We called for Nonna, who had apparently been reading a Dell Dolgarr book from Elizabeth’s collection. She was still holding it when she came into our room.
“What’s this about? If it’s about Master Clark, I’d rather forget it.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s an only child, right? So that means he can’t live here with us. And if I end up over at his house, I won’t be able to protect Mom.”
“Nonna…”
“I want you and Dad to remember something: I don’t want to get married because I want to protect Mom.”
I felt my lips purse and my eyes narrow. I wondered if I looked scary. If I relaxed the tension in my face, I was afraid I’d cry.
“Nonna, please listen…”
“I understand. You put me first, Mom. And I know you want me to be happy. But the most important thing to me is keeping you safe. I made that decision when you started teaching me self-defense a long time ago. I just hadn’t ever planned on telling you.”
“Nonna…”
“It’s not about repaying you for taking me in. That’s not why I’m saying this. I just want to protect Mom. I like Master Clark as a friend, but I want to forget about that promise. I thought I should let you know since we’ve been spending more time together recently. So, in case anything like that ever comes up, I want you to turn him down. Anyway, I have to go. This Dell Dolgarr novel is getting really juicy.” And with that, she left the room.
As soon as she shut the door, I covered my face with both hands and sighed.
For so long all I’d been thinking was, I have to protect Nonna. Keeping her and Jeffrey safe is my job.
But had she really made that decision to protect me all this time? Was that why she’d been so dedicated to learning Shenese martial arts?
“Children grow up so fast,” Jeff said.
“Yes, they do.”
“Nonna’s just like you, you know.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Her determination to protect those she loves is just like you.”
But she didn’t need to protect me. She should just forget about me and fall in love, get married, have children, and live her own life.
I sat there in a daze as Jeffrey reached over to give me a gentle hug.
“I’ve never seen you so out of sorts, Anna.”
I realized what he’d said was true. I tried to recall if I’d ever been so rattled, but I couldn’t remember an example.
“You must be right. Up until now, no matter what happened, I always told myself, ‘This isn’t the time to panic because doing so won’t solve anything. Instead of panicking, you need to think clearly.’”
“It’s okay now. You don’t have to try so hard. Just having you here with us makes both of us so happy.”
“Jeff…”
I thought my value was determined by my ability to protect others, and I considered it my reason for living.
But now Jeff and Nonna were both trying to keep me safe. Neither of them asked a thing from me. They just said it was enough simply to have me there.
“I’m so lucky, Jeff.”
His expression softened gently.
Some time had passed since Nonna told me the story about the childhood promise of engagement.
We hadn’t received any word from Master Clark’s family, so we decided just to wait and see for now. It wouldn’t be appropriate for us to ask about the promise since there had been no formal proposal, nor would it have been right for us to say, “Nonna wishes to decline.”
After all, it was entirely possible that Master Clark had forgotten about the proposal he made five years ago.
Nonna and I were in our carriage heading outside the castle walls. Two of our hired guards were watching our home during our absence.
Our security had protested, saying, “It’s simply unacceptable for us not to accompany you, Your Ladyship,” but I didn’t think Nonna and I needed guards when we were together. I wanted them to look after our staff, our home, and our money.
We purchased some land that was about two hours from the castle walls by carriage. It was an undeveloped area surrounded only by the property of other farmers. Vast wheat and vegetable fields surrounded our farm, producing the food supplied to the royal capital.
The barn where the sheep would live was still under construction, along with a workshop and place to spin wool. I saw workers in the distance building fences to prevent the sheep from escaping onto nearby fields.
In the middle of the property, someone was guiding a horse to slowly plow the earth and sow grass.
As Nonna and I approached, some workers who were digging wells noticed us and bowed, taking off their hats.
“So do you think we’ll hit water?” I asked.
“Oh, certainly. Ashbury has plenty of groundwater.”
“I hope it’s cold and delicious!” Nonna said.
“When we find it, we’ll let you have the first drink, Miss.”
“I can’t wait!”
The wind blowing over the undeveloped land felt incredibly refreshing.
“It’s almost scary being this lucky. Isn’t it, Nonna?”
“Everything here feels like it moves in slow motion. I’d love to live here, Mom.”
“Me, too.”
I’d always assumed I would spend my whole life bouncing around from place to place, never settling down and getting married. Yet here I was, my life filled with so many treasures.
