He took a long look between the tall buildings.
She peeked between lowered lashes. Adjusting the strings and juggling the velvet purse into her overloaded basket, Calista worked to appear as one of the flustered many preparing for the festivities the next day when the president would sign Montana into the union as the 41st state.
Calista waited a few minutes before glancing after the black-suited manservant. Orphans, too long ignored and neglected, needed safety and schooling. This little one seemed to have a home, though not a safe one. Calista’s heart constricted. Why did people treat other people this way?
She couldn’t loiter on a busy street concealing an indentured servant all day. What if Mr. Shanahan saw her unexpected secret? What would she do with the little urchin then? Return her for a beating? Calista closed her eyes. Not if it was within her ability to stop it!
“Is he gone?” The little one poked her head around Calista’s skirts, sniffled, and ran her nose along a grubby sleeve.
“I think so.” She bent to meet the child’s eye-level. The girl was so small and poorly dressed for the weather in a calf-length wool work smock. A light snow melted into spattering rain. The clouds broke for an occasional glimpse of sunshine, but not enough to dry the wet, muddy gulch or warm the blue-lipped child. Not enough to keep anyone from a chill without proper protection. Calista’s heart squeezed. “Oh child! Where are your shoes? Don’t you have a shawl or coat?”
The girl’s woolen stockings stank from the wet ground. “No, miss. I didna have time for ‘em.” Her Irish trill beautiful in contrast to the horror of her situation.
“You sound lovely, like a little meadowlark.” Calista lifted the heavy velvet coatskirt and pulled the little girl against her warmth. As she wrapped the tiny shoulders, she couldn’t feel more than skin and bones. “What’s your name?” Warm soup and dry clothing would help, but she still needed to know why the child ran in fear. Had she done something terrible? Could some intervention help?
“I be Lea Murphy, miss.” The heart-shaped pixie face looked up through strands of mussed brownish hair.
“Lea Murphy.” Calista smiled. “How pretty your name is, and so are you under that grime.”
Lea shivered and stared at her soaked feet, little toes crossing and rubbing. “I don’t want to be pretty, miss.”
What an unusual response. “Well, Lea, maybe you can tell me a little more about your situation.”
She shook her head, but pressed closer in a shivered spasm.
“Here comes my driver. If you’ll tell me why you think you’re in such trouble, I’ll see what I can do to help. Would you like a bowl of soup to warm up? Then we can get you home safe.”
Lea’s tears started again and she sniffled. “I ca—,” she hiccupped. “I canna — go home.” She let out a wail that could bring back the man with the switch. As soon as the sound leapt from her throat, Lea clamped a dirty hand across her mouth.
Calista’s stomach plummeted. What if that horrible man heard? She moved onto the sidewalk and glanced in both directions as if she wondered where the sound originated. He must have gone into another shop. Only the two men, Mr. Shanahan and Mr. T. C. Power, with backs to the sudden gust, remained near the bank’s front steps. They didn’t seem to hear anything above the wind.
Thank you, Lord. A smile lit her face as she signaled to the Blythe family driver. The sun blinked behind a cloud. “Thank you, again, Lord. Your timing is perfect.”
Lea looked up at the sky. “I dinna t’ink he much listens, miss.”
Calista hugged her and smiled, “I think he just did.”
But Lea didn’t return the smile.
The carriage splashed through a puddle and pulled to a stop alongside the nearest hitching post. Calista’s driver swung down and stopped short at the sight of his mistress’ skirt bundle. “Miss Blythe?”
In that moment, Calista followed the nudge in her spirit. “We have a surprise guest for lunch, Charles. Please tuck a blanket around her and pull the curtains. She’s quite cold.”
“A lost one, huh?” The driver spun a blanket around Lea. Not a bit of the mite could be seen, but a small sigh floated back to Calista. Charles tucked the blanket end under and slid a warmed brick beneath her feet.
A tiny head poked out of the bundle from the corner of the carriage. She could be any little girl headed home for an afternoon nap. Except for the tangled hair and dirty cheeks.
Calista climbed in beside Lea and tossed a furry robe across them both. “Home, please.” What would her parents do when she brought home not only a child, but one that appeared to live in the gulch gutters?
The coach pulled away from the bank building where Mr. Shanahan’s impassioned speech held Mr. T. C. Power captivated. Maybe the conversation kept them from noticing anything — unusual. Any other day Calista would love to catch Mr. Shanahan’s eye. Many of the city’s debutantes thought him quite extraordinary husband material with his congenial personality, good looks, and excellent social connections. But today…
He looked up as the carriage passed. Mr. Shanahan’s blue eyes warmed her like a hot springs soak at the new natatorium as he smiled and tipped his top hat.
