The Chancellor Fairy Tales Boxed Set: Books 1-3

by Poppy Lawless

  Okay. Great. He was smart, handsome, and friendly…all good for Alice. But he was from another country. How was that ever going to work? “That’s Chancellor for you. I’ve lived all over, but there is something very special about this place.”

  Luc nodded, but I saw a sad shadow cross his face. There was a longing behind his eyes. Something told me that the idea of traveling around until he found some place he wanted to live was quite outside his grasp. I knew the look. Horatio used to have the same shadow behind his eyes. It was the look of a man trapped by his good fortune.

  “Here you go,” Genevieve said then, returning from the back. She handed me an envelope. “Ah, I see you’ve met Monsieur Beaumont.”

  “We were just getting acquainted,” I replied.

  Genevieve smiled then peered over our heads out the window. “Out of time, I’m afraid. Looks like your ride is here, monsieur,” she said, then cast a glance toward the door.

  We both turned to hear the front door open. A moment later, the sparrows called to me.

  She’s coming. She’s coming.

  A second later, Viola Hunter turned the corner.

  The moment her eyes settled on me, my heart felt like it had been filled with liquid sunlight. All I wanted to do was race across the room, sweep her into my arms, and plant a kiss on her lips. If only…

  Chapter 8: Viola

  “Rayne?” Now what in the world was he doing here?

  “Hi, Viola,” he said, grinning at me like that again.

  The man seated with Rayne stood. “Mademoiselle Hunter?”

  I looked at him. Who in the world was this guy? Maybe he was traveling with Monsieur Beaumont? He was far too young, and way too hot, to be the guy whose photo I’d seen on the Beaumont company webpage.

  “Yes. I…I’m here to take Monsieur Beau—”

  The stranger flashed me a charming smile. “I am Monsieur Beaumont,” he said, then chuckled. “I see you were expecting my father.”

  Blowing it, Viola. Need to put on some Cinderella-style charm stat. “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Yes, admittedly, I thought I was supposed to meet your father. Professor Wallace asked me to bring you over to the college for a meeting this afternoon. My assistant phoned you?”

  He nodded. “Yes, just let me gather my things.”

  “I hope you aren’t feeling too jet-lagged,” I said. Surely, Professor Wallace realized the man might need some sleep.

  “Not at all. I slept on the plane,” he replied as he stowed his papers into a briefcase.

  “Oh, and I have something for you as well,” I said, turning my attention to Genevieve. “Judy said you hadn’t been by to pick up Lavender Fields’ tickets for the Cherry Blossom Ball. I brought them along.”

  “Thank you, Viola. That was very kind of you, but I don’t think…”

  I pressed the tickets toward her. “Do come.”

  “I hardly have a thing to wear.”

  “New dress shop in town, right Rayne?” I said, angling to get some help. Genevieve was the most successful lodging proprietor in Chancellor, but she rarely participated in social events. I liked the woman. There were a lot of people in town who could help her if she just socialized a bit more. The ball, which most of the chamber of commerce members attended, would be the perfect chance to get her out and about.

  “There is. New designer. She just opened a place on Main Street by The Glass Mermaid.”

  “Threaded Bliss Bridal Boutique,” I added.

  “That’s the place,” Rayne said.

  Genevieve smiled shyly. “I’ll think about it.”

  “And you…Julie said you didn’t answer her text,” I told Rayne then, referring to the conversation I’d had an hour earlier with my brother’s girlfriend.

  “Julie sent a text?” Rayne replied, confused. He pulled out his phone. “Ah. Dead battery.”

  “I swear, why do you even carry that thing? You never have it charged.”

  “I can tell the time by the slant of the sun and placement of the stars. Who needs a cell phone?”

  “You know it does more than tell time, right?”

  Rayne chuckled. “What’s up?”

  “Barbeque at SerendipiTEA Gardens tonight. Six o’clock. Not sure what that equates to in rays of the sun,” I told him with a wink.

  “That’s what time the sun sets over the lake,” Rayne replied, matter of factly.

  “Really? I never noticed.”

  “Well, that sounds like something I need to remedy.”

