Page 3 of Bluebell’s Fate

As she walked, she crafted a story to tell her younger brother, Ash, when she arrived back at the house. She removed her heavy earrings and held them in her hand. Unlike her mother, the fairies wouldn’t mind if she didn’t wear all her jewelry.

Spotting a mound of soil propped up against a rock, Bell plucked a daisy and placed it on the top as if adding the final touches to an incredible cake. The story flowed from her lips without her mind having to search for it. “The world-renowned fairy chef licked her spoon. The cake batter was missing something. Perhaps it was a pinch of pollen? She flitted from the kitchen across the woods to the lilies that grew along the stream’s edge. She had but reached up to smell the flower when she heard voices. Hiding herself behind the flower’s stem, she smiled. What would the humans be up to today? They tended to play the silliest games. It was a joy to watch. But she needed them to hurry by, or the cake would never be done in time. A giant boot tramped next to the fairy chef’s hiding spot, and she cried out.”

Chapter Two

Magic. It was one of those five-letter words that Nathaniel didn’t trust. But he had to admit that his grandmother was correct: this particular stretch of road was beautiful at this time of year. However, even while traveling with her, he wouldn’t have used the word magic.

She had always been insistent that he travel on this particular day to pick her up from his aunt’s estate. The woods that encompassed the road were teeming with wildlife, and fresh leaves on the ancient trees overhead were a vibrant green. It was the bluebells, though, that made the scene so serene. A thick layer of blue, a deeper shade of blue than the sky above but bright as a sunbeam, covered the ground. His grandmother called it magic. Fairy magic to be precise. Those were two five-letter words that he didn’t trust.

Grandmother lived with her daughter, Nathaniel’s aunt, for half of the year. It was a large home to stay in alone, and for years, his Grandmother Hamilton had made the trip to the home every year on October twenty-eighth, then returned back to her London rooms on April twenty-eighth. Nathaniel understood the desire for constancy and predictability. Where his parents had called her demanding on this particularity of hers, Nathaniel admired it. Numbers and dates were logical, measurable, and precise. If he were to support his grandmother in one of her endeavors, it was the one he understood best—this strict schedule she kept for traveling between houses.

For this reason, Nathaniel had left the inn early this morning. He wanted to be certain he didn’t disappoint his grandmother in her schedule. It was the first time she’d asked for his assistance, and he wanted to prove himself worthy of her trust. Besides, he was anxious to meet the young woman she planned to introduce him to on their return trip. For all the times his grandmother had insisted he and this mysterious woman would make a good match, he was to finally meet her. It was impossible not to build up the meeting in his mind. Would she live up to all the praise his grandmother had heaped upon her? Not likely. But Nathaniel had always promised his grandmother that he’d meet this woman before he selected a bride.

It was only fair he got this meeting with his grandmother’s mystery woman out of the way before he courted and made an offer of marriage to Miss Stone—he was a man of his word after all. Nathaniel felt confident that Miss Eliza Stone would be the perfect wife for him. Not only was she his neighbor, but his father and mother desired the match as well. The Stones’ connections would prove to be monumental for Nathaniel’s attempts to enhance his family’s own small estate. If their families’ lands joined together one day, it would more than double the property Nathaniel would be working with. This would be her first official season, and Nathaniel thought it would be the perfect opportunity to ask for her hand. Why else did ladies go to London?

Nathaniel checked his pocket watch; it had been precisely two hours since he’d broken his fast with the basket of food he’d prepared for his departure. Nathaniel knocked twice on the roof of the post-chaise, and the driver pulled to a halt.

Stepping out into the crisp spring air to take a short walk would do him good. Besides, he had told his grandmother that he would arrive in time for tea. At this rate, he would be far too early. Surely she would appreciate that he took the time to procure a bouquet of those bluebells for her. He turned to the driver atop his horse. “Why don’t you pull off to the side of the road for a spell. I’m going to stretch my legs for a few minutes.”

