LORNADOON

July and August had been very busy months for Connor and Katherine as well. They were in the process of building their own home a little bit down the river from where Ev and Rayden lived. Connor, Dani, John and Ben had started working on it right after they had finished the cleanup around Mood House of the storm damage that the hurricane had caused. They had been going out on a daily basis to work on the place along with the help of any spare warm bodies they could snag from around the castle. There was usually no shortage of volunteers, the Lady Katherine was very popular with the unattached men there and they were always looking for ways to win her favor. She always made sure they knew how much she appreciated their help. Katherine had always thought it was funny that the men would all decide to work shirtless whenever she was around.

Now, almost two months later, the large two-story farm style house was done at last. They were at the point were the interior had been finished off and it was now being furnished. Rayden had thought the whole building process was amusing. He had offered many times to help them *build* it his way, but Connor had said he preferred having his own blood, sweat and tears put into their new home. It was a concept that the god had difficult grasping. It would be so much easier if they let him do it for them!

A huge wraparound covered veranda surrounded the entire house and colorful flower baskets were hung all the way around it. Located downstairs was a large, airy kitchen and a dining room big enough for a china hutch and a table long enough to feed a good size crowd. A spacious living room, game room and library were there as well as a huge pantry and a 'mud'/laundry room. Upstairs, a large master bedroom and bath overlooked the beautiful view of the river on one side of the room and the garden in the back of the house from the other. There were five other *guest* bedrooms as well. John, Dani and Ben had decided to make Lornadoon their permanent home as well and they had each been given one of the rooms to decorate as they saw fit.

The house had large bay windows that could be opened to help circulate the breeze throughout the interior with the aid of ceiling fans in every room. The rooms had been painted a pale ivory color and decorated with hunter green trim. A lovely assortment of colorful braided rugs had been scattered over the beautiful hardwood floors. The furniture that now filled the house was mostly antique, but emphasis had been placed on comfort and function rather than outright fanciness. An old upright piano took up one corner of the living room and an assortment of Katherine's favorite pictures and other wall hangings were placed on the walls. Lace curtains hung from the windows, admitting but the breeze and light. The overall impression of the place was of comfortable homeliness.

A barn had also been built, with adjoining paddocks for the horses and any other stock they decided to keep on the ranch. Already a small herd of mares and foals grazed in the tall grass of the meadows located behind the house. Located near the barn was a bunkhouse that could easily hold a large number of extra guests. A small office/clinic had been built for Doc Adams and was located off to the other side of the house. Plans had been made to add a "little red schoolhouse" at a later date for Katherine to teach the children of the island once they became old enough. Rayden had already volunteered to provide his own special form of transportation for them.

Besides decorating the house and overseeing the landscaping of the front yard, Katherine had also planted a large garden behind the house, filled with all sorts of young fruit and shade trees and flowers. A vegetable and herb garden had been planted as well and gave promise of providing a large amount of fresh produce for the table in the near future. A small pond in the middle of the garden had already been taken over by several wild ducks that had decided to stick around after they had been fed a few times.

At long last, everything was finally ready and the furniture and their belonging already in place. It was now time to move. As much as she wanted her own place, Katherine had come to love Mood House and the people who lived there. Once the tearful good-byes had been said to Ev and Rayden and the rest of their household and the babies given one last hug and cuddle, Katherine and her men mounted up and made the hour long ride up the river to Lornadoon, their wonderful new home.