Horace was way behind the lines during his days in Paris. Studying to be a structural engineer at North Carolina State, he was a year away from getting his degree when the war started. His talent landed him in an engineer corps, designing temporary and portable bridges for the advancing Army, but his work was done way behind the lines where his designs were implemented. After Paris was liberated, he worked out of an office only a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and often visited a small cafe under the tower. Horace would go there for a mid-day coffee and often sit, head upturned a bit, staring motionless at the lace-work created by Eiffel less than half a century ago. The tower was stunning no matter from what vantage point, but Horace liked the view from underneath the best. The delicate and intricate work that could ensure such strength overwhelmed him a little, made him feel like an artist instead of an engineer. It was there, having coffee one day that he met Nora as she sat at an adjacent table, sketching the very steel work that fascinated Horace.