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Chapter one

Beatrice

It was not unusual for Beatrice Montgomery to be carrying a stack of books taller than she was.

It was unusual for her to drop them.

She stared at the pile of books around her feet and sighed. It hadn’t been a good day, and dropping all the books didn’t make her feel any better about the rest of it. She began picking them up carefully, smoothing out wrinkled pages where books had fallen open.

It was a clear sign of how flustered she was. As the first librarian in their tiny town in the Northlands, she took her job seriously, and dropping books was not part of that responsibility.

Beatrice took a deep breath as she began to stack the books on her desk. She would have to put them away later. It was almost time for her meeting with Lord Alexander Dunham, the local noble who had established the library after his mother passed. Lady Dunham had been a great reader, but, apparently, he was not, since he’d filled an entire building in town with her books.

At least he had the good sense to share the books with others, rather than keeping them locked away where no one would read them.

Lord Dunham didn’t usually ask her to meet with him in winter. Her spring and fall walks to the estate were a welcome, enjoyable activity…but it was cold out, and Beatrice was not looking forward to this trip.

Beatrice grabbed her cloak and began to tie it around her neck just as the door opened.

“Hello, dear,” Eugenia’s cheerful voice said as she popped her head in. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“I was just leaving,” Beatrice admitted, “but I can always stay an extra moment for my favorite patron.”

Eugenia smiled. “And that’s why you are my favorite librarian.”

“I'm the only librarian,” Beatrice muttered as she undid her cloak. Eugenia never stayed a short amount of time. Lord Dunham would have to wait, and he couldn’t be upset with her because she was just doing the job that he paid her to do.

“I finished the latest one,” Eugenia said, holding out the mystery novel that Beatrice had lent her. “Have you read this one yet?”

“I haven't,” Beatrice admitted. “You are far ahead of me, Eugenia.”

“I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t have much to do,” Eugenia said with a mischievous grin.

“Yes, I suppose that would make a difference,” Beatrice admitted. It wasn’t that she was terribly overworked, but she certainly had more to do than Eugenia, who seemed to spend most of her day running around town, poking her nose in everybody's business.

Fortunately, everyone in town seemed to enjoy Eugenia, even if she was a bit meddlesome. She liked to think she’d named half the babies in town and matched multiple couples. She had even been in the library when she’d first seen Caspian and Sophia for the first time, as she regularly reminded Beatrice. Their love story had been so adventurous, it belonged in a romance novel—and Eugenia was convinced that it was all her doing.

But no one would dare to tell her that Sophia and Caspian had been a thing long before her involvement. She was a cantankerous old woman when she wanted to be, and nobody wanted to get her in a mood.

“I don’t suppose you’ve gotten anything new?” Eugenia asked, returning from browsing the shelf closest to the door, even though she’d already read all the books shelved there.

Beatrice grinned. She’d had her father pick up the next book in the series on his last run to Riyel.

The fact that he was a trader going back and forth between Riyel and the Northlands was very convenient for her.

“I might have a surprise for you,” she admitted, sitting back behind her desk.

Eugenia grinned and clapped her hands together as she bounced on her feet, her soft gray curls bouncing around her face. “You spoil me,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

“It’s my job,” Beatrice said with a grin.

Eugenia gave her a look, but Beatrice pretended that she didn’t see it.

It wasn’t her fault if she spent a little of her salary on buying the new books that Eugenia loved so much. Lord Dunham was a more than generous employer, and while the library was full of books, it had been lacking some of the newer ones that she’d had her father purchase.

She’d brought her own books—at least some of them—into the library when she became the librarian, and Eugenia had fallen in love with them. What was not to love? They were good books. She saw no harm in buying a few more of them for the library.

“So, where were you off to this morning?” Eugenia said as she signed her name to the list of people who had taken a book out.

Beatrice took the notebook back and filled out the book’s title and author. “I have a meeting with Lord Dunham today,” she said.

“Isn’t it a bit cold to be headed out to Eldenwilde?”

“Yes, it is a bit cold out,” Beatrice said with a grimace, “but I’m sure it’s something important, or he wouldn’t ask me to come out today.”

“I’m sure,” Eugenia said, nodding. “That one seems to have some sense, even if he is a hermit.”

“As opposed to the others who don’t have any sense?” Beatrice asked.

“Well, we all know Caspian has sense,” Eugenia said. “After all, he chose Sophia.”

“He did,” Beatrice said with a smile.

“And I suppose his brothers probably have some sense too.”

“I would hope so,” Beatrice said, “given that Lord Kellan will also be in charge of an estate someday soon.”

“Though not too soon,” Eugenia said, wagging her finger at Beatrice. “Wouldn’t want to wish ill upon Lord Rendon.”

“Of course not,” Beatrice said. “I would hope you know better than to think I am wishing ill upon Lord Rendon.”

“Of course,” Eugenia said. “I do think he has some sense too.”

“So, which ones don’t have any sense?” Beatrice asked with a grin.

