HOUSE
The trustee asked whether I wanted to return to Wycliffe.
Legally, Thora and I retained occupancy rights.
I said no.
That surprised everyone.
Especially Heloise.
She had built her threat around the assumption that the house was the prize.
It wasn’t.
I bought a home near Thora’s school.
Normal size.
Four bedrooms.
A yard.
No ballroom.
No service corridor.
The first night, Thora asked:
“Where do helpers sleep?”
“At their homes.”
“What if we have somebody stay?”
“In a guest room.”
“Not kitchen?”
“No.”
She nodded.
Then:
“Can I sit anywhere?”
“Mostly.”
“Mostly?”
“You’re not sitting on the stove.”
She laughed.
Good.
Wycliffe remained part of our lives eventually.
Not immediately.
Professional manager.
Transparent reservations.
Neither Heloise nor I could dominate it.
My niece kept her room for school holidays.
Thora declined hers.
No one forced reconciliation with architecture.
The house existed.
May you like
We lived elsewhere.
That was freedom Heloise never understood.
