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 of the books didn’t make her feel any better about the rest of it. She began picking them up carefully, smoothing out wrinkled pages from books that 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. At least he had the good sense to share his books with others, rather than keeping them all to himself.

She would walk to Eldenwilde, the Dunham estate, after she stopped for a hot drink.

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.

As she grabbed her cloak, pulling it on and tying it around her neck, she snagged her notebook from her desk and slipped it into her bag. She kept track of the number of books that had been checked out of the library and the patrons she had helped recently–because while Lord Dunham may not have been interested in books himself, he was keenly interested in how the library was helping the people of the Northlands.

It was nice that someone besides her cared.

As Beatrice made her way across town, she turned the corner of the tavern and bumped straight into Roan, the often surly owner of the establishment.

"Hello, Beatrice," he 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 square.

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 immediately relaxed upon entering. There was something about being here that could make any day better, even one in which she dropped books.

"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 the Dunham estate," 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 the Dunham estate 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."

Beatrice shrugged. "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 need a hot drink 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 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 ambiance 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.

~~~

Click here to learn more about Once Upon A Rose.

Nathaniel Alder stared up at the imposing gates of the city he’d always longed to visit. 

His father called this running away–he called it running home. 

He’d never been at home in the Northlands, but maybe he could be here.

Guards on either side of the gate nodded to Nat as he made his way through and paused to take in his first sight of the city. 

Coming to Riyel had been a dream of his for years, one that his father and brother had always managed to put down. He had long since reached the age where he should be making his own decisions, however, and now he was finally here. He was here with no intention of going back, not when the city held so much for him. 

What exactly it held, he wasn’t sure, but he knew it was going to be everything he dreamed of.

He was now in the northern quadrant of Riyel, the home of the tradespeople. Each quadrant of the city had its own purpose, and here he hoped to find work that wouldn’t involve joining the military in the eastern quadrant. But if the military was the only place that would take him, surely even that would be worth it to stay instead of turning around and going home to face his father and brother. 

He would do anything to avoid that.

Turning  in a circle, he took in the sights as he entered a square with shops all around. This square was already larger than the town square at home, and he’d heard that there were multiple squares in the northern quadrant alone.

It was more than he’d ever experienced, and yet so familiar.

Yes, this is where he was meant to be. 

Nat stepped forward, and a body ran into him. 

Throwing his hands forward instinctively, he caught the person and prevented them from falling. He looked down long enough to register that it was a young lady, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

“We haven’t even met, and you’re already falling for me,” he began, his usual style of flirtation ever at the ready. But as he took in the wide-eyed miss in his arms, a two-layered cake precariously balanced in her hands, his own eyes widened and he could no longer breathe the way he always had.

She was beautiful. Her dark skin glowed in the sunlight, her soft black curls were done up in a pile on top of her head, and her warm brown eyes looked up at him like he had just saved her life.

But then the corners of her mouth turned down and she scowled at him. “Watch where you’re going.”

“I–I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking,” he began.

“I noticed.” She took a step away from him, making sure he was no longer touching her and adjusted the cake in her arms. “Some of us are doing important things here. If you’re going to spin in a circle in the square, the least you could do is not become dizzy and run into someone else who’s minding their own business.” She turned up her nose and somehow managed to look down at him, even though she was shorter than he was.

“I apologize,” he started to say, but his words faltered. He’d never had someone this beautiful be so mad at him before.

“I accept your apology,” she said shortly. “Please excuse me.” 

She brushed past him and continued walking, but Nat wasn’t ready to let her go. He strode after her. “Please allow me to accompany you, Miss….”

“Miss Greene,” she said, glancing at him. “But there’s no need. I’m quite capable of reaching the competition on my own, Mister….”

“Alder. Nathaniel Alder.”

“I thank you for your concern, Mr. Alder, but I can manage.”

“I’m sure you can. And please, call me Nat.”

Had she just rolled her eyes?

He tried again. “Let me make sure you arrive safely at your destination.”

He was only being a gentleman. It had nothing to do with the fact that he might never see her again if he let her go…and for some reason, he couldn’t imagine never seeing her again. 

