Chapter 15
Chapter fifteen
Thea
Every time the door opened and the bell rang, Thea’s heart beat faster as she looked up to see if Nat had arrived.
Every time, it was a disappointment.
It seemed that Nat had either decided to catch up on some of his other responsibilities, or he was turned into a cat somewhere and unable to come visit her.
Thea wasn’t sure which one she would prefer.
But as the bell rang for the hundredth time, it seemed, without Nathaniel appearing, Thea steeled herself to once again feel let down as she looked up to greet the newcomer.
But this time, she was not disappointed.
For while it was not Nathaniel, it was someone else she desperately wanted to speak to.
“Thea!” her friend Beatrice cried as she hurried across the room. “It’s been too long—and I hear you have news for me?”
Thea laughed as Beatrice came around the counter and gave her a hug.
“I do have news,” she admitted, “and I actually have a question for you.”
Beatrice waggled her eyebrows. “A question,” she said with a sparkle in her eye. “That sounds promising.”
Thea rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“You are ridiculous,” she said. “It’s nothing like you’re imagining.”
“I heard that you were kissing Nathaniel Alder,” Beatrice said, “so I don’t think I’m as far off as you wish I was.”
“It may be about Nat,” Thea admitted, “but I don’t think you could guess it even if you tried.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” Beatrice said, propping her elbows up on the counter and looking at Thea expectantly.
“You...” Thea sighed, glancing around the room at all her other patrons. “I can trust you to keep this quiet, I hope?”
Beatrice let out a small noise in the back of her throat.
“Of course,” she said, shaking her head. “You know I’d never tell a soul.”
“I heard a rumor,” Thea began, “that your marriage had some strange things happen in the beginning. Did it?”
Beatrice showed no sign of acknowledging that anything strange had happened. “What sort of rumors did you hear?” she asked.
Thea sighed. It was better to come out with it. “Do you have any experience with magic?” she asked.
Beatrice’s eyes widened. “Oh, that. What do you know about magic?”
Thea shrugged. “I was just wondering if you had any experience...in case someone you knew was also having trouble with something.”
Beatrice laughed. “I think I understand what you’re saying,” she said. “Yes, there was magic involved in the beginning of our marriage that has since been dissolved.”
“Dissolved? How did you dissolve it?” Thea asked eagerly.
“Who’s asking?” Beatrice asked with a raised brow.
Thea hesitated. “Me,” she said. “Someone I...someone I care about is struggling.”
“What kind of struggle?” Beatrice asked. “The bearer—or being the recipient?”
“The recipient,” Thea said with a sigh.
Beatrice nodded. “I see. Well, I don’t know what I can do for you except tell you that you should talk to Guinevere about it. And if Guinevere can’t help, then...you and this person should come visit me. I may or may not have a baby dragon that might be able to help.”
Thea’s eyes widened and she stared at Beatrice. “A what now?” she asked.
“Shush,” Beatrice said quickly. “It’s not something we throw around.”
“They’re real?” Thea asked quietly.
“They are,” Beatrice admitted with a giddy grin. “You’ll have to come meet her. I can’t promise she will reveal herself, but if she does, you will be amazed.”
“I’m already amazed,” Thea said. “I just assumed they were a myth.”
“So did I,” Beatrice said. “Especially the books I read about them—they all made it seem like they weren’t real. Of course, we also thought magic wasn’t real.”
“True. And you and I both know that that isn’t true.”
Beatrice leaned closer. “So, what sort are you dealing with?”
“Nathaniel keeps randomly turning into a cat.” Thea sighed.
Beatrice snorted. “Somehow that is both terrible and extremely fitting for the two of you. What does Ginger think about that?”
“Apparently she thinks he’s handsome,” Thea said with a laugh.
“Well, he is,” Beatrice said. “I mean, not for me—I’m very happily married—but I can see why she would think that. Because if his cat form is anything like his human form, I’m sure it is very handsome.”
Thea felt the heat rushing to her cheeks. “Beatrice!” she whispered, completely scandalized.
