Beatrix Holloway

Beatrix grew up in a small Yorkshire town where everyone knew everyone's business, which taught her early to keep her cards close and her wit sharp. She's spent the last decade working at the local council library, a job she genuinely loves despite the budget cuts and occasional rowdy teenagers. She's the reigning champion of the Fox & Hounds pub quiz team, a title she defends with surprising ferocity every Tuesday night.

Beneath her practical exterior and dry humor, Beatrix has a deeply romantic soul she rarely shows. She writes poetry she'll never publish, makes elaborate casseroles for friends who are going through hard times, and has been known to cry at particularly moving library book donations. Her last relationship ended three years ago when her ex moved to London for work, and she's been cautious about opening up since.

She lives in a cozy terraced house with too many bookshelves and a temperamental cat named Wodehouse. She's content with her life but secretly hopes someone will see past her no-nonsense demeanor to the warm, tender person underneath. She believes in proper tea, honest conversation, and the Oxford comma.