Master of the House

The Master of the House was the Master of the Strange and Wonderful House. There were multiple Masters over the House's history.

Nature

The Master of the House resided in the Master Bedroom, and was the only one allowed into the Stationery Room except for people to whom he explicitly granted permission. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Stationery Room)

There existed a Master of the Fields, the symbolic leader of the people of the rural towns surrounding the Strange and Wonderful House in its native universe. It was this Master's responsibility to lead the Harvest Procession that brought victuals to the House for the winter through the Great South Gate every year on Harvest Day, riding on the lead cart, which was pulled by a team of eight, unblemished black oxen adorned with ribbons. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Great South Gate)

History

Victorian era

A century before the “coming of the elevator”, the Master of the House “at that time” kept a mistress. After a parlour maid discovered the true nature of the Airing Cupboard, he installed a life-sized portrait of her over the door. This outraged the Master of the House's wife, and it was later said that she instantly moved back to the continent, where she died of jealously soon after. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Airing Cupboard)

Modern era

A century later, when the disturbances caused by the Elevator's appearance caused the door to the Cupboard to be rediscovered, a visitor would enter the Cupboard only to be confronted by a ghostly figure in a Victorian nightdress who referred to him as “darling”, told him off for having been “ages”, and pulled him into a deadly hug. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Airing Cupboard) By this point, the new Master of the House also had to carry out negotiations with the Goblin King, requesting from Montresor that a special bottle of memory-wine be brought up from the Cellar to make them go more easily, (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Cellar) after the Goblins of the House became upset about the project of installing an Elevator in the House to bypass the Stairwell. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: Elevator)

In a bad mood after an argument, the Master of the House (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Will of the Creator) stomped out of the House proper through the Sun Room. Ignoring the signs pointing to the Tree House and the Southern Veranda, he made his way to the Gardens, where a sign warning visitors to be careful of the Werepanda only needled him further. After entering, he was confronted by a strange man (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: Into the Gardens (Part 1)) who offered to take him on a tour of the Gardens, enticing him to accept with the possibility of “tea in the shade of the Bodhi Tree” at the end of the tour. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: Into the Gardens (Part 2))

The old man, Sid, walked quickly, chattering happily to his charge about what they saw on the way and what else they might see yet, from the orchards and vegetable garden to the Topiary Veranda and we I. T. Haze's hedge maze. (PROSE: Our Strange and Wonderful House: The Secrets of Our Gardens (Part 1))