Chapter 27
M y first week at the bookshop passed quickly. Augustus wasn't as gruff as he seemed, just impatient. I restocked shelves, dusted, and helped customers by day. At night, I prowled the capital's square, searching for traces of Johan before returning to my apartment above the store. The memories of the manor, what was now home, hit like a blade between my ribs. Missing it was like a physical wound. From the bustle of the manor's kitchen to the guys as they told their tales from their most recent jobs. I missed Lucas egging someone on in a bet. Half the time, Vanya would sway drunkenly on the tables, stirring up a dance and dragging anyone she could get her hands on to join her.
I penned a coded update for the guild master, ink blooming across rough parchment. Between the whispers around town and my search for the old captain, I had plenty to hide beneath clever phrases. Afternoon sun streamed through dusty windows as I worked, surrounded by the scent of old books and leather. I spotted ladies approaching and swiftly hid the sealed letter under my book - "The History of the Sun, Moon, and Stars." The dry text revealed useful details about Sunneva: the king's bloody rise to power after his uncle's coup, and Epherinia's advanced aqueduct system that boosted crop yields. Though less exciting than my usual romances, I stored away these facts for later use.
"Welcome, is there anything I can help you find today?"
One of them, a petite blonde with golden ringlets tumbling down her shoulders, looked up at me with a smile, "Do you have any poetry books?"
"We do, here, let me show you." I led them over to a shelf along the larger wall. "Is there a particular poetry book you're looking for?"
The blonde's companion, a tall woman with honeyed skin and dark hair coiled elegantly atop her head, eyed me with suspicion, "I've never seen you around before. Are you new?"
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Within seconds, I had already figured her out. I flashed a meek smile and feigned nervousness. "I am. I've just arrived to help my uncle with his shop. How about this one?" I plucked a poetry book filled with saccharine romantic limericks and held it out to the blonde.
"Oh this looks lovely!" She squealed. She flipped through the pages, with each sampling her smile grew. "This is perfect. I'll take it."
Her friend didn't say another word as I rang her up at the counter and wrapped her book in brown parchment.
"Come back soon!" I told them as I handed the woman her new collection of poetry.
"We will! It was so lovely to meet you," the blonde gushed. "You'll have to join us for tea one afternoon." After a pause, she lightly elbowed her friend to speak.
"Yes," she sounded reluctant, "you simply must join us."
"That would be delightful," I replied with a practiced smile, though my insides twisted at the thought. Like bile rising in my throat, the memory of my last ladies' tea in Bridgedale surfaced. Hours of mindless chatter while I posed as an attendee, watching my target drone on about her latest silk purchases. That particular job had almost been compromised when I choked back rage along with my tea. When darkness fell and my blade found its mark, I felt nothing. Between the mind-numbing facade and the children she'd sold into darkness, my humanity had taken a necessary pause, a mercy I hadn't extended to her.
When the shop door finally closed behind them, I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. The whole interaction felt wrong, like donning another's skin. I was made for shadows and silence, for gathering secrets unseen. Not this bright, chattering world of pleasantries that left me hollow.
After dusting spines meticulously, I organized the counter. Augustus would return soon with his usual flood of papers. I left my letter and his mail on his desk - the only spot he'd notice things needed sending.
The door chimed again and in shuffled the old man. In the light of the afternoon, his dark grey hair gleamed with bits of silver. His eyes surveyed the shop. Finding it in one piece, he simply nodded to himself and continued towards the back office.
"How many customers did you scare away today, lass?" He laughed.
"I'll have you know, I haven't scared off a single customer since I've arrived," I retorted.
"Aye, what about the young men who have swiftly walked out after setting their sights on you?"
I rolled my eyes. "I can hardly be blamed for that. All I did was smile and welcome them.”
"Would you rather I scowl and throw a dagger at them? That can be easily arranged, and frankly preferred since I'd have more time to read."
Though lacking Vanya's grandeur, his presence commanded the same respect as he settled into his wooden chair. "You can't blame them for being curious about a new face in town. Back then, every suitor came bearing flowers."
"I can blame them," I said, jaw clenched. "I'm not interested in anything other than what I came here to do." The weight of my mission pressed against my chest, but curiosity softened my voice. "Is that how you met your wife? By bringing her a rose?"
"No, no," he said, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips, "I brought her a sunflower," he said, pride warming his voice. "I spoke to her sister and found out they were her favorite."
"How many sunflowers did she receive?"
"One," he said softly, lost in the memory. "No one else thought to ask." His voice cracked slightly as he looked down at his desk, busying his hands with the papers.