Tis The Season for Secrets (Village of Yule #2)

14. Juliet

T hey left Will’s home after finally getting around to breakfast. She was full and satisfied in more ways than one, but it still felt like she’d got back too soon. They arrived in the alley a few streets over from the apartment block, since randomly appearing inside probably wouldn’t be good for Margot’s heart. Even with some fresh air and the short walk to her building, Juliet’s stomach churned a little thanks to travelling by Air Bell.

“The next few weeks aren’t going to be easy, but you need to keep the past twenty-four hours to yourself,” Will warned, opening the door to her apartment building. He followed her inside, and she wasn’t surprised when he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She was better off facing Margot alone.

“I don’t like lying to Margot,” she said, hesitating to make a promise. If only she could tell Margot something , just to have someone to share all this craziness with.

“I know, and I wish you didn’t have to, but this is for her own good.”

She nodded reluctantly, wishing they’d spent less time on his stairs and more time getting back to how he’d got caught up with the chest and her family. There were so many answers she needed, but she didn’t even know how or where to start asking.

“I put my number in your phone,” Will said, kissing her cheek. He handed her back her dress from the gala and her clutch bag. Good thing he’d taken it, or she probably would’ve tried to ping her location to Margot in a panic, and how would she have explained that she was at the North Pole? Then again, she doubted her service provider even covered secret winter villages. “I suggest you go through the letters in the chest, and call me if you need anything. Even if it’s just someone to talk to.”

“When will I see you again?” She didn’t want to be too far from the only person who knew what she was going through.

“Soon – and be careful with the bell. I don’t want to have to chase you down again.” He winked.

Since he had a habit of just appearing, Juliet didn’t doubt him. She watched him head out, and took a deep breath before taking the stairs. Getting out her keys to her apartment, she saw her phone was truly dead. At least she wouldn’t have to lie about that.

“Where have you been?” Margot snapped before she even had a chance to take her shoes off.

“I’m sorry—” Juliet barely got out the apology before Margot suffocated her in a hug.

“Don’t leave me like that ever again! When I got home, you were gone. Victor didn’t have a clue where you went. I called the hospitals, but the cops wouldn’t do a thing until forty-eight hours passed. You scared me to death!” Margot dragged her to the couch. “Tell me everything, and leave nothing out!”

Juliet winced, realising she had forgotten about the time difference. The kitchen clock told her it was already well past two in the afternoon. She tried to conceal her guilt as she lied, staying as close to the truth as possible. She went over how Fiona Caldwell had humiliated her in the toilets, and despite standing up for herself, Juliet had got upset and ended up leaving the party before crying in public. Will had followed her to check if she was all right, and one thing had led to another, so she’d ended up staying the night with him, and he’d given her some clothes to come home in. She pointed out that her phone had died – thankfully Margot was too engrossed in the gossip to ask why she hadn’t just charged it. She left out the travelling bell, now concealed in her pocket, Lyla, and most importantly, Yule.

“On the stairs? Interesting choice, but bravo,” Margot smirked, snuggling with her hot water bottle.

“How was your evening with Harvey?” Juliet hadn’t mentioned that Will had brought his friend as a distraction.

Margot sighed, resting her head on the back of the couch. “He wants me to come and work for him, but I refused. Then he wanted to sleep with me, but I refused that too. Now he won’t stop calling. If the rumours are true, then he’s used to getting what he wants. I plan on making him work for it.” She smirked, enjoying the game.

Juliet grinned. Margot had a way of making men fall at her feet – but Harvey might be her match, given that he’d managed to convince her to have dinner with him tonight.

Once she’d showered and climbed into her comfiest pjs, she decided to spend the day lounging in front of the TV to give herself time to absorb all she had learned.

With the apartment to herself that evening, Juliet pulled out the chest from under her bed. A small part of her needed to verify what Lyla and Will had told her, even if she’d seen Yule with her own eyes. To believe that such a magical place could exist for thousands of years without discovery seemed impossible, implausible – not in the modern world, where information was power and technology made nothing secret.

Unfolding one of the oldest letters, dated twenty-five years ago, Juliet took a deep breath and settled into the pillows on her bed.

Dear Ms Eloise Heart …

Juliet ran her fingers over the name. Eloise Heart. Mom . Tears stained the paper before she could stop them. She hurried through the next few sentences, desperate to learn something, anything, about the woman who’d left her with the Frost family.

I was under the impression that we had come to an agreement last winter that you would leave my family alone, which is why I was surprised to receive a letter from Mr Klaus stating that the banishment of the Frost family and its descendants will not be voided by order of the Council of Yule.

I appreciate your effort to confer with the Council of Yule on our behalf, but I’m afraid there is no undoing the past. The Frost family has lived in banishment for three generations, and we are at peace in the Outside. Unfortunately, your relationship with my son, forbidden by Yule law, has opened a wound that will not easily heal.

