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Lost and Found
Copyright © 2014 by Linnea Alexis
ISBN: 978-1-61333-782-0
Cover art by Syneca Featherstone
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
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Decadent Publishing Beyond Fairytales
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A Riddle for Love
Operation Owl
Darkest Magic
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Taliasman
Hunter’s Mark
The Thief and His Master
The Star Princess
Slumber
Don’t Call Me Iron Man
Bitten by Snake Oil
Coming Soon!
Razor
Her Real Life Hero
Knockin’ Boots
Chasing Gold
The Century Sage
Trapped by a Song
Lost and Found
By
Linnea Alexis
A Beyond Fairytales Adaptation of
The Brothers’ Grimm’s: The Stolen Farthings
Dedication
I’d like to thank Louisa Bacio for always challenging and encouraging me to do my best and never give up, my first reader, V.S. Morgan, for her honest advice, and my family and friends who’ve stood by me and my dreams.
And a special thank you to my editor, Laura Garland, for her support and for making this story as good as possible.
Chapter One
Once upon a time….
Haley Monroe tugged at the neckline on the bodice of her wench costume, trying to cover her cleavage. “I’ve never been to a Renaissance faire before. And I’ve definitely never dressed like this. Ever.”
What if someone she knew recognized her wearing something so outrageous? She scanned the crowd clustered in the dirt-packed area, dreading she’d spot a familiar face. Seeing only jugglers juggling, dancers dancing, and jousters jousting, the tightness left her shoulders.
“Do you think my top is too low cut? What if I have a wardrobe malfunction?” she asked, bending over and jiggling a little.
Her best friend, Anne, gave a dismissive wave. “Even if you do, believe me, no one is going to complain.” She grinned her approval of Haley’s ensemble. “And, my dear, I must say, you look quite spectacular.” She stood a couple of inches taller than five-foot-five Haley, and her dark hair was a sharp contrast to Haley’s auburn locks.
“But don’t you think it’s a bit on the scandalous side? I swear I’m going to spill out of this top.” She gave the bodice another tug.
“Don’t worry about it. Just have fun,” Anne said. “That’s what Renaissance faires are all about. Once a year, you can kick up your heels, lose yourself in the event, and go back in time. And if you look around, you’ll discover you aren’t the only wench here. You’ll fit right in.”
Scanning the area, she noticed scores of other wenches, many in costumes far more risqué than her own. A wave of relief swept over her.
Anne secured the laces on her own black velvet vest and adjusted the neckline. “Nothing will lift you out of a funk faster than behaving like a wild and wanton woman—something you’re not but should be. And the best part is no one here gives a damn. You need to have fun. Maybe you’ll meet someone. You deserve to find someone who’ll treat you a lot better than Allen ever did.”
Hearing her late husband’s name made Haley’s gut clench. “Thanks for conjuring up the evil ghost from my past.”
Her friend’s smile disappeared into a thin line. “I swear to God, I hate that man. I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead, but he sucked all the fun out of you.” Her eyes moistened, and her voice softened. “I’m sorry, hon. I didn’t mean to resurrect the devil. But it’s been six months. I thought by now…. I’m sorry.”
To put her companion at ease, Haley linked arms with her. “Don’t feel bad. Allen was a cold-blooded bastard. It’s going to take a long time—maybe forever—to get over his miserable ass. I lucked out to have you as my friend. I could never have gotten through the past six months without you.”
“It’s about time you got back into the swing of things, girlfriend. You can’t shut yourself up in your condo or antique store forever. It’s been too long since you hooked up with someone.”
Six months ago, Haley walked away from her marriage and bid adios to her lying, cheating, manipulative husband.
Six months ago, she’d survived property negotiations so nasty she’d sworn off men forever.
Six months ago, she’d been granted a legal separation—but gained a whole lot of debt when her estranged husband suffered a fatal heart attack two months ago.
She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. “You’re right. Today, I fully intend to have a good time. And I won’t let anyone or anything stand in my way.” Filled with new resolve, she pulled in a determined breath. “Where to first?”
“Let’s mingle. It’ll give us a chance to check out the men and places to eat lunch.” Anne glanced at her watch. “I don’t know about you, but if I don’t eat pretty soon, I’m going to start gnawing on my own arm.”
The aroma of meat roasting wafted in her direction, reminding her she’d been too excited to eat breakfast. Her mouth watered, and her stomach growled, begging to be filled.
Haley followed her nose to a grassy area where families feasted on roasted turkey legs and corn on the cob. Children licked ice cream cones and sat on tree stumps and benches.
The smile slipped from her face, and a chill engulfed her like a storm-filled cloud. Goose bumps rose on her arms, and she rubbed them, trying to shoo away her anxiety. “He’s here.”
“Who?”
“Allen. I can feel his presence…his eyes staring at me.”
