Seeking the Shore by Donna Gentry Morton

Author:Donna Gentry Morton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Boutique of Quality Books Publishing
Published: 2017-08-10T04:00:00+00:00

To Julianna, her mother looked like a ship cutting waves, charging full speed ahead around Sweet Creek’s large banquet room, appearing quite flustered by the final preparations for the ball.

Watching from the kitchen door, Julianna gasped with amazement and concern as she saw her mother embrace a floral arrangement that was both tall and wide, hoist it from a table, teeter beneath its weight, and place it in another spot.

Next, she spun and darted to the other side of the room and onto the bandstand, where she tested the mikes for Scotty Reidman and his orchestra.

“Check . . . check. Oh good, they don’t squeal!” She shouted to Julianna, “Goodness knows, I’ve got enough to worry about without eardrums bursting.”

She was zipping toward the ice sculptures when Julianna called out, “Mother, you look like a little cyclone about to spin out of control.”

Her mother’s hands waved madly about her head. “I’ve got a zillion things to do!”

Julianna motioned her over then gently pulled her into the kitchen. “Every event you put together turns out perfectly,” she reminded her. “Relax. Come see the food.”

But even as she said it, Julianna couldn’t ignore that her mother was more on edge than ever.

Whenever she asked her mother about it, she always referred to Father’s continued change in personality, like the unexpected Christmas gifts for Julianna and Mari. Not that her mother said generosity was a negative change. She just told Julianna the timing was baffling in conjunction with the man’s preoccupied disposition as of late.

They admired the food, watching Sweet Creek’s head chef season hearty chunks of tender London Broil that would be slid onto skewers with onions, orange peppers, and mushrooms. His cooks were busy with other parts of the seven-course dinner, one tossing a salad, while another put the finishing touches on the huge birthday cake. It was a rich chocolate with white frosting, trimmed in ribbons of blue icing and crowned with fifty-four red candles in honor of FDR’s birthday.

When they finished in the kitchen, her mother returned to the ice sculptures and Julianna made a phone call to Cassie. She had graciously given up a day off to babysit Mari, allowing Julianna to attend the ball without any worries about the baby’s well-being. She was in loving hands and, according to a chuckling Cassie, they were having a fine time experimenting with the ham radio.

Julianna then grabbed her mother from the banquet room, telling her it was time to ready themselves for this night of nights. They had brought their gowns and cosmetics with them to Sweet Creek, planning to change in the club’s ladies lounge. It was a large room of gleaming brass and pink marble, with a sitting area that had a full-length, three-way mirror. When Julianna was dressed, she stood before it in her ice-blue gown and then turned slowly to survey herself from all angles.

“Oh, darling, you look like a fantasy,” her mother complimented.

“Thank you,” Julianna said softly, truly glad to have her mother’s approval. She wanted to look good tonight, exceptionally good, though she couldn’t explain why.

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