The Color of Love

Chapter 1

James McMillan stepped out of the transport car and squinted up at the vast Victorian mansion in front of him. He never would have chosen such a place for a vacation. Of course, he probably wouldn't have gone on vacation at all had it not been for the insistence of his sister. It certainly wasn't like anything he was accustomed to, but knowing the historic and architectural significance of the building, he could appreciate the sprawling old mansion that lay out in front of him. The driver set his luggage down next to him on the sidewalk and wished him a restful vacation, then was off to pick up other resort guests.

The town of Seaside was a small community on the coast of New York. Much like the mansion, it had managed to maintain its historic appearance and stature. Nestled between the town and a large portion of the beach was The Mansion at Seaside. Unlike some mansion hotels, it had never been a private residence—when it was originally built back in the early 1900's, it was meant to be a resort, and remained so over a hundred years later.

Picking up his things, James made his way towards the front door. As he got within a few feet, the door was opened from the inside by a formally dressed man. "Good morning and welcome to The Mansion at Seaside," the porter said as he gave a bow towards James, who nodded but said nothing. He glanced around and the man continued, "If you step right over here, The Mansion's owner, Mr. Robert Landry, will assist you with check-in," the man motioned towards a built-in, L-shape, counter-height desk. It was in the same ornate style carved wood as much of the rest of the interior design that James had seen so far.

As James approached, Mr. Landry glanced at the clock and back down to his schedule before finally resting his gaze on the guest. "You must be Mr. McMillan. Welcome, sir, to The Mansion at Seaside. If you'll come right over, I have a few things for you to sign and I can get you the key to your room."

"Yes, James McMillan," he acknowledged as he arrived at the counter, set his belongings on the ground, and produced his ID out of his wallet.

Mr. Landry nodded his head in recognition. "You'll be staying in room four. All rooms are on the second floor and there are fourteen guest rooms total. You are one of the first to arrive. Twenty guests will be staying with us this week. In this pamphlet, you'll find a schedule of the activities we have available to you this week. It includes tours, beach-combing, a proper ballroom dance, and many other activities. Also included in the pamphlet is the daily meal schedule. Meals can be taken in the dining room, or you can request room service and the meal will be delivered straight to your door. While the resort is family-friendly, only certain weeks are set aside for family reservations with appropriate activities. This, of course, is not one of those weeks, so you can be assured you won't have to deal with the noise associated with children afoot."

James nodded as he looked at the pamphlet and the older gentleman continued. "Activities are, of course, not compulsory, we simply ask that you let us know if you will or won't be attending so that we can suitably prepare."

James saw movement out the corner of his eye that drew his attention away. He turned and saw a woman walking past with an open book in one hand and half eaten apple in the other. She was reading a section of a book, then looking up at the ornate architecture of the house, and then taking a bite of her apple. She would then walk a few more feet and methodically repeat the same process. The woman appeared to be about eight inches shorter than James and of an athletic build. She had slightly curly brown hair, currently up in a messy bun, with a few strands hanging around her face. James seemed to be stuck watching her and he couldn't quite bring himself to turn away.

A throat clearing finally captured his attention and he turned back, blinking his eyes a few times. Mr. Landry's left eyebrow was raised and he glanced towards the object of James' attention. He nodded in her direction, "Ms. Lillian Dillinger. She was the first to arrive and has been exploring the mansion ever since she checked into her room. I'm sure you'll meet her later."