Calista’s mouth went dry. Could he read her nervousness? She smiled with a nodded recognition and slipped the window cover in place — and waited, heart thumping hard as cattle running across hard ground. No shout. No chaos in the streets. Calista heaved a sigh as she sent up a prayer of thanks the men hadn’t realized Miss Calista Blythe had just stolen someone’s child!
Thank you for reading The Debutante Queen’s first chapter, if you’d like to review the story or learn about the audiobook version, please click the link below…
Click to buy:
Snowflake Tiara
Snowflake Tiara ~ two Montana Christmas romances, three generations apart, in one book.
The Debutante Queen (Montana Beginnings Book 1) by Angela Breidenbach ~ 1889 (Helena, MT): Calista Blythe enters the first Miss Snowflake Pageant celebrating Montana statehood to expose the plight of street urchins. But hiding an indentured orphan could unravel Calista’s reputation, and her budding romance with pageant organizer, Albert Shanahan, if her secret is revealed. Will love or law prevail?
More Than a Tiara by Valerie Comer ~ 2014 (Helena, MT): Marisa Hiller’s interest in competing in Miss Snowflake Pageant for the city of Helena’s 150th anniversary is at zip zero zilch when she discovers the official photographer is Jase Mackie. Can Jase make amends for past mistakes and offer her, not only a tiara, but a partner in her crusade to help needy children and families? (And Marisa is Calista’s great, great, great granddaughter…)
From the Author
Celebrating romance is fun, but when we found out it was the state of Montana’s 125th anniversary and the capital city, Helena, is also celebrating the 150th anniversary of incorporating, well, what better setting to tell a romantic story at Christmastime? The research, history, and fun! Wow, this was quite the experience for us, as authors, and we hope it is for you as the reader too!
Helena’s birthday is Oct. 30, 1864 so she turned 150!
Montana’s birthday is Nov. 8, 1889 so she turned 125!
From the Inside Flap
Albert flipped open his pocket watch. She’d be expected any second as one of the last competitors. He looked up the stairs — and there she stood. The light from the chandeliers shimmered off her gown creating an ethereal glow that sparkled around her entire being. His heartbeat picked up speed as if a trolley ran out of control on a hill without brakes.
Calista saw Albert and rewarded him with a smile that slammed into his heart with an electric zap as if that trolley had just jumped the tracks. His feet carried him to her with a mind of their own.
“You cannot imagine how beautiful you are to me.” Albert whispered.
“I —” Calista’s hand fluttered to her heart.
Books by Angela Breidenbach
Romantic Fiction:
(Contemporary)
A Healing Heart
(Historical)
The Debutante Queen, Montana Beginnings book 1 (Kindle or Audibook)
Snowflake Tiara (The Debutante Queen/More Than a Tiara anthology paperback) http://amzn.to/1O2fwBh
Eleven Pipers Piping, Montana Beginnings book 2, also on Audiobook Dec. 2015
Bridal Whispers (The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection, Jan. 2016)
Taking the Plunge (Love’s Sporting Chance series, coming Feb. 2016)
Bitterroot Bride (American State Flowers series, coming Mar. 2016)
Comedy:
A-Muse-ings (#Muse & Writer — coming by popular demand)
Non-fiction:
Gems of Wisdom
Gems of Wisdom (ebook version coming 2015)
Grace Under Pressure (ebook coming soon)
Creative Cooking for Colitis
Creative Cooking for Simple Elegance
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the Christmas Traditions series of authors for asking me to join this awesome group. I’ve been blessed by all of you!
Other books in the Christmas Traditions series:
Sadie’s Gift by Niki Turner
Handcarved Christmas by Cynthia Hickey
Nutcracker Christmas by Jennifer AlLee
An Apple for Christmas by Darlene Franklin
Christmas Lessons by Patty Smith-Hall
The Fruitcake Challenge by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Holly Daze by Gina Welborn
Eleven Pipers Piping by Angela Breidenbach
About the Author
Angela Breidenbach is the captivating host and personality of Grace Under Pressure Radio on iTunes. Angela volunteers as the Christian Author Network’s president. As Mrs. Montana International 2009, Angela loved promoting her state. As a Montana author it’s one of her favorite places to write about whether in an historical or contemporary setting. Books by Angela Breidenbach include Snowflake Tiara, Eleven Pipers Piping, and A Healing Heart. Yes, quite a few more are coming… Don’t miss A-Muse-ings coming soon, fe-lion comedy with #Muse and Writer, by popular demand.
Listen on iTunes:
Grace Under Pressure—Becoming a woman of courage, confidence, and candor.
http://www.AngelaBreidenbach.com
Twitter/Pinterest: @AngBreidenbach
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/AngelaBreidenbachInspirationalSpeakerAuthor
Eleven Pipers Piping Page 6