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

19. Juliet

J uliet stared at the most elaborate cabin she’d ever seen, wondering if the Frost family had had a place like this once upon a time. Following Mason and Kevin up the porch of their home, she noticed the glass corridors that connected the three logged buildings. Juliet tapped the snow off her shoes as Lyla opened the door to the trio.

“We brought a guest for dinner,” Mason started, and Juliet winced, watching Lyla’s smile turn to shock. “I believe you two have already met.” Mason kissed his fiancée’s mop of curls.

Thankfully, Lyla recovered her smile quickly. “Juliet, of course, we met a few days ago. I thought you and Will wouldn’t be back for the holidays.”

“We didn’t intend on returning, but something came up,” Juliet said, grateful she hadn’t outed her. Now she owed Lyla for saving her twice.

“Sorry– Jones is a bit of an escape artist.” Lyla quickly ducked down to pick up a rather chunky ginger cat. “Come in and I’ll close the door.”

Juliet took a deep breath before stepping into the foyer, where the heat from a grand fireplace beneath the wooden staircase comforted her raw nerves.

“Will should’ve told me he was bringing her home for the holidays, we could’ve had a welcome party,” Mason said to Lyla, shrugging off his thick jacket, while Juliet admired the golden tinsel wrapped around the banister and considered doing the same in her own place around her bed frame. She reminded herself to focus less on the Christmas dreamscape and more on the life-altering situation at hand.

“I should’ve reached out when you ran into him at the coffee shop, but I’ve been so distracted,” Mason said to Lyla. “The workshop is behind on dust production because of a bad snowstorm,” he told Juliet, as though she knew what dust was. Workshop? Like Santa’s workshop? Don’t workshops make presents? What’s dust got to do with anything? She stopped her nervous laughter from escaping. Luckily, Mason didn’t wait for her to respond. “Lyla only got here herself now that her company is on holidays,” he explained. Juliet, having no idea who Lyla worked for, gave his fiancée a pleading look, hoping for her intervention before her head exploded.

“I think we shouldn’t overwhelm our guest; she hasn’t been here long,” Lyla said on cue, and Mason zipped his lips, clearly just excited to meet his friend’s girlfriend. “Could you make sure Kevin doesn’t eat all the gingerbread biscuits while I give Juliet a tour?”

“I can take a hint. I’ll let you two talk.” Mason disappeared through a tall archway to the kitchen.

With everyone gone, Juliet took the chance to explain to Lyla how she’d ended up here.

“I’m so sorry about coming here. It wasn’t planned, and I had no idea how to find my way back to Will’s house from the library. The bell separated us when we arrived, and I ran into Kevin. They insisted I came for dinner—” Juliet cut off when she saw the Christmas tree in the sitting room, decorated with beautiful glittering snowflakes. This place wasn’t like any cabin she’d been in before; it gave the Frost estate a run for its money when it came to grandeur. Even if the decorations were a little overdone.

“Breathe,” Lyla said gently. “I told my share of lies when I first arrived here, and you aren’t in any trouble. Though I will be giving out to Will for putting you at risk again.”

Juliet was glad to have her on her side, even if it was her snooping that landed her here. She wondered what Lyla had had to lie about, but now wasn’t the time to ask.

“How did you get separated?” Lyla asked.

“I don’t know. Will used the bell to bring us here, but I ended up in the library and he wasn’t with me. I tried to look for him, but I ran into Kevin, and you were the only person I could think to name,” she said, wishing she had a better explanation. “Did you know bells can do this?”

Lyla shrugged. “It happens; travel by bell isn’t exactly science.” It wasn’t the concrete comfort she was looking for. However, it was some relief to find that she wasn’t the only one who was in the dark about most aspects of Yule’s magic.

“There’s nothing scientific about this place,” she agreed, glad to have someone to confide in.

“Just don’t mention anything about the Frosts. Once Will gets here, I’m sure he’ll come up with some excuse for you both to leave. We just have to make it to then,” Lyla whispered, as Jones, the ginger cat, rubbed himself against Juliet’s legs. “Can I ask how long you and Will have been seeing each other? I thought he was helping you with your family, but you called yourself his girlfriend?”

