With a shake of her head, Ella hurried up the stairs to the cleaning storage area located next to the bridal suite. It took a moment for her to gather all the needed supplies: clean towels, clean linens, fresh soaps and lotions, and all the other miscellaneous items that Delores felt necessary to “improve” the bride's stay.
A knock on the main door yielded no answer, so Ella carefully unlocked the door and went in to reset the room from the previous night. As a maid, she had walked in on all sorts of things. People often forgot to put up the “Do not disturb” sign, and she had found herself in numerous, very awkward positions.
Luckily, today was not one of those days.
The bridal suite was technically two rooms. There was the large open sitting area and then the even larger attached bedroom and master bath. The door to the bedroom was shut, so Ella decided to ignore it for the time being. She would clean the sitting area first and then see if anyone was still sleeping in the bedroom after.
Ella paused for a moment to look out the big windows. They overlooked the lake with the main gazebo front and center and were slowly filling with morning sunshine. Ella smiled. She thought of the three photographs she had placed along with the brochure. She was sure the photographs were what had made the Connors chose to hold the wedding here.
The first photo was of a wedding ceremony held at the main gazebo she was currently looking at. The white of the bride's dress had stood out against the blue of the lake, the green trees, and perfect sky to such perfection that it looked painted and worthy of a magazine.
The second was of a reception. The bride and groom danced in the outdoor courtyard while the doors to the main reception hall stood open, allowing guests to wander in and out. It showcased nicely the 1920's style feel to the place, as well as the beautiful amenities.
But it was the third photograph that she was sure had sold Blue Lake Inn to the Connors. Brides who saw that photo always chose to hold their weddings here. It was always that photo, even if Delores refused to ever allow it in her sight.
The third photo was of Ella's parent's engagement. There was love in that photo and everyone who saw it fell in love with the inn that brought the two of them together.
Ella shook her head, clearing the thoughts of her parents. She needed to get work done in order to help prep for the wedding and reception tomorrow.
The room was still close to pristine. It was obvious someone had come in and had a glass of water during the night, but other than a stray glass and napkin, there was no sign of life. Ella pulled out the feather duster, determined to make sure that Delores, and more importantly the billionaire's sister, were completely happy with the room.
A small sniffle caught her attention. The small whimper came from behind the closed bedroom door. It wasn't much, but as someone who had spent more than enough nights crying silently into a pillow, Ella recognized the sound. It was a quiet, desperate noise, one that the crier hoped no one would hear.
Ella bit her bottom lip, the feather duster limp in her hands. She didn't want to pry as to why anyone would be crying, yet she couldn't let someone make that pitiful sound without checking. How many times had she cried into a pillow, wishing that someone would come and just listen to her and tell her it would be alright? How many nights had she made that same noise and just wished she wasn't quite so alone?
Ella knocked gently on the door. “It's just the maid. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”
/> The silence on the other side of the door was heavy and for a full breath, Ella was sure she had made a mistake. Then, slowly, the door opened. A petite young woman stood in the doorway. Her face was stained with tears and her shoulders slumped. Blue, tear-filled eyes peered out from long, mussed, dark hair.
“I didn't know anyone was out there.” The woman sniffled, but didn't close the door.
“Just me.” Ella said with a warm smile, fighting the urge to wrap her arms around the other woman and hug her. “What's wrong?”
The woman let out a shaky breath and stepped out of the door to reveal the bed behind her. It took Ella a moment to register that the ripped, tattered fabric laying out on the bed was supposed to be a dress. A white wedding dress.
“What happened?” Ella whispered, her hand going to her mouth as she stepped forward to inspect the rags. The dress was completely ruined. Even if it hadn't been ripped in over a dozen places, there were black stains that would never come out of the once cream-colored fabric.
“They lost my dress on the runway. The plane ran over it.” The woman's voice was surprisingly steady, as if she still didn't quite believe it herself. She let out a half-hearted chuckle.“So much for the billionaire service, right?”
Ella admired the woman's attempt at humor, even as the chuckle twisted into a sob.
“They tried to tell me that it wasn't a big deal, but...” She picked up a corner of the blackened dress and a piece of lace fluttered to the ground. Her hand shook and for a moment Ella was afraid that the woman was going to completely break down. Ella certainly knew that she would collapse in this situation.
Ella quickly put her hand on the woman's shoulder and turned her away from the dress. “We'll fix it,” she promised, not really sure how, but determined to anyway.
“What am I going to do?” The woman's shoulders shuddered as she attempted to keep her sobs inside her chest. “The wedding is tomorrow. I called the bridal shop that sold me this one, but it's an antique. They don't have another one.”
Ella didn't even hesitate. “I have one,” she said. It surprised her, but she couldn't let anyone, let alone her last hope at saving the inn, go without a wedding dress. Especially when she had one just sitting in a box down in the cellar.
“You have a wedding dress?” The woman wiped at her nose with a crumpled-up tissue, disbelief in her eyes.
“Let me get it. I think it's your size, or at least close enough that we can easily tailor it.” Ella took the woman's hands in hers, trying not to get excited. If this worked, not only would the wedding be saved, but the billionaire Connor family would have nothing but amazing things to say about the inn.
“Do you just keep extra wedding dresses just hanging around?” she asked with a puzzled look on her face.
“No.” Ella smiled and shook her head. “It was my grandmother's. And my mom's. So, it's an antique, just like yours.”
The woman frowned, her delicate brows coming together and darkening her face. “Then it's supposed to be yours. I couldn't...”