“That’s impossible. He’s no longer among the living, or have you forgotten? If he never attended a Renaissance faire while he was alive, I can’t imagine his ghost showing up now.”
Anne was right, but Haley couldn’t shake the feeling he lurked nearby.
“What’s going on over there?” In an obvious attempt to distract her, Anne grabbed Haley’s arm and pulled her in the direction of a small stage. A short, gnome-like man with a long, bushy gray beard, sat cross-legged on the floor. He dressed in Christmas colors—green britches and a red shirt. A steel pipe lay at his feet, and a large, furry spider sat on his shoulder.
People gathered near the stage and dropped money into the hat on the floor in front of him. Despite the enthusiasm of the crowd, his presence sent a shiver down Haley’s back.
She narrowed her eyes and scrutinized him. “Who is that strange-looking little man?”
“He’s the traveling bard, Nicodemus,” Anne explained. “He’s here every year. And he spins som
e mighty interesting tales. Let’s listen to what he has to say.”
Haley’s heart raced. She had no interest in sticking around. She tried leaving, but found it impossible to step away. Instead, she inched closer to hear the tale he wove.
Nicodemus peered intently into the faces of the audience members. “Gather round whilst I spin a tale of greed and loss and death. Once upon a time, there was a man who deceived many and stole precious items from the one who loved him—”
He stopped, mid-sentence, and locked gazes with Haley, flashing a snaggletoothed, knowing smile.
No way. She gasped. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear Nicodemus was talking about Allen. Impossible. How could Nicodemus possibly know about her late husband’s obsession with making money? Could he? If so, did he also know Allen had suffered a massive heart attack while trying to close a lucrative real estate deal?
She leaned toward Anne and whispered, “Let’s leave. He’s staring at me. And he’s freaking me out.”
Anne didn’t answer. She, along with the audience, was transfixed, absorbed in the bard’s story.
Haley turned her back to the stage.
Nicodemus cleared his throat.
She spun around to face him.
“Beware. Things are not what they seem.”
“Isn’t he awesome?” Anne said.
“He makes my skin crawl.” What was it about the little man that caused her knees to tremble? “I want t-to leave.”
“But we just got here,” Anne protested.
“You can stay and listen to him if you want, but I need to get some air. I can’t breathe.” She turned, forcing herself to move away from the storyteller’s gaze.
“Wait up.” Anne followed Haley into a large open area.
“Haley. Haley Monroe,” a man shouted. His deep voice sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t quite recall where she’d heard it before. “Haley! Fancy meeting you here.”
Curious who had called her name, she turned to face the voice.
The man revealed himself. Eli Libertini—as in Libertini and Farthing—her husband’s lawyer. Eli was tall, dark, and ruthless. The armor on his knight’s costume shone like silver in the sunlight.
The man with him wore a monk’s robe. He stood nearly a half-foot shorter than Eli’s six-two and had at least twenty-five pounds of pure muscle on the lawyer.
If Eli hadn’t represented her husband during their bitter negotiations, she might consider him attractive. After all, she’d thought so ten years ago. And he hadn’t changed much during that time. He still wore his dark hair past his shoulders—shoulders much broader than she remembered. He’d even managed to grow taller and fill out very nicely, thank you very much.
But their heated exchange during the legal proceedings had left a hostile taste in her mouth. And nothing, not even his wide, single-dimpled smile, could erase the memory of the hurtful, untrue allegations he’d hurled at her.
“Fancy indeed,” she huffed.
Chapter Two
“Somehow, you don’t strike me as the medieval type.” Eli dragged his gaze over her body and settled on her breasts. “I like your costume.”
She pulled at the neckline, trying unsuccessfully to cover more of her cleavage. “Thank you.” Disdain sounded in her voice, letting him know she was not impressed by his compliment. “Anne, this is Mr. Libertini, Allen’s lawyer and friend,” she added coolly. “I believe his firm now handles Allen’s estate.”
“Hello, Anne.” He offered a handshake, which she accepted.
Eli decided it was time to clear up a few misconceptions. “First of all, the last time I saw Allen was when he dropped by my office to sign the legal separation agreement. We were never friends. We never socialized. Actually, we didn’t even like each other. I terminated our association the same day and turned his affairs over to my partner.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Parker, his closest friend, nudged him.
“There’s no need,” Haley answered matter-of-factly. “Chances are we’ll never see each other again.” She grabbed her friend’s arm and pulled her away. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Whoa,” Parker said. “What was that all about?”
Eli didn’t blame her for snubbing him, but being rude to Parker was unacceptable. He fought the temptation to follow her and tell her so.
