Page 60 of RAKEish

Lux furrowed her brow. “You truly believe the curse is real?”

“I know it’s real,” Ms. Birdie said without a second of hesitation.

Lux nodded. “I trust you. And if you say it’s real, I believe you. That being said, how does my not wanting to love him make me the ideal someone to break the curse?”

“The contents of the spell were documented in the journal of the rake who triggered this curse. In one of my conversations with Scott, he recited to me the curse. It goes like this:

“‘This curse I cast upon thee can be broken by a loving heart deed.

But she who unknots his loveless heart will never win his forever heart.’”

The weight of the revelation hit Lux like a ton of proverbial bricks. The curse was a cruel twist of fate, a heart-wrenching irony that a woman in love could break the spell yet never claim the love she liberated. “That’s…incredibly sadistic,” Lux muttered.

“Wicked witches are known for their merciless curses,” Ms. Birdie nodded sadly. “You both will walk away from this with a heart that is forever bruised.”

“Not both,” Lux muttered. “Scott doesn’t love me. I’m not sure he even likes me. Prince Landshire will walk away from this with his precious job and an unscathed heart—and apparently a betrothed waiting for him back in Landshire once he’s sown all his wild seeds here in the States.”

Ms. Birdie studied her. “First, the betrothed is the result of an arranged marriage. One Scott does not plan on fulfilling. That’s why he left Shiretopia. He refuses to marry a woman he doesn’t love.”

“They sure looked like they were in love for the camera this morning,” Lux said grumpily, even as she wanted to believe what Ms. Birdie said. Wanted to believe Scott wasn’t a man who could sleep with other women while planning to marry another. Then again, he was a rake.

“Looks can be deceiving. Lux darling, I’m willing to bet Scott loves you. His heart just doesn’t know it yet.”

Lux scoffed. “Agree to disagree.”

“Darling, how could he not? You’re perfection for him.” Ms. Birdie said, giving her a sad smile.

“I don’t know about that.”

“I do, and what I need to know from you is…does being told he’s going to love you back as soon as the curse has been lifted—assuming it’s not you who breaks the curse—make you want to change your mind? Or do you still want to ruin all chances of you and he ever being together—all in the hopes of your eventually finding a man who more aligns with your views of the perfect man?”

On the surface, the thought made her want to cry. But beneath the murky waters, all her reasons for not pursuing love with a rake, with Scott, were solid. When it came down to it, she wasn’t a gambler. There was no such thing as a sure bet, let alone a bet where the odds favored a rake capable of forever love. Her best course of action was to find the antidote, give it to Scott, and remove any probability of the two of them having their happy ever after.

“Why do you believe the antidote is in this shop?”

Ms. Birdie gave her a sad smile as if she were a mother allowing her child to make a wrong decision so she could learn from her mistakes. “I’ve frequented this shop for years. After speaking with Molly on the matter, the vintage poster—the one you pointed out this morning—appeared next to my regular spot. Coincidence? Perhaps. Most likely, it was the Universe nudging me toward the answer to the riddle given to Molly by the Good Witch.”

Believing in the curse was one thing. Wrapping her head around this Molly woman was proving to be harder. Everything sounded too convenient. “Molly gives you a hint, and then a mysterious poster shows up. That, to me, feels very much like a setup.”

Ms. Birdie patted Lux on the cheek. “Molly Thorn doesn’t need staged theatrics to prove her worth.”

Before Lux could reply, Ms. Birdie pulled out her phone and made a call. “Carl, I’m ready.”

“Aren’t you coming into the shop with me?” Lux asked, a twinge of dismay in her voice. “How will I know if I find the antidote?”

“My dear,” Ms. Birdie said. “Only you will know when you find it.”

“Because I love him?” Lux asked.

Ms. Birdie nodded. “Now, I’ve done what I can do to help remove the curse from Scott and save you from falling for the wrong man. And, speaking of the wrong man, here.” She handed Lux several cards. “These are John’s remaining four cards. He wanted you to have all five. He very much wants to see you again.”

“I’m not sure I want to see him,” Lux said.

“The decision is yours, but let me just point out, he checks off all your boxes for the perfect mate. If those are no longer your requirements for the perfect match, I beg you to take a moment and consider what your new requirements are. It would pain me greatly were you to break the curse only to later discover Scott checks off all your new boxes.”

“Oh, fudge no. In no universe will the Rake of Manhattan ever be that man,” Lux said, wondering why her words didn’t ring with more conviction.

“From your lips to your fairy godmother’s ears,” Ms. Birdie said.

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