Landweir House Chapter 10 - Tony Lane's Blog

Landweir House

Chapter 10

The Happy Family at Home

If you were to look into the window of Landweir house on Christmas Eve of 1951, you would have beheld the most wholesome display of yuletide cheer imaginable. The rooms were each impeccably decorated with the festive accoutrements of the season including a tree of staggering proportions and gifts to make a family of ten envious. The sounds of the season could be heard coming from the record player and the radio. Food and gifts were delivered to the house and any outside observer would have to say that the Breen’s kept Christmas alive and well at the Landweir House.

That same outside observer might also notice that the new Mr. Breen, Robert, kept to the same busy schedule of frequent business in Los Angeles that his brother had kept but he also returned more frequently as the holiday approached. He could be spotted from time to time passing by the windows as he moved from room to room. If the observer where close enough to the window they might also, occasionally catch a glimpse of the lovely Mrs. Richard Breen sitting with her back to the window at the dining room table or on the sofa in the sitting room while Mr. Breen read a book and puffed contentedly away at his pipe.

Poor Mrs. Breen, the loss of her husband still seems to be weighing her down as she never seems to leave the house anymore. But isn’t that to be expected when a young wife loses her loving husband in such an unexpected and tragic way?

When the New Year came, Mr. Robert Breen announced that remaining at Landweir House was just too much of a sadness for Mrs. Breen and that she had moved back to Hollywood to be surrounded by her friends. Robert also said that he would continue on as caretaker of his late twin brother’s estate and would be living at Landweir House.

Robert was not as gregarious as his brother Richard had been and so as the months passed, the neighbors seldom had an opportunity to talk with him and properly welcome him to the neighborhood or pass along condolences. He would only sporadically answer the doorbell when rung.

“Honey, I’m home.” Robert cried out as he came in the front door of Landweir. “Sorry that I was away so long but there were quite a few people down at the lumberyard and it took me much longer than I had expected to get everything that I needed for the new project.” Robert took off his jacket and shook off the rain before he put it in the closet. “It’ll be worth it though Honey.” He said as he took down a hanger from the rod and fit his coat over it. “You’ll be so much more comfortable and safe, I promise.” He said as he looked at the closet floor where the rotting remains of his once beautiful wife were curled into the corner.

“I’m going to wall up the back portion of your closet. Won’t that make you so happy? Of course it will. You can try on clothes and view your wardrobe whenever you want. And I can talk to you any time that I want. I’ll even buy you new things so you can have a surprise sometimes. I’ll bring you things from Hollywood so you can always be up to date with what’s going on there. We will be so happy my dear.” He said as he caressed her partially exposed jawbone. “The delivery men will be bringing the lumber and plaster by very soon so you wait here and I’ll come and get you when I’m ready for you to see it.”

Through the day and into the night Robert worked to construct a cubby space in the back of Jean’s closet. It took him the next several days to get it just the way that he had wanted it. He finished it off with wood trim to match the rest of the room and painted it white just to make her happy. An outsider, seeing the little bump-out in the wall of the closet would have only assumed that it housed electrical or plumbing or air ducts and in fact it made a smart looking stand on which to set several pairs of shoes. But Robert/Richard knew that his wife was in her glory there. She had always loved being in there and now she would be forever. It was there that she awaited his company whenever he could manage.

It was a good feeling to be the master of Landweir House and he was happy and content at last.