The closer the sat nav informs us we are to the house, the narrower the roads become. We meander in Daniel's Jaguar through the tight country lines with only fields for company. The sun beams down encasing the view in various shades of vivid green. I lean back into the seat while I hold Daniel's hand feeling anxious about what the house will be like. Have I built it up too much in my head?

As we edge closer, we drive passed numerous equine centres and stables. I grin watching jockeys riding beautiful horses in the glorious sunshine. Stealing a glance at Daniel, although his eyes are hidden behind his sunglasses, he wears a content smile across his face.

"OK, we should be coming up to it soon. Eve said it's pretty well hidden, but we just need to look out for a sign for Hawksford Grange." Daniel says while he begins to slow the car to ensure we don't miss the turning.

The narrow lane is surrounded by mature trees which hide whatever stands behind them making the experience more magical. A small ancient boundary wall lines the lane making me feel as though I should be in a carriage being pulled by horses, and not in a sports car.

"There," I squeak excitedly when a small sign comes into view next to a large gap in the wall and tree-line.

Daniel indicates as he begins to turn off the lane. The wall curves and rises steadily until it reaches large iron gates. They are currently splayed open, inviting us in.

With the only sound being the crunch of gravel beneath the car's tyres, Daniel slowly drives up the sweeping driveway. My heart pounds in my chest waiting for the house to come into view.

"Would you look at that?" Daniel chuckles disbelievingly, pointing ahead as we follow the never ending driveway.

The house then comes into sight and I feel as though my eyes could pop out of my head, they grow so large. "Oh... wow," is all I'm able to articulate. The same house I saw on Eve's computer somehow looks even more stunning in the flesh.

"Isn't she beautiful." Daniel comments more to himself than to me. He parks the car right outside the front doors, even though the area between the house and the manicured front lawn is big enough to park at least fifteen cars. "Eve's already here." He says brightly when he jumps out of the car, jogging round so he can open the door for me.

Stepping out, we both look up at the Cotswolds stone Manor House. The enormous oak door is wide open, just willing us to enter. Eve then steps out onto the front porch which is surrounded by stone pillars. Even though inside I feel like I could combust with nervous excitement, I try desperately to keep it under check until we've had a proper look around.

We greet Eve affectionately, and then she makes us both turn round, looking at the grounds at the front of the house. "This house is set in twenty five acres of private land, all surrounded by a traditional Cotswolds stone boundary wall.  The nearest neighbours are half a mile away, with the small village being around another mile beyond that." She smiles warmly at us while I just grin stupidly breathing in the fresh air. "Ready to have a look around?"

Daniel takes off his sunglasses before placing them into the front of his t.shirt. "Definitely." He beams at me as he reaches for my hand. I take it gratefully, praying that this house isn't a disappointment.

"The current owners have asked me to apologise that it is not show home ready." Eve makes finger quotations in the air when she says show home ready. "But I made it clear that there was no need to worry as you aren't looking for a show home!"

We enter an enormous square reception  space, all conversation forgotten in a heartbeat. The staircase follows the edges of the right side of the huge space, turning halfway up to glide up the back of the area before turning away towards the bedrooms. The bannister is solid oak, the same as the front door, but between each bannister are glass panels, making the whole area seem bright and modern.

I release Daniel's hand to step into the centre of the reception area, looking up at the incredibly high but intricate ceiling.

"The current owners have completely modernised the house, but have also tried to keep as many original features as possible." Eve holds the information for the house in front of her, concentrating on the paper. "There are five bedrooms, four bathrooms, living room, formal dining room, casual dining room, open plan kitchen and seating room, wine cellar... plus two further rooms which are not currently being used. There is a separate garage to the side of the house for at least four cars. Plus a coach house which has been converted into a separate two bedroom cottage for guests."

Daniel lets out a surprised laugh. "That's quite the list of features!"

I, on the other hand am unable to form words. I just stand there frozen to the spot. Even though we have only just come through the front door, this house somehow feels like home... our home.

"There are some other outbuildings, but the current owners haven't got round to modernising them yet." Eve says professionally, but there is an excited twinkle in her eye.

Biting my lip, I look up at Daniel who appears as excited as I feel. "Would you mind if we had a look around on our own?" Daniel asks, but it feels more like a statement than a question.

"Of course." Eve smiles widely. "I'll wait in the back garden and enjoy the sunshine. Just come out when you're both ready." She pats my hand before walking towards the back of the house.

"OK, where first?" I ask, not sure which way to walk. Eve has closed each of the doors downstairs so that we will have to open them to see what is behind each door.

"I'll follow your lead." Daniel comments softly. I take a deep breathe and hold out my hand. He takes it without a moment's pause.

