Finding Grace: A Novel (15 page)

He nodded at Alice and Jack, who nodded back
and then turned their attention to each other. Grace hoped that
Henry would be decent enough to remain silent as he passed her by.
She kept her eyes away from him, pretending to look at a spot on
the wall as he came near. But as he went by, he seemed to move with
a slow purpose. His arm grazed hers…his touch so warm it raised the
flesh on her skin and caused her take in a breath. Without thinking
she slowly raised her eyes, meeting his…and her head seemed to swim
from the way he looked at her. Then he smirked slightly, his voice
becoming dangerously low and soft.

“
Miss Grace.”

It was all he said, just before he tipped
his hat to her…and then he was gone. But his tone sent a wave of
slight dizziness over her, making her place a hand on the wall for
support. Somehow she managed to think, asking herself…

Why am I supposed to hate him?

She tried to rattle her brain for a reason,
but couldn’t think of a single one.

Chapter 7

“
On The
Town
”

Jack had told the truth. The Edgewater Hotel
was, as he had said, pink. But it was elegant and beautiful, and
Edgewater Beach was full of visitor. They frolicked in the water
and roamed the sand, enjoying the sunshine of a late June
afternoon, but Grace was not among the ones playing and cavorting.
While Jack and Alice walked along the beach together, reminiscing
about the place where they'd spent their first few wedding days,
Grace found a spot under the shade of an umbrella, where she tried
to concentrate on the open book lying on her lap.

She found Lake Michigan to be quite
beautiful. It was amazing to her that such a wonder of nature would
be right across the road from the enormity of a man-made city. The
beach was a wondrous thing to know as well. She loved the feeling
of cool, wet sand as she walked along the edge of the water, and
the warmth of the soft, dry sand as she walked over to sit on the
blanket they had spread out. But of all these things, she found the
most pleasure in just sitting and relaxing. For days, she’d been
surrounded by chaos and excitement. Now, she felt compelled just to
sit in peace and indulge in a good book.

Gaskell’s
North and South
had always
been one of her favorites. Now it seemed funny to her how her life
seemed to imitate art. Just as she’d always thought of herself as
her fictional mentor, Jane, she could very well have been Margaret
Hale...A girl from the country coming to the city, learning to
adjust. And Henry might have been her Mr. Thornton...the cold,
stern businessman who harbored a secret admiration for Miss
Hale.

She shook her head at such a thought. What a
silly idea. To think that Henry Shaw might be harboring a secret
admiration for her. What nonsense.

She knew he wasn’t the kind of man she
should have been thinking about. But ever since she’d first met
him, he was a constant presence in her thoughts. Her mind went back
to the comparison of Henry and John Thornton. What if, by some
ridiculous chance, he really did harbor a secret liking for
her?

For a few crazy moments, she allowed herself
to imagine such an impossible thing. Yes, his disposition was not
nice. But was he really so very bad? True, he’d been rude to her
that first time. But he hadn’t been cruel outright. In all honesty,
despite his rough manner and tone, he’d managed to be a gentleman
of sorts. He’d tipped his hat to her, which was pleasant. He’d let
her follow him onto the streetcar, after which he’d paid her way.
He’d not been required to do any of that, but none the less, he
had. And then, there was that strange moment when he’d passed her
in the doorway.

He’d struck her senseless with barely a
word. But what was it about him that had left her so dazed?

His good looks could tempt any woman. But
looks alone had never mattered much to her. Lord knew that a
handsome face did not determine a man's worth. Charlie had been
enough proof of that. No, it wasn’t just Henry's handsomeness that
appealed to her. He had an intensity about him. It was that which
she found she couldn’t forget, no matter how she tried. And if by
some miracle, he saw something desirable in her, she might have
been the luckiest woman in the world. To have such a man would be
divine.

She shook her head once again, determined to
dislodge those foolish dreams from her mind.

You’re a fool, Grace
Langdon
, she told herself.
Didn’t you learn anything from the mess with
Charlie? Or do you want to have your heart broken all over
again
?