  “Is that so?” The image of Rayne and me walking hand in hand along the beach at sunset gripped me with such a feverish desire that I had to force myself to focus. “Sounds…perfect. But for now…” I said then turned my gaze back to the startlingly young and handsome Monsieur Beaumont who was grinning at Rayne and me. “Monsieur, are you ready?”

  “Oui, but I didn’t dare interrupt. I wanted to see how it would turn out,” he said then looked at Rayne. “Well done,” he told him with a wink.

  Rayne grinned then stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Luc,” he said then turned to me. “Is Luc’s schedule full? Perhaps he’d enjoy an American-style barbeque and some pleasant company.”

  There was a glint in Rayne’s eye, not the usual sparkle that lived there, but something more mischievous. What did he have up his sleeve?

  “I don’t believe so. I’ll check with Professor Wallace. If you aren’t busy this evening, perhaps you’d like to join us?”

  “Merci. Of course,” Luc replied.

  I couldn’t help but notice Rayne grinning happily. He then turned to Genevieve. “And you, Ms. Harper? How about a night off?”

  Genevieve shifted nervously. “I have so much to do here. The house is full. The dinner rush…”

  “Come after. The food will be amazing. The company even better,” I told her.

  She smiled. “If I have a chance.”

  “Monsieur Beaumont,” I said then, motioning toward the door. Fully aware that I had a chemistry test tomorrow morning, the last thing I wanted to do was piss off Professor Wallace by running late. “Call Julie,” I told Rayne.

  “Will do. Drive carefully,” he said with a wave.

  With that, we headed outside. The scent of lavender drifted across the field, perfuming the wind. I stopped and inhaled deeply. “Spanish lavender,” I said absently.

  “Oui. Good nose,” Luc said as he slipped into the car.

  “Thank you. My family…we try to incorporate local ingredients in our fruit wines. We’ve used some of Ms. Harper’s lavender before. My nose is trained on the grape, but it has higher aspirations.”

  “So Professor Wallace mentioned.”

  “Nosing the wine is one of my specialties, but I’d like to move into your trade one day.”

  “Perfumery?”

  I nodded.

  “No better place to study than in France.”

  “Perhaps, once I’m done with my degree.”

  “We offer an apprenticeship program over the summer. It’s a very exclusive program, but Professor Wallace spoke highly of your academics.”

  I tried to hide the excitement that shot through me like a lightning bolt. But a moment after I considered it, I knew it was impossible. Dad was back at the helm, but I was still needed at the restaurant, and France was so far from….everyone. “Sounds like an amazing opportunity.”

  “It is. But it’s only for people with a good nose.”

  “Well, I’ll put on my best Cyrano de Bergerac then.”

  Luc smiled, and we drove up the hill toward the college. All the while, my mind was busy playing out the dream of me walking through French lavender fields dreaming up the next Chanel No. 5. And for some reason, in that fantasy, I couldn’t shake the image of Rayne walking at my side.

  Chapter 9: Rayne

  “Rayne!” Horatio Hunter called happily when I pulled into the parking lot of Green Earth Apothecary and SerendipiTEA Gardens. Behind the shop was a small garden area that Julie, the shop owner and Ho
ratio’s girlfriend, had transformed into the perfect backyard terrace, complete with a brick grill which Horatio was manning. Julie, her red hair shimmering in the dimming sunlight, was covering a long, butcher-block outdoor table with a flower-print tablecloth. She waved to us.

  “We’re late,” Alice scolded as she hopped out of the truck.

  I glanced at the setting sun. “No, we aren’t.”

  “Maybe I’m just hungry,” she said with a laugh.

  “You do own a restaurant, you know.”

  “Shut up.”

  Chuckling, I stuffed my hands into my pockets and followed Alice onto the terrace. The smell of burning hickory wafted up from the grill where Horatio was stoking the fire.

  “Hey, Rayne,” Julie called happily as she pulled Alice into a hug.

  “Grab me a couple of logs, would you?” Horatio said to me, pointing toward the firewood piled neatly nearby.

