Read Online Saratoga Sunrise by Christine Wenger - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christine Wenger
Tags: General Fiction
Ads: Link
years. Your letters helped her through a very difficult period of time when her mother died and she was recovering." She took the feather duster from the young woman's hand. "Don't you ever say you're just a maid."
Bea reached out and dusted the frame of the painting of the Battle of Waterloo on the lobby wall as Clara doubled over with laughter. "Aunt Trixie, stop! What if someone should see you!"
"Then let them! Now go. Get Johnson ready. I'll take care of Tompkins."
Clara scurried off as Bea turned around to see three faces staring at her in astonishment. They were none other than the formidable Maude Dredmar and her haughty daughters Suzette and Leanne, two silly, spoiled girls.
"Oh, hello, Maude...girls...are you waiting to try dusting?" she said in a mocking tone. "It's really becoming fashionable to dust at the Springs. Here have a try." She thrust the handle of the duster at Maude.
If she lived to be a hundred, she'd never forget the expression on Maude's face as she stared at the foreign object and then looked at the painting, trying to decide what she should do.
Looking over her shoulder as she walked away, Bea half-expected Maude to begin dusting for Maude Dredmar would never tolerate being out of vogue at the Springs. Never.
Maude must have sensed she was being watched for she looked over at Bea. Bea couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped her throat nor the laugh that rumbled up from her toes as she watched Maude throw the duster to the marble floor and storm away with her daughters.
# # #
Sara opened the picnic basket and handed Jack a white linen cloth with the monogram of the United States Hotel in gold. He shook out the folds and let it drift to the thick, rich grass. He helped her to sit down, and he sat down next to her.
From the basket, Sara took out two jars that appeared to be iced tea. Then she found a variety of cheeses, fruit and meats all packed on a block of ice wrapped in brown paper and more linen. She handed Jack two sets of flowered dishes and two sets of silver wrapped in a pink napkin and tied with a yellow ribbon.
She smiled. "Chef Morris packed enough food for ten people."
"Maybe not. He knew it was for you and knows how much you like to eat, although he seemed to know that you'd be sharing your picnic." He chuckled as he helped her to sit down.Laughing, she smoothed out her skirt then handed him a jar of tea. "I think I can spare a small slice of bread and a tiny piece of cheese for you, since I'm watching my weight!"
They joked and ate and passed the time in light conversation about Seawind and other horses in the stable, about the weather and Sara's home near New York City, and whether or not the springs in the area really had curative powers as everyone believed.
"There are about one hundred and seventy-five springs in the area," Jack told her. "Some are saline, some alkaline, some have a high iron content, some are sulfur and many are a combination of these."
Sara wondered how he knew so much about the springs, but remembered that he said he lived here for a short time. "How old were you when you lived here, Jack?"
He shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the cloth and did not look at her when he answered. "I was just a kid. I didn't live here long."
"Where did you go after you left?"
"Here and there. Then college."
"Were you young when you left?"
"I suppose." A uncomfortable look settled on his features. "Sara, my life isn't very interesting. Tell me about yourself."
She liked that Jack was as interested in her and she was in him. He was so easy to talk to and she didn't hesitate to respond.
"I live in a big old house that used to be my grandfather's. It's not far from New York City. We've always had lots of horses–my father's hobby you know. My mother loved them, too. We've come to the Springs most every season since I can remember and, after the accident, my Aunt Trixie came to live with us."
"I remember you told me you left early one season. What did you say
Bea reached out and dusted the frame of the painting of the Battle of Waterloo on the lobby wall as Clara doubled over with laughter. "Aunt Trixie, stop! What if someone should see you!"
"Then let them! Now go. Get Johnson ready. I'll take care of Tompkins."
Clara scurried off as Bea turned around to see three faces staring at her in astonishment. They were none other than the formidable Maude Dredmar and her haughty daughters Suzette and Leanne, two silly, spoiled girls.
"Oh, hello, Maude...girls...are you waiting to try dusting?" she said in a mocking tone. "It's really becoming fashionable to dust at the Springs. Here have a try." She thrust the handle of the duster at Maude.
If she lived to be a hundred, she'd never forget the expression on Maude's face as she stared at the foreign object and then looked at the painting, trying to decide what she should do.
Looking over her shoulder as she walked away, Bea half-expected Maude to begin dusting for Maude Dredmar would never tolerate being out of vogue at the Springs. Never.
Maude must have sensed she was being watched for she looked over at Bea. Bea couldn't suppress the laugh that escaped her throat nor the laugh that rumbled up from her toes as she watched Maude throw the duster to the marble floor and storm away with her daughters.
# # #
Sara opened the picnic basket and handed Jack a white linen cloth with the monogram of the United States Hotel in gold. He shook out the folds and let it drift to the thick, rich grass. He helped her to sit down, and he sat down next to her.
From the basket, Sara took out two jars that appeared to be iced tea. Then she found a variety of cheeses, fruit and meats all packed on a block of ice wrapped in brown paper and more linen. She handed Jack two sets of flowered dishes and two sets of silver wrapped in a pink napkin and tied with a yellow ribbon.
She smiled. "Chef Morris packed enough food for ten people."
"Maybe not. He knew it was for you and knows how much you like to eat, although he seemed to know that you'd be sharing your picnic." He chuckled as he helped her to sit down.Laughing, she smoothed out her skirt then handed him a jar of tea. "I think I can spare a small slice of bread and a tiny piece of cheese for you, since I'm watching my weight!"
They joked and ate and passed the time in light conversation about Seawind and other horses in the stable, about the weather and Sara's home near New York City, and whether or not the springs in the area really had curative powers as everyone believed.
"There are about one hundred and seventy-five springs in the area," Jack told her. "Some are saline, some alkaline, some have a high iron content, some are sulfur and many are a combination of these."
Sara wondered how he knew so much about the springs, but remembered that he said he lived here for a short time. "How old were you when you lived here, Jack?"
He shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the cloth and did not look at her when he answered. "I was just a kid. I didn't live here long."
"Where did you go after you left?"
"Here and there. Then college."
"Were you young when you left?"
"I suppose." A uncomfortable look settled on his features. "Sara, my life isn't very interesting. Tell me about yourself."
She liked that Jack was as interested in her and she was in him. He was so easy to talk to and she didn't hesitate to respond.
"I live in a big old house that used to be my grandfather's. It's not far from New York City. We've always had lots of horses–my father's hobby you know. My mother loved them, too. We've come to the Springs most every season since I can remember and, after the accident, my Aunt Trixie came to live with us."
"I remember you told me you left early one season. What did you say
Similar Books
