Iris hesitated with her teacup halfway to her lips, but before she could think of an appropriate response, Lady Rivenna forged on. “Now, let me not waste time with any more pleasantries. The events of last evening have solidified something I’ve been considering since you first entered my tea house.” She turned to address Iris directly. “Lady Iris, I would like to offer you the position of apprentice at The Charmed Leaf Tea House.”
Iris stared at her, certain she had misheard. Carefully, she lowered her cup to its saucer. “I … beg your pardon?”
“An apprenticeship,” Lady Rivenna repeated, her tone suggesting she was unaccustomed to repeating herself. “I am not getting any younger, despite my best efforts, and I have known for years that The Charmed Leaf requires a successor. Someone who can learn its ways, who can eventually assume responsibility for its operation when I am no longer able to do so. I have simply been waiting for the right person.”
“I, uh …” Iris glanced at her parents, who appeared equally stunned. Her gaze swung back to Lady Rivenna. “Forgive me, my lady, but … you’re offering this position tome?”
“Indeed. It is a position that many have sought over the years. The Charmed Leaf is not merely a tea house—it stands at the very intersection of information, influence, and magic, at the beating heart of Bloomhaven society. Its proprietress holds a unique position of respect and … shall we say, insight.” A slight smile curved her lips. “The financial benefits are not inconsiderable either.”
At the mention of financial benefits, Iris felt her pulse quicken. Could this be it? A path to independence that would also secure her family’s future? Had providence delivered thevery solution she had been hoping to find, presenting itself far sooner than she might have hoped?
“Lady Rivenna,” her father said carefully, his brow furrowed, “while we are naturally honored by your offer, I must express some concern. Iris’s purpose in Bloomhaven this season is quite specific. She has social obligations that must take priority?—”
“Social obligations,” Lady Rivenna echoed, her tone dry. “By which you mean securing an advantageous match.”
Iris’s father cleared his throat. “Well, yes. That is the tradition of the Bloom Season, after all.”
“And how do you imagine that pursuit is progressing after last night’s exchange with my grandson?”
A pained expression crossed her father’s face, and Iris felt a fresh wave of guilt.
“The apprenticeship need not interfere with Lady Iris’s social calendar,” Lady Rivenna continued smoothly. “Indeed, her position at The Charmed Leaf may well enhance her standing. As my chosen successor, she would be viewed with new interest by certain families who might otherwise hesitate to form connections with someone of her … unique heritage.”
“And you mentioned … financial benefits?”
“The tea house generates considerable income,” Lady Rivenna confirmed. “As my apprentice, Iris would receive a stipend immediately, with her share increasing as she assumes more responsibility.”
Iris felt her initial spark of hope dim slightly. A mere stipend would scarcely address the mountain of debt her father had described. Would such a modest sum truly be sufficient to maintain them until she advanced to a position of greater responsibility and remuneration? Might their creditors be willing to extend further patience if they saw a legitimate prospect of eventual repayment?
“But why Iris?” her father asked, giving voice to the question that had been echoing in Iris’s own mind. “Surely there are many worthy candidates. Full-blooded fae from established families who have been waiting for such an opportunity.”
Lady Rivenna’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you suggesting your daughter is unworthy of the position, Lord Starspun?”
“No! Of course not,” he said hastily.
“I believe he means to say that surely there are others more qualified,” Iris said, echoing the very doubts that circled in her own thoughts. “Someone with more practical magic, or?—”
“More qualified? You mean someone who fits more neatly into society’s expectations? Someone who wouldn’t cause the gossip birds to molt in shock?” Lady Rivenna smiled. “My dear, that is one of the reasons I’m interested in you.”
Iris frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“The Charmed Leaf requires someone who can see beyond the surface of things. Someone who isn’t afraid to challenge convention.” Her smile widened. “Someone who might suggest that the heir to the Rowanwood fortune merely ‘senses rocks.’”
Iris felt her face flame. “About that?—”
“Oh, don’t apologize. Jasvian could do with someone pointing out his occasional stuffiness. Though perhaps with slightly more subtlety next time.”
“Next time?” Iris’s father’s voice cracked slightly.
“Of course. The Season has barely begun, after all.”
“I’m still not sure,” Iris said, “how seeing beyond the surface of things or challenging convention?—”
“It matters not,” Lady Rivenna interjected with a dismissive wave of her hand. “To be perfectly honest, you have already satisfied the most crucial requirement: the tea house itself selected you the moment you crossed its threshold.”
A beat of silence followed her pronouncement. “The tea house …choseme?”
“Indeed.” Lady Rivenna reached into her elegant reticule and withdrew something small, which she placed on the table beside her teacup.
