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Remember those doors to the right? A firm grasp on either of the lion's head knobs will send the panels sliding back into wall pockets, opening the way into a narrow oblong chamber the exact width of the entry hall... the tile continues as far as the next room, the Robsart Study, where diamond-cut parquetry, polished like gold, takes over...
The twenty-foot square is sparsely furnished, and wide enough across to host a country shottische or a stately minuet... a French window faces the eternal night at the front of the property and is crowned by layers of pleated gold drape, with cornices in the shape of ram's heads...
A plain Regency fireplace... restrained mouldings near the ceiling... the picture of simplicity... nestled into the corner, between hearth and window, are a small card table of polished cherry, a side table topped with a brass candlestick, and a pair of plush parlor chairs lined with antique satin, striped rose and eggshell...
The remainder of the room's light comes from a row of candlesticks along the mantel, of odd shapes and heights, but all in gleaming brass... and fastened to the moulding, snaking down towards that mantel, are a pair of gold chains - they will eventually support the portrait destined to hang there...
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