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Aunt Maeve’s eyes twinkled. “While I appreciate your enthusiasm, most others don’t view this as a privileged duty.

Sometimes, care of the Larke Collection even skips a generation.

My grandmother, your great-grandmother, was the previous caretaker.

Your grandmother, however, was not interested at all.

But I fell in love with the books and the family tradition the first time Granny showed me the collection. ”

That was impossible. How could one not want to do this? To take care of these beautiful books, to spend their time in Primrose Cottage, and to write letters to other people who loved reading? How could her brothers have ever thought coming to Glenn was dull when all of this existed?

“Would you…” Her aunt hesitated. “Would you perhaps be interested in seeing more? I could show you some of my favorite books.”

“Oh, yes. Please.” Rina clasped her hands together in joy.

Her aunt sat her down on the desk in the corner of the room and brought over a pile of books. There were tales about fairy princesses and knights and scrolls with beautiful diagrams that showed magic mirrors and crystal scepters.

“Why do all these books talk about fairytales like they’re real?”

“Fairytales are as real as you and I,” said her aunt. “Just because most people have forgotten them doesn’t mean they never existed.”

Rina nodded. She had always believed fairies were real but did not talk about it anymore because her parents grew irate, and her friends said it was… what was the word? Blasfemous? Whatever it was, she did not like it, and so she kept her thoughts a secret.

“I believe you,” she confided in her aunt. “I always knew fairies and goblins and all are real.”

Her aunt patted her head and smiled. “Thank you.”

Looking around at the cluttered table, Rina was astonished to see a small portrait with a very familiar face. “You have a picture of me?”

Aunt Maeve coughed a little awkwardly. “Yes, well. Your mother sent it to me, and I thought it would look nice in here.”

Rina smiled at her aunt widely, glad that her earlier fears weren’t true. Aunt Maeve did like her.

Taking a closer look at the papers on the table, Rina asked, “Are you a scholar, Aunt Maeve?”

“I suppose you could say that.”

“I wish I knew what I could be,” said Rina, with a theatrical sigh. “Garrett wants to be a merchant and work with Papa, and Emile says he wants to work with horses. Mama says I don’t have to worry even if I can’t think of anything because I’m a girl and girls can just get married.”

“You could get married,” said Aunt Maeve carefully. “But I think it’s good to find things you want to do other than that.”

Looking at her quickly, Rina leaned closer and whispered, “There is one thing.”

“Oh?”

“I would like to be a fairy,” Rina puffed out her chest proudly, “I think that would be nice. ”

“That does sound very nice. But it might take too long for that. Is there anything else? Something you’ve seen someone else do and wanted to do the same?”

She thought for a minute. “I like going to the healer. He has lots of colorful medicines, and I always feel better after we visit him. I think I would like to make people feel better.”

“Well then, I think you have your answer, Healer Serena Rose.”

Rina loved the name, it made her sound grownup and important. Perhaps she would consider it more when she went home. Maybe she could even ask Healer Barre some questions about how he became a healer.

They stayed in the study for a long time, going through more books, until her mother came in and told them it was time to eat dinner.

“Oh yes,” said Aunt Maeve, blinking. “My apologies. I got carried away as always. I don’t often host and it seems like my manners are rusty.”

“Your manners were always rusty, Maeve,” her mother said with a smirk.

To Rina’s surprise and glee, her aunt who had, until now, seemed incredibly dignified and stately, stuck out a tongue at her sister before getting up and leading them to the kitchen table.

The food smelled good, but as soon as Rina took a bite of it, she frowned.

It didn’t seem right, and she was about to say so when she caught her mother shaking her head at her quickly.

Not understanding why she couldn’t point out the obvious issue in taste, Rina nonetheless held her tongue as her aunt addressed her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t show you the rest of the place,” said Aunt Maeve. “We got too caught up in the books, and it slipped my mind.”

“That’s all right,” said Rina cheerfully. “I prefer the books.”

Mama kept up a steady stream of conversation through the rest of the meal, mostly updating her aunt on life in Leis.

“I’m glad to hear everyone is doing well,” said Aunt Maeve with a smile after her mother ran out of things to relay.

“Yes, well, you would know more if you came to visit once in a while,” replied her sister, with something akin to hurt in her voice.

Aunt Maeve looked down at her plate but did not answer. Rina fiddled with her silverware uncomfortably.

