Frostbitten Fairy Tales

by Melanie Karsak

  I went to Uncle Horace who was surrounded by his guests.

  “Good morning, Uncle,” I said, kissing him on the cheek.

  “Why Scarlette, your nose is cold again,” he said with a laugh.

  “Is it? How odd.”

  Uncle Horace laughed. “I don’t know what your father is going to do with you. He won’t be able to get you to leave Twickenham.”

  “I guess I’ll just have to stay here with you.”

  “You are always welcome, my dear.”

  A moment later, Archie and his grandfather arrived.

  Archie spotted me from across the room. He inclined his head to me.

  I gave him a little wave.

  Mister Edwards, who was waiting on the other side of the room, gave the pair a moment to say their hellos before he rang for breakfast.

  Taking my arm as we went to the dining room, Uncle Horace leaned into my ear and said, “The Boatswains inquired about you.”

  “Inquired? About what?”

  “If you were spoken for.”

  “Oh,” I said, my heart fluttering.

  “Seems young Archibald is quite taken,” Uncle Horace said. “I’ll discuss the matter more when you father arrives, but I don’t see any barriers. Do you really share a mutual admiration, as young Boatswain called it?”

  I chuckled. “Admiration? Well,” I said, looking over my shoulder at Archie. “Yes.”

  “Very good, very good. Maybe now I’ll be able to keep you at Strawberry Hill for more than an hour at a time,” he said with a laugh.

  We entered the dining room where the footmen directed us to our seats. Rather than sitting me next to Uncle Horace per usual, a footman guided me to sit at the other end of the table beside Master Boatswain, Senior, across from Archie.

  “Miss Rossetti,” Master Boatswain said. “Good morning.”

  “And to you, Master Boatswain.”

  “So, where were you off to so early?” Archie asked as we settled in.

  “Off? Off where?” I asked innocently.

  “I went to the library to see if you were awake and found your gnomes missing.”

  “Oh. Well…” I said then grinned. No use in lying. “I took them to the village this morning and completed the work on the pianist.”

  “We must make a stop by these fine sisters’ shop before we leave Twickenham,” Master Boatswain told his grandson who nodded.

  “They are the kindest women I’ve ever met. But if you go into town, be cautious. There are merchants camped in the woods between here and there. An odd looking bunch.”

  “Merchants?” Master Boatswain asked.

  I nodded. “A traveling troupe. Not dangerous, I don’t think. Just a bit…insistent. And a little strange.”

  “Strange how?” Archie asked.

  “I don’t know. Their dress. Their manner. I’m not sure, really. They’re just…odd.”

  Master Boatswain frowned. “Master Montgomery,” he called to a gentleman sitting not far away. “Are you aware of any traveling merchants in these parts?”

  I looked at Master Montgomery. He was a well-dressed man who worked in London. What his profession was, I was unsure, but he often came to Strawberry Hill to consult Uncle Horace. I believed he and my uncle belonged to some sort of club. Master Montgomery and a number of others who visited Strawberry Hill—both at the current gathering and in the past—all wore the same pin on their lapels: the letters R.M. encapsulated in a circle. Even my father had such a pin stashed away amongst his trousseau at home. Now that I thought about it, both Archie and Master Boatswain wore similar pins.

  Master Montgomery frowned. “Such merchants are seen in these parts from time to time. Has there been a sighting?”

  Master Boatswain turned to me.

  “I…I encountered them on the road the last two days. They’re camped in the forest not far from here.”

  Master Montgomery turned to one of the women in their company, Mistress Quickly. “Did you hear?” he asked her.

  Mistress Quickly nodded. I’d never had a chance to speak to her, but Mistress Quickly had come to Strawberry Hill once or twice before. I liked her manner. She always wore leather trousers under a modified gown, lace-up boots, and a dagger on her belt. She was a reserved woman, and like all of Uncle Horace’s friends, she was peculiar. “I’ll see to it, sir,” she told Master Montgomery.

  Master Montgomery gave Master Boatswain a knowing look then turned to me. “We’ll see to it, young Scarlette,” he said, giving me a soft smile.

