Ada & The French (The Woodhouse Series #2)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

*Paris, France*

Merchants and traders from around the world would tell stories of places far away. From the bazaars in the Middle East to the coldest parts of the Russian Empire.

Paris had been described as the city of lovers and dreamers. As the city where everyone would go to have fun, dance under the moon and stars and eat as if there was no tomorrow.

And standing here on the cobblestones of Paris, it was everything that had been described.

The stone, brick and wood buildings around me. The bridges over the great Seine.

We left Emerson and Charlotte at the station as they caught another train to Monaco, bidding them goodbye. Florence, Theodore and I were here - we were in Paris and I was giddy with delight.

"This way..." Theodore was carrying a bag - a young boy was carrying a few bags while a man pushed a cart with the remaining bags.

Florence grabbed my hand as we followed Theodore to a hotel, just overlooking the river. 

L'Hotel de Saint-Michel - A beautiful palatial style hotel on the south banks of the Seine, overlooking Notre Dame de Paris, I smiled, following Florence and Theodore into the hotel.

As Theodore checked in, a porter took over the bags, placing them on a red velvet and gold cart. Theodore paid the man and young boy handsomely before we headed up to our bedrooms.

It was one room but three bedrooms - a suite of sorts. A shared living space took over the main part of the suite, each bedroom with its own bathroom.

Our bags were placed in the room, Theodore leaving the porter a tip as I ran to the window - a view of Notre Dame de Paris and the River Seine could be seen. There was a bedroom next to it and I opened the door. 

The room featured a large bed with a large bonn headboard with velvet quilting and gold detailing, champagne bedsheets, a mass of pillows with two mahogany wood side tables with a lamp on one and a peace lily on the other. There was a large mahogany chest of drawers with a matching mirror, a door to the bathroom, a kentia palm plant, a trunk at the foot of the bed and an armchair in the remaining corner next to the double large double doors that revealed a Juliet balcony, draped in champagne and ivory curtains with a wonderful view of the cathedral. 

I ran in and jumped on the bed, drowning in the mass of pillows and the soft sheets. "This one's mine!"

Theodore and Florence entered, laughing as I looked out to the view. "Welcome to Paris."

***

As we unpacked, a tray of tea, wine and cakes was brought up to us as I stood with the doors open on the balcony, inhaling the fresh air. We had travelled all day, and the sun was already beginning to set.

"The day is almost over!" I cried as I came to Florence and Theodore who were folding blankets. "And we haven't done anything but travel!" I pouted, sitting on an ottoman as Florence tossed a blanket at me to fold.

"Adelaide, you have a month to cause chaos over Paris," Florence explained as she placed her folded blanket on a pile Theodore sighed, tossing a towel to the side.

"Enough of this..." He headed to his room and returned with a coat hat, his cane. "Ladies...we're going to dinner!"

I cheered as I ran into my room, grabbing my jacket and small bag. Florence was quicker than me, as we left the hotel, heading towards a fine dining restaurant.