  Grabbing the wood, I wondered for the five-hundredth time what, exactly, Horatio would think if I started to…or even wanted to…date Viola. Before Julie moved to Chancellor, Horatio and I used to hit local scene in search of fun. But that’s all it had been. Fun. Viola, well, that was something different. Would he understand? While I’d always found Viola beautiful, and the flirty conversation was always amusing, I wanted something more. My feelings for Viola had become more serious. I hoped that with Julie in the picture, maybe Horatio would be cool about me breaking “bro code.” But first I needed to worry about Alice. As long as Viola brought Luc tonight, things would start moving in the right direction. Perhaps destiny would just take its course. And if not, I had my wand hidden inside my pocket.

  I handed the wood to Horatio while I eyed over the selection that Julie, whose baking skills only slightly surpassed her cooking skills, had set out. Plates of marinating portabella mushrooms and veggie shishkabobs waited.

  “Looks amazing, Julie,” I told her, letting my nose sniff out just what Julie had used to marinate the food. Julie’s skills in the kitchen were a product of her own talent, of course, but it didn’t hurt that she was a gifted kitchen witch. It wasn’t like she announced it to the world, but Julie had joined Chancellor’s coven of good witches shortly after moving here. According to the elders, witches had lived in Chancellor since the town’s beginning. I could see them, and they were always quick to notice my sparkle, but I was pretty sure they didn’t know what I was. I wanted to keep it like that. After all, I wasn’t the only sparkly “other” in Chancellor. You didn’t have to talk to Kate, the owner of the little boutique called The Glass Mermaid, for more than a few minutes without noticing that she was…different. Her voice was more melodious and soothing than the average person, her shimmer beyond compare. I long suspected she might be better-suited to a life under the waves than above them, but I never shared my thoughts with anyone. What did it matter to me, a faerie, if a mermaid also walked among the humans in Chancellor?

  “Man, no steaks? Burgers?” Alice said as she handed me a beer.

  “Of course. They are inside in the fridge,” Julie said coming up behind us as she looked over the fire. “How long, my dear?” she asked Horatio.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he replied, pausing to kiss her on the forehead.

  “Give me a hand?” Julie asked Alice.

  “Sure. You make a dessert? I’m still eating through my misery.”

  “Of course! Old recipe. Mrs. Row gave it to me. Strawberries, cream cheese, and pretzels,” Julie was saying as they walked inside.

  “Sounds weird,” Alice commented.

  I chuckled. I’d bet money it was wyrd for sure.

  I watched Horatio as his eyes followed Julie inside.

  “A man in love,” I told him, lifting my bottle. “To love.”

  Horatio lifted his drink. “To love,” he said, tapping his bottle against mine.

  “How go the plans for the ball?” I asked. Horatio, who had recently extricated himself from his father’s business, was working with the arts council on planning the upcoming Cherry Blossom Ball.

  “Well, I need this beer, that’s for sure. But it’s coming together. Man…I need to tell you something. I have something special planned for the ball…for Julie,” he said, casting a nervous glance behind him.

  “Do tell.”

  “I’m going to ask her…I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  A weird feeling swept across my stomach, a strange mixture of excited happiness and jealously. My reaction startled me.

  “Congrats, man,” I said, patting him on the back. I took a sip of the beer, clearing my throat which had suddenly gone dry. “Tell Viola yet?”

  Horatio shook his head. “She’s been busy with school and is just distracted. I think she’s getting ready to cut ties with the company. She’s all over the place.”

  “Regardless, brother, you better tell her or she’ll be furious at you.”

  “Will do. Still need to break it to my dad. That should be fun. Ah, speaking of Viola,” Horatio said then, nodding over my shoulder.

  I turned to see Viola and Luc crossing the parking lot toward us. God, she looked beautiful. The sunset shimmered on her hair, making it glimmer with glints of blue and gold. She laughed politely as Luc spoke to her. Once more, my stomach twisted.

  “Well, that’s interesting. I thought he was supposed to be some old scientist guy. He knows that’s my sister, I hope,” Horatio said then waved to the pair.

  Viola smiled at me.

  I waved to Luc. “Welcome! Beer or wine?”

  “Let’s have a beer,” Luc replied.