  “And how are the doll-making sisters this morning,” Archie asked me.

  It hadn’t escaped my notice that Archie had changed the subject.

  “Busy. Very busy. They really are in need of an apprentice.”

  “Aren’t we all,” Master Boatswain said with a laugh, patting his grandson on the hand.

  “Grandfather is always on the hunt for bright minds,” Archie explained.

  “Is that so? Well, who doesn’t love a bright mind?” I said with a grin, mindful of Uncle Horace’s words.

  “Only a fool,” Archie replied, passing me a wink.

  I felt my cheeks redden.

  A moment later, the footmen appeared with the morning meal. Lost to our breakfast, the conversation faltered. I cast a glance up at Archie who was still grinning at me. A mutual admiration. Was that what Archie had said? Well, it was true. I did admire him, particularly those green eyes. I grinned at him then dove into my breakfast. All around me, lively conversation broke out. From airships to King George to DaVinci to Socrates, the topics ranged far and wide. I hardly knew which conversation to join. Everyone was busy eating, drinking, and chatting. The table was abuzz. But there was one notable change. Mistress Quickly’s chair was empty.

  Chapter 6: Of Clockwork Gnomes, Wind-Up Ducks, and Red Capes

  As breakfast came to an end, I debated what to do. I really wanted to stay and talk to Archie, but every time I thought about Laura and Lizzie, I felt guilty. They were drowning in work. Shouldn’t I help them? But if I stayed, I could fan the flames under that mutual admiration. Wasn’t that important too? In the end, my sense of obligation to the sisters won out. As the others moved out of the dining room to the parlor, Uncle Horace surrounded by his friends and Archie busy with his grandfather’s associates, I sought my escape. I’d just go to town for a couple of hours and be back by afternoon tea. Afterward, I’d stay at Strawberry Hill for the night.

  Avoiding even the servants, I slipped into the coatroom and donned my cape. Going unseen, I rushed from the house. Moving through the deep snow, trying with little success to follow the tracks cut into the snow by a sleigh, I headed back toward Twickenham. I’d barely stepped foot in the forest when I spotted the same merchant who’d been selling fruits and flowers waiting by the side of the road.

  I sighed heavily.

  “Miss Rossetti, come buy. Come buy.”

  Not pausing, I moved quickly past him by. “I’ve told you, I don’t want anything you have to sell. Please, leave me alone.”

  “Oh, but I have it this time. I have it. You see, everyone has something they want to buy.”

  The man held out a small chest. I didn’t want to look, but now I was curious. I slowed my stride long enough to see what was inside the case.

  Hagstones.

  “Come buy,” the little man coaxed. “We have everything a person wants. Don’t you want to buy?”

  “I…” I paused. “How much?”

  “One bronze.”

  “One bronze?”

  “One bronze curl, that is,” he said, pointing to my chocolate-brown hair with his gloved hand.

  My skin rose in gooseflesh. One didn’t have to linger around Strawberry Hill too long to become superstitious. While I hadn’t studied fairy lore, I had grown up on folktales. The little man’s proposal set my teeth on edge.

  “No. I’m no fool, and I know what mischief one curl can cause. Try again.”

  He laughed, a hissing sound that was vaguel
y inhuman.

  “Smart little mechanical. Well then, I’ll take all the coins in your pouch.”

  “No.”

  “Then I guess my master was wrong. I guess these are not for you,” he said then clapped the lid on the chest shut.

  Frowning, I pulled my money pouch from my belt. I removed some coins, taking out the money I needed for the things I had planned to purchase in town, then jangled the coin purse at the little man. “This or nothing. And this is an outstanding sum for a box of stones.”

  “Indeed, indeed. Of course, they are not just any stones, are they?” the little man said then reached out for the bag.

  I pulled my hand back.

  “The box first.”

  He laughed again, his voice a slick hiss. “Very well.” He handed the box to me.

  I tossed the coin pouch to him. “Don’t bother me again.”

  “We all like to buy. Maybe we’ll have something new for you tomorrow.”

