Rosalind’s earlier fascination disappeared. She felt almost claustrophobic. There were too many people, too close together.
Nanci, however, seemed to glow from her excitement. “Do you hear them folks behind us?” she asked when they were standing in a line of at least twenty deep for cider. “I think they’re speaking Chinese!”
“How do you know what Chinese sounds like?”
“I don’t, but I’ve got a good imagination!”
Despite her fears, Rosalind laughed. “That you do, Nanci. You have a very good imagination.”
“You need to relax and learn to look around you a bit, you know,” Nanci warned. “Here you are at the one place in the world where everyone is coming together, and you’re looking as if you’re about to jump out of your skin!”
Rosalind was in awe of the many foreigners who wanderedthrough the buildings. But instead of looking at them like prospective friends as Nanci did, she looked at them as possible kidnappers. She couldn’t help it. Her sister’s disappearance made her fear and distrust almost everyone.
“I can’t wait to see the belly dancers,” Nanci whispered. “I heard the women wear veils too.”
After they each got a cold glass of cider, they sipped their drinks near one of the many parks and viewing areas. “We need to see as much as we possibly can, Rosalind.” Without stopping for air, Nanci continued. “And, of course, I’m eager to see all the curious people and animals. Do we dare visit the Egyptian temple?”
At last, Rosalind felt herself getting more excited about their adventure as well. “I’ll go wherever you would like.”
“There’s a girl. I knew you’d get the hang of things sooner or later.”
“I guess it’s finally happened then.” Picking up a handout a previous visitor had tossed to the ground, Rosalind’s eyes grew wide. “But perhaps we could take in one of the many shows today? I see there’s an opera here.”
Nanci wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never been much for opera.” Pointing to another flyer that littered the ground, she said, “But I would like to see the funhouse.”
“And the wax museum.”
Nanci moaned. “There’s so much to see. Do you think Mrs. Sloane will notice if we don’t come home tonight?”
“Only if her dress isn’t pressed for tomorrow,” Rosalind joked. Truly, she couldn’t imagine what her employers would do if she and Nanci stayed very late at the fair. They might wonder if they were missing, like Miranda and Tilly.
As they approached the entrance to the midway, they both looked at the giant Ferris wheel looming over them. It was a massive structure.Each enclosed car held sixty people. As it revolved in its lit splendor, Rosalind blanched. “Should we go on the wheel now?”
Nanci shuddered. “I don’t care that we got tokens. The thought of being so high up scares me to death.”
They’d just passed the signs for Wild Bill Cody’s Wild West Show when Rosalind felt her heart jump . . . but this time because of something far different than a fear of heights.
Approaching them were Douglass Sloane and his gentleman friend, Reid Armstrong. Gripping her friend’s hand, she whispered, “Nanci, that’s Douglass Sloane coming this way.”
Nanci’s cheeks bloomed pink. “Truly?” She craned her neck. “Oh, look at him now, Rosalind! Isn’t he something? Douglass is so handsome. Do you think they’ve seen us yet?”
“I sincerely hope not. Hurry, let’s go visit the wax museum.”
“The what?”
“The wax museum. That building, there.” Her tone had become urgent. Though they had been given the time off, she still felt uneasy about being seen by one of their employers. More than that was the slow, worrisome sensation she always ended up feeling whenever Douglass was nearby. He made her uneasy. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was a man about town, wealthy and sophisticated, and she was merely a farmer’s daughter pretending to be a sleuth, or because she had a
Nanci, however, seemed to glow from her excitement. “Do you hear them folks behind us?” she asked when they were standing in a line of at least twenty deep for cider. “I think they’re speaking Chinese!”
“How do you know what Chinese sounds like?”
“I don’t, but I’ve got a good imagination!”
Despite her fears, Rosalind laughed. “That you do, Nanci. You have a very good imagination.”
“You need to relax and learn to look around you a bit, you know,” Nanci warned. “Here you are at the one place in the world where everyone is coming together, and you’re looking as if you’re about to jump out of your skin!”
Rosalind was in awe of the many foreigners who wanderedthrough the buildings. But instead of looking at them like prospective friends as Nanci did, she looked at them as possible kidnappers. She couldn’t help it. Her sister’s disappearance made her fear and distrust almost everyone.
“I can’t wait to see the belly dancers,” Nanci whispered. “I heard the women wear veils too.”
After they each got a cold glass of cider, they sipped their drinks near one of the many parks and viewing areas. “We need to see as much as we possibly can, Rosalind.” Without stopping for air, Nanci continued. “And, of course, I’m eager to see all the curious people and animals. Do we dare visit the Egyptian temple?”
At last, Rosalind felt herself getting more excited about their adventure as well. “I’ll go wherever you would like.”
“There’s a girl. I knew you’d get the hang of things sooner or later.”
“I guess it’s finally happened then.” Picking up a handout a previous visitor had tossed to the ground, Rosalind’s eyes grew wide. “But perhaps we could take in one of the many shows today? I see there’s an opera here.”
Nanci wrinkled her nose. “I’ve never been much for opera.” Pointing to another flyer that littered the ground, she said, “But I would like to see the funhouse.”
“And the wax museum.”
Nanci moaned. “There’s so much to see. Do you think Mrs. Sloane will notice if we don’t come home tonight?”
“Only if her dress isn’t pressed for tomorrow,” Rosalind joked. Truly, she couldn’t imagine what her employers would do if she and Nanci stayed very late at the fair. They might wonder if they were missing, like Miranda and Tilly.
As they approached the entrance to the midway, they both looked at the giant Ferris wheel looming over them. It was a massive structure.Each enclosed car held sixty people. As it revolved in its lit splendor, Rosalind blanched. “Should we go on the wheel now?”
Nanci shuddered. “I don’t care that we got tokens. The thought of being so high up scares me to death.”
They’d just passed the signs for Wild Bill Cody’s Wild West Show when Rosalind felt her heart jump . . . but this time because of something far different than a fear of heights.
Approaching them were Douglass Sloane and his gentleman friend, Reid Armstrong. Gripping her friend’s hand, she whispered, “Nanci, that’s Douglass Sloane coming this way.”
Nanci’s cheeks bloomed pink. “Truly?” She craned her neck. “Oh, look at him now, Rosalind! Isn’t he something? Douglass is so handsome. Do you think they’ve seen us yet?”
“I sincerely hope not. Hurry, let’s go visit the wax museum.”
“The what?”
“The wax museum. That building, there.” Her tone had become urgent. Though they had been given the time off, she still felt uneasy about being seen by one of their employers. More than that was the slow, worrisome sensation she always ended up feeling whenever Douglass was nearby. He made her uneasy. She wasn’t sure if it was because he was a man about town, wealthy and sophisticated, and she was merely a farmer’s daughter pretending to be a sleuth, or because she had a
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