gossiping between young girls. Grace always felt she was too tall, too curvy, too pale or too something to be truly attractive. It wasn't true of course. She was perfectly lovely, but years of her mother's nagging attempts to tame her wild red hair or bleach her freckles away had done some damage. What a shame that the first man to come along with a real appreciation of Grace's charms turned out to be a first rate imbecile.
"Find us a hack, please," Effie said, snagging the porter's arm as she maneuvered them through the throng.
"Certainly, Miss, follow me."
As soon as they were seated she handed over some bills. "Please keep our bags at the station until I send for them," she ordered. "For now, our valises will be sufficient. Driver, take us to a hotel."
"The Palace is the nicest San Francisco has to offer, Miss. Will that suit?"
"No, somewhere else, please."
"How about the Brooklyn?"
"That will do."
"Why aren't we staying at The Palace," Grace asked, peering nervously through the fog.
"I think we need to avoid any place popular. If they are looking for you, they're sure to start at the best hotel in town. We need to lay low until we can book passage to Seattle."
Grace nodded, apparently content to let Effie make the decisions. She registered them as Ermengarde and Hortense Basenfelder, two sisters traveling to the orient by way of San Francisco. Grace never raised an eyebrow.
"Are you hungry?" Effie asked looking toward the dining room.
"Not really, just tired."
"Perhaps we should call for a doctor," Effie suggested.
"No, I'm fine."
"All right." Turning to the desk, she spoke to the clerk. "Please have someone show us to our room. We'd also like a tray sent up with tea and biscuits as soon as possible. Come along, Hortense," she drawled. She was beginning to wish she had shot Jonah Blackthorn.
* * * * *
The next morning Grace seemed a little perkier as they lingered over breakfast.
"Are you feeling better today?" Effie asked watching her friend closely.
"Yes, much."
"Good, for a while I thought you might be in love with that man, which would be very foolish indeed, especially as he will most likely be in San Francisco tonight. We only have a short time to make our arrangements if we're going to rescue Amelia. You need to be on your toes today. We don't know who else might be looking for you."
"Of course I'm not in love with him," Grace insisted, a blush staining her cheeks. "I hate him, absolutely detest him. How a man could be so callous is beyond me. If Jonah, I mean Mr. Blackthorn has his way, I'll be delivered right into the arms of one of the most odious men alive. Lord knows what Horace will do to me, if he ever gets his hands on me again. And did Mr. Blackthorn give even one tiny thought to what I might want, or what I might be feeling? No, he most certainly did not. If I never see Jonah Blackthorn again, it will still be too soon!"
"I'm very glad to hear that, Grace. For a while I was quite worried about you."
"Don't give it another thought, Effie," Grace replied, straightening her back so stiffly even Mrs. Pettigrew would have been proud. "What do we need to do today?"
"Well, the first thing we should do is find a way to disguise our identities. I think a trip to the theater district might be useful. We can say we're teachers, looking for costumes for a play."
"That's a brilliant idea. You don't know how glad I'll be to be rid of this wig," she continued, slipping a finger under the back of her hair and scratching. "I hope we can find something that doesn't require one."
"The only thing I can think of as far as that goes would be a Sister. Maybe we can find a habit or two. Then we wouldn't have to
"Find us a hack, please," Effie said, snagging the porter's arm as she maneuvered them through the throng.
"Certainly, Miss, follow me."
As soon as they were seated she handed over some bills. "Please keep our bags at the station until I send for them," she ordered. "For now, our valises will be sufficient. Driver, take us to a hotel."
"The Palace is the nicest San Francisco has to offer, Miss. Will that suit?"
"No, somewhere else, please."
"How about the Brooklyn?"
"That will do."
"Why aren't we staying at The Palace," Grace asked, peering nervously through the fog.
"I think we need to avoid any place popular. If they are looking for you, they're sure to start at the best hotel in town. We need to lay low until we can book passage to Seattle."
Grace nodded, apparently content to let Effie make the decisions. She registered them as Ermengarde and Hortense Basenfelder, two sisters traveling to the orient by way of San Francisco. Grace never raised an eyebrow.
"Are you hungry?" Effie asked looking toward the dining room.
"Not really, just tired."
"Perhaps we should call for a doctor," Effie suggested.
"No, I'm fine."
"All right." Turning to the desk, she spoke to the clerk. "Please have someone show us to our room. We'd also like a tray sent up with tea and biscuits as soon as possible. Come along, Hortense," she drawled. She was beginning to wish she had shot Jonah Blackthorn.
* * * * *
The next morning Grace seemed a little perkier as they lingered over breakfast.
"Are you feeling better today?" Effie asked watching her friend closely.
"Yes, much."
"Good, for a while I thought you might be in love with that man, which would be very foolish indeed, especially as he will most likely be in San Francisco tonight. We only have a short time to make our arrangements if we're going to rescue Amelia. You need to be on your toes today. We don't know who else might be looking for you."
"Of course I'm not in love with him," Grace insisted, a blush staining her cheeks. "I hate him, absolutely detest him. How a man could be so callous is beyond me. If Jonah, I mean Mr. Blackthorn has his way, I'll be delivered right into the arms of one of the most odious men alive. Lord knows what Horace will do to me, if he ever gets his hands on me again. And did Mr. Blackthorn give even one tiny thought to what I might want, or what I might be feeling? No, he most certainly did not. If I never see Jonah Blackthorn again, it will still be too soon!"
"I'm very glad to hear that, Grace. For a while I was quite worried about you."
"Don't give it another thought, Effie," Grace replied, straightening her back so stiffly even Mrs. Pettigrew would have been proud. "What do we need to do today?"
"Well, the first thing we should do is find a way to disguise our identities. I think a trip to the theater district might be useful. We can say we're teachers, looking for costumes for a play."
"That's a brilliant idea. You don't know how glad I'll be to be rid of this wig," she continued, slipping a finger under the back of her hair and scratching. "I hope we can find something that doesn't require one."
"The only thing I can think of as far as that goes would be a Sister. Maybe we can find a habit or two. Then we wouldn't have to
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