“Maybe we could live here most of the year and then at our estate in the capital during the social season?”
“Yeah! We can play with little lambs again!”
“I’d like to try spinning and dyeing yarn.”
After that, we headed back to the southern quarter.
We were going to visit the used bookstore. Zaharo had tracked down the original owner and had convinced him to come back.
“Just leave it to me. I’m good at finding people,” he’d said, and sure enough, he found the man in no time.
“Zachary’s Used Bookstore” was now “Sandor’s Used Books.” The shades had been removed from the windows and replaced with thin, white curtains.
A little bell above the door jingled as we entered the shop. A quiet old man sat reading a book at the counter. It hadn’t changed much since changing hands from Zachary. When I took a look at the locked cabinet, I saw books with titles I didn’t recognize.
“Pardon me, but are you Lady Asher?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The man bowed. “Thank you for helping me recover my store. After I lost this place and my home, I fell into despair at the thought of dying somewhere else. But thanks to you, I can go back to the life I had before.”
“Please don’t mention it. All I did was report it to the knights.”
“No, Mr. Zaharo told me the whole story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Just then, Nonna came over holding two Dell Dolgarr books.
“Mom, can we buy these?”
“Sure.”
“Your Ladyship, please allow me to buy your daughter the entire Dell Dolgarr series as a token of my gratitude. I only wish I could do more,” he said.
I tried to decline, but he insisted repeatedly, so I relented and finally accepted the books.
Dell Dolgarr was a popular series, and we ended up taking home all twenty-three volumes of it.
“Mom, this is incredible! We really made out like bandits!”
“Nonna, let’s not use that phrase in this situation. It’s a bit inappropriate.”
“How about, ‘Look at all our spoils from givin’ those guys what they deserved’?”
“Nonna.”
“I know. I’m only joking.”
Nonna spent all day in hog heaven reading her new books, but when evening came, Master Clark showed up at our house, changing the mood completely.
Before I even had a chance to say a word, Nonna announced, “By the way, we can forget that old promise we made about getting married.”
Master Clark suddenly froze.
“Well, I had a feeling you’d say that once I saw how much you’d changed after returning from Shen. I understand. Let’s pretend it never happened,” he replied and took a sip of the tea I’d made him. “I’ll take my leave now, Miss Victoria. Nonna, don’t forget about our promise to go see the opera.”
He left seeming completely unfazed after having his proposal turned down.
“That was pretty simple,” I said.
“See? I told you. We made that promise when we were just kids who didn’t know any better.”
“I have to laugh at how flustered I was when I found out. Master Clark is a wonderful and charming young man, but I can’t imagine you two marrying. I don’t want you to be worried about my opinion, though. You’re free to make your own decisions.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
When Jeffrey got home that night, I told him what happened. “Hmm. I don’t think he’ll give up. He probably decided making a fuss now would only make Nonna dig her heels in, so he backed off.” He let out a chuckle.
“What do you mean?”
“My mother’s brother is Uncle Bernard. Lord Edward manages the archives in the Document Management department, and he’s also the head of the Department of Institutional Maintenance, where they diligently ensure all the rules are followed. I’ve never given up on you. And Clark is Eva’s son, and she was a Fitcher. The Fitchers are known for their stubbornness.”
“Hmm. Well, I won’t worry about it now at any rate. I just want Nonna to live the way she wants.”
Master Clark was a wonderful young man, and it was shocking when the word marriage came up, but I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t be a bit pleased if Nonna changed her mind.
“Things will work out. I’m sure of it,” I said.
“That’s right. There’s no need to worry. And since I wasn’t expecting to get this peerage, I have no intention of clinging to it, and I don’t plan on making Nonna’s future husband inherit it. More importantly, how is the farm?”
“It’s starting to take shape. I was thinking I’d love to live there and spin yarn when I get older.”
“That sounds nice. Then I’ll become a shepherd, and we can live happily together until we’re old and grey.”
I stood on my tiptoes and gently stroked his hair. “Even if you grow old and forget me, I’ll make you happy until the very last second.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Nothing. Just my own personal goals.”
I hugged him with all my might and whispered into his ear. “Jeffrey Asher, you are my shining crown.”
There was no way to tell how much longer Jeffrey and I would be together. But I knew I would continue loving my husband until the very end.