Heather Is Coming

In my soon to be published novel, Heather, Hot Springs Bride, Heather Perry helps her family run a boarding house in Hot Springs National Reserve. Anson English and his grandmother come to take advantage of the waters at the bathhouses, hoping to strengthen Anson's legs, injured in a riding accident and confining him to a wheelchair. The reservation had become popular for all sorts of health concerns, especially since the Civil War. Anson goes to the newly constructed Fordyce Bathhouse, the most luxurious one.

Here is some of what Anson experiences:  As soon as they checked in at the bathhouse, Stedman pushed him into the men’s section of mahogany changing rooms. To Anson’s dismay, the rooms were small, little more than a closet, and wouldn’t accommodate a wheelchair. Stedman helped him maneuver from his chair to the bench seat in the room, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, one of the attendants came to help. There he undressed and wrapped a sheet around himself like a Roman toga.

The men’s bathing section was more impressive, and since he doubted the other bathhouses’ facilities would have been any more accessible for a wheelchair, he found himself glad that Grandmother had insisted on the Fordyce. The eye-catching marble fountain in the center of the room drew his attention at once. It featured a statue of Hernando de Soto, the Spanish explorer who was believed to be the first Caucasian to see a hot springs in America.

Anson liked the soothing sound of the flowing water. The ceiling above the fountain held a gorgeous stained-glass scene depicting an aquatic design. The calming colors and intricate motifs created the feeling of being under the sea. Even the walls in the large rectangular men’s bathing hall were made of decorative tiles in pretty designs as was the floor. The marble-line bathing pools, complete with marble partitions and mahogany doors, added to the elegance.

The hall also had other amenities such as massage rooms, steam cabinets, and cooling rooms. They had thought of everything except accommodation for wheelchairs. An attendant adjusted the settings and filled the tub with water the right temperature. Then he helped Stedman get Anson into the water.

The thirty minutes of soaking in the hot mineral water went faster than Anson expected. He also found the experience more pleasing than he’d anticipated. He suspected it was more than just the water itself; it was the whole experience, including the ambiance of the place. He left feeling a little weak but better than he had in a long time. He just doubted it would last.

Be sure to get your copy of Heather, Hot Springs Bride, now on preorder and releasing on October 3.

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