Dust Sheets, Spider Webs.... A hidden door?

The winding driveway was overgrown by trees, scraping and scratching along the sides of the Moving Van Gwen and Tim had hired for the day.

"Thank goodness we're not in the car, Gwen."

"You'll have to get these trimmed back before we allow any guests through here."

"Me?!"

The house soon loomed ahead in front of them, growing taller and taller. Soon, it loomed so high above their heads they couldn't see it for restriction of the van roof. It resembled something out of a spooky novel but Gwen saw it as a romantic abode, waiting for it new lease of life.

The windows were boarded up, vines grew strong and wild all over the house. Had it not been for the sandstone exterior of the house you wouldn't have even seen it among the wild greenery.

"Shall we go in?"

It took Tim some shoulder bashing and a lot of cursing before he managed to get the solid oak doors to open, but for Gwen, it was worth it. Stepping into the hallway she was greeted by dark and gloom. "How fabulous?" she thought. Tim jumped as a rat scuttled across the floor before him. 

"Of all the places we could have bought you had to choose Whipstaff Manor, didn't you?!" Tim grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. 

"This place will look amazing when we've finished with it, Tim. The kitchen is through here..."

Gwen disappeared into a room on her left to examine the room which resembled a kitchen that once was the heart of the family home. The old fashioned stove was her favourite feature.  She gazed across the room, mentally planning the new colour scheme and layout she would introduce in here.

"Check out the fireplace, love!"

Tim was in the living room, he was using a moth eaten dust sheet he'd pulled off an old, torn sofa to dust down the mantel piece. Beneath it was marble and it was gorgeous. 

Upstairs was the library, crowded in dark wood walls, dark wood flooring and a single working wall light. Once Gwen's eyes had become used to the dark she could see rows and rows of books, held together by spider webs and dust. Incredible. 

Across the landing was the bathroom. The walls covered by mouldy tiles, the floor had the matching hardwood floors that seemed to run through the house. It appeared damaged and tired in some places, but maybe she could rescue it.

Up the next set of stairs she found what would become the bedrooms. The large four poster bed that took presidency of the first room she entered had helped her decide this would be the master bedroom. The view from the window would be spectacular once Tim had those tress under control. She could see through a crack on the boards, what would be the driveway and the front garden. 
Across the hall again she found what would become the nursery. The room at present was dark and dusty, almost spooky even. A rocking chair stood in the corner, a teddy with loose arm and several rips was sitting upon it, looking lost and alone. Gwen picked it up and hugged it. Already she could feel the excited anticipation of what this house was to become. 

As she left the nursery she noticed what appeared to be a floor standing mirror hidden by a dust sheet. She removed the sheet. The mirror was framed in a beautiful gold frame. This would look perfect in the master bedroom she thought, examining the mirror from all angles. As she did she noticed another door behind the mirror.

"What's in here?"

The Beginning

Hildred House, a beautiful country manor house set amongst fields and woodland, was once loved and lived in by the Hildred family in rural Lincolnshire. The trees surrounding the house have become wild and over grown. The freshwater creek that runs alongside has become dirty and debris is building up. The windows are boarded up and the whole house has fallen into ruined abandonment.

Who knows what happened to the Hildred family and why they left the countryside all those years ago; but now the house has been rediscovered and bought by newlywed couple Gwen and Tim, who plan to remodel the house and make it their family home.

Gwen is a published writer. She writes romantic novels and enjoys baking in her spare time. Tim is an archeologist, working on many of the fabulous historic sites in and around Lincolnshire. He enjoys painting in his spare time and plans on including a cinema room in the house remodel... The couple met as young teenagers at their high school, they quickly became friends, but later became a couple when Tim proposed at the school prom. Who said romance is dead?