The Fraud
Flushed with excitement, Kate stepped
into the spatial vestibule and
was immediately dazzled by the scene
before her. The inlaid marble floor
paved the way to a circular staircase
rising three levels above her.
In a fountain in the center
of the entryway stood a bronze
dolphin balancing on its tail,
its snout pointed to
the lofty domed, stained glass skylight
forty feet above. A massive chandelier,
luminous in the bright sunlight,
cast rainbow fairies dancing
through the pink, green, and
gold floral patterns of the floor
and around the snowy white walls.
Before she could fully appreciate
the beauty of the intricate
plaster work decorating the edges
of the shallow niches installed
in the walls to frame
the numerous paintings, or,
indeed, to appreciate the canvases
themselves, her host, Victor Stone,
approached. Small by North American standards,
he was perfectly proportioned.
Slightly balding at the forehead,
his silver hair curved onto
the collar of his pale
blue shirt at the
nape of his neck.
Laughing blue eyes startled her
with their clarity. A straight,
aristocratic nose rose to meet
his slightly arched brows.
His carefully manicured hands bore
a single gold pinkie ring.
He held out his
hand to take hers.
“Thank you so much for coming,
Kate. I am glad you
could make it,” he said cheerfully.
She had never met this
charming little man before
and knew him by reputation only.
Among his contemporaries, he was
known as a shrewd entrepreneur,
able to diagnose at a glance,
the prospects of those
seeking his backing. She was
anxious to learn why he had
invited her to come to
meet him at his home.
“Thanks for asking me.
Nice place you have here.”
She felt stupid saying something
so absurd, but she was,
at that moment, stumped.
Her ego wouldn't let her
admit she'd never in her whole life,
been so impressed by a foyer.
She hoped that he would realize
she'd had little experience
with the elite, take pity
on her, and show her around.
“Would you like to see more
of the house?” he asked, politely.
“Would I? You bet!” She was
happy he gave no indication
that he thought she was
not in his bracket.
She left her briefcase
on the settee near the door
and followed him through
the foyer to a stairway
to a stairway leading
to a lower level of the house.
They began the tour
in the wine cellar. A heavy,
double thick door opened
to reveal row upon row
of gleaming glass bottles
of vintage wines, all lying
on their sides, cradled by
the solid oak racks. The steady
hum of machinery broke the silence
of the insulated room.
Victor explained that it was
necessary to control the ventilation,
temperature and humidity of the cellar
to achieve optimum conditions
for conserving the flavors
of the expensive wines.
The small but luxurious audio-visual theater
was adjacent to the wine cellar.
Leather upholstered reclining chairs
were casually arrayed about the room,
all with an unimpaired view
of the retractable screen.
The stereo, silent at that moment,
was stateoftheart, with speakers
tactically installed for maximizing
sound effects. Black walnut wood paneling
and a baffled ceiling averted
the possibility of overly loud
entertainment disturbing others in the mansion.
Sliding glass doors led from
the lowest level of the
living area to the enclosed
kidneyshaped swimming pool.
Turquoise and white ceramic tiles outlined
with gold covered the deck area.
Pillars of quartz topped with
milk glass spheres provided illumination
should anyone choose to swim
after dark. A changing booth
was discretely hidden behind
a screen of ornamental floor plants
and cascading vines. Here, too,
a baffled ceiling prevented
the hollow resonance of the pool
room from disturbing others.
At the moment, the games room
was arranged for gambling.
An authentic roulette wheel,
a craps table for dice,
and various card tables were
set up for a benefit evening
that was being held the following night.
Checkers, chess and other board
games augmented the games of chance.
Comfortable furniture and soft lighting
lent a romantic atmosphere to
the terrace garden. Kate had noticed
earlier that Victor had
a slight limp. As they
progressed on their tour, she realized
he was quite lame
on the right side
and needed to rest.
They sat to chat
for a few minutes.
“How much do you know
about me, Kate?” he asked.
“Only what I've read.
And what I have discerned
in the past half hour.
I think you are a man
who has made your home
into a diversion from
the real world. Your taste
is implicit, subtle. Everything
I have seen has been chosen
with a keen eye, not to overwhelm,
but to invite. I think
you choose things for
their intrinsic value, things that
are esthetically pleasing to you.
I don't think there could be
an imitation or a fake item
in this whole place.
You love your home and
enjoy sharing it with others.
Am I right?”
“You are perceptive! Come.
Lets go to the sitting room
and have a cocktail.” He led
the way back into the library
with its mahogany shelves filled
with leather bound matched
sets of first editions
and volumes of encyclopedia.
On a sturdy table under
a reading lamp an illuminated manuscript
with gold metallic page edging
was lying open to
display its vibrant art.
Kate felt compelled to mention
this beautiful piece. He said
an obscure monk during the Renaissance
had copied and illustrated
the Book of Revelations.
It had been quite shabby
when it first came into
his possession but he had
it restored and planned to
donate it to a museum.
The door to a powder room
stood ajar. Inside Kate noticed,
again, the careful attention to
detail manifest in the rest
of the house. The doorknob
was hand painted porcelain.
The ivorycolored fixtures were
shell-shaped and gold-trimmed.
A large bowl of sweetly scented
flowers was centered on the vanity.
Next to the flowers sat
a piece of hand-carved fossilized ebony.
Kate was stunned by the size
of the spacious sitting room.
Several groupings of furniture
lent themselves to seating
as few as two guests
or as many as ten. Here, too,
ornamental plasterwork decorated the walls
and ceilings. The raspberry colored
velvet upholstery covering the couches
and chairs complemented the pale
green oriental carpets and lightly
textured draperies. The gold-colored lamps
with their creamy white shades,
the paintings in their
ornate alcoves, and the open
fireplace with family pictures
on the mantel, gave Kate
an overwhelming feeling
of comfort and peace.
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