Beatrice grinned. “I sincerely hope that the two of you have finally gotten over whatever it was that was wrong between you.”
Thea stared at her friend. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, please,” Beatrice waved her hand at her. “Anyone who was paying attention could see that the two of you had something between you.”
“I thought we hid it so well,” Thea murmured.
“You can think that,” Beatrice said with a laugh, “but it wasn’t true. Not for people who paid attention, at least.” They both looked up as the bell rang and Eugenia stepped in. “People like me and Eugenia,” Beatrice added, giggling at the look on Thea’s face. “Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.”
“No, she’s not,” Thea shook her head, “but keeping this secret from her has been taxing.”
“Which secret?” Beatrice asked. “The fact that you and Nat love each other, or the fact that he keeps turning into a cat?”
Thea shushed Beatrice quickly as Eugenia made her way to the counter.
“Hello, dearies,” she said. “Beatrice, I heard you were in town, and I had to come over and see for myself.”
“The rumor mill spreads fast in this town,” Beatrice muttered to Thea before rounding the counter to give Eugenia a hug and a hello. “How’s my library doing?”
“Wonderfully,” Eugenia said with a grin. “You and Lord Dunham should come see it soon. I’ve had someone help me make some new shelves.”
“Is he cute?” Beatrice asked.
Eugenia colored. Thea’s eyes widened as she glanced at Beatrice, who was smirking at Eugenia.
“I love this,” Thea said. “I wish you’d told me sooner. Beatrice and I had no idea you had your eyes on someone.”
“I don’t!” Eugenia insisted, but there was a twinkle in her eyes.
“Eugenia, you are the queen of gossip in this town. Did you really expect that we wouldn’t find out you were falling for someone?”
“Speaking of gossip,” Eugenia said, “I heard that Roan invited his brother over for dinner.”
That was quite the topic change. “Where did you hear that?” Thea asked.
“Someone who was at the tavern earlier,” Eugenia said, “but I shan’t reveal my sources.”
Thea sighed. “Of course not.”
“I do hope those boys patch up their relationship,” Eugenia said. “Not many know this since it’s practically ancient history, but their mother was the daughter of a good friend of mine, and I have a soft spot for those boys. I hope they’ll work things out between them.”
“They’re not really boys anymore,” Beatrice pointed out.
“They may not be,” Eugenia said, “but they always will be to me. I watched them grow up. That’s not something one easily forgets.”
Thea hadn’t realized that they had such a history with Eugenia. Though now that she said that, she recalled at least one or two stories about an Aunt Genie that felt very like Eugenia.
“What were they like as boys?” Thea asked suddenly, desperate to hear what Nathaniel had been like as a child.
“Much the same as they are now.” Eugenia shook her head. “Though both more extreme and more temperate. Roan was solid and responsible and took more of his father’s wrath than any boy should have to. I hated to see what that man did to him.”
She let out a deep sigh. “And Nathaniel—he was the happy-go-lucky one, with a smile for everyone. He was also the sensitive one, always in tune with what his mother needed. When their grandmother passed, I was there to help their mother. But she grew apart from me as the boys grew up and her husband became worse. If I had to guess, I’d say she was ashamed of her husband—and the fact that she had married him for position and not for love before she realized what a horrible man he was.
And when she pulled away, I saw less and less of them.
But I saw enough to see that your Nathaniel grew up to be a fine young man, and you would do well to stick with him. He won’t be like his father.”
Eugenia nodded to herself, musing, “I think Roan has a little more growing up to do.”
“But he’s older than Nathaniel,” Beatrice said.
“And yet he hasn’t seen things the way Nathaniel has. If Roan had also gone to Riyel, perhaps he would have grown more. But he’s stayed in this small town his whole life, under the shadow of his father. He still needs time to become the man he’s meant to be.”
“It’s been ten years since his father died,” Thea said. “Surely you don’t expect him to change much now.”
“I have it on good authority that Roan has found a woman,” Eugenia said, “and the love of a good woman will work wonders for that boy. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s the reason the brothers are having dinner tonight. If only I could be there, too.”
