"Papa, must you go away again?" asked a pretty, dark-haired young woman of an older man who had just climbed into the loaded wagon outside their house.
The old man's brown eyes sparkled as he replied, "I'm afraid so, my little Adeline. Don't worry, though. I'll be back before you have time to miss me. Just enjoy your books and do your chores and three days will seem no time at all."
The girl lowered her head for a moment, then turned shining silvery eyes on her father, "I will miss you, Papa, but I'll be happy knowing you'll be back soon. And after you sell your inventions at the Fall Festival, you won't have to go anywhere again until next Spring."
Her father laughed, "That's my girl. I must be off now, I'm afraid. Look for me sometime after noon three days from now." With that, he tapped the reins and the faithful brown horse started down the road away from the cottage.
Adeline walked to the top of the steps to the cottage door and stood there, waving to her father until he traveled around a bend and out of sight. The brilliant colors of autumn shown through the morning fog as the sun began to rise and struck the trees of the forest near the village. Adeline sighed and looked toward the village itself. She needed to return a book and if she wanted to do so before the streets became too crowded she would have to start now.
She ducked inside the cottage and fetched a light cape to protect her against the chill in the crisp autumn air and picked up her book and the shopping basket before going back outside and starting down the path into the village. It was still early, and the people were just beginning their daily routines. Adeline had seen them do the same things every morning for the fifteen years she had lived with her Papa. Her Mama had died several years before.
Of course, she thought with a frown, they weren't really her parents, though she loved them as if they were. Her Papa found her wandering the fields near the Old Forest with a raging fever when she was very young. The village healer had guessed her about four or five years old, but she hadn't been able to tell them anything about who she was or where she came from once her fever broke. So, her Papa and Mama, who had no children of their own, had taken her in.
She pondered these things and daydreamed about where she might have lived before and who her parents might have been as she strolled through the village to the book shop. She often wondered if she had any siblings and if any of them might still be living.
"Good morning, Adeline! You're out early!" the bookseller, Nathaniel Rousseau, greeted her cheerfully as she walked into the shop. He was the only person in the village who had been there for less time than herself. He had moved to their village from Paris, though Adeline couldn't understand why. He was only a few years older than her, and the two had become fast friends when he moved there.
"Adeline mentally shook herself and smiled, "Good morning, Nathan. I came to return my book and ask if you have anything new."
The young man laughed and replied, "Not since yesterday, mademoiselle."
Adeline shrugged her shoulders as she placed her book on the shelf and ran her fingers lightly across the spines of the other books. After a few moments, she noticed a book about the history of the kingdom. She had always read fairy tales and adventure stories before, but for some reason she now found herself drawn to this one. She pulled it off the shelf and brushed one hand across the green leather cover, "I think I'll read this one next."
Nathan smiled and lifted one eyebrow, "Taking an interest in the local history?"
Adeline turned the pages with a thoughtful expression, "Oh, I just thought I'd try something a little different."
The bookseller laughed, "Well, let me know what you think of it. Its…one of my favorites."
Adeline smiled and hugged the book, "I'll be certain to take good care of it then." She tucked the book carefully into her basket and set it with her cloak behind the shop's counter. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked around the shop and asked, "Now then, what needs doing?"
Nathan shook his head, "I've told you before, Adeline, you can borrow books any time. You don't owe me anything."
Adeline snorted, "And I've told you I want to help. It breaks up my otherwise monotonous routine and I rather enjoy talking to you while we work."
Nathan shrugged, "Alright, the floor needs sweeping, I guess." As he gestured at the broom he gave her a crooked smile, "I like talking to you, too, Adeline."
Adeline returned the smile as she began brushing the dust on the floor into a pile, "Goodness, who came in here yesterday, a herd of cattle? This floor is filthy."
"It may as well have been. The schoolmaster brought his herd of students in here. Sticky hands and dirty boots make for a messy bookshop," Nathan said wryly.
Adeline laughed, "I would imagine so. I'm surprised the place is still standing."
Nathan picked up a rag and began dusting the shelves as Adeline swept. For several minutes they worked in relative silence, listening to the sounds of the awakening village. Sunlight spilled in through the front windows, making the floors shine where Adeline had swept them.
"Father's gone to the market again," Adeline commented suddenly.
"Didn't he just come back last week?" Nathan asked, looking at her over his shoulder.
She nodded, "This should be his last trip until Spring, though."
"How long will he be gone?"
Adeline sighed, "Three days. It seems like an eternity, though. The cottage is almost eerie without all the clinking and sawing from his inventions."
"Nathan frowned, "Will you be alright?"
Adeline nodded, "Of course, I always am."
Nathan hummed, "Yes, but its so close to the first snow. If you need anything, anything at all, please, let me know."
Adeline smiled at him, "I will, thank you, Nathan."
Soon the clock in the village square was chiming the hour, and Adeline donned her cloak and left the shop with a wave as she headed toward the market. As she passed a group of women, she overheard part of their conversation.
"Yes, that's what I heard! That inventor's daughter is going to marry that stranger!"
"Well she'd better! She goes to his shop almost every day."
"Not surprising, given her…situation."
Adeline pressed her lips together and frowned at the path, but continued on the way to the market. She was used to people talking about how strange she was. It made her angry, though to hear them saying such things about her friend. It did no good to argue with them, though. She'd tried once when she was younger, and it only resulted in them telling her father how wild and insolent she was. She hated to think she had embarrassed her father, so she usually kept quiet even if it meant biting her tongue./p
In any case, the people in the village talked about everything from her eyes to the way she walked to her love for books to her mysterious origins. They'd probably find something new to criticize before the sun set.
Adeline continued down the street into the market in the square. She finished her shopping with her mind on the book she had picked up. She responded absently to the greetings of various villagers, and she sighed in relief when she left the village on the path back to her own home. She couldn't wait to finish up her chores, make a pot of tea, and spend the evening by the fire. She smiled to herself, thinking she would have to pay especial attention to the details of the book so that she and Nathan could chat about it when she finished.