Follow the White Rabbit (Beautiful Madness #1)(8)

It was only three days before she was found, and by the son of the very man who owned the entire town, no less. Marc. But instead of turning her in, he’d fed her and helped to hide her tracks. He too saw the library as his personal sanctuary, but Marc was never one to horde things for himself.

He’d helped her hide for almost two years, and somewhere along the way they had hatched big plans for the future that would set each of them apart from the paths they had each been born to take.

When Marc had turned eighteen, he bought the house in Tildoor and took Gwen on as his business partner, though what their business was seemed to change from month to month. Marc had the ideas; Gwen found ways to make them happen.

He’d helped others along the way too—friends he met both before and after he could list himself among Wonderland’s wealthy—but in the end it was always just the two of them. Marc and Gwen. The others simply disappeared once they got what they came for. Gwen suspected this was because she was the only one who saw value not in Marc’s money, but in what he chose to do with it. She admired how he was always pushing to create something new, but she would never voice those thoughts aloud. Marc valued his friends above all else, even if they didn’t always extend him the same courtesy.

Gwen was determined to always be the type of friend he deserved.

Of course, with the White Queen standing in their foyer, Gwen had to consider that maybe there was more to Marc’s mysterious friendships than she knew. The woman in front of her would have no use for Marc’s wealth.

“What can I get for you, your majesty?” Gwen asked, wringing her hands in front of her stomach as the White Queen surveyed their lounge.

“You can call her Rose,” Marc offered unhelpfully.

Gwen’s face contorted into a look crossed between outrage and utter embarrassment, but Marc missed it entirely as he made his way to the overstuffed sofa. “No. I cannot.”

“No, really... it’s fine.” The Queen waved her hand dismissively as she glided gracefully across the room and took a seat on one of the plain, wooden dining chairs. Marc shrugged and picked up the book that had been left open beside him.

Gwen sputtered, unsure of how to respond. Rose Lennon didn’t rule in Neverwood Forest, but she also wasn’t just another client. And she wasn’t someone she could risk insulting by accident.

“Please, relax. The last thing I need is someone else forgetting that I’m an actual person. I need the best. Marc insists that’s you, but you won’t be much help to me if you’re constantly distracted by silly things like titles and curtsies.”

Ugh. I forgot to curtsy. Gwen’s face flushed a deep red. “What brings you to our part of the forest... Rose?” In attempting to sound casual, the words tripped over themselves as they fell out of Gwen’s mouth, but now it was the Queen’s turn to look uncomfortable.

“You’re sure she can be trusted?” Rose’s eyes never left Gwen’s, although the question clearly hadn’t been meant for her.

Who was she to come into her home and treat her like she was the one who should be questioned? Well, that answer was obvious. But it was still insulting!

If she wanted to be treated like everyone else, then that was what she would get.

“You hear that Marc? Apparently she doesn’t trust your judgment. Her majesty doesn’t think we mere commoners can help her.” A small smile played on Gwen’s lips as she waited to see if her royal highness would rise to the bait. Not that it was much in terms of banter bait, but even if she hadn’t been the Queen, she was still Marc’s friend. And potentially a paying customer.

Marc, of course, remained silent. He preferred to stay blessedly neutral at all times.

Rose didn’t even have the decency to look away. No, she actually seemed to be enjoying herself. “Well you do look a little strange. Not entirely sound of mind.”

“Well shucks. I do believe that is the politest way I’ve ever been told I look crazy. Thank you so much.”

Rose and Gwen continued to lock eyes, both refusing to blink first. It was only when Rose’s lip twitched up into the smallest of smiles that Gwen started to feel comfortable. Simultaneously, both Gwen and Rose relaxed their posture. Perhaps this might even be fun.

“How can we help you?”

“Actually, it really is just you I came to see. Not that a visit with Marc is ever unwelcome.” The Queen glanced over at Marc, but he waved away her comment with a smirk. “He tells me you spend a lot of time studying the legends of Wonderland. Our history. Even our future, perhaps.”

Gwen’s eyes darted to Marc, looking for something to help her decipher what she was hearing. Her studies had always remained secret. Not to Marc, but to absolutely everyone else. He smiled apologetically before averting his gaze.

“I... What did he...” Gwen wasn’t sure how much she should say, how much Marc had told this woman she had never met.

“Now it seems it is you who does not trust me. But I won’t hold it against you,” Rose said with a playful wink. “Sometimes, I see things.” The White Queen paused for a beat, choosing her words. “Things that haven’t happened yet. Things that will happen soon.”

Gwen glanced at her friend and caught him watching them. As soon as their eyes met, he glanced back down and flipped over to the next page in his book. At least he had the decency to pretend he wasn’t supervising.