As per our agreement, your daughter Juliet will be provided for as a Frost, but she will never know of Yule, or our history. As a guardian, you swore an oath to protect Yule’s secret and obey its laws – an oath you and my foolish son broke. Going forward, I hope you will honour it and leave my son and granddaughter in peace. As hard as it must be to leave your child, I hope you will put her needs before your own. I wish you and my son had considered the weight of your actions before engaging in a relationship that could only result in heartbreak and a daughter losing her mother.

I hope you will heed my advice, and accept the situation as it is. If not, and you try to reach out to my son or your child, I will be required to report your infraction to Mr Klaus and the Council of Yule. Let us all find some peace.

Reginald Frost

P.S. I have enclosed a photo, taken on Juliet’s first birthday. I hope it will bring you some closure to see that she is healthy and well looked after.

Juliet’s heart threatened to fall out of her chest as she read the letter again and again until the words bled together. Why did my grandfather threaten my mom into staying away from me when he never treated me as anything other than a burden?

There was clearly more to her mom’s relationship with her father than she knew. And her mom was or had been a guardian of Yule, like Will! Am I making the same mistake my parents made? Pacing back and forth, she wondered why Will had approached her in that bar if he’d known he was risking his own banishment by helping her . Wasn’t he making the same mistake as her mom, breaking his oath to Yule because he was getting emotionally involved with a Frost? All the questions gave her a tension headache. Biting her lip, she turned to the other letters. There were a few shorter notes that she almost immediately realised must have been written by her parents. Heart hammering at seeing her mom’s handwriting, she picked them up and read them next.

Dear Jeremy,

I’m sorry, but we must end our relationship. Regardless of our feelings for each other, it’s against the law and I never should have revealed myself to you that day. I know you feel that we can overcome Yule’s laws, but if it were discovered that we are in a relationship, it would be my job to erase your memory. The thought of losing that day and every day since would be a painful fate. The 22nd of December 1995 will always be imprinted on my heart, along with the time we’ve spent together; I don’t wish for you to forget me, to forget us. The time we spent together has been the happiest time of my life. As hard as it is, we have to focus on how lucky we’ve been to have it. If we’re discovered, the harm done will only be to ourselves.

Forgive me.

E x

Juliet traced the letters as if she could feel an echo of her mom’s anguish. Had this been before she knew about being pregnant, or after? She moved on to the next letter.

Dear Eloise,

You haven’t responded to my last two letters. It breaks my heart to think that you’ve returned to Yule and that I might never see you again. I’ll keep writing to this address until I get a response – please don’t leave like this. Just come to me, and we can figure this out. We can petition the Council of Yule. I can go with you and we can plead our case. I’ll move to Yule, I’ll give up the Frost name, anything you want.

Yours eternally,

J x

Juliet read it again, stunned. Could that really be my father pleading, willing to give everything up for my mom? He sounded like an entirely different person to the man she knew. Why hadn’t Eloise agreed? She ripped open the last letter from her mom.

Dear Jeremy,

It breaks my heart to read your words. Before I’m reassigned, I’ll go to our place at ten pm on the 7th January and we can say our goodbyes. That’s all I can give you; please understand. I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone, but please don’t think my heart doesn’t ache as much as yours.

E x

Juliet sat back on her heels, her heart aching. The date of the ‘one last goodbye’ was roughly ten months before she’d been born. If her dad had let her mom go when she’d first written, without that final meeting, Juliet never would’ve existed. She couldn’t help but feel like her conception had been the final nail in their coffin.

Underneath the letters was what looked like documents relating to the Frost family’s banishment. They didn’t tell her much, but it was enough to confirm what Will and Lyla had told her. After skimming through a bunch of legal jargon, the page marked ‘Final Verdict’ was the only page she could make heads or tails of.

The Frost Family are charged with crimes against Yule and will be banished from the village henceforth. Their descendants will also carry the penalty of their crime. No legacy will be granted clemency, and their ancestorial Bell granting them access to Yule and citizenship will be stripped from them. However, to help the family assimilate to the OUTSIDE, and as a show of respect for the good deeds of the past Frost ancestors, all funds and assets will be transferred to OUTSIDE establishments. In accordance with our laws, a guardian will be assigned to watch over the family to make sure they follow the laws of secrecy. All contact will be prohibited. Any contact will result in memory erasure, monetary penalties, or imprisonment.

Juliet gasped at the last line. Could Will go to prison? Does Yule have a prison? She’d hoped the memory erasure was just a figure of speech, but it certainly didn’t sound like it. She dreaded to think of what was being risked to reunite her with her mom. She ran her fingers over the faded signatures of the Frost ancestors she’d never known, and the names of those binding the sentence. She understood punishing those responsible for committing a crime, but condemning the following generations of her family for something they’d had no part in felt extreme. She needed to know more, but she’d read everything in the chest. What could their crime have been, to receive such a terrible punishment? Theft? Murder? She shuddered. It would have been helpful if Nana Rose or her mom had given her a little more information on what exactly had happened all those years ago so she didn’t jump to conclusions. She guessed her dad might have more letters at the estate, if he hadn’t destroyed them to cover up the forbidden relationship.