He took note of his surroundings so he could remember how to get back to the road. There was a cluster of ferns and a large ash tree beside them, and a slight hill that led to the tightly knit trees below. He wouldn’t go far. A cluster of bluebells in the shade of the dense trees caught his eye, and he meandered around the ferns toward them, then took the hill at a jog. He plucked a bluebell at the bottom and spun it between his fingers.

Aside from the carpet of bluebells beneath his feet, the entire world around him was green. Even the trunks of the trees were covered in moss. How would it feel to be so surrounded with foliage that he saw nothing else? He ducked under low branches and stepped over roots protruding from the ground as he wove his way deeper into the wooded area. One particular root looked like a man’s knee with a sort of knob where a kneecap would be. He memorized the unforgettable landmarks as he wound about. The air around him buzzed with life, but it wasn’t loud. It was more of a peaceful embrace. In fact, it almost sounded like someone was talking.

He stuck a finger in his ear and twisted it around.

Standing still, he listened harder. Nothing. Of course it was nothing. Just his imagination running away with him.

That had never happened before. He shook his head. It was a disconcerting notion to be sure. He turned resolutely away from the noise. If he was hearing voices, it was past time to get back on the road. But he heard it again. It was a woman’s voice. Could someone be lost out here? He’d seen no evidence of another person being in the area as they’d traveled the winding road.

“But she needed them to hurry by, or the cake would never be done in time. A giant boot tramped next to the fairy chef’s hiding spot, and she cried out. She tried in vain to hide herself behind the daisy’s stem, but her wings poked out, giving away her location. A large pair of brown eyes blinked upon seeing her. And just like that, she found herself in the grasp of a man.”

Now Nathaniel knew that something was wrong. “Hello. Is anyone there?”

A stifled shriek came from his left. He followed the noise. “Hello? I’ve taken a break from my traveling and have come upon this area.”

He could hear a rustling in the foliage as he stepped around an old oak tree. His eyes shifted about the small clearing in the density of the woods. No one was there. Seeing something shiny near the trunk of a fallen tree, he stepped forward and picked it up. An oval sapphire jewel earring sparkled up at him. It was clean, and owing to its size, it would quite obviously be missed.

As much as Nathaniel didn’t want to believe someone was in the woods talking about fairies, he was confident in what he’d heard. The young girl must be hiding; perhaps she had some intelligence after all.

He tried to imagine the amount of trouble she would be in upon returning home without a precious stone earring, and he shook his head. He didn’t have the numbers on how much the piece of jewelry he held was worth, but he’d never seen his mother with something so fine. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Excuse me, miss. But you’ve lost an earring. Please return for it; I mean you no harm.”

“Oh, drat!”

Nathaniel jumped, the exclamation having come from directly behind him. His heart skipped a beat, and he took a deep breath as he turned around. Still, no one was visible. Odd. He held up the earring in his right hand. “Your earring.”

A woman ducked under the branch of a tree before him, her gaze on the ground.

He drank in the sight of her in an instant. She was dressed in a pale-green gown with blue embroidery and a blue satin sash that matched the bluebells surrounding her feet. Her rich copper-brown hair was tied up in an intricate knot at the base of her neck, loose tendrils framing her face. She looked up and Nathaniel’s mind went numb: eyes as blue as the sapphire earring he dangled in his fingers held his own.

He swallowed. This was not real. It couldn’t be—he’d never dreamed of anyone so lovely and captivating in all his life. He bowed, not breaking eye contact. He realized he was actually scared of doing so—she might disappear. And he’d like to enjoy this dream a little longer.

She bit one side of her bottom lip. “My…my earring, sir?”

Her voice added to the fog around his brain. He couldn’t answer. It was as if his voice had been temporarily stolen. He brought the earring forward and looked to her unadorned ear. It was tempting to put the earring back on for her. However, she didn’t wear an earring on her other ear. It would make her perfect image look asymmetrical, and that would never do.

Nathaniel didn’t know what came over him, but he had the strongest desire to keep the piece of jewelry in his hand. If he escaped from the woods with it, he would have evidence that this encounter was real.

He blinked hard. He wasn’t a thief. “Would you…” his voice came out as a hoarse whisper, “would you care to continue your story?” Where had that come from?