“I’m not – I mean, we aren’t really together. I mean we’ve been together, but not like together together,” Juliet stammered, unsure how to explain. She buried her face in her hands. “I’m not making any sense.”

Lyla chuckled softly. “Don’t sweat it. You aren’t the first ‘fake’ relationship in Yule and probably won’t be the last.”

Oh God, is Will going to think I’m in love with him? Or that I think we’re in a relationship? There was no way Will or Kevin weren’t going to mention meeting his ‘girlfriend’. She wanted to ask Lyla if they had any duct tape for her mouth so she wouldn’t put her foot in it again.

A warm voice interrupted them. “You can’t keep her all to yourself, Lyla! Let me get a look at you.”

Juliet guessed the white-haired older lady was Mason’s mom. Her red apron, which read KISS THE KLAUS, brightened Juliet’s mood. Before she could introduce herself, she was wrapped up in a hug which she realised she desperately needed.

“I’m Mrs Klaus, and it’s so good to meet you.” Mrs Klaus released her, and Juliet recognised the blue eyes she shared with her sons. “Sorry, we’re huggers in this family.” Mrs Klaus beamed. “Mason told me you’re dating Will. He’s never brought a woman to us before. He and Mason were inseparable as teens, but now work often takes them away. Although I can’t complain – the pair used to eat me out of house and home!”

Juliet smiled. “That doesn’t surprise me!” she said, though it only brought home to her how little she knew about Will’s life in Yule aside from the fact that he had a sister. The thought made her strangely sad.

“I called Will. He’s on the way, and you’re both staying for dinner. No argument,” Mason said, walking through the archway from the kitchen.

Juliet shot Lyla a panicked look. “I don’t want to put you out. This is all rather sudden, and Kevin said you’ve got a baking competition to prepare for?”

Lyla waved her off. “It’s just a holiday tradition, nothing serious. Though I’m determined to win this year.”

“If she doesn’t burn anything, it’ll be win enough.” Mason kissed her curls again, and she elbowed him. He feigned injury, and Lyla rolled her eyes amusedly.

“If she stays conscious, it’ll be even better,” Kevin called out, eating some dough out of a bowl. Juliet frowned, and Lyla shook her head as though to tell her it was nothing. However, Mason’s worried expression as he stood closer to Lyla told her there was more to the story.

“Ignore Kevin. Mason is the judge, and even he doesn’t give me any free points.” Lyla nudged him. They were so in love it was almost painful to look at.

“Seducing the judge isn’t ethical.” Mason smirked.

“Regardless of the competition, Juliet, we’d love to have you both for dinner. Please make yourself at home. I’m going to finish making dinner, and Lyla, please give our guest the grand tour!” Mrs Klaus said, not giving Juliet a chance to argue before she headed back to the kitchen.

Lyla didn’t hesitate to take Juliet’s arm and pull her away for a few moments of peace to gather her thoughts.

After a tour of the most luxurious cabin she could have imagined, Juliet and Lyla made it to the dining room. Juliet froze as she saw Will standing with Mason by the set dinner table. He looked relieved while she panicked, wondering if Mason had told him she’d introduced herself as his girlfriend.

“Hi, honey, glad I found you!” He greeted her with a quick kiss, and the humour in his voice nearly knocked her off her feet. Clearly, Mason had quizzed him about their relationship, and Will must have confirmed it. “I heard you had a nice time at the library,” he added, taking a seat beside her and squeezing her hand reassuringly under the table.

“Yes, Kevin was kind enough to show me around. I hope you managed to get all your work done,” she said carefully.

“You make such a beautiful couple! It’s such a nice surprise to have you with us,” Mrs Klaus said, adding cuts of turkey and ham to the table. Given that it would be around nine at night back home, the smell of the delicious food only increased her appetite.

“We should be thanking you – this all looks incredible,” she said, her stomach grumbling.

Mrs Klaus sat at the head of the table, and Juliet couldn’t help but notice the seat at the other end remained empty. She guessed it was for Mason’s deceased father; Lyla had told her on the tour that he’d lost his dad just before Christmas last year. As much as she wished to keep her distance from her own family, the sinking feeling in her gut told her she still couldn’t think of losing her dad. Maybe because she hoped one day he’d actually become the father she needed.