The only door to the right of the reception area is close to the bottom of the stairs. Shrugging, I pull Daniel towards the door and open it tentatively. Peering round the door, I immediately see a huge living room. It's currently decorated in duck egg blue. Sofas are dotted around the room, along with individual chairs and a variety of mismatched coffee tables. Although the room is beautifully decorated, in my mind's eye, I strip everything away to just look at the dimensions of the room.

"Wow!" Daniel comments from behind me. "I could get an even bigger TV than the one we currently have! This room is massive!" He speaks excitedly while I roll my eyes at his usual focus of technology. "What?" He shrugs, clearly amused by my reaction.

Standing in the centre of the room I can imagine the furniture that we could buy to fill it. The large bay window looks over the front of the house and is unobstructed down the winding driveway to the tree-line. An image of a gigantic Christmas tree twinkling in the bay window as the real fire roars around us catapults into my head.

"What do you think?" Daniel asks dragging me from my daydream.

"It's beautiful." I whisper as I absorb the vast detail of the high ceiling.

"Come on, there is so much more to see." Daniel leads me through, across the reception space to the door opposite. "This must be the formal dining room."

I step into the room and see a large table big enough to sit at least twenty people. Even with such a big table there is still room for a sideboard and various display cabinets. Although this room is a little old fashioned for my taste, I again imagine it empty and instead of the current navy and gold wallpaper, something light and neutral. The same bay window sits to the front of the house with the same stunning view.

The next room is the casual dining room, again the furniture and decor isn't really to my taste. However, my mind immediately empties the room and replaces it with our children's toys. "This room is so light and airy, it would make a perfect play room!"

Daniel laughs softly while he drapes his arm over my shoulder. "I think that sounds great."

As we then pass underneath the stairs high above our heads, there are two doors either side of the archway. I open one while Daniel opens the other. On either side there are long, but narrow rooms leading to large windows overlooking the grounds of the house. "Our two offices." Daniel says simply glancing between the two rooms. I nod excitedly in agreement trying not to get carried away with how perfect this house could be for us.

The door straight ahead is the only one that remains closed from the reception area. Daniel opens it and lets out an audible gasp. I practically push him out of the way to be able to see the room, but stop in my tracks at the sight before me.

The entire back of the house has been renovated into an open plan kitchen, dining area and sitting area. To the left is a modern kitchen filled with state of the art appliances. However, the exposed brickwork and some traditional features ensure that it still keeps in with the age of the house. In the middle of the room is a twelve seater table. Then to the right is a sitting area with a huge TV, comfy chairs and a sofa. The sun beams into the room through the bifold doors that stretch the entire back of the house. Eve has opened them so that the inside of the house flows onto the patio area, which had the same slate flooring.

"This is... is..." I mumble, not really sure how to articulate how I feel about this room.

"Exactly what we're looking for." Daniel comments while he opens and closes cupboard doors and messes with the various gadgets.

Tears fill my eyes as I imagine our family all together in this room. "Exactly."

We race upstairs to view each of the five bedrooms and bathrooms. The smile never leaves Daniel's lips as we journey from room to room.

In a dreamlike state we make our way back downstairs to view the basement that's accessed through a door in the kitchen. We see the wine cellar and the two other huge empty rooms that Eve mentioned earlier.

Climbing the stairs back into the kitchen, we step onto the patio to meet Eve. She shows us some of the impressive grounds and the guest cottage. With every passing second I feel like this must be a dream, that I cannot really be here viewing the most perfect house I could ever imagine living in with Daniel and our children.

Daniel chats with Eve while I wander on my own further and further from the house. The silence is bliss, no sound of traffic or background noise. I close my eyes and breathe in the fresh air, tilting my  face up to meet the sun. When I open my eyes to view the house, I realise that I don't even know how much this house is on the market for. "You cannot jump into this, Lizzie. A family home needs to be right for all of us. It's not even your money." I whisper to myself as a reminder that the house we buy should really be Daniel's choice.

"Lizzie!" Daniel shouts from a distance waving animatedly. I wave back and begin to walk towards him and Eve.

"So... Lizzie. Second viewing? Or are we waiting until you have seen the other two houses in London?" Eve asks me pointedly.

Daniel raises his eyebrows in anticipation of my answer. "Erm..." I fight the urge to say I want this house because I know there are others to view. "I think we should see the others first, and then Daniel and I can talk them through before we decide on second viewings." I sound much more rational than I feel. "How much is it on the market for?" I ask nervously.

"Just under £8 million." Eve responds neutrally while I choke on the air in my lungs. "Are you ready to head back to London to view these other two properties?"

I nod reluctantly, not really ever wanting to leave.  

- Hey guys.

what did you think of this chapter?

Please let me know whether you think there is too much description of the house, but I was hoping to make you feel like you were there with them too!

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