  “Luc, this is my brother, Horatio,” Viola introduced as I headed over to the cooler.

  “Horatio…I’ve not heard this name before. Is it common?” Luc asked.

  Horatio laughed good-naturedly. It wasn’t the first time someone questioned him about his name. “No. Viola and I…our mother was very into the theater. She named us for characters in Shakespeare plays. Horatio was a character in Hamlet. Mom picked the name because the Horatio in the play was an honest man and a good friend. His honesty kept him out of trouble.”

  “And Viola?” Luc asked.

  “From Twelfth Night. She wins the love of a duke.”

  Luc laughed. “Those are in short supply these days.”

  “Who. Is. That?” Alice asked as she sidled up beside me, her eyes fixed on Luc.

  At that same moment, one of my honey bees whisked by, a buzzing whisper refocusing me on the real reason why I was there. I wasn’t there for Viola or Horatio…I was there for Alice. And right now, I needed to pay attention.

  “Let me introduce you,” I said with a grin, taking the massive bowl of some delicious-looking fruit salad from her hands and handing her two bottles of beer which she took absently from me.

  “Dammit. I’m a mess,” Alice whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me a hot guy was going to be here? I look like crap.”

  I scanned her quickly. She was dressed casual, jeans and a T-shirt with the deli logo on it, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She looked perfectly fine, natural in her beauty, but she was also right. I should have warned her. I was terrible at this. And there was no way I could just whip out my wand and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo her into a sparkling blue gown. If there was a prize for worst fairy godfather on the planet, I was definitely going to win.

  “Luc,” I called, directing Alice toward him. “Let me introduce you to our friend. This is Alice.”

  “Enchanté,” he said, smiling at her.

  I couldn’t help but see him scan her face, his eyes assessing. And after a moment, I saw the slight lift at the corners of his mouth. Clearly, despite her casual attire, he liked what he saw. And, I was pleased to see, it was just her face he’d scanned…nothing below the chin. Now, that was a gentleman.

  Alice giggled. Like, full-on giggled, which made Viola raise an eyebrow at her.

  “Beer?” she said, handing him the bottle.

  Oh good lord. I cast a desperate glance at Viola. My eyes s
creaming help.

  Viola nodded.

  “Alice is a business owner,” Viola told Luc. “She owns a little deli downtown.”

  “Bagels,” Alice explained. Suddenly looking embarrassed, she added, “Oh, I do make croissant too. Bagels aren’t the only breakfast pastry in the world that’s good. I mean, they’re good but—”

  “I love bagels,” Luc interrupted. “Don’t tell my countrymen, but I always grab one when I have a layover in New York. Is that correct, that they make the best bagels?”

  Alice relaxed and sipped her beer. “It’s the way they are made. New York bagels are the most authentic. You have to boil them to get the right texture,” she started explaining just as Julie came out of the back of the shop carrying two large platters.

  “Help?” Julie called.

  I cast a glance at glance at Luc and Alice. To my surprise, Luc was listening to her with rapt attention.

  “Coming,” Viola called, motioning for me to follow her. “Did you see that?” Viola whispered.

  “See what?” I asked with a smirk.

  “Oh my god, shut up. You saw it too. The little, I don’t know, moment.”

  “I saw it,” Horatio said, coming up behind us.

  “Rebounds can be good. He’s a nice guy. Very polite,” Viola said.

  Horatio took one tray from Julie. When I reached out for the other, she handed it instead to Viola.

  “Help me with something?” Julie said, motioning for me to come inside with her.

  I nodded and followed her.

  Julie’s bracelets jangled as she grabbed two glasses off a tray sitting on the counter inside. Julie’s little shop was at the front of the house. At the back was her small apartment. She handed the glasses to me. “New recipe. Super healthy. Thought you and Viola might like them,” she said with a smile.

  I looked at the slender glasses, smelling rose petals, honey, mint…and something else. But more, I could see a certain glow around the drinks. Many of Julie’s dishes carried the hint of magic with them. And I knew for certain that this kitchen witch knew which way my heart leaned. I smiled at her then shook my head. “Not yet. All things have their season…but thank you.”