Roses and Sonatas [Harvest Moon: Tale of Two Towns]

Chapter 41

I woke up even before the sun rose the next morning and started packing as soon as I had dressed. By the time Mrs. Simmons was serving breakfast, I'd packed all the gifts I'd purchased—a whole suitcase full. The only gift I hadn't packed was a memento for Mikhail: a photograph of the two of us on horseback, framed in a silver frame engraved with vines and roses and little songbirds, with a violin in one corner. I placed the photo inside the frame and wrapped it in tissue paper, tied it with a velvet ribbon, and tucked a tiny rosebud into the bow. Then I set it aside and went to join the other guests at the table.

Halfway through the meal, I heard the front door, and a moment later, Mikhail stepped into the dining room. I quickly gulped my tea, then joined him in the front parlor. He looked tired and pale that morning, but when I remarked on him looking unwell, he only said he'd slept poorly the night before.

He followed me up to my room, where I gave him his gift. He seemed pleased by it—the photo as well as the frame—and sat inspecting it for several minutes while I set out the clothes I'd need for the night and tomorrow and began packing the rest. After a little while, he looked up as I pulled clothing out of the closet to fold and pack. Setting the photo carefully on the table, he came over and put his arms around me. "Be sure to leave your nicest dress out," he murmured.

I turned and looked at him in surprise. "Oh? Do we have plans for tonight?"

He smiled at me. "Indeed we do." He gave me a kiss on the top of my head, then said, "Now, I'm finding all this packing to be a depressing reminder that our remaining time together is very short. Is there anything I can do to help you get it done more quickly, so that we can go enjoy the rest of our day?"

In the end, I pulled the clothes I wanted packed from the closet and drawers, and he folded them tidily for me to arrange in my suitcases. I held up three dresses for his inspection, letting him choose which to wear that night, since I didn't know what he had in mind. He looked them over: the black and white dress I'd worn our first night out, a gold evening gown with a halter neckline, and a lacy little black dress. He seemed torn between the gold dress and the black, but finally he chose the gold. I hung it up again, set aside the shoes and things I'd need to go with it, and finished packing.

After my packing was done, we spent the rest of the day revisiting some of the places we'd enjoyed most as well as exploring a few new ones. We stopped for lunch at my favorite sidewalk café, so that I could enjoy one last meal there, and relaxed afterwards in the shade of the large umbrella, sipping iced coffee as we watched passersby.

Mikhail returned me to my room at five, saying he'd be back at half past six to pick me up. He gave me a lingering kiss, then hurried away. I showered and styled my hair, did my nails and makeup, and slipped into the gown. I was just putting in my little diamond earrings when he knocked on my door.

I opened the door to let him in, but he stood still in the doorway for a moment, just looking at me. "You look... incredible. If I hadn't made reservations, I'd be strongly tempted to stay in instead," he finally said with a rueful look.

I blushed a little and reached up to straighten his tie to cover my embarrassment. "You look quite dashing yourself, you know," I replied with a smile, admiring his impeccable black tuxedo.

He'd hired a cab, as he said it was too far to walk even on a night as beautiful as this. Our destination turned out to be a hotel and restaurant designed to imitate a French chateau, about a twenty minute drive from Port Crescent. The hotel was called the Hôtel Château de la Belle Vue, and the restaurant was styled the Salle à Manger de la Belle Vue. The restaurant offered live music and ballroom dancing Saturday evenings all throughout the year, but during the summer months, they expanded it to five nights a week to meet the increased demand by tourists to the region. The menu, written entirely in French, featured classical French cuisine. The music alternated between a string quartet, a piano trio, and a flute quartet; the dances included waltzes, foxtrots, and more. I wasn't as familiar with ballroom dances as with the folk dances I'd learned from childhood, but I wasn't worried—I loved to dance, and knew I'd figure it out sooner or later.