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you look awfully familiar,” Mrs Klaus said, passing the gravy boat to Mason. “Do you have any relatives in Yule?”

Juliet nearly choked on her roast potato, and Will gently rubbed her back. She tried to dance around the truth. “I only found out about Yule through Will.”

“I was going to say the same –when I saw you walking out of the library with Kevin, I couldn’t help but think you looked familiar,” Mason said, his eyes narrowing across the table at her.

“She only just got here,” Will interjected, “unless you have a twin I don’t know about?” He nudged Juliet playfully to break the tension.

“No, definitely not.” Keeping her words light-hearted had never been such a struggle.

Juliet couldn’t meet Mrs Klaus’s studious stare; it seemed she had her answer about whether she looked like her mom. Does she already know who I am? Is this some test to see if I’ll lie? She hoped she wasn’t visibly sweating, because she certainly felt like she was.

Lyla picked up a jug to fill her glass with water, and promptly spilled it all over the table. Mason jumped up as the water cascaded onto his lap. “I’ll get some towels.”

Lyla winked across the table, and Juliet wanted to kiss her for providing the distraction.

“Anyway, it’s not important.” Mrs Klaus brushed off the line of questioning, and started grilling Kevin about all the time he’d been spending at the library on his new project. Hopefully safe from questioning for the moment, Juliet couldn’t help tucking in.

“How did you two meet?” Mrs Klaus asked, handing Kevin the bowl of sprouts.

It was Will’s turn to choke on the delicious turkey and stuffing. Looking up from her plate, Juliet found the family staring at her. She swallowed her mouthful and put down her knife and fork.

“Will approached me at a hotel bar, and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since,” she said, reiterating what she’d already said to Mason in the sleigh.

Will coughed and took a sip of his beer, clearly surprised by her admission.

“She was reading at the bar, and I couldn’t stay away,” he admitted, squeezing her leg under the table. Juliet gripped his hand to steady her heartbeat, cheeks heating at how easy it was for him to play the part of devoted boyfriend. “We’ve been together pretty much ever since.”

“Cheers to the happy couple.” Mason raised his glass, and the table cheered.

Will masterfully swerved the conversation. “Speaking of happy couples, I believe you had a rather important question to ask me? Something about being best man?”

Mason glared at Kevin, and if the others hadn’t been there, Juliet would’ve kissed the life out of Will for getting the spotlight off them.

When everyone was stuffed to the brim, Will and Mason cleared the table while Mrs Klaus insisted the guests stay the night. Will and Juliet tried to refuse, but the gentle woman wouldn’t hear it. Juliet worried Beth would be upset about her disappearing so soon after arriving. Diana probably figured she and Will were getting to know each other as her dad wanted, but she hoped she wouldn’t be too worried.

Will stayed and talked with Mason while Lyla showed her to a guest bedroom which was thankfully separated from the main house. The dark green wallpaper and plush cream carpet went beautifully with the dark wood of the four-poster bed, and the dark sheets looked like an abyss Juliet couldn’t wait to climb into. Given the time difference, and after so much food and anxiety, she wanted to crash. She wanted to ask Lyla some questions; being from the Outside, she had to understand how Juliet was feeling. But as the adrenaline wore off, she didn’t have the energy to tackle any more revelations.

Giving her some much-needed space, Lyla assured her everything was going to be fine before disappearing down the hall with Kevin to talk about the new game he was designing.

Juliet wanted to climb under the covers, but she went to the sliding glass door on the far side of the bed and looked up at the bright stars, unfiltered by light pollution. From this height, she could see what Will meant about Yule being protected by the snow-covered mountains. They wrapped around the village like a basin. How they made it invisible to the rest of the world was still a puzzle, but she presumed it was some kind of magic.

The door clicked behind her, and she turned right into Will’s chest. Losing any remaining shred of willpower, Juliet rested her forehead against his chest.

His hands sank into her hair as he rested his chin on the top of her head, each letting the other take a minute to breathe. The world had never seemed so quiet or still, and the moment was complete when he dipped his head to kiss her as though his life depended on it. The sweet, minty taste of dessert lingered on his lips, enticing her further.