He also fought the urge to apologize for being so rough on her in court. Her husband had paid his firm a lot of money to represent him, and Eli was a damn good lawyer who fought hard for his clients. He’d found out early in his career that winning popularity contests wasn’t as lucrative as representing clients with deep pockets and fighting like a son of a bitch to win cases for them. But the more he’d gotten to know Allen Monroe, the more he’d detested him. Wealthy or not, Eli had dropped him.
Haley hadn’t deserved to be raked over the coals by someone as unsavory as Allen. Eli knew she would never forgive him for representing her husband. He didn’t blame her.
Watching her march out of his field of vision, his gaze locked on the sway of her firm, round hips, made all the more seductive by her cinched waist. During the negotiation meetings, she’d covered up that gorgeous body with a loose-fitting pants suit and hidden her best assets under a boxy jacket.
Parker snorted. “Too bad I was with you. Alone, I might have scored.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. She’s not interested in you or anyone else.”
“What about her friend?”
Eli wasn’t about to let Haley walk away without making amends or at least trying. “I need to speak with her. She needs to know I’m not a monster.”
He pushed his way past a group of pirates to catch up to her.
“Wait up.” Parker followed close behind.
“Haley?” Eli shouted.
She whirled around, eyes darkening in recognition. A frown slid across her beautiful face and took root. Hands fisted on hips, she marched toward him. “What?”
Her friend caught up to Haley and stood at her side. Both women wore identical scowls.
The perspiration running down the middle of his back had less to do with the temperature than his nerves. He’d never reacted this way in a courtroom. Why did she get him so unnerved and riled up? “Haley, I’m truly sorry for how the proceedings turned out. Allen was our client. We had no choice. When he asked us to handle a personal matter for him, we had no idea it was to petition for legal separation.”
“But you chose to represent him. I doubt he twisted your arm. Why you and not your partner?”
“He was tied up with a big case at the time and couldn’t take it on. I protested, but….” He shrugged one shoulder. “Had I known what a difficult client he’d turn out to be, I’d have walked away sooner. How can I make it up to you?”
“There’s nothing you have to offer that would be of interest to me.” With lightning speed, an engaging smile replaced the scowl on her face. “Come to think of it, there is something you can do. We need to talk.”
“I agree.” Was she finally ready to admit that they’d once known each other on more intimate terms? “Just name it; you got it.” He held up his index finger. ”If it’s legal, that is.”
Parker stepped forward, hand extended. “Hello, Haley, I’m Parker.”
“Hi, Parker.” She shook his hand. “This is my friend, Anne.”
Parker and Anne shook hands. Parker moved from Eli’s side to stand next to Anne. Big I’d-like-to-get-to-know-you smiles lit up their faces.
“When can we meet to discuss an important matter?” Haley said.
“For?” Suspicion tickled his brain. What did she want from him? He stole a peek at her creamy white breasts-on-display and harnessed a grin. He knew what he wanted from her, but he doubted her thoughts mirrored his. She was all business.
“Anne, how about I buy you a tall, cool one while these two talk business?” Parker jerked his chin at a booth less than twelve yards away.
She glanced at the refreshment st
and then at Haley, who nodded. “Sounds great,” Anne said.
“Excellent.” Parker grinned and, with Anne at his side, he headed to the booth.
“So, Haley, how can I help you?” Eli asked.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It seems Allen stole expensive items from my antique shop. He’s also left a trail of debt. His creditors have been hounding me—calling day and night—asking for payment. Since you were his lawyer, I’d like you to handle it.” Her words were clipped and terse, matching the gritted smile.
Stunned, his mouth went slack. This was the first he’d heard of Allen owing money. “I thought everything was taken care of. I had no idea he’d left you with debt.” He’d prided himself on being a good judge of character. Allen had changed all that. Eli’s stomach roiled at the possibility that Allen may have also duped his law firm.
“Well, he did. Somehow my name magically reappeared on his accounts or was never removed in the first place. Either way, I’m worried sick about it. Did you know he—or should I say we—also owe rental on a couple of expensive storage units?” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “I need to find out what he’s stashed inside them.”
His jaw clenched. How did he happen to know so little about his client? He felt like an idiot to have been hoodwinked by such a bullshitter. Guess his bullshit detector must have gone on the fritz.
“I agree. Call my office. You pick the day and time. I’ll work my schedule around you. If the situation is as grave as you suggest—and I have no reason to believe it isn’t—our meeting should take place as soon as possible.” He pulled a billfold from his pocket, retrieved a business card from inside, and handed it to her. “Call me so we can set something up.”
He puffed out his chest, feeling good about the strides he’d made with the goddess from his past. But instead of bidding adieu, as he should have, pride burst forth, kicking professionalism and common sense to the curb. He flashed a confident smile. “Before we part company, I’d like to buy you lunch or a drink. Perhaps we can join our friends.” He nodded at Parker and Anne on their way back, glasses of ale in hand and smiles on their faces.
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