Chapter 4

A month of peaceful days slipped by until one afternoon, when I was tidying up the shelves and the bell above the door jingled.

"Welcome," I called out, not bothering to look up.

But the person at the door stayed silent.

Confused, I finally looked up, and found myself staring into a pair of familiar eyes.

Darcy stood in the doorway, looking like he'd just come off a long, rough journey, with dark circles under his eyes.

His voice was hoarse. "Winifred, I've been looking for you for so long."

I set the book down, keeping my expression calm. "Mr.…