"Alright, well...This is the foyer. Besides the stairs to the second floor, the doors here lead to the main hallway, "
He pointed to the north door through which Ms. Claire and Connie had left, and then gestured to a pair of double-doors to the west,

"That's the reception room there -- we'll be using it a good bit in the next little while, since we'll be having some meetings." And to the east, "That's the drawing room. Um, not the actual room for drawing, that's on the third floor."

This was a weak attempt at a joke, plastering over his nerves with a small chuckle.

---

She led Connie past a number of doors and to a staircase in the back of the house, near a door that looked to lead outside.

"No, actually. We're usually more heavily-staffed, but this was Mr. Cecil's request for this week. I suppose he doesn't want people underfoot he can't use for fittings."