She was determined that it
would
not
happen
again. She would stay away from him, even if he did live right
across the street. There were plenty of ways to keep her
distance.

Then she remembered...they were going to his
club tonight. What rotten luck, to start off her new resolution by
taking such a chance. She couldn't lie to get herself out of it.
One of her weaknesses...or strengths, depending on the point of
view...was her inability to lie. She'd never very good at telling
fibs. And she couldn't refuse the invitation. Jack and Alice would
want an explanation for her refusal, then she would confess her
dilemma, and then there would be nothing but trouble to follow, and
that wouldn’t do at all. It seemed she had no choice.

I’ll go
, she thought.
But I’ll stay away from
him, and keep myself out of trouble.

* * * * *

In her room, Grace stood before the mirror,
looking at herself in her new dress. Jack had told her the club was
a fashionable place, so they had to dress accordingly. She hoped
that she passed muster. Her hair was up in a loose gathering at the
back of her head. Alice had suggested it would look more elegant
that way…and as usual, she was right. Reaching up to touch the
neckline of her dress, she felt a little nervous about it being as
low as it was, even though it was above her bust-line. Compared to
the high necked dresses she’d always worn, this was more revealing
than anything she’d had on before.

A knock came on her door, and she turned to
see Alice come in. Grace’s mouth fell open at how incredible her
sister-in-law looked.

“
My word, you look so
beautiful.”

Alice grinned, striking a pose. Her beaded
white gown, sleeveless and knee-length, showed off her well-toned
arms and legs.

“
You look fine too,” she
said. “And a little nervous. Are you all right?”

Grace shrugged, turning back to look at her
reflection. “I don’t know about showing so much skin. Do you think
it’s too revealing?”

With a smile, Alice shook her head. “Believe
me, it looks fine. But here…” She unclasped the silver cross and
chain, setting it aside on the dressing table. Taking off one of
her strands of pearls, she looped it around Grace’s neck. Looking
over Grace’s shoulder, she smiled with satisfaction.

“
That should shift the focus
a bit, at least for your own eyes.”

Grace looked at her
reflection again…and saw that Alice was right. The pearl beads made
all the difference. Putting on her new hat…a lovely bell-shaped cap
they called a "cloche"…she saw that it crowned her head quite
nicely, adding the finishing touch to the entirely new person she
saw when she looked in the mirror. She couldn’t help smiling to
herself, and she thought,
I look like a
lady now, and quite a fine one.

Then a second thought came
to her.
I am still me, no matter what
changes on the outside, and that is what matters most of
all.

* * * * *

They rode into the city in an elevated
train, or as Jack called it, “The El.” It was exciting to look out
the window and see the city lights twinkling, and to look down and
see the lights of the traffic passing on the streets below.

Odd, but as they exited the train and made
their way down the stairs to the street, she didn't feel like such
a stranger. The people around her moved along as one happy bunch.
Some of the men smiled at her, nodding their heads in greeting, or
tipping their hats politely. It was flattering to have that kind of
attention, even in very small doses. But Jack didn't like it much.
He frowned as they walked down the sidewalk.

"I don't think I like how men are eyeing
you. Like buzzards, staking out a wounded animal."

Alice smiled at his brotherly concern. “I
think she’s beautiful in her new clothes. She’s the cat’s meow.
What’s wrong with letting people look?”

"As long as they look and don't touch. Men
are pigs, especially when they get a few drinks in them."

Grace stubbornly raised her chin at him. "I
can take care of myself. I'm seventeen years old. I don't need a
guardian. Not even you, big brother."

Alice looked at her with a grin. “Give him
hell, tootsie.”

Jack mumbled something under his breath, and
Grace saw the wounded expression on his face.

She suddenly realized she’d never talked to
him in such way. He’d always taught her to speak her mind, but
she’d always spoken to him with love and respect. She saw him open
his mouth as if to say something, and then he just sighed. Suddenly
she felt the need to apply balm where she might have cut him.