  “No, you will not. You will leave me in peace. I have nothing left with which to barter. Now, good day to you,” I said and hurried on my way.

  “Thank you, Miss Rossetti. Thank you,” he called.

  I glanced over my shoulder, but the merchant was gone.

  I frowned then opened the box. Sure enough, there were seven hagstones inside. Just enough for my gnomes. But how had he known what I would want? Where had he even found these stones?

  My skin rose in gooseflesh.

  It couldn’t be a coincidence. Had he seen the hagstone Master Boatswain had given me? How?

  But then I remembered what I had seen from my room that night. Had it really been them standing outside the gate at the end of the lane? Even if it was, surely they couldn’t have seen me from the road. Or had they? But how?

  One answer presented itself.

  Magic.

  That wasn’t possible.

  No, this was just a coincidence.

  But I didn’t believe in coincidence.

  Serendipity, then.

  That had a better ring to it.

  It was just a matter of good luck, that was all. Nothing to fear. It was just…good luck.

  But something about the exchange didn’t feel lucky.

  Scowling, I tried to set the conundrum aside. First, I stopped by the bakery. Thomas was out on deliveries, but his father took my order and arranged for plum pudding to be delivered to both Annabeth and to Strawberry Hill.

  “Tell your deliveryman to expect an earful at the castle,” I told the baker. “Missus Ronald will not be pleased. Just tell them it was a request from Miss Rossetti.”

  “Indeed, Miss Rossetti. Thank you.”

  “And watch for merchants in the woods between here and Strawberry Hill. They’re such a nuisance.”

  “Merchants?”

  “A wandering band.”

  “Oh. I hadn’t heard of any trouble on the road. Thank you, Miss Rossetti.”

  “Of course,” I said then headed back outside. I crossed the square to the tailor’s shop. There, I placed an order for jackets for both of Annabeth’s boys. I didn’t know their exact sizes, but I made my best guess. When I was done, I stopped by the seamstress where I ordered cloaks for mother and daughter. As I had done at the bakery and the tailor’s shop, I arranged for all the goods to be delivered to Annabeth directly. I hoped that she would be able to smuggle them into the house on behalf of Father Christmas without the children noticing.

  When I was done shopping, I returned to Laura and Lizzie’s shop. The place was so full that both sisters were busy at the counter. I wasn’t sure they’d even noticed me come in. I headed back to the workshop. Setting the box of hagstones aside, I eyed over Laura’s work. She had her orders set out but hadn’t started work on the next batch just yet. I eyed the table, making sense of what she had set aside, then read over her orders.

  “Okay, one teddy bear at a time,” I whispered then got to work.

  An hour had passed before Laura appeared beside me.

  “Scarlette, when did you get here?”

  “Oh, a while ago. These are done,” I told her, motioning to the bears. “I was just about to work on this boy,” I said, picking up a baby doll that still needed his face painted.

  Laura chuckled. “I’ve got him. Busy, busy, busy. It’s a madhouse here.”

  I slid out of Laura’s seat then went to the end of the workbench where my gnomes waited.

  “The village is all astir,” I said. “I could barely push through at the bakery.”

  “No doubt! Oh, I’ll have to send Lizzie to get some bread before we close. I say, I scarcely remembered to eat yesterday.”

  “Laura! Do you need anything now? Can I bring you something?”

  “Oh no, dear. I’m fine. Just fine. So, what do you have there?” she asked as I opened the lid on the box containing the stones.

  “Hagstones.”

  “Hagstones?” she replied, surprise in her voice.

  “Master Boatswain said my gnomes needed a little magic, a little heart. Hagstones, he said, have magic at their very core.”

  Laura laughed. “My old mum told me that you could look through a hagstone to read elvish.”

  “Elvish?”

  Laura laughed. “My mum had quite the imagination. Full of fairy stories, that one.”

  “And are her daughters any less imaginative?”

  “No,” Laura replied with a light chuckle. Settling in, she smiled at the baby doll. “Now, let’s give you a little sparkle.”

