Free An Untimely Frost by Penny Richards

accountant, Mr. J. G. Horne, now demanded scrupulous accounting of the agency’s funds.
    Though the Dieckmann was out, she was not the least concerned about finding agreeable lodging. She just hoped it was soon. After a long, uncomfortable night, she felt grumpy and rumpled and tired. She longed for a hot meal and to freshen up.
    That bespectacled ticket agent, whose hair was whiter and wispier than the angel hair used to adorn Christmas trees, directed her to the Holbrook Hotel, which was located on the corner of Third and Johnson Streets, one block south of Gallatin, the main thoroughfare. He explained that the large home, which had been converted into a hotel, was reasonably priced and clean. It also had a dining room, and the food was good and plentiful.
    Lilly thanked him and found a hack to take her to the hotel. The driver loaded her chest with help of a sturdy young man who assisted Lilly into the buggy and they started out, taking a left onto Sixth Street. The chill wind whipped color into her cheeks and made her brown eyes water. She took in her new surroundings with an eager eye. Vandalia seemed to be thriving, but it was far different from Chicago. She saw no fancy-dressed businessmen with hats and canes, no women out for a morning stroll in chic walking dresses. Most of the men wore clothing designed for hard work, and though many of the women wore hats of some sort and most wore gloves, their attire was, in most cases, a simple shirtwaist and skirt.
    She spotted the Fehren on the corner of Fifth and Gallatin. The famous Dieckmann House sat on the opposite corner. The imposing three-story brick building did not disappoint. It was magnificent. As was customary, a hardware store, a restaurant, and dry goods establishment were located on the lower floor.
    The buggy rolled down another block, passing the most recent of three capital buildings to be built on the site. The Federal-style building had been built in 1836 and served as the courthouse since the capital had been moved to Springfield.
    The driver took a right on Third, and the horse pranced past Ireland’s, the livery stable where her driver and rig originated. The remainder of the block behind the stable was taken up with a shed and a somewhat muddy, tree-studded paddock. The Holbrook Hotel was located across the street from the horses, which were feeding on piles of hay.
    The hotel exterior was painted a pristine white with forest green shutters framing the windows. A wide porch wrapped around three sides of the well-maintained structure. A hitching post complete with two horses was located in front of a flower bed, barren except for a few brave crocuses. A wooden watering trough stood on the opposite side of the porch.
    All was protected by the enveloping arms of two huge maple trees whose branches blushed with the red of new buds. The stately trees would provide much-welcomed shade during the heat of summer. Willow rocking chairs lined the porch, and Lilly envisioned a warm spring evening with guests chatting while sipping lemonade and munching on tea cakes rich with plump raisins. She relished the idea of being able to enjoy that kind of leisure.
    Tethering the rig, the driver helped her alight. Inside, she found the moderately sized lobby quite pleasant. The room smelled faintly of wood smoke and the scent of lemon balm, which, as she’d learned from Rose, was mixed with beeswax and used to polish furniture. The walls were painted navy blue. Lace curtains hung at the windows. Tan camelback sofas and wing chairs upholstered in navy, tan, green, and Indian-red tartan formed seating areas around hand-braided rugs.
    Beyond the parlor, through opened pocket doors, was a large dining room. The mouthwatering smells reminded her once again just how hungry she was. The registration desk stood tucked beneath the staircase leading to the second floor, where there were six rooms, if the keys hanging on wall pegs were any indication. The third floor also