The Valiant Hearts Romance Collection by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-63409-867-0
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2013-11-08T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Francie dressed with greater care than usual. Her fingers trembled as she buttoned the ivory and peach washed-satin dress. Thanks to the generosity of her aunt and uncle, she not only had the new dress but a matching bag, shoes, and a parasol.

“Can you believe it?” Marie asked. “I’m so excited I can barely do up my own hair. Is the braid straight? It feels like it’s hanging lower on the left side.”

“Your hair is lovely,” Francie answered. “So are you.”

It was true. Marie’s pale blue dress with the soft lace bodice highlighted her bright dark eyes. She looked elegant and regal and incredibly beautiful.

“I can’t believe that the hotel is opening today.” Francie poked a stray strand of hair back into place and sighed as it promptly fell out again. “I know it was built in lightning time, but still, it just doesn’t seem possible that it’s finally done. And did you hear who is coming?”

Marie leaned over and studied her eyes. “Oh, please tell me my left eye isn’t bloodshot. I look like a madwoman.”

“Your eye is fine. But everyone is coming, everyone famous, that is.” Francie couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. “Uncle Leonard told me that the Marshall Fields are coming, and the Armours, too!”

Her cousin stood up and nodded. “I don’t know anyone who’ll be there, except you, of course. Still, Papa will introduce us to some of the guests. He knows many of them through his work.” She grasped Francie’s hands. “Wouldn’t it have been fun, though, to stay there tonight and sleep in one of those fancy rooms?”

“Oh yes!” Francie answered. “It’d be terribly wasteful but a wonderful luxury!”

“Girls!” Aunt Dorothea called from the bottom of the stairs. “Let’s hurry!”

Within moments, they were all tucked inside a carriage on their way to the Grand Hotel. Even Middle Meg was along, dressed in her Sunday best.

The roads were crowded with visitors and the carriages of the summer residents, all moving in the same direction. Mackinac Island had never seen such a momentous occasion.

Soon the entire family stood on the long porch of the Grand Hotel. “Have you ever seen such a thing?” Aunt Dorothea breathed. “It’s stupendous.”

Around them, a crowd of elegant men and women moved in clusters of conversations. Francie had never seen such an assemblage of wealth. Women were clad in beribboned ivory and delicate lace dresses, and many of them wore plumed hats that waved above the crowd. The men, dapper in their best suits, bent their heads together in intense business discussions.

“I can’t believe it,” Marie whispered. “It’s like a dream.”

“Wait until you see them tonight,” Aunt Dorothea said. “They will be all decked out with their finery.”

Grandmama Christiana clutched at Francie’s arm. “Be a good girl and help me to a chair. Being jostled about isn’t good when one is using a cane.”

“Go ahead,” her aunt said. “I’ll stay with Marie.”

Francie led Grandmama Christiana through the assembled guests to one of the chairs on the porch. The elderly woman sank into the chair with a grateful sigh.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.