Sighing, Rina’s mother turned to her. “Rina, you should head upstairs to sleep. It’s been a long day for you.”

She didn’t feel sleepy at all, but the look in her mother’s eye warned her not to argue, and so she headed upstairs, making sure to pointedly drag her feet.

The room was warm and cozy, but try as she might, she could not fall asleep.

The day’s events were still whirling around inside her head and her body felt on edge, like there was a ball of energy that was fighting to be let out.

Giving up after a bit, she got up and crept outside, making sure the door did not creak when she opened it.

Voices drifted upstairs, and she could hear her mother’s voice, reproachful in tone, addressing Aunt Maeve.

“...can’t do this, Maeve. You need to leave this cottage more and meet your family. I understand you have your work, but it won’t kill you to leave this place for a while. Serena asked me why she never sees you on our way here. Shall I tell her that her aunt doesn’t think we’re worth a visit?”

“That’s not fair, Lorena.” Her aunt’s voice was strained. “You know it’s not like that. I have responsibilities here.”

“And what about your responsibilities to your family? It was fine when it was just me or Papa and Mama—we’re adults.

We can handle it. But now Serena has met you, and…

and, you don’t understand, Maeve. Th at child never talks to anyone the way she was talking to you in the study today.

Will you break her heart as well? Will you shut her out the same way you shut us out?

Because if so, I would rather she not meet her aunt at all. ”

Rina knew she shouldn’t be listening to this; this was adult conversation. But she couldn’t stop her little feet from creeping forward to better make out the muffled voices.

“Of course not!” said Aunt Maeve. “I would never… I love Serena. You know that.”

“Do I?” asked Lorena bitterly. “Because you said you loved her before as well and then never tried to see her. Not once.”

There was silence then, and Rina strained forward to hear more. Unfortunately, she slipped a little, and the stairs made a loud creaking noise. Immediately, she heard footsteps. She tried to creep back upstairs, but it was too late.

“Serena Rose!” said her mother sharply to her retreating back. “What are you doing awake, and why are you sneaking around like that?”

“I, uh…” Rina tried to think of an excuse. “I couldn’t sleep, because there was a bug!”

“A bug,” said her mother flatly.

“Yes! A great big bug—humongous even—with nasty wings and stingers. I thought I should come warn you about it, because what if it ruins Aunt Maeve’s house? I think it was a rhinoceros beetle.”

A rhinoceros beetle should be big. It would convince her mother she wasn’t lying.

There was a beat of silence, a muffled chuckle, then Aunt Maeve dissolved into cackles behind her mother.

“A rhinoceros beetle,” she gasped. “Oh my, Lorena. I feel like we should believe Serena. It sounds as if she’s been very brave coming to warn us.”

“A likely story,” grumbled her mother, but she cracked a smile. “Come along, little beetle expert. Time for you to sleep.”

The next morning, Serena stood on the doorstep of Primrose Cottage, holding back tears. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the place just yet. Once Mama was done saying her farewells, she turned to Serena.

“Rina, are you not going to thank your aunt before we go?”

“Thank you, Aunt Maeve.”

And then, before she could help herself, she flung herself at her aunt, hugging her tight. The only person she had ever met who understood her, and now she had to leave after just a day.

“You’re very welcome, dear,” said her aunt, hugging her back after a slight pause. “It was truly my pleasure. I hope you shall visit again soon, and who knows? Maybe you will be the next Larke woman to take over my duty.”

Rina drew back, her eyes shining at the idea, not noticing how her mother had paled a little at her aunt’s comment.

“Oh, I would love that!”

“Serena’s too young to decide that right now,” said her mother in a tight voice. “She probably doesn’t even understand what that means.”

An unspoken message passed between the two women.

“Of course,” said her aunt after a pause. “Do not mind me.”

“Will we be seeing you at Gran’s birthday, Aunt Maeve?” Rina asked, hope sparking in her heart .

“I’m afraid not, my dear,”

“But—“

“Rina, honey, don’t pester your aunt,” said her mother.

“However,” said Aunt Maeve looking at her mother, “if your mother doesn’t mind, I would love to have you stay at Primrose Cottage over the summer?”

It was almost a question, and Rina looked at her mother beseechingly to make sure the answer was yes.

“Yes,” said Lorena in a soft voice. “I think that would be all right with me.”

Two Years Ago