  I headed to the other end of the workbench. I pulled out a spare square of red cloth and cut little hearts from the fabric. Lifting one gnome at a time, I cut a tiny slit in their chests. Removing a little stuffing, I slipped the hagstones into the gnomes. When I was done, I stitched their chests closed then sewed the red hearts over the top. The work took some time, but when I was done, I felt a great sense of relief. All this time, the gnomes had felt unfinished. Now…well, now they had hearts. I looked at their little glass eyes. Something about them seemed entirely different. They seemed more…alive. Maybe Master Boatswain was right. Magic.

  “Come close to me,” I whispered, setting the gnomes on the table in front of me. “Are you really alive now? No answer? I didn’t know gnomish men were the peevish type. Very well. Don’t tell me. But if you are alive, I have a job for you. Tonight, finish all of Laura and Lizzie’s work and tidy up the shop.”

  Taking out the windup key, I set the clockwork gnome in motion. How jolly the little band of gnomes looked in the Christmas finery with their little red hearts.

  “She’s back here, Master Boatswain,” I heard Lizzie say, a gleeful lilt in her voice. “Just here.”

  I froze for a moment then turned to look. Archie was standing at the entrance to the workshop, his top hat in his hand. He was so tall that he had to bend a little not to hit his head on the ceiling.

  “Archie?”

  “When I realized you’d gone, I knew where to look. And I wanted to meet the doll-making sisters. Miss Rossetti speaks very highly of you both,” Archie told Laura and Lizzie.

  Lizzie was smiling happily at the tall man, a joyous expression on her face.

  Laura stared at Archie over her spectacles. She looked dumbfounded.

  “Laura, this is Master Archibald Boatswain III,” I said.

  Laura swallowed hard then rose. “Pleased to meet you, sir.”

  “My grandfather wanted to come, but it was too much of a walk. Is this the pianist?” Archibald asked, eyeing the doll at the end of the table. “May I see it?” he asked Laura and Lizzie.

  “Of course. It’s all Scarlette’s work,” Laura said. “All born of her hands.”

  I motioned for Archie to follow me. I set the doll on her seat, readied the music box, then turned the windup key. At once, the pianist began to perform. When she tapped her hand on the keyboard, she tripped the switch for the music box hidden inside the piano. Her hands moving, it appeared as if she were genuinely playing.

  “I’v
e been thinking of how her movements could be timed to press the keys in truth,” I said. “It would take precise movements, but I think it would be possible.”

  Archie stared at the doll, nodding as he thought. “Very well done, Miss Rossetti. Marvelous.”

  “Thank you,” I said, feeling a blush creep up on my cheeks.

  “I…I was wondering. It’s very nearly time for afternoon tea. Are you planning to return to Strawberry Hill? I thought I could walk with you. That is unless you have more work to do here.”

  “Is it?” I asked. “I’d swear there is a time disturbance in this shop. How the hours escape me here. I should go back now. Have the others missed me?”

  Archie shook his head. “They’ve been in conference all morning.”

  “Indeed? Laura, Lizzie, do you need anything else? Can I be of more help?”

  “Oh no, dear. Oh no. Please go on ahead,” Lizzie said, still smiling wistfully at Archie.

  “We shouldn’t have kept you this long. Miss Rossetti is such a helpful girl, Master Boatswain. And quite ingenious,” Laura added.

  I cast a quick glance at her, not missing her chance to advertise me a bit.

  “So I see. Well, there is a wonderland of material to work with here. I can hardly blame her,” Archie said, motioning around the workshop.

  The sisters smiled widely.

  “I’ll get my things,” I told Archie.

  He nodded to me then turned to Lizzie. “Was that a carousel in the front window? May I see it?”

  “Oh, yes. Of course. If you please,” she said then motioned for him to follow her back to the front of the shop.

  After he left, Laura came and stood beside me. “What a gentleman. He came to admire your work. He looked like he was very impressed with the doll.”

  “I hope so.”

  Laura laughed. “Well done, Scarlette. A very bright prospect, my dear. Very bright. And handsome at that,” she added with a chuckle.

  “Were you ever married, Miss Laura?” I asked her in a whisper, eyeing Archie who was touring around the shop with Lizzie.