Eugenia tsked. “I don’t know what’s going on in Duke Vaughn’s head,” she said. “Leaving his estate for so long—”

“I would assume it’s because it’s painful for him to be here,” Beatrice said, “given how he lost his daughter.”

“I know that,” Eugenia said, “but still, he’s left the Northlands for far too long, and I hope he’ll come back. His estate needs him.”

Beatrice nodded, though she didn’t particularly care if the duke didn’t come back anytime soon. If Duke Vaughn came back, she would have much less time to spend with Dietrich, since he would actually have to do his job again.

Although it would probably be good for him to have something to do with his time instead of being free to roam the whole region as he pleased.

“Anyway,” Eugenia said, picking up her book and wrapping her scarf more tightly around her neck, “I just wanted to come see if you had anything else for me. I should let you get started. It’s only going to get colder.”

Unfortunately, Eugenia was right. It was not a warm day. She had a long walk to Eldenwilde, and it wasn’t going to get any warmer. Beatrice snagged her notebook and slid it into her bag before putting the strap around her neck and reaching for her cloak.

“Oh, and be careful, dearie,” Eugenia said, as the two of them exited the library and Beatrice turned the key in the lock. “Roan is out and about today.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Beatrice said with a sigh.

Of course he was. The tavern owner was far too fixated on the fact that he thought Beatrice should marry him, and he had no qualms about making sure everyone knew it, apparently.

“Have a good day,” Beatrice said to Eugenia, who was holding the book tightly in her arms as if she would never let it go.

“I intend to,” Eugenia said with a grin. “I plan to spend the rest of the day reading.”

Beatrice laughed as she waved goodbye and turned the corner of the library, bumping straight into a person.

Her heart dropped when she realized who it was.

“Hello, Beatrice,” Roan said, his voice dropping into a tone that nearly made her wince. “Can I help you with anything?”

Beatrice shook her head and took a step back from him. Roan had been suggesting for several months now that they would make a good match, and she had no interest in becoming his wife.

Not just because she suspected that he wanted a wife who would work in the tavern with him, and she was far too busy to do so, but because marrying him was entirely unappealing.

“I'm just off to the café,” she said as she took another step back.

“You know, you're always welcome at the tavern,” he said.

“I know, thank you,” Beatrice said before scurrying off. “Have a good day,” she called over her shoulder as she made her way across the street.

Fortunately, she didn’t have to lie about her plans this time to spend less time in his company.

She hurried into the Cozy Cat Café and was immediately greeted by Thea smiling on the other side of the bar. The air was warm and smelled of spices and baked goods, and Beatrice relaxed instantly upon entering. There was something about being here that could make any day better, even one in which she dropped books and bumped—literally—into Roan.

“Good morning!” her friend called as Beatrice made her way to the counter. “What can I get for you?”

“I have to go out to Eldenwilde,” Beatrice said with a grimace. “So, something very hot.”

Thea frowned. “In this weather? Why is he having you go out now? That's unusual.”

Beatrice shrugged and dropped a few coins on the counter. “I'm not sure, but he sent a messenger this morning and asked me to come over at my earliest convenience, so I assumed I shouldn't make him wait too long.”

Thea nodded, already busy preparing a drink for her, and Beatrice wandered over to the fireplace to thoroughly warm herself before she went back out into the cold.

There was a gentle meow, and Beatrice looked over to see the resident café cat, Ginger, looking up at her.

“I'm sorry,” she said to the cat. “How could I forget you?”

The orange cat let out a grumble, clearly asking the same question as Beatrice hurried to rectify her wrong and pet the demanding feline.

“I don't suppose you and your long fur want to go to see Lord Dunham instead of me?” she asked Ginger, who didn't answer, because she was a cat.

“I didn’t think so,” Beatrice said with a grin.

A moment later, Thea came over with a mug of hot tea and handed it to Beatrice. “Stay warm and let me know when you're back safely. I'm surprised he didn't send a carriage for you with how cold it is. I didn’t think he was as cold and uncaring as the rumors would lead me to believe.”

Beatrice shrugged. “He’s not, and he knows I like to walk.”

“And yet, you aren’t usually walking all the way there in the snow,” Thea pointed out.

Beatrice shook her head. “I’d rather walk than ask for a carriage. I just needed something hot to warm myself before I leave.”

Thea frowned but didn’t say anything else as she bustled away to wait on another customer. Beatrice smiled at her friend’s retreating back. It was sweet of Thea to worry, but all would be well. It was a cold day, but it wasn’t currently snowing, and she would rather get it over with than wonder what Lord Dunham was so urgently asking to see her for. Because Thea was right—it was unusual for him to ask to see her outside of their usual times.

She sat in a cozy chair by the fire and enjoyed the ambience of the café while drinking her tea, Ginger purring at her feet. Taking a moment to breathe always helped—and so did visiting the café and spending time with Ginger. After finishing her drink, she brought her empty mug back to the counter, and with a cheerful wave at Thea, set off into the snow.

Whatever had Lord Dunham in such a rush to speak with her, she was ready to hear it.