My Secret Guide to Paris by Lisa Schroeder Read Free Book Online

crispy little meringue cookies that somehow manage to be soft and chewy at the same time. They come in all different flavors and colors. We also went to Notre-Dame (picture on the front of this card), and I’ve never seen anything so big and beautiful in my life. We had to cross a bridge to get to the cathedral, and I felt like a princess in a fairy tale.
    Love, nora
    Dear Dad,
    Bonjour! Last night we had dinner at a bistro, and ate something like a delicious beef stew along with some bread. Lots of bread. But that wasn’t the best part of the evening. The best part was standing on the Pont des Arts (a bridge over the Seine River) and watching the sky change colors as the sun set until it was dark. And then, the lights across Paris came on. It was so magical, even my heart had goose bumps.
    Love, nora
    After a good night’s sleep and a simple breakfast at our hotel, Mom was ready to find dolls. Forget the Eiffel Tower, the pretty gardens, and the magnificent statues. She was set on dolls.
    “Can I go off on my own?” Justin asked as we stood in the lobby of our hotel. “And maybe borrow some money? Of the French variety.”
    Mom took her wallet out of her purse. “All right. Make sure you buy yourself a map. Or ask the front desk if they can give you one. Are you going to ride the Métro?”
    “Probably,” he said as he took the bills she handed him. “I figure it’s pretty similar to riding the subway in New York City. I mean, how hard can it be?”
    I wanted to go with him and explore the city. I had my messenger bag on my shoulder, and I swore I could hear Grandma’s envelopes whispering to me.
    Open us. Open us, and learn our secrets . We’re waiting for you!
    “Can I go with Justin?” I blurted out. “Please? There are so many things I want to see.”
    Every inch of Mom’s face drooped. “But … I thought you wanted to look for dolls with me.”
    “Sorry,” I said softly. “I guess I’ve changed my mind. After seeing Notre-Dame yesterday, I want to see more things like that.”
    She was quiet for a few seconds, like she was thinking about my request. Then she looked at Justin. “Is it okay if she goes with you?”
    He shrugged. “I guess.” He turned to me. “But no whining. About anything. Or I send you back here to take a nap.”
    “Justin, I’m not five years old. We’re in one of the greatest cities in the world. What is there to whine about?”
    “Let’s meet back here at six o’clock, and we’ll have dinner together,” Mom said. “Think you can figure out lunch on your own?”
    “Yes,” Justin and I replied at the same time.
    “Okay, then. Watch out for each other. Be safe. And for heaven’s sake, use those temporary cell phones I bought you yesterday if you need to. Call me if anything happens that I should know about, understand?”
    “Yes,” we both replied again.
    She gave us each a quick hug before she walked toward the front doors. She glanced back one last time before she went outside, alone.
    “That wasn’t very nice,” Justin said.
    Okay, honestly, I didn’t want to think about it. “Stop it,” I said. “If you feel so bad, why aren’t you going with her?”
    “Because I’m not her daughter who promised she’d go with her to look at dolls .”
    “I never said that. She asked me if we would have fun in Paris, and I said we would. You know I don’t really like dolls. Now come on. Where are we going? Do we need to get directions?”
    “I want to go to that Arc by the Louvre. Remember, we could see it from where we stood on the bridge last night?”
    Without even thinking, I reached into my bag and pulled out the map Grandma had put in the manila envelope for me.
    “Where’d you get this?” he asked, peering over my shoulder.
    “Oh, uh, the librarian at school loaned it to me.”
    “What do those pink dots mean?” he asked. “Did you put them there?”
    “No, I didn’t, so I’m not sure what they mean.” I pointed to the Latin Quarter in the