Of course, it's starting to take shape.

After a whole week of work, more than I had ever expected, I finally had some semblance of a routine. The site team would turn up at nine so I always woke up an hour earlier to get ready. I dressed, had breakfast and greeted them as they arrived. I opened the large gates, newly painted matt-black and oiled, and we drove back to the house together. They came with two vans and out came the four-man team. I didn't really care much for who they were as long as they got the work done and kept out of my way for now.

Leading up to the house I now had a gravelled drive and bushes in a circle to create a kind of roundabout. Either side of the front courtyard they had planted a large number of young trees which were already over a meter tall. They would provide some cover and privacy for the main house when people were on the grounds. The outside of the house was newly painted and they had got to tearing down the barn and clearing out debris from around the house. It looked like somewhere I would want to live, now. I had been busy too and installed more furniture to make it comfortable. Today was going to be a big day, too. Today, I was interviewing management staff.

I had spoken with Charlotte about this and we had decided to look for a certain type of person. We didn't want to have to be careful all the time but we also didn't want to have to work all the time just to keep the place tidy so we decided we would ask people we could trust. She had the idea of asking old friends and family and I had rented a small office in town to meet them that afternoon. We knew it would be weird to ask them to work for us so we thought of ways to make it appealing, such as dedicating an entire wing for them to have to themselves while they lived and worked there, a good salary, reduced work week and other perks, if they were interested. They would have a position of responsibility and the respect that came with it.

Charlotte came to meet me at the manor, calling as she arrived at the gate. It was her first visit and she was extremely excited. She jumped out of her car and I took a look at her. She wore a thin, dark red top and a black skirt. Under her skirt she had thick tights on to ward off the cold and on her feet she wore cute, red boots. 'I like your outfit,' I said.

'Thanks!' and she bowed, then turned away and bowed again, showing me her skimpy panties under her skirt.

'Damn,' I whispered. 'Well, I know what we're doing after the tour.'

She giggled and winked then walked over and hugged me. 'You look great, too.'

'Thanks,' I said, and hugged her back.

We left her car at the gate, hopped into mine and we sped along the newly cleared road to the house.

'Wow, it's so far from the gate. How big is this place?' She was looking around at the trees and wildlife preparing for winter. The occasional squirrel and even the odd fox could be spotted if you were lucky.

'According to the survey, it's 900m from the gate to the house in a straight line. The road curves a bit though, north west to meet the house facing north, so, I'd say a round kilometer.' We drove for a couple of minutes until the house came into view round the last bend and she almost stood up in the car, leaning forward to take it all in through the window. I enjoyed the view of her boobs jiggling about in her top as she leant forwards, noticing she was braless.

'Wow!' she shouted. 'Wow, wow, wow!' she jumped out of the car as soon as I stopped, a little further up the road than usual so she could walk the last part to get the full effect of the new courtyard. Even I was impressed with the view. I appreciated how the simple but effective design made the whole place look better, quietly thanking my team for their work in my mind. And so, we walked, side by side, sometimes me chasing her through doorways, discovering the house together. Even I found a few new things like a hidden door which revealed a small sink and storage cupboard, hidden away in the dining room.