"I'll stick close by,” she said. “I
promise.”

That seemed to comfort him, if only a
little.

They rounded the corner, and for the first
time, she saw the lights of the club in full view. The vertical
name sign glowed with a blaze of lights, given off by thousands of
tiny round white light bulbs, and trimmed in brilliant glowing red.
The doors leading into the building were made of shining glass and
rimmed with polished brass, with large carved handles. Jack opened
the door for them, and they stepped inside.

It wasn't quite what she’d
expected. There were no dancers here. No musicians. Only a flow of
people heading down a corridor which led to a grand staircase.
And
grand
was the
operative word, for although there was none of the music and
dancing she'd imagined, it was beautiful beyond words. The corridor
itself was made of stone walls and a wooden beamed ceiling, and in
a few places along the red carpet there were velvet benches. The
lighting, warm and soft, was provided by two large crystal
chandeliers at either end of the hall.

Enchanted by the beauty, she moved along as
if in a dream as they made their way towards the stairs. And as
they climbed the steps, her ears began at last to hear the sounds
of music. It was happy and upbeat in tempo…fast and exciting…so
different from anything she'd ever heard before. When they reached
the top of the stairs, the music fell on her ears with all its
power and force. The noise of hundreds of shoe heels stomping the
floor, all at once, not only fell on her ears but vibrated up her
spine.

But it was the great ballroom itself that
took her breath away. With its crystal chandeliers and mosaic
tiles…its ceiling of terra-cotta and outer halls accessed by
beautifully wrought arches, it looked like a Spanish palace
courtyard. There were even potted palm trees here and there. Most
incredible of all was the dome above the dance floor. Colored a
deep twilight blue, with artificial stars that twinkled, and images
of clouds that were created by projected light beams, the illusion
was breathtaking. Jack had to take her gently by the arm and pull
her away, for she was quite content just to stand and stare,
captured by the wonder of it all.

He guided her to a nearby table…covered in
fine white linen, set with silver and graced with a candle
centerpiece. She sat, trying her best to look dignified among such
refinery. But she could not be still.

The music ended and the crowd applauded as
they made their way back to their tables. A moment later the lights
dimmed. The room became bathed in soft candlelight. She looked all
around, smiling with awe and wonder.

How
beautiful
, she thought.
The most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

The curtain went up on the stage, revealing
a flower garden where a man and woman stood. She watched the scene
begin with the young man trying to woo the girl with various
flowers, to no avail. Then he started to dance, and the girl took
notice…just as Grace did. She’d never seen someone move as he did,
one moment madly tap dancing in place, the next moment shuffling
across the floor. When the skit was done and the curtain went down,
the whole place went crazy with applause, and Grace shared in their
enthusiasm.

The band began to play again, and as the
crowd moved back to the dance floor, Grace watched them with great
amusement. She'd never seen people move in such ways…bouncing and
shaking, arms swinging and feet flying. With a little giggle, she
turned to Alice and Jack.

"They look like chickens on a hot stove.
What kind of dancing is that, anyway?"

Alice turned to Jack, seizing his hand and
pulling him to his feet.

"That’s the Charleston, sister. And it's not
a square dance, that's for sure. Can you manage without us for a
little while?"

Grace smiled, waving them away.

"Of course. You two go on and have fun. I
told you, I can take care of myself."

Jack looked skeptical, reluctant to leave
her there by herself. But before he could protest, Alice rushed him
out to the dance floor.

As they disappeared into the
crowd, Grace smiled. It
did
look like fun. And Jack and Alice looked so
perfect together…so full of joy and laughter. She couldn’t recall
the last time she’d seen her brother so happy. And part of her
wished she could go out and join them. But she could not. Sadly,
she had little ability, and little experience. And she didn't have
a partner…which got her to thinking of Henry. She’d vowed to forget
him. But here, in his very domain, how could she not think of him?
It was where he worked…where he probably spent most of his
time.