“I’m sorry for coming here,” she breathed as she clung to him. “I didn’t know how to get to you.”

“Please don’t apologise. I should’ve been more careful,” he said between kisses, each taking her breath away. It didn’t seem to matter any more who was right or wrong.

Juliet broke away from him, trying to get her thoughts straight. “I talked to Kevin, about what happened to the Frost family and the danger of guardians falling for their charges.”

Will sat calmly on the edge of the bed.

“I know you said you owed my mom, but somehow, I think this situation is worse than us just falling for each other. You helped steal the chest and you’ve lied for me,” she said, wishing she had the strength to leave him, go home and never look back to protect him from the consequences of their actions. Then again, they’d come so far. She dropped down beside him and rested her head on his shoulder. “I feel like I’m being torn in two.”

“Please stop feeling so guilty.” Will took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I decided to help Eloise. I found you, and I approached you because I wanted to. The guilt in your voice is breaking my heart. None of this is your fault. Regardless of the rules, it’s my job to protect and help those who need it.”

“But you’re breaking the laws of Yule for me,” she sniffled.

To her confusion, he smiled. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve broken the law, and it won’t be the last,” he reassured her. “My company on the Outside helps those who leave Yule. We help them settle in and stay out of trouble. We forge documents, find them employment, things like that. I break laws every day for those who need it, so please don’t for one second feel guilty about this. Meeting you was worth any consequence I may face.”

“I feel like you’re leaving something out,” Juliet said, thinking about how she’d seen him at the dinner table with the Klauses. “I don’t believe you’d risk hurting people you consider family just because you owed my mom a favour.” Hoping he would tell the whole truth, she moved to the centre of the bed, waiting for him to speak whenever he was ready.

He turned to face her. “Growing up, my parents spent most of their time in the sleigh’s engineering department. My sister was the golden child, and my only talent was getting into trouble.”

“How much trouble can one get into here?” Juliet asked, wondering what he counted as ‘trouble’ in this winter wonderland.

He fidgeted with his watch. Clearly a lot.

“Let’s just say it involved reindeer racing and too much ginger beer.”

Juliet tried not to laugh. “What, did you get a sugar rush?”

Will grimaced. “In Yule, ginger beer is alcoholic.”

“Oh.” Whatever reindeer racing was, doing it drunk sounded dangerous.

“I was acting out, and bringing my friends along for the ride. The Klaus family tried to straighten me out, but I couldn’t find my place in Yule as easily as others seemed to. After a particularly bad racing accident, Mason and I ended up in Yule’s emergency room. Mr Klaus, Mason’s dad, managed to get the council to show us leniency; we were only sixteen. Still, my parents wanted me out of the house. They didn’t want me to be a bad influence on my sister. Anyway, Eloise, your mum, helped get me into the guardian program. She took a chance on me when everyone else was willing to give up.”

“I’m sure she helped you because she wanted to. You should’ve considered any debt paid by your success alone. You’ve done so much for her– for me.” Juliet inched closer to him, taking his hand in hers. “You could lose your job if they find out who I am, be banished, and what about your family and the Klauses?”

“I love that you’re trying to protect me, but I’m not letting you go through this alone,” he said, taking her in his arms. “They’ll find out in time that everything I did was worth having you in my life.”

She tried to pull away from him so that he would take her seriously. “What if I could hear all this from Eloise? She’s in Yule; she’s right here. I could meet her, and put an end to all this.” She should’ve been annoyed, but she only felt relief when he refused to let her go.

“You will, but we’ve got to wait a little while longer.” Will leaned back against the headboard with her. “Eloise is trying to lift the banishment for you, but she needs to get the council of Yule’s approval and Mason’s backing. He’s far more lenient than previous Klauses. Eloise is trying to convince him that you shouldn’t be punished for the mistakes made before you. Lyla is also on our side; I’ve explained everything to her, and she’ll help Mason see reason.”

“I hate the idea that my life could affect their relationship. Kevin told me Eloise had to wait for the legacy law, but I wish she had come to me herself.”

