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In the midst of the dense trees emerged three thin, triangular flags just visible above the oaks. Winnie narrowed her eyes to see them better, the red, green, and yellow flashing in and out of sight as the wind played with the ends of the fabric. They had to be for the faire.

Her stomach tightened at the thought, but that was nothing new. She was always on edge at the beginning of a job. There was a surefire way to cure those nerves, though.

She needed to get to work.

After a quick shower and sprucing up in her ensuite bathroom, Winnie sat down at the desk and began her research in her usual top-knot bun, pencil skirt, and silk blouse.

With the faire not beginning until ten o’clock that morning, she had a solid three hours to do the research required of her to have an idea about what exactly she was getting into. Before, she’d dedicated most of her time on researching how to run estates in England—her original job description. But she’d be able to use all that information soon enough. For now, she focused on her task at hand, exploring website after website and reading article after article about medieval faires, knights, and jousting.

Most of her work had to be done, infuriatingly enough, on her phone, as the Wi-Fi was abysmally slow in her room, the one and only complaint she had about her circumstances. But at least her cell service was good enough to search the web for information.

Soon, with enough of a handle on what to expect from the faire, Winnie gathered her raincoat, writing tablet, and pen, and ventured to the kitchens, following the directions Mr. Fernsby had given her the night before.

The staff of Foxwood and the faire were provided with breakfast early each morning, so Winnie had intentionally waited until later on to leave her room, not wishing to meet with anyone who worked at the faire until after the event. No use putting them all on edge earlier than necessary, as she’d done with Matthew.

The image of the man in his armor flashed in her mind. His visor up. Moisture slipping down the strong ridges of his nose. Blue eyes flashing as he stared down at her atop his horse.

As much as she’d like to dwell on the attractive image for longer, Winnie pushed it aside. He was a precarious bridge she’d have to cross soon enough, so she’d be taking every second before that to tighten her defenses.

She arrived in the dining area moments later, relieved to find the tables empty, though a few clanks and clangs sounded from the kitchens nearby, the chef no doubt cleaning up breakfast with his assistants.

Winnie made herself some toast and grabbed an apple, eating them swiftly before making her way to the front doors of the estate.

Shockingly enough, she only managed to make two wrong turns before finding the main entrance, standing near the front door and looking around for Mr. Wintour, who’d agreed to meet her there at ten o’clock.

She peered down at her smartwatch, the numbers shining bright against the Movement Circles she had yet to fill.

10:01

Thank heavens she hadn’t made him wait for her again like she had last night. That being said, she had no problem waiting for him in return.

With no sign of him descending the stairs, Winnie pulled out her tablet, jotted down a few thoughts on the digital screen, organized the notes already written, then felt a buzz on her wrist.

She raised her arm, and her neck instantly tightened at the base as she read the incoming text.

Dad

Good luck on your first day, Win-Win-Winnie!

Winnie cringed. Dad had chosen the nickname for her in hopes of inspiring her to win more often. She hated to say, but it never worked. In truth, it kind of only made matters worse.

She slipped her tablet under her arm and swiped out a response on her watch. She hated messaging on those small buttons, but she’d become quite adept at doing so efficiently and with little to no spelling errors.

That was good. Dad couldn’t stand typos.

“Why do people bother to write at all when they don’t spell correctly or use proper grammar?” he’d say.

Winnie

Thanks, Dad!

Dad

What’s on the docket first?

Winnie

Just checking out the estate for now. Getting my bearings and understanding more of what’s wanted from me.