The Mysterious Lost Child (The Inscrutable Paris Beaufont Book 2)

by Sarah Noffke

  On the surface of everyone’s desks appeared little bluebirds and two tiny rosebuds with no stem.

  “These, as many of you know, are music players.” Willow glanced at Paris. This information was obviously for her benefit since she was the newbie to the college. “You place the rosebuds in your ears, and the bird will sing you a song in your head.”

  Wow, Paris thought, wondering if this technology was ahead of its time or behind it. There was no question that it was whimsical.

  “Your task today is to listen to the song I’ve chosen for each of you,” Willow continued. “They are songs about yearning, lost love, or heartbreak. Your job is to try and grasp these obstacles that our charges will inevitably face and help them understand how to overcome them. It simply is unrealistic to think all our matches will go off without a hitch. Usually, couples break each other’s hearts a few times before they truly fall in love. That’s because the heart is so fragile and falling is a very vulnerable affair. Many of the songs I’ve chosen are about these experiences. It will be your job to help our Cinderellas and Prince Charmings to work through the heartbreak and find their way to each other, which is rarely a flat, straight path.”

  The headmistress looked around at the class as though expecting questions. Paris didn’t have any. This lesson made the most sense of any of them so far. Learning how to garden or dance or cook to create love for two people was a little abstract. However, she could understand that creating love would involve a lot of obstacles. The path of love would have to be the most treacherous of all.

  Suddenly, the inscription on her locket rose to her mind: “You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.”

  Paris figured that it was much like this for two people finding love. It seemed unrealistic that two people would rush into each other’s open arms and live blissfully for the rest of their days.

  Instead, their interactions would be full of protective glances and terse words with hidden meanings. When she or he didn’t respond the way the other expected, there would be disappointment. Maybe one would rush off, deciding that they were better off without the other person, trying to convince themselves of that when in reality they only wanted that love.

  That all made much more sense to Paris than the fairytale love where a woman put on a dress and strode into a ball and found her prince. Even the idea that he sought her out and simply put a glass slipper on her foot and they rode off into the sunset was unrealistic. Life was full of mundane Tuesdays and bills and getting the kids to soccer practice and planning for retirement.

  Happily ever after was everyone’s goal, but in between, there were daily stresses and little disappointments. They never told that in Cinderella’s story.

  Maybe if they did, so many women wouldn’t be searching for someone to rescue them, Paris thought and picked up the rose “buds.”

  She would have preferred if Cinderella told her stepmom to shove it, went out on her own, and put herself through school, learning a skill other than cleaning someone else’s house that paid the bills and gave her confidence. That would have been a much better story than a prince fixing all her problems.

  In this fantasy, Cinderella would meet Prince Charming while attending night school and they’d banter over drinks, teasing each other with playful looks. Maybe he wouldn’t call her right away. Or perhaps she’d pretend not to be interested. There’d be some rough patches until they realized they only ever wanted each other.

  Between the beginning of their story and their happily ever after is when they’d write or play the heartbreak songs, which seemed like the best, most realistic story to Paris. She’d read that story. She’d listen to their music.

  Paris thought that even if they had to deal with the mundane Tuesdays and carpools and insurance premiums and whatnot, her Cinderella and Prince Charming would have true happiness. They’d almost always curl up together in each other’s arms at night, grateful that they fell in love the way they did because it made them have to work for it. That to Paris was true love. That was the kind the stories and the songs should be about.

  “Paris, did you hear me?” Willow stood in front of her desk.

  She wasn’t playing the music from her songbird, but Paris’ mind had trailed off in the fantasy, and she hadn’t been listening to the headmistress.

  Pulling out the rose “buds,” she offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  Thankfully Headmistress Starr didn’t appear offended by Paris being distracted. “I assigned everyone to review their song and give a full report on its significance for creating love. I understand it’s not an easy assignment since you’re new to this class and asked if you had any questions.”

  “Oh.” Paris glanced down at her songbird. A small “Play” button was on the top of its head. “No, I think I’m good for now. I’ll let you know.”

  Willow nodded acceptingly. “Very good.” She glanced out at the class and pressed her hands together. “Well then, go ahead and put in your buds and get to listening. There are tissues in the back for those who need them.”

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Paris hit the button on the top of her songbird, and a deep soulful voice filled her head.

  The female singer told a story of standing at a train station and watching a lover leave. The guy said, “I want to see the world,” and she replied, “Go.”

  Paris felt a prickle in her throat as the singer continued to tell of her heartbreak. The song lyrics detailed how the woman felt lost without the person that she’d let go. It brought so many ideas to the surface for Paris about how a person could be so strong, then losing one seemingly “small thing” could make them so weak.

  Before, she wasn’t sure what this analysis report that Willow asked for would include. Paris quickly retrieved paper and a pen from her desk, afraid that her ideas would dissipate if she didn’t get them out fast enough.

