Jerry looked across the street at the Inner Harbour. The ships in port were decorated top to bottom with festive lights. A hundred-foot-long yacht was teeming with people but his eyes wouldn’t focus. “Is that a live band on the stern of that ship?”
Ana squinted. “It is! How lovely! New Year’s on a ship! That would be my second choice, after New Year’s in a castle’s ballroom.” She kissed Jerry quickly and turned away to look at the lights. “As long as I’m with you, my Love, I will celebrate New Year’s Eve in any style you wish.”
“Ditto, Shivin—um, Ana.” What was her nickname, again? It escaped him, and then, just as quickly, it was back. Shvibzik. Maria pulled the carriage up a spot in line and stopped.
“Oh, Jerry, they have added more electric lights on the ivy covering the façade of the hotel! It is beautiful! I do believe my great-grandmother would have adored this!” She squeezed Jerry’s arm and kissed his cheek.
“Almost there, folks. Make sure you’ve got everything. Gloves, tiaras, glass slippers, tickets to the ball…”
Jerry and Ana both checked the seats and floor of the carriage, but nothing was amiss. “Check. All accounted for, Bryce. Thanks for the reminder.”
“Not a problem, Jerry. You’d be amazed at some of the things I’ve found back there after a trip. Once found a Stradivarius violin, left behind by a tipsy, but very much in love, virtuosa. She made it as far as the front desk of the hotel before she came fleeing back down the walkway, in a panic. I handed over her pride and joy and she hugged me for two full minutes. Got tears and make-up all over my jacket. The dry cleaning bill was worth it, just to know that they’d been reunited. She came through town last year and sent me tickets for the concert. Sweet lady. And she plays a mean fiddle, too.” He clicked at Maria and they moved up even with the end of the walkway, where he set the brake and dismounted.
Bryce had been right. The slow progress to the drop-off point worked in their favour. There was now a small crowd of watchers waiting to see who got out of the carriage. Jerry could see cameras large and small, and phones with cameras, all pointed in their direction. Bryce opened the tiny half-door in the side of the open carriage and swung the steps down. He gently, but firmly took Jerry’s elbow to guide him to the sidewalk, then stepped back to give Jerry room.
Ana gracefully pulled back the blanket, placed it on the bench beside her, and stood up. Hints of emerald green taffeta peeked through the long cape, but she kept the front held close. The street lights caught and refracted through the cut glass of the tiara and there were gasps among the watchers. Jerry held up his hand for Ana and she slowly, gracefully, and carefully disembarked from the carriage. She ignored Jerry’s waiting arm but winked on her way past him, over to Maria. She placed a gloved palm on the Belgian’s neck. “Thank you, ever so much, Maria. Happy New Year.” The draft horse whinnied softly as if she understood every word. Ana stepped up to Bryce, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Mr. Smith. I hope you brought business cards, because I think you are suddenly going to be very much in demand.”
He tapped his jacket pocket. “Right here, Miss. Now, you two go have a ball. Give me a call next week and let me know how it went.” A camera flash went off. “I think you’d best go. Your fans await.”
On the way back from the cathedral, Jerry had stopped at a bank machine and withdrawn two hundred dollars. He now handed that in an envelope to Bryce. “Thank you, sir. You will never know just how insanely happy you have made Ana. Happy New Year.”
The envelope vanished into another pocket. “That’s absolutely unnecessary, young fella, but I appreciate it. I’m glad to have played a small part in this special evening. You two go and have the time of your lives.”
A second flash went off and, smiling from ear to ear, Ana finally slipped her arm through Jerry’s. They were suddenly blinded by the flashes as everyone realized that they were leaving. A young man asked who they were taking pictures of and a woman quipped, “Who cares, Kyle? She’s gorgeous, he’s handsome, and I want this for our wedding!”
Jerry and Ana started up the pathway to the hotel. “Are we ready for this?” he asked.
“Of course. I believe so. Maybe.” She unlinked her arm and took his hand instead. She squeezed it and he squeezed back, reassuring her.
“Feeling strong, Shvibzik?”
“Very. I shall be good for hours. Is everyone from your radio station here?”
“Not everyone, but a few of them.”
“Lee-Anne, as well?”
“And her husband, Tom. I told you that Manny and I have already had a chat with Lee-Anne. It’s all good, now.”
“I believe you, but let me have just a little fun, please.”
“You will at least try to behave, won’t you?”
“Absolutely. For a few hours, anyway.”
“I guess I can’t ask for much more than that, now, can I?”
“Not from this ghost, you cannot.”
At the bottom of the steps up to the veranda, Jerry leaned in and Ana met his kiss halfway. He handed her the book, and she slipped it into her thin handbag before they mounted the steps.
“Let’s Rock and Roll, Your Imperial Highness.”
“As you wish, my Love.” They approached the double doors and their little, impromptu entourage followed along, probably hoping for an inkling of who these beautiful people were. A liveried doorman held the door open for them. “Welcome to the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Are you joining us for the First Night Gala?” He couldn’t keep his eyes off of Ana and her tiara. Jerry suspected that the staff didn’t like being surprised by unannounced VIP visitors, and the man was trying to figure out whether the couple before him were VIPs, or simply looked the part.
“Yes, we are.” Jerry broke the spell and the man shook off his wonder, back to being a professional.
“Straight ahead, and through those doors, please. Halfway there you will see the sign for the coat check on your left. Enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you.” They started off in the direction the doorman indicated and a handful of people from the group outside followed along, a few paces behind them. Jerry whispered to Ana, “You wouldn’t by any chance be playing up the ‘mysterious woman’ thing would you?”
“Who? Me? I am just a Shvibzik, out with her gentleman, going to meet some friends for dinner and celebration.”
“Yeah, nice try. I believe the Shvibzik and friends parts, but you’re loving this. And so you should be. This is your night. If I could give you any gift within my power, it would be another night as a Grand Duchess.”
“That is very sweet of you, Jerry, but for me, the greatest gift you could give me is a night of celebrating life with you. I love all of this,” she swept her arm to indicate the grand hotel and festive decorations, “but if you were not here with me, it would mean absolyutno nichego—absolutely nothing. I am a Grand Duchess because I see it in your eyes, not because I was born with a title. I love you.”
“I—” They arrived at the coat check and the clerk interrupted Jerry.
“Can I check your coat and cape, Sir and Madame?”
“That’d be great. Thanks.” Jerry shrugged out of his coat and handed it over, but Ana kept her cape closed, waiting. They had discussed this moment when they were getting ready for the evening and Jerry wasn’t going to diminish one iota the effect Ana’s gown was going to have on watching eyes. He stepped up behind her, got a firm grip of the shoulders and held the cape in place while Ana released the clasp and stepped forward, out of the velvet and into the limelight. Of the dozen people waiting, men and women alike gasped. Jerry handed the cape to the clerk and accepted two claim tickets.