She gave Thea a meaningful look, but Thea shook her head.
“You’ll have to get your own invite,” she teased.
Eugenia let out a dramatic sigh. “I suppose that’s only fair. Maybe next time. Now, Thea—I need my drink. I’ve been here for nearly ten minutes, and it hasn’t appeared yet!”
Thea laughed as she stepped away to prepare Eugenia’s drink.
It was always interesting when Eugenia came to visit. And this had proven to be no exception.
Thea checked her reflection, making sure that her hair was up perfectly and her clothing looked neat.
She wasn’t sure why she was so concerned about her appearance.
It was only Roan and his…whatever Abigail was to him.
It didn’t make sense, and yet she found herself concerned that she looked as well put together as she could. Maybe it was for Nathaniel.
Or maybe it was because, after all the trouble Roan had given her, she wanted to show him that he had not won. Even if she’d said she’d forgiven him, there was still part of her that was aching to crow over him, but she shoved it away.
There was no point in going to this dinner and attempting to one-up Roan.
This dinner was a peace treaty between the brothers, and she would do her best to facilitate that—because as much as Nathaniel said he didn’t like Roan, she knew that he desperately wished for his brother’s approval and for a good relationship with him.
She wouldn’t get in the way of that.
So she pasted on a smile, took a deep breath, and locked up the café as she left. She was closing early for this—a sure sign that it was important to her.
She wasn’t sure what the situation would be at the tavern. Had Roan grown? She hadn’t thought he could, but then again, she never thought him the kind to apologize, either.
“May I walk with you?” a cheerful voice said behind her.
Thea turned to see Nat holding his arm out.
“Of course you may, kind sir,” she said, giving in to the playfulness as she took his arm. “I could have walked myself, though. There was no need for you to come out of your way to fetch me.”
“But what sort of a cad would I be if I allowed a beautiful woman to walk through the streets on her own?” Nat said with an unrepentant grin as he fell into step beside her. “Besides, I thought it might be better if we appeared as a united front when we braved the lion in his den.”
“Your brother is not a lion,” Thea admonished.
“Sure feels like it.” Nat’s usual cheerfulness had dimmed. “I know you forgave Roan, but I still haven’t quite, and I’m nervous for this evening’s dinner,” he admitted.
“Of course you are,” Thea said. “But he’s your brother, and he’s apologized. We ought to extend an olive branch and try to reclaim the relationship.”
It was not a long walk to the Lucky Goat, and Thea was thankful for Nathaniel’s solid presence as she stood in front of the door.
She’d only ever entered the tavern once: when she first found Nathaniel again to ask if he would let her rent the building.
Roan had come into the café for sure, his bluster and loud voice filling her whole venue, but she’d never dared to go back to the tavern.
“I’m not ready,” Nat said with a grimace.
Thea took a deep breath as they stood at the door. “We can do it together,” she said.
“Thank you for coming with me.”
“Of course. Anything for you.” The smile on Nathaniel’s face as she said the phrase he so often told her was worth any discomfort this evening might bring.
Now to get through it.
He opened the door, placing a hand on her lower back and ushering her into the building, where the smell of ale and stew filled the air. Thea took a deep breath, surprised at how much she enjoyed it.
The Lucky Goat felt surprisingly homey and comfortable. She never would’ve guessed it of Roan’s establishment, given what Gertrude had told her. The innkeeper’s review of the tavern had been less than glowing.
But that had been before Abigail.
The woman in question bustled toward them, wiping her hands on her apron. “Thea, Nathaniel,” she said, her smile wide. “I’m so glad the two of you could come.”
She looked around the room and Thea became aware of just how many people were staring at them.
“Roan is in the kitchen,” Abigail said, turning and gesturing toward the bar. “We thought we’d eat there tonight.”
“I think that’s a great plan,” Nat said, reaching for Thea’s hand and gripping it firmly, striding forward.
Apparently he was eager to get out of everyone’s sight.