More of Chapter Seventeen

Some of it’s grand windows looked out over the long gravel drive that arrived at the front entrance of the large colonial styled home with four pillars standing guard in front. They sometime seemed like dark sentinels when young family members came home late after curfew.

It was a quarter mike down the narrow, winding, road through the forests of “up state” New York and up the curving drive that brought everyone to this fabled place.

There had been many stories written about the history of this building, who built it and who had lived in it. Two U.S. Senators had called this splendid structure their home, in the distant past.

A large pool and three tennis courts sat in the rear, out of the line of sight. The huge garage that could hold six cars sat off to the right side in the rear behind a row of trees. The owners didn’t want a modern structure to spoil the look of early Colonial America.

Three chimneys could be seen protruding from the slate roof with two dormer windows peering down at those below who might be lucky enough to visit here.

The quarters for the staff were on the right side behind the kitchen and the pantry. The large dinning room was at the front of the house on the right of the front doors as well. Some of the grand windows looked out to the distant road where a large grove of trees ran across the entire front of the property.

Marble statues lined the drive as it approached, circled in front of the mansion and then headed back to the road. The view was a reminder of the Great Gatsby era. Seclusion had been the order of the day here for nearly two centuries.

The family had given millions to their church, local and state politicians and even to some former presidents. They hadn’t reached out to new president as of yet. His ideology on certain issues would help decide just how the family would react and work with him.

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