Bella seemed intent on announcing the plans for Moon Bay's development in the coming year—the plans that should have been discussed during the Year-End Festival—directly at this ribbon-cutting ceremony. As a result, the speech portion of the ceremony was unusually long.
As for why they had not chosen to cut the ribbon on the day of the Year-End Festival itself, on the one hand, the citizens would be busy celebrating and likely would not come out in such numbers to watch the spectacle. On the other hand, her divinations had shown that today was the most suitable day.
In any case, the ribbon-cutting that had begun at nine last time did not reach its final stage until nearly ten. The ceremonial platform was moved away, and the Countess climbed into the carriage bearing the Belinder Family crest that had been parked at the entrance to the bridge.
Then, amid another barrage of cannon salutes and the cheers of the crowd, the carriage, driven by Matilda, burst through the red silk ribbon stretched across the bridgehead. It then followed the lower deck of Tower Bridge, rolling over the smooth roadway amid booming salutes.
Camera flashes captured the scene from every angle. For many years to come, people would remember through black-and-white photographs that, on the grandest ribbon-cutting day after the catastrophe, it had been the Countess's carriage that first crossed Moon Bay Bridge, the bridge that bore the city's hopes.
Colorful balloons were released from boats on the river channel and floated into the sky. The unlucky doves were driven into the blue sky after the snowfall as well, despite it being the depths of winter. However, these white doves had been borrowed from the Peace Church, so they would fly back to the church courtyard on their own afterward.
Thus,