Phil’s left hand, then at Ned’s. Neither one of them was wearing a ring. Was it possible that both were single?
“Don’t get too excited,” Ned cautioned her; presumably he was talking about the riverboat. “Your people were cabin passengers—that’s like first-class. They had staterooms on the upper deck, and Eveline explicitly says that all her jewelry and such were in her cabin. The boat’s upper structures would have been broken up and carried away by the current. There’s not a prayer that we’ll find any of that.”
“How can I be disappointed? I’ve only known about these people for thirty minutes.”
“Then what does bring you to town?” Phil asked. “Do you have three hundred dollars sewn into your petticoat? Are you here to buy the Lanier Building and restore your family name to its rightful place in Fleur-de-lis?”
Tess didn’t answer.
The men stiffened at the same instant. Phil took a step forward.
Tess cursed herself. She should have been paying more attention. She shouldn’t have been thinking about the way the hair on Phil’s forearms glinted in the sunlight slanting through the open door. Now nothing she could say would rid them of the impression that she was interested in buying the Lanier Building. Ned looked curious; Phil was intent and alert.
“Let us show you around town,” Phil said. His voice was suddenly deeper. He had something to sell her. “Some interesting things are happening.” He touched her arm, leading her outside.
Immediately across the street from the Lanier Building was another limestone building, the former courthouse, now the Riverboat Museum. “How about this for American optimism?” Phil joked lightly. “Ned opened the museum even before he’s started to dig.”
“Ned
opened it?” Ned queried. “That’s not exactly how Ned recalls it.”
“What do you have in it?” Tess asked.
“An exceptionally professional display of the town’shistory,” Ned answered, “or at least as professional as I could make it in the two weeks
he”
—Ned jabbed his brother in the side with his elbow—”gave me to slap it together. Next week the local quilters are putting on a show. We’re letting anyone use the space.”
Tess would have liked to see the quilt show. She was glad to hear that there were women in town who sewed. She wondered how good the local fabric stores were.
The courthouse building itself looked very good. The yellowy-gray stone seemed fresh; the lawn was green and edged, the foundation bushes trimmed, the front walk replaced. The Lanier Building could be made to look like this.
“Once a year we get more than six thousand out-of-towners here for the Nina Lane Birthday Celebration,” Phil was saying. “Since we know how to handle those crowds, we’re thinking of adding a Renaissance Fair and, because of the historical connection to New Orleans, some kind of Mardi Gras festivity—although our weather and our liquor laws mean that it would be somewhat different from the real thing.”
“That’s a bit of an understatement,” Ned added.
They were walking down Main Street. The stores were closed, but Tess could see that the new ones were geared to the tourist trade. She halted in front of one. Celandine Gardens.
“Do you know Sierra’s products?” Phil asked. “She’s going to open in time for Ned’s groundbreaking, and she’s making one special batch of soap that she’ll only sell that weekend. That alone will bring people into town. Do you want to see her shop?”Phil tried the door. It was locked. “There’s probably a key around here somewhere.” He reached overhead and was feeling along the top of the lintel.
“No, no,” Tess protested. “I don’t want to go in if she’s not there.”
She had to speak to Sierra Celandine. She knew that, but she had no idea what she would say.
Thank you for changing my diapers … I’m sorry I was abrupt with you … what do you want from me?
She didn’t want to compound
“Don’t get too excited,” Ned cautioned her; presumably he was talking about the riverboat. “Your people were cabin passengers—that’s like first-class. They had staterooms on the upper deck, and Eveline explicitly says that all her jewelry and such were in her cabin. The boat’s upper structures would have been broken up and carried away by the current. There’s not a prayer that we’ll find any of that.”
“How can I be disappointed? I’ve only known about these people for thirty minutes.”
“Then what does bring you to town?” Phil asked. “Do you have three hundred dollars sewn into your petticoat? Are you here to buy the Lanier Building and restore your family name to its rightful place in Fleur-de-lis?”
Tess didn’t answer.
The men stiffened at the same instant. Phil took a step forward.
Tess cursed herself. She should have been paying more attention. She shouldn’t have been thinking about the way the hair on Phil’s forearms glinted in the sunlight slanting through the open door. Now nothing she could say would rid them of the impression that she was interested in buying the Lanier Building. Ned looked curious; Phil was intent and alert.
“Let us show you around town,” Phil said. His voice was suddenly deeper. He had something to sell her. “Some interesting things are happening.” He touched her arm, leading her outside.
Immediately across the street from the Lanier Building was another limestone building, the former courthouse, now the Riverboat Museum. “How about this for American optimism?” Phil joked lightly. “Ned opened the museum even before he’s started to dig.”
“Ned
opened it?” Ned queried. “That’s not exactly how Ned recalls it.”
“What do you have in it?” Tess asked.
“An exceptionally professional display of the town’shistory,” Ned answered, “or at least as professional as I could make it in the two weeks
he”
—Ned jabbed his brother in the side with his elbow—”gave me to slap it together. Next week the local quilters are putting on a show. We’re letting anyone use the space.”
Tess would have liked to see the quilt show. She was glad to hear that there were women in town who sewed. She wondered how good the local fabric stores were.
The courthouse building itself looked very good. The yellowy-gray stone seemed fresh; the lawn was green and edged, the foundation bushes trimmed, the front walk replaced. The Lanier Building could be made to look like this.
“Once a year we get more than six thousand out-of-towners here for the Nina Lane Birthday Celebration,” Phil was saying. “Since we know how to handle those crowds, we’re thinking of adding a Renaissance Fair and, because of the historical connection to New Orleans, some kind of Mardi Gras festivity—although our weather and our liquor laws mean that it would be somewhat different from the real thing.”
“That’s a bit of an understatement,” Ned added.
They were walking down Main Street. The stores were closed, but Tess could see that the new ones were geared to the tourist trade. She halted in front of one. Celandine Gardens.
“Do you know Sierra’s products?” Phil asked. “She’s going to open in time for Ned’s groundbreaking, and she’s making one special batch of soap that she’ll only sell that weekend. That alone will bring people into town. Do you want to see her shop?”Phil tried the door. It was locked. “There’s probably a key around here somewhere.” He reached overhead and was feeling along the top of the lintel.
“No, no,” Tess protested. “I don’t want to go in if she’s not there.”
She had to speak to Sierra Celandine. She knew that, but she had no idea what she would say.
Thank you for changing my diapers … I’m sorry I was abrupt with you … what do you want from me?
She didn’t want to compound
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