Perfect.

'Greylake Manor and its woodlands,' the document was subtitled in fine print. The page was decorated with a golden border. The solicitor sat at the top of a large table with myself, and a middle aged gentleman, bowtie and velvet suit adorning his skinny frame. He was the solicitor representing the trust the estate had fallen to after the owner had passed away, and seemed quite eccentric. After reading the agreement together, we made some final changes, and a couple of young clerks entered, probably trainees, took all the finalised versions to make copies.

I signed the documents, and that was it, I was the new owner. A final survey had been carried out, outlining the present state of the property as well as a study of the grounds. Once more, no major issues had been found but the barn was now classified as, 'dangerous and unfit for use.' I now had before me a detailed plan of the property. Nearly a thousand hectares of land surrounding the Victorian manor, including the lake for which the property was named. It also came with a moderately sized forest traditionally used for hunting and parts of its land were subject to special preservation laws, too. One corner was being used by the local community for the farmers market and next to that the trust had allowed access to the public to walk around the lake. These points were all outlined in the agreement and I would have to maintain them for at least twelve more years, the length of the lease that was granted.

I left the solicitor's office with a large bundle of keys, too much paperwork and well over a million pounds less. Knowing I still had about hundred thousand in 'legitimate' money and around a million more on the way by the end of December, I wasn't worried. I could never spend it all. Now I would also have plenty of raw materials for my money making project thanks to all the wood laying around. 'Money making,' I laughed at the unintentional pun in my head.

That night, I went about hiring a few different people, still in the warmth of my old, humble house, probably for the last time. I hired a groundskeeper and put him in charge of hiring a small team to work for him. Next, I hired a cleaning company to take care of the initial cleaning for me to move in. They were specialised in old buildings, so I didn't have to worry about anything. Finally, I booked a meeting with an architect for a few days later. With the first step in place, I took a break and went to practise my ability again. I realised a few of my original ideas had been naive but wanted to explore others further. A few hours later, I was exhausted and went to bed.

The next morning, I got dressed in one of my usual, wonderfully tailored suits and visited a furniture store in the town near the manor. I ordered a few basics, but of the highest quality, to be delivered that afternoon then drove up to the manor. I had decided to keep my small, old place as an emergency back up so I didn't start the process to get rid of it. I met up with the groundskeeper, simply 'Harry', he told me, and we walked and talked. He was a sturdy older guy with a thick beard and rough hands. He whistled when he saw the buildings and suggested a few ways to bring out their beauty.

'The sky's the limit. If you think it will work, go for it. Let me know what funds you need and I'll get them to you, within reason.' I told him. 'How far along are you in getting a team together? Do you need anything right now?'

'Well, I know a few guys. For this size of a project, we'll need at least ten grand to get started.'

We walked into the manor to get out of the cold and I plugged in a small heater in kitchen to keep us warm since it had a worksurface we could use as a table. No chairs yet. We signed some papers and he was officially hired on a full-time salary but with only 3 days of manual work. A fourth day was to be used for planning and resource management and a fifth he was on-call if needed but could spend the time how he wished, otherwise. I wanted my team to be happy and flexible. Mostly, I wanted my peace and quiet as much as possible. We agreed on a strict schedule and I made it clear I wanted my privacy. He and his team were not to arrive earlier than nine in the morning and would be off the grounds by five unless any changes were agreed in advance, such as for deliveries. With the salary I was paying him, including a small signing bonus, I hoped to buy his compliance. I gave him a few thousand to get started and he drove away to begin collecting tools and materials.

The cleaning company turned up next, a small army of men and women and they started after I briefly spoke with the on-site manager. She was a middle-aged woman with a blonde ponytail, glasses and a nice business suit that looked completely different to her team who all wore a blue and grey uniform. I had paid for the highest possible package they offered and thrown in extra to get a bigger team to speed things up. They told me that it would take three days to clean the inside and that I could rest assured knowing it was in good hands. The place was going to be busy for now but they would soon be out of here leaving the inside of the building to me alone. I spoke with her about on-site cleaning and she gave me her business card and told me she would be in touch with a few suggestions for staff.

Finally, a heavy lorry arrived and I had to drive to the gate to open it fully and let them in. Three men, two heavy-set and one tall and lanky, hopped out and got started unloading it. I showed one of the heavy-set guys where I wanted everything and left them to it. By the time the sun had set, the entire ground floor was clean as well as the master bedroom. My new, huge bed, sat in the centre of the room and all the important living spaces now had good sized electric heaters in them to be used until I found something more suitable. The kitchen had a medium sized table to be used for eating, for now, and I also had a new stove installed along with all the necessary appliances for modern living. A wide fridge, a few extras around the kitchen and a secondary freezer which was in the basement for now had been added to those. I was equiped for surviving here, at least. I ate a lonely dinner, watching the people rushing around cleaning, enjoying the reverence they held for me. At nine, once the sky had gone dark and the cold set in, they all left. Quiet at last.

I went up to my bed, the room now warm, and I collapsed into the lush blankets and mountain of pillows after a quick shower. I was tired and drifted off the dreamless sleep within moments.