Reluctant Deception - Cambria Smyth Page 0,45
with unshed tears of defeat.
"You're right," she declared, throwing up her hands. "There's nothing I can do or say to make you change your mind. I guess I've known that all along. But I had to take a chance that maybe, just maybe, I could make you see things differently. Of course, you don't know anything about taking chances, do you? Oh, you might build spec office space or new condos in a flat market, but the idea of giving an old building the chance to fill a modern need is foreign to you isn't it?" she snorted. "Well, I know in my heart that Harte's Desire could be an overwhelming success for Darnell Development if you would think outside of the box for once and realize the potential of this historic mansion. All I ask is for you to reconsider your plans, Chris.”
Having finished, she spun on her heel, held her head up proudly, and left him standing in the entrance hall.
Chris sat down on the staircase steps, ignoring the collection of dust that threatened to whiten the pants of his impeccably tailored suit.
He gazed around the room, pondering all that Libby said. If he were honest with himself, he thought, he really could view the hall as she described it, restored to its original splendor. He was a builder, after all, and had the innate ability to imagine how something would look when transformed from a blueprint to reality.
She was right, too, about Harte's Desire having enough space to serve as the conference center he envisioned. Not a large one, like those outside of nearby Princeton, but something more intimate, less intimidating. Catering to groups looking for a place to convene for just a day or two. He'd carefully studied the market and received an enthusiastic response from the business leaders he surveyed to learn their needs.
And damn if she hadn't raised the very point with which he himself had been wrestling since he bought Harte's Desire a few months ago. While there was a definite need for the smaller-scale conference center he was planning, he was worried about how he could make it truly exceptional. A place people really wanted to visit. Something different, exciting, unusual.
He'd thought about creating an executive nine-hole golf course on the site, or adding an enclosed swimming pool with adjoining health club. But those amenities sounded too ordinary and were readily available elsewhere.
As much as he hated to admit it, Libby's idea of using Harte's Desire to draw people seemed like the perfect solution. He gazed at the ornate woodwork and the artfully crafted stained glass window. Certainly, Harte's Desire was one-of-a-kind. Unique in the true sense of the word.
Edwina burst into the hallway and gave a small shriek of surprise when she saw Chris sitting on the stairs.
"I've been searching high and low for you, Mr. D.! What the heck are you doing in here?" she asked.
"Recovering."
"From what, may I ask?" Edwina regarded Chris thoughtfully. He wasn't his usual all-business, get-it-done-immediately self.
"Seems like Miss Reed thinks I should restore this monstrosity and use it as the conference center."
"Why Mr. D., what a wonderful idea!"
"Like hell it is," Chris snarled, standing to lean against one of the balusters. It rattled loosely and almost broke free of the handrail. Chris jumped back as though bitten by a snake.
"See what I mean, Edwina? This place would be a money pit. Everything in it needs some sort of attention," he scoffed.
"Well, you've got lots of money to spend on this project. You told me so yourself," Edwina calmly reminded him.
"It would take millions and even then you don't know what problems lurk behind these old walls. All kinds of things are safely hidden until re-wiring or re-plumbing brings them to light."
"You've got a point there, boss. Kind of like Pandora's box, eh?"
Chris snorted. "Speaking of Pandora's box, that's exactly what that carton of stuff was you found in the attic."
"Those old photos and drawings?"
"Precisely. That's what Miss Reed used to launch her offensive. She's convinced a gem lies amid this rubble." Chris twisted his face in disgust.
His grimace wasn't lost on Edwina. She knew the man as well as she knew her own children.
"It would be a bit out of character for you to restore it," she conceded.
"A bit? I hate old buildings!"
"But Elizabeth seems very knowledgeable about them," Edwina countered. "She's spent a lot of time studying Harte's Desire. Perhaps you should consider her suggestion."
"No way, Edwina. I'm not about to gamble on either