for demolition anyway, and the new hotel was completed in 1928. I think you’ll find the architecture unique,” he added as the gigantic hotel began to loom up in the distance. He glanced at her intrigued expression. “Three architects produced what you see, and believe me, the interior is just as impressive. No expense was spared on materials or workmanship.”
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” she burst out enthusiastically, fascinated by the towering structure, which reminded her of a castle.
“You should see it at night,” he replied, “with all the windows blazing with light. It’s quite lovely.” He pulled up in the parking lot and cut the engine. “I can’t imagine why none of us ever thought to bring you here before.”
“There was never time,” she said, reaching for the door handle.
“Or we never made time,” he replied, something harsh in his deep voice.
She let him guide her into the lobby of the majestic hotel, fascinated by the fossilized stone throughout and the bronze doors to the Alhambra Dining Room, where they had coffee and pie. She felt as if her feet were barely touching the ground when they walked back to the car. King had been polite, even courteous, and not a cross word had managed to get between them.
“Where to now?” she asked as she fastened her seat belt.
“You tell me,” he corrected. “Would you like to go through some of the shops in town?”
“It’s Sunday,” she reminded him.
“And you’ll find a number of them open, just the same,” he promised. “Well?”
“I’d like that,” she confessed.
“Typical woman,” he mused, starting the car.
“I suppose you’d rather be hunting those poor moose and elk?” she teased.
“In season, yes, ma’am,” he laughed. He glanced at her. “I like to ski, too. Do you?”
“I’ve never learned.” Her eyes flickered away from his. “Well, Jenna hasn’t, either!”
“If you spent much time around me, you’d learn plenty about skiing. And other things,” he added, glancing sideways with a look that said more than words.
She avoided his eyes. “According to you, there isn’t anything left for me to learn.”
“And maybe I need to find out how much,” he said softly.
She swallowed down the urge to leap out of the car and make a run for it. “Isn’t the valley beautiful?” she asked politely.
He chuckled. “Yes, it is. When we’ve looked through Banff, we’ll drive up to Lake Louise.”
He pulled the car back out into the road, turning off presently to show her the magnificent gondola lift.
“We won’t stop,” he said, “but it’s open year-round. There’s even a restaurant and gift shop up there.”
Up there was a long way off, and Teddi had no head for heights. “I don’t think I’d ever make a skier if you have to start up there,” she murmured.
“You’ll never know until you try,” he chuckled. “But we’ll save that for another time. And there’s always cross-country skiing,” he added as he pulled back out into the main road. “We’ll have to do that one winter.”
The statement nagged in the back of her mind while King escorted her through one shop after another, showing her Indian handicrafts, Eskimo carvings and art work by native western Canadian artists. The fur shop fascinated her, and so did the trading shop. King bought her a small carved totem that she knew she’d treasure as long as she lived, and two hours had gone by before she realized it.
They drove up to Lake Louise, traveling parallel to the Bow River on the long highway. Teddi gazed wide-eyed at the mountain scenery, drinking in fleeting glimpses of moose, mountain sheep, and craggy peaks that seemed to touch the clouds. Driving around Lake Louise was fascinating, too, she found.
“There, see the gondolas?” King nodded toward the lift.
“I’d rather look at the lake, if you don’t mind,” Teddi laughed, staring raptly out the window at it. “I’ll bet you can hear the fish eating worms if
“Oh, it’s beautiful!” she burst out enthusiastically, fascinated by the towering structure, which reminded her of a castle.
“You should see it at night,” he replied, “with all the windows blazing with light. It’s quite lovely.” He pulled up in the parking lot and cut the engine. “I can’t imagine why none of us ever thought to bring you here before.”
“There was never time,” she said, reaching for the door handle.
“Or we never made time,” he replied, something harsh in his deep voice.
She let him guide her into the lobby of the majestic hotel, fascinated by the fossilized stone throughout and the bronze doors to the Alhambra Dining Room, where they had coffee and pie. She felt as if her feet were barely touching the ground when they walked back to the car. King had been polite, even courteous, and not a cross word had managed to get between them.
“Where to now?” she asked as she fastened her seat belt.
“You tell me,” he corrected. “Would you like to go through some of the shops in town?”
“It’s Sunday,” she reminded him.
“And you’ll find a number of them open, just the same,” he promised. “Well?”
“I’d like that,” she confessed.
“Typical woman,” he mused, starting the car.
“I suppose you’d rather be hunting those poor moose and elk?” she teased.
“In season, yes, ma’am,” he laughed. He glanced at her. “I like to ski, too. Do you?”
“I’ve never learned.” Her eyes flickered away from his. “Well, Jenna hasn’t, either!”
“If you spent much time around me, you’d learn plenty about skiing. And other things,” he added, glancing sideways with a look that said more than words.
She avoided his eyes. “According to you, there isn’t anything left for me to learn.”
“And maybe I need to find out how much,” he said softly.
She swallowed down the urge to leap out of the car and make a run for it. “Isn’t the valley beautiful?” she asked politely.
He chuckled. “Yes, it is. When we’ve looked through Banff, we’ll drive up to Lake Louise.”
He pulled the car back out into the road, turning off presently to show her the magnificent gondola lift.
“We won’t stop,” he said, “but it’s open year-round. There’s even a restaurant and gift shop up there.”
Up there was a long way off, and Teddi had no head for heights. “I don’t think I’d ever make a skier if you have to start up there,” she murmured.
“You’ll never know until you try,” he chuckled. “But we’ll save that for another time. And there’s always cross-country skiing,” he added as he pulled back out into the main road. “We’ll have to do that one winter.”
The statement nagged in the back of her mind while King escorted her through one shop after another, showing her Indian handicrafts, Eskimo carvings and art work by native western Canadian artists. The fur shop fascinated her, and so did the trading shop. King bought her a small carved totem that she knew she’d treasure as long as she lived, and two hours had gone by before she realized it.
They drove up to Lake Louise, traveling parallel to the Bow River on the long highway. Teddi gazed wide-eyed at the mountain scenery, drinking in fleeting glimpses of moose, mountain sheep, and craggy peaks that seemed to touch the clouds. Driving around Lake Louise was fascinating, too, she found.
“There, see the gondolas?” King nodded toward the lift.
“I’d rather look at the lake, if you don’t mind,” Teddi laughed, staring raptly out the window at it. “I’ll bet you can hear the fish eating worms if
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