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Taken from Chapter 1.  "Welcome to the world of Branders"

The Branders Inn was founded by Mr. A. Joseph Branders in 1706 and is rated as one of the oldest-running inns in American history. In time, I learned that the family was one of Newport's wealthiest and most well-known families. I guess you could say they were rich and famous! Their lives were deeply integrated with Saint Mary’s Church of Newport, which was the church where President John F. Kennedy was married. As I got to know the Branders family and their history, I felt that their lives were very much parallel to the Kennedy family.

 

When I first walked into that historic Branders Inn, I felt a bit of trepidation. As I slowly made my way up the grand front stairway onto a porch, I could sense that I was stepping into its history. The white porch was lined with beautifully carved baluster rails and stately white columns. As I walked, I could feel a slight bend and hear a small creaking sound. I suppose that would be acceptable considering the age of the building. Over to the left of the main entrance was a sign on the front porch which read “Welcome to the Branders Inn” established in 1706.”  It was pretty amazing to think that this Inn was here at the beginning of American history.

 

Newport; the playground of the rich and famous! The bars, restaurants, and taverns! Not to mention the millionaires in their yachts, the tennis hall of fame, wine vineyards, polo, and mansions! … I could see myself walking along the ocean’s cliff walks past the Vanderbilt mansion, and a beautiful young woman would see me and say, “You are the man I have been waiting for!” Come and live with me in my mansion; we will spend our days sailing the oceans on my yacht and the evenings at masquerade parties and dining in fine restaurants… What more could a kid from a small farming town want as a first-year college student? “Who am I kidding?” It didn’t exactly happen that way, but close to it, and this is my story...

 

My life-changing story started when I was accepted and entered my first year in the criminal justice program at Roger Williams University in the historic town of Bristol, RI.  My dream was to become a lawyer. As a first-year college student, I was excited and somewhat apprehensive about moving away from the comforts of family and friends. At the same time, I was looking forward to venturing into my new journey in life.

 

What made it even better was that my campus was a stone’s throw away from the town known as the land of the rich and famous. But first, I needed to find a job, and when I did, little did I know what was in store for me the day I walked up the grand stairway and entered the oversized oak doors of Newport’s historic Branders Inn! The country was in its infancy when it was built. I could only imagine the stories that its walls could tell. In time, my life would become an integral part of the intrigue and mystery surrounding the story of the famous Branders family of Newport. Some of the people who eventually became a part of my life as I did theirs included the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Hemsly. The Hemsly’s were permanent guests at the Branders Inn and lived their lives as they did back in the roaring twenties.  

 

As I look back in time, I vividly recall how I felt when I first entered the main foyer of the Inn; I felt as if I was in the middle of a silent movie of the nineteen twenties. Over to where the fireplace was, I could see an occasional puff of smoke rising from the back of one of the overstuffed chairs. Apparently, the older gentleman sitting in the chair reading his newspaper was indulging himself in a cigar. I noticed a young boy who looked about thirteen years old, kneeling on one knee, polishing the gentleman’s shoes. I thought it odd that the boy was wearing suspenders and knickers for pants! I figured that maybe he was playing a character, sort of like how some of the workers are dressed in Disney World. At the small table to the man’s left was a brandy glass from which the man would take a sip from time to time.  

 

In a corner next to the fireplace was an old-style mahogany radio softly playing what sounded like music from the era of Benny Goodman or Billy Holiday. Leaning against the side of his chair was a finely made cane with what looked like a polished brass eagle head handle. The gentleman was dressed in a tan double-breasted suit sporting an ascot. By the way, he was dressed; he was very much in place with the era and ambiance of the historic Inn and a time that has gone by. In fact, I was the one that looked and felt out of place. However, there was something about this place that gave me a good feeling.

 

I suppose it’s like when you enter someone’s house or maybe a room for the first time, and you sort of get certain vibes about the place. Sometimes those vibes are not so good, and it makes you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes the vibes are good, and you feel right at home, almost like you belong there.  That is how I felt while I was walking about that grand old Branders historic inn. “Little did I know how the stage was being set in motion that would change my life forever!”

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