Nathaniel Alder, the biggest flirt in the Northlands, was completely and utterly entranced by this young lady, and he wasn’t entirely sure why.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that, unlike all of the girls in the Northlands, she wasn’t fawning over him instantly. 

Maybe it was how beautiful her eyes were.

Or maybe it was the giant cake she carried. Nat did have a sweet tooth. 

She let out a deep breath. “You can come with me, but you better not get in my way.” With that, she started moving again.

Nat followed, opening his mouth to say something, but found that he couldn’t. Nothing he wanted to say sounded right.

He’d never been struck speechless before. He’d always had something to say, a joke to make, or a smile for a friend.

She had spun him around and turned him loose. Looking around the city hadn’t been the thing to make him dizzy–it was her. 

The beautiful girl walked with purpose, the cake tray held tightly in her grip. Occasionally she adjusted her hands, and he wanted to offer to take it, but thought she might bite his head off if he tried.

She was beautiful and fiery, and he had never been so impressed.

But what could he say to her? She deserved more than silence from him–not that she seemed to want to talk to him. It felt wrong, however, to follow her through the city without speaking. 

He could try again. Surely his words wouldn’t fail him this time. But what to ask her?

“What is the competition for?” he finally asked as he followed her through the streets of Riyel.

He should have been taking in the sights of the place he’d dreamed about for so long, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the cake. If she tripped again, he would be there to catch it. It seemed only fitting to ask the purpose of the cake he couldn’t stop staring at.

“It’s a competition to win the contract to be the official baker for a royal event. Winning would be a huge honor for my family and our bakery, and would bring us more customers.”

That wasn’t what he was expecting. He’d been expecting some small neighborhood function, perhaps, not a major competition for such an esteemed prize.

“And you’re the only one carrying the most important cake you’ve ever made?” he asked. “Why isn’t someone helping you?”

She let out a huff as she readjusted the cake in her arms. “My family is already at the competition talking to the judge and answering questions about our bakery and about our ability to handle the event. The cakes were not required to be there until later for tasting. If we had a frosted cake and left it to sit in this heat, it would have melted. So I just now put the frosting on, and we will serve it as soon as I get there.”

Nat didn’t realize he’d reached his hands out as if to steady the cake until after she was finished speaking. He’d never thought of the mechanics of baking a cake before. His family was among the wealthier families in the Northlands, although they were not nobility, and they employed a cook and some household servants. Maybe his mother knew how to make a cake, but he certainly didn’t.

“I suppose it’s a good thing I caught you then,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to see your family lose such a prestigious award because of me.”

“Well, I wasn’t expecting someone to not look where they were going,” Miss Greene said shortly. 

Nat grimaced. “Yes, the fault is mine,” he said. “I’ve dreamed of being in Riyel my whole life, and as I only just arrived a few moments ago, I couldn’t resist taking it all in.” 

She raised an eyebrow in a manner that asked why she should care. 

Nathaniel decided to take the hint and stop talking. 

His feet hurt from all the walking he’d done since he’d left home, but the pain barely registered as he followed her to a grand building on yet another square and opened the door for her. They marched inside, the two-tiered cake with a light pink frosting still held safely in her arms. 

Nat’s fingers twitched to reach out and touch one of the candied strawberries to tease her, but he could only imagine the look she would give him if he dared to act upon his impulses.

She seemed a very straight and narrow kind of girl, just the kind he used to love to tease, but he could not afford to make enemies in Riyel. Even though he longed to attempt to bring back the smile that had been there oh so briefly, he decided against it. It was better to not alienate the first person he met in a new city when he had no home and no job and only three days’ worth of money.

He knew he should have saved more money, and yet he couldn’t imagine waiting any longer to strike out on his own. He’d taken the allowance he’d been given on his birthday and had left before Father or Roan could change his mind about leaving yet again.

Perhaps Miss Greene or her family would know of someone looking for help, or a place where he could stay the night, or even where to find food so he didn’t have to cook himself. He knew absolutely nothing about cooking, and yet that was something he hadn’t even considered, until she brought up the fact that a cake would melt in the heat.

He truly was more hopeless than he’d thought. No wonder his father had encouraged him to stay home. 

Hopefully Miss Greene would be willing to help him. But he doubted she would be willing to help if he teased her by touching the candied berries, so he would refrain. At least until she won this competition.

She had to win the competition.

And he had to figure out why she made him speechless.

~~~

Click here to learn more about Once Upon A Cake.