Chapter 1 The Fable Inn

When I arrived at the Fable Inn I had inherited from my grandmother, Blossom welcomed me.

She was wearing a floral apron over a plum-colored dress. Her curly, honey-brown hair was pinned up in a messy bun.

“Maisie! Oh, my stars, look at you!”

Before I could set my bag down, Blossom Plum engulfed me in a hug so tight I could barely breathe. She smelled faintly of cinnamon and dried rose petals.

“Blossom,” I choked out, laughing as she finally released me and grabbed both of my shoulders, scanning my face with fierce, motherly scrutiny. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see me? Girl, you’ve been away for a long time!” she declared dramatically. “Look at you! You’re skin and bones! Your cheeks are pale, your eyes have dark circles, and I bet you haven’t eaten a real meal that didn’t come out of a cardboard box in six weeks!”

“Hey, I eat salad,” I defended weakly.

“Cardboard with green leaves on it,” she scoffed, dismissing my claim with a flick of her wrist.

She picked up my heavy duffel bag and easily hoisted it onto her shoulder.

“Come inside before the afternoon breeze catches you. Honey is in the kitchen working on a fresh batch of fruit tarts, and I’ve got the kettle on.”

I followed her up the grand stone steps and through the massive double doors.

The interior of Fable House was even more breathtaking than the outside. High ceilings supported by dark wooden beams stretched overhead, lit by iron lanterns that cast a warm, golden glow across the polished hardwood floors. A massive stone fireplace dominated the main foyer, currently crackling with a small, aromatic fire despite the mild weather.

“We’ve got four vacationers staying in the west wing this week,” Blossom said, leading me down a broad corridor lined with framed landscape paintings and antique tapestries. “A lovely couple from the coast and two siblings who were always in town or reading while they relaxed. They won’t bother you.”

“That sounds perfect,” I said, looking around in awe. “I really just need to write, Blossom.”

“Well, the owner’s wing is completely untouched,” Blossom said, stopping at a grand archway at the end of the hall.

She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out a heavy brass ring.

Suspended from the ring were four oversized, oddly shaped keys. They didn’t look like modern house keys. They were thick, intricately carved, and forged from dark, antique brass that felt surprisingly warm to the touch. One key had a bow shaped like a crescent moon, another resembled a coiled leaf, and the largest one was topped with a stylized star.

“Here you go, landlady,” Blossom said, pressing the heavy ring into my palm.

I looked down at the keys, running my thumb over the cold, detailed metal.

“These look... ancient. Are these really for the private wing?”

“Every lock in this house has its own personality, Maisie,” Blossom said with a knowing, slightly cryptic smile. “Your grandmother always kept those specific keys close. The moon key opens your private sitting room, the leaf opens your garden conservatory, and the star key opens the main master suite.”

“What about the fourth key?” I asked, pointing to a slender key with no handle markings at all—just a plain, smooth rod of brass with complex notches at the tip.

Blossom’s smile twitched slightly, her eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite read before she smoothly waved her hand.

“Oh, that’s just an old spare for the storage closets in the deep hallway. Don’t worry about that one unless you’re looking for extra blankets.”

She patted my arm affectionately, turning toward the kitchen corridor.

“Get yourself settled in your wing, Maisie. Freshen up, unpack your bags, and come down to the dining room at six. Honey is roasting a chicken with lavender and garlic, and I won’t accept any excuses about ‘work deadlines’ keeping you from the table.”

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it,” I promised.

Blossom gave me one last long, fond look, her expression softening into something deeply nostalgic.

“She’d be so happy you’re here, you know. Eveline always said this house belonged to you, long before you ever wrote a single word.”

Before I could ask what she meant by that, Blossom turned on her heel and glided down the hallway, humming a cheerful, unfamiliar tune that seemed to linger in the air long after she disappeared around the corner.

Left alone in the grand hallway, I looked down at the heavy brass ring in my hand.

The weight of the keys felt solid, real, and strangely grounding.

I turned toward the private wing of Fable House, inserted the moon-shaped key into the heavy mahogany door, and turned it. The lock gave a deep, satisfying clack, and the door swung open without a single creak.

I dragged my heavy duffel bag inside and let out a long breath.

If the public areas of Fable House were impressive, the owner’s wing was borderline ridiculous.

The main bedroom was massive, framed by high ceilings made of dark, hand-carved wooden beams. Right in the center sat a huge four-poster bed made of polished oak, draped in sheer, cream-colored linen curtains that could be pulled entirely closed around the mattress.

It looked like something straight out of a period drama—or a high-end fairytale adaptation.

Soft afternoon sunlight poured through floor-to-ceiling French doors that opened onto a private stone terrace.

I walked over to the terrace doors and pushed them open. The cool countryside breeze hit me immediately, carrying the sweet, crisp scent of wild jasmine and damp earth.

Below, a private garden unfolded in vibrant, meticulously kept layers. Rosebushes heavy with deep crimson blooms clustered around a winding gravel path, interspersed with lavender bushes, flowering shrubs, and a small orchard of peach and plum trees laden with ripening fruit.

Returning inside, I decided to tackle my luggage.

I dragged my duffel over to a set of double doors leading to the walk-in wardrobe. Built-in cedar shelves, illuminated by warm recessed lighting, lined the walls alongside full-length mirrors and custom brass hanging rods.

I unpacked my modest collection of faded jeans, oversized knit sweaters, and worn T-shirts, feeling slightly absurd as my ordinary clothes occupied roughly four percent of the massive space.

The bathroom floor was laid with cool white marble, centered around a deep, freestanding clawfoot tub big enough to double as a small swimming pool. Shiny brass fixtures gleamed beneath a crystal chandelier hanging from the vaulted ceiling.

I walked over to the clawfoot tub and turned the heavy brass faucets. Hot water gushed out, steaming instantly as I tossed in a handful of lavender bath salts I found sitting in a glass jar on the vanity.

I shut off the water, slipped into the deep, steaming bath, and sank down until the hot water reached my collarbones.

The tension that had been locked into my shoulders for the past three months in the city began to melt away, dissolved by the lavender steam and the quiet calm of the countryside.