The Jewel Cage by Jane Steen

Author:Jane Steen [Steen, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781913810078
Publisher: Aspidistra Press

“You walk as if you’re barely touching the ground,” remarked Martin a few days later as he escorted me along the corridors of the Grand Hôtel du Louvre. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to see that worried, tired expression on your face replaced by interest and enthusiasm.”

“I’m beginning to understand why Mrs. Parnell is always lamenting Chicago’s lack of culture.” I took a firmer grip on Martin’s arm; the carpet was so deep I could have been walking on sand. “Look at what Paris offers compared to us, even without the Exhibition. And that’s the most astonishing spectacle I’ve ever seen.”

“Astonishing is too small a word.” Martin was grinning like a boy; I wasn’t the only one who’d found a new sense of enthusiasm. “The electric light—imagine being Sarah, born to such an era! And the flying machine.”

“Which flew for about a minute,” I remarked drily. “And we only have their assurance for that.”

“And what about the latest sewing machines? American, of course, but we probably wouldn’t have seen them for months. I must write to Singer. And if that statue of Liberty Enlightening the World ever gets to America, we should visit it.”

“Tess and Sarah would insist. Do you realize Tess now has fifteen souvenirs with pictures of it?” I nodded my thanks at the uniformed boy who had just opened a door for us. “We’ll need ten more trunks—none of us seem able to stop buying things.”

A babble of voices met us as we paused at the top of the grand staircase. I could not distinguish words, so I listened to the sounds; the women’s voices created tiny peaks of high notes amid the bass drone of the men, like so many birds chirping in the breeze. The bright colors of dinner dresses clashed and swirled among the black-suited men—like birds again, but in opposition to nature’s habit of making the males brighter than the females.

Martin leaned against the banister, signaling his desire to delay our descent into the crowd, and inspected me with a slow sweep of his gaze. I couldn’t help smiling; a new dress always brought a smile to a woman’s face, and this dress was by Worth.

“You’re glowing like a sunset.” Martin’s expression told me all I needed to hear. “I like you in those bright colors.”

“I’d never have dared put this dress near my hair.” I smoothed down the rich brocade of my dinner gown, deep orange flowers on a magenta background trimmed with antique lace and pale gold ribbon. “I’ve always preferred subtle hues because of my hair color, but studying those paintings—well, I’ve never seen so much red hair in my life, and so often next to pink, red, or orange. The Old Masters must have liked redheaded women.”

“They have good taste. Seeing you alight like this makes me want to take you back to bed, but I suppose we must have dinner.”

“Tess and Sarah must be down there somewhere,” I said, leaning forward to get a better

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