“She wanted to, but if the council found out she’d have been banished – and unlike me, there’s no place for her on the outside.”

Juliet didn’t like the idea of him sacrificing himself in her mom’s place either, but arguing with him when his mind was clearly made up was pointless.

“You don’t need to worry about Lyla,” he went on, “she’s had her own issues with the council, so she’s happy to help us.”

I wonder if that’s related to the lies she mentioned. “I understand that Eloise wants me to have a home here, but couldn’t she have settled in the outside with me?” Juliet asked, wondering what her life could have been if her mom hadn’t given her up.

“All she’s known is Yule. The village is its own isolated world. I might as well ask you to move to Mars. Being banished back then, she would’ve had no way to provide for you, no assistance from the guardians, and the Frosts would probably have used the Outside’s legal system to have you taken away from her.”

Juliet wished her father had defended her mom from his family. But she knew how ruthless her grandfather could be. Her dad probably would have been shunned and blacklisted if he’d tried.

“Why would the council protest me meeting her now? I haven’t done anything wrong. What if I talk to the council and convince them I’m not a threat? I can say I found the bell by chance and did all this alone.” Was all of this worth hurting so many people?

“Don’t even think about it. They’d inform your father about you violating your banishment. If he finds out you’ve got a bell and the chest in your possession, he’ll do anything to get his hands on it.”

Juliet nodded, understanding that her father having that power wouldn’t be best for anyone.

“Do you mind that I said I was your girlfriend?” she asked quickly, trying not to sound like she was too invested in the answer. She’d avoided the topic out of embarrassment so far, but she did want to know how he felt about it.

“Depends,” he said quietly.

“On?”

“Whether you said it because you meant it, or you were just trying to protect us.”

“Can both be true?” Juliet whispered.

Will didn’t say anything. He pulled her in closer to his chest, and that was answer enough.

They drifted into a quiet moment. The weight of the day had clearly exhausted them both; they found peace in each other’s arms in the house of the very people they should be hiding from.

She glanced at Will, realising that their situation wasn’t any different from her parents’. “If the council don’t approve my return, you could be punished for helping me?”

She wasn’t sure how he’d suddenly got so close, or the room so hot.

“You’re worth any punishment. Now, can you please stop worrying, just for tonight?” he whispered, brushing his lips against hers.

A soft moan escaped her as he ran his tongue along her lower lip, grabbing her waist to pull her body flush against him, where she felt safe and warm.

“We shouldn’t. Someone could hear us,” she breathed half-heartedly between kisses, resting her forehead against his.

He sighed. “As much as I love hearing you scream my name, I think there’s been enough excitement today for both of us.” Closing his eyes, he pulled her close until there wasn’t an inch between them. “I missed this.”

He was right, and she was tired. Trying to put away the other big questions she had, Juliet remembered something else she was curious about it.

“What’s dust? Mason mentioned it when he picked me up with Kevin. I thought Santa’s workshop made presents?” she asked, running her fingers over his where they rested on her hip.

“You caught that?” Will mumbled, already half-asleep. “Dust is mined from the mountains that protect Yule. The rock has a magical essence that brings hope and luck to those who need it. That’s the gift that’s brought to the world every year.” He yawned.

Juliet studied his dark lashes as they rested on his cheek. She wondered if one day talk of magical rock dust and gifts of hope would seem normal to her. “So… Mason is Santa Claus?”

“A Klaus ensures the production and watches over the distribution of dust over Christmas. Your idea of Santa is more of a myth – I don’t think Mason would like to climb down millions of chimneys every year.” Will chuckled sleepily, clearly imagining the scene.

Juliet traced his lazy smile with her fingertips. “I suppose magic dust is much more believable than workshops of elves making presents,” she teased.

He squeezed her tight. “No more questions. Get some sleep.”

Her lips parted to tell him how much he meant to her, for helping her and staying with her through the roughest festive season of her life, but no words came out. She stared at him, already dozing peacefully. What could our future be? She was the product of falling in love with a guardian; falling for him was out of the question. More was at stake than just heartbreak for both of them. She might lose him, but he would lose so much more, and she didn’t know if she was worth it.