The Thorn of the Rose

Not so warm welcome

October's POV...

The Clayborne Estate house was rumored to have been brought over from England, stone by stone. Crossing America in the mid-1800s and reassembled on the plot of 200 acres of picturesque land with a stunning lake. Another rumor was that is the gift to the French born wife of an English Duke that decided to move to America. The truth is not required to be in awe of the beauty and prestige the estate held.

There have been several tales that people like to tell about the striking structure of light grey limestone. The estate was made to model the French Renaissance chateau and joking called the 'Biltmore of the West'. The building itself was nearly 200,000 square feet with 40 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms, and over 55 fireplaces. I heard the library spanned four stories high, and some of the rarest books in the world stored there. The estate was known for their rose garden that covered 13 acres with a maze, just to the back on the main structure. Every room was finely detailed with art in many forms and design with all the finery that one could ever enjoy.

One story that I knew to be true was for the last 15 years, the estate has been closed to tours and guests. The owner, an enigmatic Lady Damaris Clayborne closed up the estate one day, barring anyone from entering other than staff. During the lapse of time, rumors fell about the reason for the closing. From hearts broken, family fighting to straight up murder, the possibilities were quite endless to the reason why.

Yet now, after all these years, the Clayborne Estate was waking up. There had been a new presence on nearly every social media platform in the last three months. This got people talking, wondering what it was like inside the walls to the stoic estate. The estate was gaining followers at impression rates.

Madison, I don't know what kind of magic she has, made it possible to go and stay at the estate for a weeklong photo shoot before the recently announced grand re-opening, calling it a 'working vacation' to put the cherry on top of the sundae for me. When she told me, showing the emails between her and Lady Damaris and the pictures of the estate, I had to keep picking my jaw up off the floor. Seriously, she is a goddess in human robes.

Today, after being cramped in the van with equipment, luggage, and having the rest of the party following us in another van for a few hours, Madison and I rolled up to the ornate iron gates, locking the estate from the outside world. There was a guard house that went with the aesthetic of the estate, position in front of the gate entrance.

An older man in a security officer uniform was standing up to greet us. "Good morning. ID please." He smiled, holding out his hand.

"Good morning. Here you go." Madison replied very chipper. The object of her recent obsession was just in sight. I could feel her vibrating in the driver's seat. I can't lie. Seeing the estate gave me goosebumps. The images of the castle from Beauty and the Beast were playing in my mind.

"Yes, you and your party are expected. Just follow the road. I will ring the house to let them know you are coming up." The guard gave Madison back her ID with a welcoming smile. The gate swung open slowly, almost ominously. We drive through.

The road was paved, dividing the healthy green grass with wildflowers dotted in the field. Old grown oak trees stood like sentinels, protecting the estate. The closer we drove, the smaller I felt. There was such an imposing matter about the place.

In front of the estate house, the driveway circled. In the center was an ornate foundation of granite. The statues of in-flight swans with water spouting out from their mouths gave a whimsical feel. As we came to a stop, a thin elderly woman, dressed in a beige linen dress that fell at her knees with a matching lightweight jacket with an ornate wooden cane was walking out with a group of younger people in servant's black and white attire.