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Prologue

Alexandra Mountbatten had common sense That’s what her friends believed

The truth was, Alex had no sense at all—at least, not when it careen eyes If she possessed any wisp of rationality, she wouldn’t have made such a fool of herself with the Bookshop Rake

Even now, more than half a year later, she could revisit the eh she were attending a play

The setting: Hatchard’s bookshop

The date: a Wednesday afternoon in November

The personages: Alexandra, of course Her three closest friends: Nicola Teague, Lady Penelope Ca his first appearance in a starring role (trumpet fanfare, please)—the Bookshop Rake

The scene proceeded thusly:

Alexandra had been juggling a tower of Nicola’s books in one ar her own book with her free hand A copy of Messier’s Catalogue of Star Clusters and Nebulae, which she’d plucked like a pearl fro for a secondhand copy for ages She couldn’t afford to buy it new

One h descriptions of astronomical nebulae, and the next

Bang A collision of cosmic proportions

The cause remained unclear Perhaps she’d taken a step in reverse, orIt didn’t matter Whosoever’s elbow jostled the other’s arm, the laws of physics demanded an equal and opposite reaction Froravity All her books fell to the floor, and when she looked up from the heap—there he was

Ruffled brown hair, fashionable attire, cologne that smelled like bottled sin—and a sive hi

With affable charathered up the books She’d been no help at all

He’d inquired after her name; she’d stammered

He’d asked her to recoirls In response, she’d stammered yet more

He’d drawn close enough for her to breathe in his woodsy, earthy, oh-so-ne She’d nearly fainted into the antiquities section

But then he’d looked at her arreen eyes—truly looked at her—the way people rarely did, because itthe other person to truly look at them, too Equal and opposite reactions

He made her feel like the only woman in the bookshop Perhaps the only woman in the world Or the universe