“Why are you still up?” Margot arrived home at three am after her night out with Harvey to find her sitting at the kitchen counter, rubbing her tired eyes. Juliet couldn’t believe the night had passed so quickly.

She shoved the papers under her thigh. “Couldn’t sleep. How was your dinner with the persistent gentleman?” She couldn’t believe how many hours she’d spent lost in the letters, dissecting every word.

Margot poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot Juliet had been nursing. “Persistent is an understatement – and no, we didn’t sleep together. It was all business; we were in the dining room of a hotel he owns for hours, just talking. I didn’t even realise it was just us! He has a way of hypnotising me with his mouth – something about his lips – but I refuse to be tempted. Signing him as a client would be a great fuck you to the family business. However, he wants me to work for his company exclusively, and the money he’s offering is insane. I’m not surprised by either point, since he does have a rather ruthless reputation in business.”

Juliet remembered what Fiona had said in the bathroom about Harvey Bryce being the type of man you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of. On the other hand, the biggest mistake anyone could make was underestimating Margot.

“So why are you pouting? At least you wouldn’t have to worry about money or having to take on clients you detest,” she pointed out, surprised Margot wasn’t more excited.

“You know I don’t mix pleasure and business. If I work for him, I can’t fall for that damn rugged smile. And those cheekbones – swoon. I could barely listen to his pitch!” Margot plonked down on the chair opposite her.

“Seems like we’re both torn between our hearts and minds,” Juliet muttered as Margot drained her mug.

“I didn’t catch that?” Margot got up to put the mug in the sink and came back.

“Nothing. I’m sure you’ll decide what’s more important when it comes to Mr Bryce, business or pleasure. No matter what you decide, you win.” Juliet wrapped her arm around her friend’s shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I’m going to bed before my eyes fall out of my head.”

“You’re right, and it’s not like I have to decide right away,” Margot said, almost to herself.

“Ever the victor.” Juliet chuckled. “Before I forget, I’ve got to go to the Frost estate for a couple of days. Victor is picking me up tomorrow – well, technically in a few hours.” She didn’t want Margot to think she’d pulled another vanishing act.

Margot followed Juliet to her bedroom, where she quickly tucked the Yule papers under her pillow.

“The Frost estate? Are you sure you’re okay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go back to that place willingly.” Margot used some of Juliet’s face wipes to remove her makeup at the dresser while Juliet finished packing a bag. “You can tell me if something happened with Will. Is your dad mad at you for leaving the gala?”

“Nothing happened. It’s just getting close to the holidays, and I want to spend some time with Beth while she’s on winter break.” Juliet shrugged. It was only half a lie; she did want to see her sister, who was home as much as Juliet was thanks to the expensive boarding school she attended.

“Doesn’t she usually go skiing with her friends?” Margot frowned. Juliet wished her friend didn’t know every detail about her life.

“The last time we spoke, she said not this year. Maybe she’s going later in the season. Either way, she’s home now,” she mumbled, tucking some final sweaters into her suitcase. They concealed the small chest that took up most of the space.

“Okay, give Beth my love and remind her she’s always welcome to visit.” Margot hesitated in the doorway. “Are you sure everything’s okay? I’m worried you’re not telling me something. I don’t mean to bring it up again, but leaving the gala like that without a word isn’t like you. You can tell me anything, you know.” She’d always been able to see right through Juliet. Being raised with secrets and society tended to make one more attune to sniffing out secrecy.

“Thanks. I guess I just got caught off-guard seeing Will again and wanted to get away from my dad and Fiona. I promise I won’t disappear again.” Zipping her suitcase shut, Juliet placed her favourite Rudolph scarf on top and wheeled it through the apartment to the front door, ready for the morning.

“I’ll stop nagging, but I’m here if you need me.”

Every fibre of Juliet’s being longed for her best friend’s opinion on the real situation. Maybe in time she would be able to reveal everything, but for now it was best to do what Will had asked.

Margot’s phone buzzed in her pocket, breaking the tense moment. She smiled down at the screen. Harvey must be good with his words; Juliet had never seen her roommate grin like that so late at night.

“Now, go to bed and take your smiles with you,” Juliet teased, and Margot scrunched her nose at her.

“Okay, last question. How good was last night?” Margot winked.

Juliet didn’t answer. If she knew the whole situation, she wouldn’t be encouraging her to think about Will, let alone reminding her of how he’d made her toes curl.

“That good, huh? I don’t think a guy has ever made you silent before,” Margot giggled. “Aaaand I’m going to bed.”

“I won’t wake you when I leave, so please let me know if there are any further developments with Harvey. I want updates!” Juliet headed back to her room, ready to snuggle under her duvet and catch a few hours of sleep before having to face going home.

Margot rolled her eyes. “Text me if you need some back-up, okay? I can be down there in an hour.”

She closed the door behind her, and Juliet let her smile slip. She thought about reaching out to Will, staring at his number in her phone, to tell him about going home. To tell him about the letter, and to ask him about the guardian connection between him and her mom.

Deciding she needed sleep over answers, she set her phone down on the nightstand and turned off her light, hoping she hadn’t made a mistake trusting him.