huge conference hotel in Fort Worth, everyone in the SUV cheered—even Stella.
Mary Beth found a spot in the parking garage that was wonderfully close to an elevator. Then everyone loaded up with luggage, and they headed for the real beginning of their adventure—the convention.
When they entered the lobby of the hotel, Annie looked around in admiration. The marble floor shone in the morning sun so brightly that it looked more like an ice skating rink than a floor. Tall pillars broke up the space between the front door and the lobby, and each pillar was encircled by padded seating upholstered in a rich gold fabric. On the floor around the seating stretched a band of carpet in a striking mosaic that mixed both warm and cool colors.
With so much marble, the look could have been cold—even sterile—but the hotel management had warmed up the space with scattered seating nooks filled with overstuffed furniture and lots of greenery. Annie saw groups of women in many of the chairs and sofas. Since many wore crocheted or knitted sweaters, or carefully embroidered blouses or jackets, Annie assumed many were at the hotel for the same convention as they.
Annie’s low heels clicked against the marble as they walked across to the front desk. Just as she finished checking in, she heard someone call out, “Mary Beth!” The whole group turned.
A slender man with snow-white hair, wire-rimmed glasses with a neatly trimmed white beard strode toward them, beaming. “I’m so happy you’ve arrived,” he said. “I received the items you shipped, finally. It was such an ordeal, but everything arrived safely.” He eyed the cardboard box Annie carried. “Is that full of more items for the Betsy Holden display?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “I’m Annie Dawson.”
“Oh, please forgive me,” the man said. “I’m being horribly rude. I’m Carlton Gold from the Golden Needle Company. I’m delighted to meet you, Mrs. Dawson. I admired your grandmother tremendously.”
“So did I,” Annie said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Carlton,” Mary Beth said. “This is my assistant and dear friend Kate Stevens. And this is Stella Brickson, the woman from Betsy’s cross-stitched portrait.”
Mr. Gold bowed slightly to each woman, and then smiled at Stella. “I am hoping you’ll join us onstage at the ceremony to honor Betsy. I know everyone will love seeing the inspiration for the portrait.” Then he seemed to have a new thought, and he clapped his hands. “I know, we could call you up. That would be much more dramatic.”
Stella smiled slightly. “Whatever you think is best.”
At that Mr. Gold turned back to Annie. “So, if you’ll trust me with that box, Mrs. Dawson, I’ll go and finish the display while you all settle into your rooms. Then I would love to show all of you what we’ve set up. The display is in exhibit room four. Perhaps we could meet there in fifteen minutes? Would that be enough time?”
“I think we could manage that,” Mary Beth said.
“Excellent!” Again Mr. Gold clapped his hands before taking the box from Annie and hurrying away.
“He’s very enthusiastic,” Annie said as they turned and headed toward the elevators to head up to their rooms.
“Carlton is always like that,” Mary Beth said.
“Carlton?” Kate said, raising an eyebrow. “I thought he was ‘Mr. Gold’.”
“Actually, I’ve chatted with Carlton at other events,” Mary Beth said. “I carry a lot of Golden Needle kits, as you well know.”
Annie looked at her friend curiously. She had never really thought of Mary Beth as having a possible romance. It might be interesting.
“So—it’s all strictly business,” Kate said, her voice teasingly mocking.
“Oh yes,” Mary Beth said before bursting out laughing. “Um, I don’t think Carlton actually likes women that way .”
So much for romance, Annie thought. Then she chided herself for her own imaginings. They were at a beautiful hotel, and
Mary Beth found a spot in the parking garage that was wonderfully close to an elevator. Then everyone loaded up with luggage, and they headed for the real beginning of their adventure—the convention.
When they entered the lobby of the hotel, Annie looked around in admiration. The marble floor shone in the morning sun so brightly that it looked more like an ice skating rink than a floor. Tall pillars broke up the space between the front door and the lobby, and each pillar was encircled by padded seating upholstered in a rich gold fabric. On the floor around the seating stretched a band of carpet in a striking mosaic that mixed both warm and cool colors.
With so much marble, the look could have been cold—even sterile—but the hotel management had warmed up the space with scattered seating nooks filled with overstuffed furniture and lots of greenery. Annie saw groups of women in many of the chairs and sofas. Since many wore crocheted or knitted sweaters, or carefully embroidered blouses or jackets, Annie assumed many were at the hotel for the same convention as they.
Annie’s low heels clicked against the marble as they walked across to the front desk. Just as she finished checking in, she heard someone call out, “Mary Beth!” The whole group turned.
A slender man with snow-white hair, wire-rimmed glasses with a neatly trimmed white beard strode toward them, beaming. “I’m so happy you’ve arrived,” he said. “I received the items you shipped, finally. It was such an ordeal, but everything arrived safely.” He eyed the cardboard box Annie carried. “Is that full of more items for the Betsy Holden display?”
“Yes,” Annie said. “I’m Annie Dawson.”
“Oh, please forgive me,” the man said. “I’m being horribly rude. I’m Carlton Gold from the Golden Needle Company. I’m delighted to meet you, Mrs. Dawson. I admired your grandmother tremendously.”
“So did I,” Annie said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
“Carlton,” Mary Beth said. “This is my assistant and dear friend Kate Stevens. And this is Stella Brickson, the woman from Betsy’s cross-stitched portrait.”
Mr. Gold bowed slightly to each woman, and then smiled at Stella. “I am hoping you’ll join us onstage at the ceremony to honor Betsy. I know everyone will love seeing the inspiration for the portrait.” Then he seemed to have a new thought, and he clapped his hands. “I know, we could call you up. That would be much more dramatic.”
Stella smiled slightly. “Whatever you think is best.”
At that Mr. Gold turned back to Annie. “So, if you’ll trust me with that box, Mrs. Dawson, I’ll go and finish the display while you all settle into your rooms. Then I would love to show all of you what we’ve set up. The display is in exhibit room four. Perhaps we could meet there in fifteen minutes? Would that be enough time?”
“I think we could manage that,” Mary Beth said.
“Excellent!” Again Mr. Gold clapped his hands before taking the box from Annie and hurrying away.
“He’s very enthusiastic,” Annie said as they turned and headed toward the elevators to head up to their rooms.
“Carlton is always like that,” Mary Beth said.
“Carlton?” Kate said, raising an eyebrow. “I thought he was ‘Mr. Gold’.”
“Actually, I’ve chatted with Carlton at other events,” Mary Beth said. “I carry a lot of Golden Needle kits, as you well know.”
Annie looked at her friend curiously. She had never really thought of Mary Beth as having a possible romance. It might be interesting.
“So—it’s all strictly business,” Kate said, her voice teasingly mocking.
“Oh yes,” Mary Beth said before bursting out laughing. “Um, I don’t think Carlton actually likes women that way .”
So much for romance, Annie thought. Then she chided herself for her own imaginings. They were at a beautiful hotel, and
Similar Books