  It occurred to her that the woman telling the heartbreak story had told her lover to leave, not realizing how important he was to her. Still, if she hadn’t, she’d never have known. That was part of their tale to happily ever after. They had to lose each other to realize how much they loved one another.

  “That’s the way real love happens,” Paris wrote with a firm period as she quickly finished her report.

  She glanced up, surprised to find Willow and Mae Ling huddled at the headmistress’ desk. Paris pulled the rose “buds” from her ears and realized that without the music playing in her head, she could hear them easily.

  “Amelia Rose’s company, Rose Industries, is growing fast,” Willow explained to the professor, “but with it, so is the competition. She and Grayson McGregor have met a few times to negotiate competitive terms, but it always turns into a heated argument.”

  “Because the two have chemistry, but they’re fighting it at this point,” Mae Ling declared.

  Willow nodded. “I think so too. They feel the spark, but right now it’s creating an explosion instead of a warm, nurturing fire.”

  “Amelia is bitter about how Grayson treated her at their first meeting.” Mae Ling glanced at a report on the desk. “Grayson, it appears, doesn’t like that she was able to create a company from the ground up seeming overnight that could threaten his.”

  “Yes, although I think in a different light, he’d be very impressed by her,” Willow stated. “Amelia only ever interviewed with Grayson’s company, McGregor Technologies, because she respected it so much.”

  “What they appreciate about each other is now tearing them apart.” Mae Ling sighed. “She has ammunition to take him down, and he keeps fighting back. If they simply called a truce, they’d realize they were perfect together. They’re both strong and incredible. Imagine what they could do together if they weren’t sabotaging each other’s efforts.”

  “That’s the thing.” Willow flipped through a report. “In an attempt to destroy each other’s companies, they’re polluting the area around them, creating rivalries between employee
s, and instigating bad relationships. The whole thing is spreading, diminishing love, and you know how that goes…”

  Mae Ling nodded heavily. “It’s like a disease.”

  Paris found she was standing before she knew it. Her feet took her forward quicker than she realized, and she stood in front of the headmistress and Mae Ling. “I think I know how to fix Amelia and Grayson,” she said to her surprise and theirs too.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  “Paris, although I appreciate that, you’re supposed to be working on your assignment,” Willow said.

  “I’ve finished.” She turned to retrieve her report and noticed that all the students were either still listening intently to their songs or writing out their reports. Feeling a little too quick and short-sighted, Paris flushed and handed the paper to Willow. “I guess I could have added a little more or something.”

  The headmistress ran her eyes down the report and laid it down, giving Paris a proud smile. “Not necessarily. More isn’t always better. This is a very insightful analysis.”

  “Do you think it’s correct?” Paris asked.

  “The thing about love is there is usually no right or wrong,” Willow explained. “Like any art form, it’s subjective. I would agree that in some cases, two lovers have to lose each other or be separated somehow to appreciate one another fully. However, the phrase ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ isn’t really accurate. Distance is tough for two lovers, but the key is to find out if that space makes the heart realize what made it beat faster in the first place.”

  “So my report is okay?” Paris’ heart beat faster from merely the idea that she rushed the assignment.

  “It’s more than okay,” Willow said. “Now, I think we owe you our attention because if you have any input on our Amelia and Grayson situation, I’m all ears. How about you, Mae Ling?”

  The other professor nodded. “Yes, I think a fresh perspective is exactly what we need.”

  Paris wanted to ask Mae Ling about being Sophia’s fairy godmother but knew the timing wasn’t right. She tabled the conversation for later when they were alone.

  “Well, I’m sorry if it wasn’t okay, but I overheard you both,” Paris began.

  “We weren’t talking in private,” Willow offered.

  Paris nodded, letting out a breath. “Anyway, I was listening to the situation with Amelia and Grayson, and it seems that since they’re two people who are at odds, we can’t have their past erased. Like the song, we have to use the bad experiences to make them appreciate each other and realize what they’re missing. They need to have their obstacles between them turned to their advantage.”

  Willow absentmindedly twirled her long bluish-gray hair around her finger. “Yes, that makes sense. We have to hope the rivalry brings them together and makes their love stronger.” She glanced down at the papers in front of her that detailed the situation with Amelia and Grayson. “I’m just not sure how. They’re after the same niche in a small industry, cutting each other around every corner to get ahead. Each day the war gets hotter between them. Neither seems close to backing down.”

  “I think we need more information,” Paris suggested.

  “Well, the report from Saint Valentine’s office has offered us information about what’s happening in the media and public memos,” Willow stated and sighed. “Honestly, I think we might have to turn this over to a higher-level fairy godmother at the agency or Matters of the Heart. It’s just that the case originated here with one of our professors so it fell under our jurisdiction. I never imagined that it would create so many negative effects that keep getting worse.”

  “What we need is information that’s not public,” Paris stated with a sly smile.

  “What do you mean?” Willow asked curiously.

