``I've always loved interior design," says Francis, sitting on a white couch crowded with pillows at the store she opened in July. ``And I really love Maine."
But she'll be leaving next week, if only for a while. ABC has announced that Francis is returning to ``General Hospital" this fall to mark the 25th anniversary of Luke and Laura's wedding, a TV event -- no, phenomenon -- that attracted 30 million viewers. Her reunion with Anthony Geary, the actor who plays Luke on the soap opera, will air during the November sweeps.
``I'm excited to go back to the show," Francis said, ``but my focus right now is the store."
Francis and Frakes, who may be best known as Commander Riker on ``Star Trek: The Next Generation," met in 1983 on the set of a TV series called ``Bare Essence," and were married in 1988. For several years, they split their time between New York and L A , spending summers in Maine. A year ago, they moved to Belfast year-round.
``Every time we'd go to the Bangor airport, we'd say, `Why are we leaving? What are we going back for?' " says Frakes.
The appeal, it turns out, is not just the place -- the rocky coast, the Victorian architecture, the lack of traffic -- but also the people.
``We know everybody by name here and they know us," says Francis. ``And they don't care who we are."
Located on Route 1 in East Belfast, the store is called The Cherished Home , a name that Francis says reflects her commitment to family. The shop even resembles a residence, with themed rooms -- a living room, a bedroom, a kitchen -- occupying both floors of an 1890 house overlooking Penobscot Bay. (Francis won't say what it cost to buy and rehab the building, which for many years was Hall Hardware & Trading Co.)
An inveterate antiquer who's been scavenging objets d'art all her adult life, Francis had considered selling only rarities and relics, but then she took a look around. If Maine has a growth industry, it may be antique dealers.
``I said, `This is nuts,' " recalls Francis. ``I knew I couldn't do it any better."
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