The kitchen is huge, with a charcoal-grey island at its centre, the marble countertop gleaming under soft recessed lighting. Open shelving holds neatly arranged bottles and jars, everything curated like a showroom, except for the longest wall, which has been painted lipstick red. It grates a bit. No doubt an edgy statement that’s lost on me.
A bottle of champagne sits in a gleaming silver bowl, ready for a celebration. When I get closer, I see it’s empty. Beyond it, the dining area sprawls towards more floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a view of rolling hills drenched in sunlight. A crystal chandelier hangs over the massive wooden table, each place setting arranged with precision.
I pull out a drawer, open a couple of cupboards and they’re all fully loaded with cutlery, crockery and saucepans. It’s the kind of room designed for hosting, for laughter and wine, evenings that stretch into early mornings.
We move through to the living room where an outsize olive-green sofa dominates the space, its cushions plump and mohair throws draped just so. I swear even the air feels more expensive in here. Another log fire, this time unlit, sits beneath a mantelpiece framed by stacked firewood and a mounted faux stag’s head. Shelves lined with decorative vases and colour-coded books flank either side. I feel a smidgeon of disappointment when I select a novel to find it’s fake.
There are other rooms we haven’t explored but Dev is keen to go upstairs where the luxury only deepens. The master bedroom features a symphony of glass and timber, the entire far wall made of windows overlooking the lake. I shiver and turn to the enormous bed, a fortress of soft white linens and faux-fur throws, the kind you could lose yourselfin for days. A small sitting area is arranged near the window, a deep armchair and a fur-covered footstool perfectly positioned for lazy mornings with coffee and a book.
‘This is ridiculous,’ I whisper, running my fingers over the smooth wood of the coffee-table. ‘Who actually lives like this?’
Dev smirks. ‘People with too much money.’
I exhale slowly. ‘I feel like I shouldn’t be touching anything.’
He grins. ‘Same. But this place is ours now so we can do what the hell we like.’
I run a hand over the fur throw at the end of the bed. ‘If we ever get rich, remind me that this is the kind of house I want.’
Dev chuckles. ‘Noted. And your wish is now granted, madam.’
We’ve just got back downstairs when the gate buzzer sounds. It’s probably more people. I can’t wait until it’s just us two here with no cameras and no sense of our reactions being monitored and logged.
‘I’ll get it,’ Dev says, already halfway down the hall. He seems relaxed, but I notice that he wipes his hands on his jeans, like he’s preparing himself for something. He presses the button to view the gate camera, then the one that opens the electric gates.
‘You didn’t ask who it is!’ I say.
Dev shrugs. ‘It’s a couple. They look nice enough. Stop worrying.’
He opens the door and steps out on to the porch.
I lag behind him, half out of curiosity, half out of caution.
A man and a woman walk over the gravel towards us, smiling. They’re older than we are. I’d say early forties. An air of sophistication surrounds them that makes me feel immediately self-conscious.
‘Hello, new neighbours!’ the man says brightly, offering Dev his hand. ‘Thought we’d just pop over and say hello. I’m Simon and this is my wife, Tilda. We live at Kendal Barn, just down the hill.’
‘Nice to meet you,’ Dev says. He turns and calls inside, ‘Merri? We have our first visitors.’ He turns back to them and says, ‘There’s some filming happening here today, so we’re a bit at their beck and call.’
I take a breath and step into the hallway, smiling. ‘Hello!’
I shake hands with them, my smile fixed. All the photos, filming and now meeting new people out of the blue: it’s sensory overload for someone like me who’s a natural introvert.
Simon is tall and attractive in a classically handsome way. His dark hair is neatly styled and he’s wearing a fitted shirt in understated fabric that looks expensive. Tilda stands beside him, her cool, Nordic-like beauty making me feel inadequate. She’s slim, with blonde hair pulled back in a sleek, low ponytail, and her eyes are a captivating blue. Her clothes are simple but elegant – a silky blouse and perfectly tailored trousers with stylish suede loafers.
‘It’s so nice to meet you,’ Tilda says, with a soft smile. She offers up a large plastic container. ‘I made you a Victoria sandwich cake.’
‘Oh, that’s so thoughtful. Thank you!’
We take them to the living room.
‘Oh, wow, look, Simon,’ Tilda gasps. ‘I thought our view was amazing, but this … this is very special.’
‘Stunning,’ Simon agrees, taking a few steps further in and surveying the vista. ‘Congratulations, by the way. You guys must be absolutely stoked with your win.’
Thanks to the press, the whole region seems to know about our good fortune. I can feel I’m starting to fold in onmyself.Being a bit weird, as Dev affectionately refers to my introvert tendencies.
‘Thank you,’ he says, smiling broadly. ‘Yeah, we are and, as you can imagine, it’s been mad. We’ve hardly got our heads around it yet, to be honest. Right, Merri?’
