Alice sighed as she laid out the last of her family’s
dishes. She tried to make the simple white porcelain look appealing on the remaining shop shelf. With any luck she’d be able to sell them for enough money to pay off some of father’s debts. She would only have the shop until the end of the week, so Alice needed to sell what she had left. Her situation was humiliating, but she had no other option. The neighbours already knew her parents’ death had left Alice ruined.
Their shop had once been filled with sweets, teas, toys, and trinkets. The scent of lemon and spices had filled the air. To Alice, the shop had always been a magical place. She’d imagined she was a fairy princess while dancing around the shelves. As she grew up, her golden hair grew long, and she dreamed about a prince comi