  “I mean that we need to go incognito.” Paris wasn’t sure if she should proceed with this idea, which was undoubtedly against standard fairy godmother protocol. However, she reasoned she was already in headfirst. “I propose that we investigate their two separate corporations from the inside and figure out how we can bring them together while they’re trying to tear each other apart.”

  When she was silent, so were the other two fairy godmothers. They simply blinked back at Paris, making her feel very self-conscious.

  After a long bout of silence, Paris finally cleared her throat. “I mean, it’s probably a bad idea, and you should do whatever it is that you normally do in these circumstances. Ignore—”

  “What we normally do,” Willow cut in politely, “isn’t working. We keep trying to put them together and try to negotiate, but it only incites them more. I think we’re missing something crucial in this situation. Mae Ling, what do you think?”

  The other fairy godmother nodded. “I agree. We’re trying to get them to get along, but maybe there’s another part of this that needs our attention first. Maybe they aren’t meant to get along, not at first to fall in love. Paris makes a good point. The only way we’re going to know what gets them together is to gather more information.”

  “Very well,” the headmistress stated with finality. “I’ll assign two students to go in covertly and discreetly gather information on the companies, but absolutely nothing else.”

  She glared up at Paris with a strange stern expression that was rare to see on the headmistress’ face.

  Paris couldn’t help herself. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Well, isn’t it obvious? I expect you to be one of these students. To be honest, I think we’ll need someone with your kind of expertise to accomplish this.”

  “Expertise?” Paris questioned.

  Willow gave her an embarrassed look. “I mean someone who knows how to break the rules, which is what we’ll have to do to get into the corporations to research them from the inside.”

  Paris laughed. “That would be me. I’m most in my element when I’m doing that.”

  Thankfully the headmistress smiled too. “You’ll be partnered with an experienced student. Your job is to collect information for us to use to help these two lovers. That’s it.”

  Paris nodded, pride spreading across her chest. “Yes, and I’m up for the challenge.”

  Willow softened, smiling at Paris. “I figured you’d be. I think you’ll do an excellent job.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Because the Amelia Rose and Grayson McGregor situation was so dire, the headmistress ordered that Paris get ready to leave straight away for the investigations. Not used to having fairy godmothers sneak into corporations in disguise, Willow was at first at a loss for how to get them into the businesses.

  Paris, who had been sneaking into bars well before she was allowed or just plain sneaking around Roya Lane all her life, had a few ideas. She took the rest of the morning to develop some strategies while Headmistress Starr recruited the other student.

  Hardly taking time to chew a protein bar, Paris called Uncle John to update him and get some tips. He answered on the first ring, sounding concerned.

  “Are you all right?” he said instead of “Hello.”

  “I’m fine.” Paris briefly filled him in on what she’d done the night before. He seemed relieved that everything had gone as well as it had. It probably helped his anxiety level that Paris left out the part about losing her protective charm and encountering the dangerous entity. Remembering that she’d first met the monster on Roya Lane, Paris suddenly tensed.

  “Have you seen anything strange on Roya Lane?” she asked her uncle. “Like, whatever could have attacked Charlotte?”

  He blew out a breath over the receiver. “To be honest, I haven’t left the flat since it got ransacked, too busy putting everything back together.”

  “I could have helped you,” Paris protested. Her magic was stronger than her uncle’s from an early age. She’d always wondered why—and why he preferred not to use magic, but when he did, he employed a screwdriver to funnel it. A conduit for their magic was apparently common for most fairies but not for Paris. She’d
never needed a wand or object to perform magic. Now she knew why. She was half-magician.

  “I’m fine,” he stated adamantly. “I know you’re going to worry, but I’m fine here. Others are searching Roya Lane, and the portals are heavily monitored now. If there’s something here, we’ll find it. It’s doubtful that anything that isn’t supposed to be here will be able to get back in again.”

  Paris sighed with relief. She knew whatever had been after her on Roya Lane was most likely what attacked her in Beverly Hills. Hopefully, that meant it, whatever it was, couldn’t get back into Roya Lane, and Uncle John was safe.

  “Hey, you told me about Clark and Sophia. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I met Clark’s wife, Alicia.” Paris filled in more of the details. “She asked about you.”

  “Did she?” Curiosity edged his voice.

  “I guess you can’t tell me anything about how you know her since you can’t tell me how you knew my mom and dad.” There was a hint of hope to her voice.

  “I wish I could,” he muttered.

  “Well, does a black and white cat have any significance to you?” Paris asked. “I saw one in Beverly Hills and got a strange impression from it as if the animal wasn’t normal.”

  “How so?” John asked quickly.

  “Just odd timing of seeing the creature.” Paris left out the point that it appeared when she was being chased and again when the monster disappeared.

  “Pare, you know I wish I could tell you something about him.”

  “Him?” Paris questioned. “That must have slipped through one of the loopholes on the silencing spell. So you do know a black and white cat then? Should I stay away from him? Or is he good, like my friend Faraday?”

  “Faraday?” John questioned.