“Don’t take it personally.It’s only the second week.”
“That’s what Margo said.”
“And we’re in the Reject Woods of the Faire.”
Lilian froze at the words.“The Reject Woods?”She’d never heard that term before.The faire had designated areas, of course; she knew the map by heart.There was the Enchanted Forest, where the children could get their faces painted and dress up.Pirate’s Cove, the Viking Camp, and the Castle Square.Their small circle of shops wasn’t situated in any of those areas, sure, but the Reject Woods?
Russ set his needle down and gave her his full attention.The soft pity in his eyes reminded Lilian of the time her mother had broken the news that her cat was dead.“It's the part of the faire for vendors who don’t reallybelong.”
“What?”She straightened, feeling both hot and cold at the same time.“That’s ridiculous.We belong!”
“Well, you are the first bookshop I’ve ever seen at a faire,” he pointed out.“And as you noticed, my clothes aren’t exactly normal… faire attire.”
“But… but… the stationery shop is full of wax seals and candles!There’s nothing more Renaissance than wax seals.”
Russ didn’t look convinced.“They don’t make their pens and wax kits from scratch.A lot of it is mass produced.And that doesn’t fit with what King Rothbury has in mind for his Ren Faire.”
“King Rothbury?What does he have to do with this?”
“You haven’t noticed?”Russ ran his fingers over his beard, contemplating if he should go on.“I don’t like to gossip, but it's a known fact that Marcus Carlisle favors certain shops around here.Those that are more historically accurate tend to get better placement.And those that don’t… well, they get put off to the side.”He waved a hand at their small abode, as if making a point.
“That’s ridiculous,” Lilian protested.“I know we’re in the back, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“For some, location is everything,” Russ said.“You’ve been coming to this faire for years, right?How many times did you walk past the Enchanted Forest?”
She opened her mouth to argue, then shut it just as quickly when she realized the answer was "not very often."The Enchanted Forest took up most of the left side of the faire, and since Lilian didn’t have any children, she’d never had a reason to wander back there.Honestly, she hadn’t even known there were shops past it.
“My point exactly,” Russ said.“Back here, shops usually only last a year or two before they give up.Parents with little kids don’t need expensive gowns or wax sets.They want wooden swords and the petting zoo.”He shrugged.“Most of the time, we’re lucky to break even back here.”
Oh.
Her heart sank as the realization settled in.
“And what about you?”she asked.“You said you’ve been coming back for years.Why do it if there’s no money in it?”
“Ah.”Russ nodded like he’d been waiting for the question.“Because I only need to sell one dress for the whole trip to be worth it.”He smiled.“Plus, this is my wife’s favorite faire, so the trip’s really for her more than me.Truth be told, I make way more money out west.But if I break even here, I’m happy.”He paused, then added, “Even if I have to deal with Lord Tight Ass.”
It all made sense now.The way the king had glowered at her little bookshop like it personally offended him.He’d put her back here to fail, and Hawk probably knew that when he’d talked to her.The jerk.
They were both waiting for her little shop to close its doors and never return.
Well, Lilian couldn’t afford to fail.This was supposed to help her clear out her inventory, maybe make a little money on the side.Losing money wasn’t ideal; neither was lugging all her books back to the shop.
She had to fix things.
“Thanks for the help, Russ.”
“Anytime, Ms.Bodice,” he said, brow creased in concern as she stormed out of his shop.
Her mind was hard at work, trying desperately to look for a solution to her problem.But all that came to mind was Hawk Carlisle and how she was going to slap his stupid clipboard out of his hands the next time she saw him.
On the second Sunday of the faire, tragedy struck for the pirates.
“Logan is out for the rest of the season.”
“What happened?”Margo asked, leaning over the counter.Their shop was empty once again, this time even more so.Sundays, Lilian remembered, were a terribly slow day at the faire.People in the Midwest were usually at church or preparing for the upcoming week—all in the comfort of their air conditioning.
She’d been desperately trying to think of a solution to her Reject Woods problem, but nothing came to her.And now, Alex stood there with another one.The season had barely started, and the pirate king had an unscripted injury.
