Page 36 of Tis The Season for Secrets
She hated to worry Victor, but as he looked to the sigil and back at her, she suddenly wondered if he knew. He had served the Frost family for as long as she could remember. She took a step back, unsure of who to trust. He’d practically raised her, and somehow the thought of him lying to her hurt far more than her dad’s betrayal.
“I need some air; feeling a little car-sick. I’ll walk up to the house,” she said.
“It’s freezing,” he protested, pointing to the snow-lined driveway. “Please let me drive you the rest of the way.”
Juliet barely heard him as she stared down the long gravel drive. Frost House looked exactly the same: four stories, long draughty windows.
“Some air after the long drive will do me good.” She forced a smile.
Victor didn’t push the issue. He drove ahead with her bags while she admired the old home, crowded with more rooms than anyone could possibly have use for. Then again, they’d been pretty useful when it came to hiding from her grandfather. He had never liked having her in the house, preferring that she kept to the groundskeeper’s cottage, except for dinner or social events, when her attendance had been mandatory. Still, she’d often snuck into his library to hide in the window seat, concealed by the burgundy curtains – she’d learned from a young age to make herself invisible. With his back to the window, Frost Sr. had never even noticed her hiding while he worked at his desk.
Walking up the icy driveway, she struggled not to slip once or twice, but the fresh air helped settle her stomach, and she started to feel like she could face being home. She startled when the perfectly varnished black front door opened before she even knocked.
“Mr Frost said you were coming on Monday! Victor called from the car; this is such a lovely surprise!” Diana beamed. “Beth is so excited to see you.” She hugged Juliet, practically strangling the life out of her.
“Di, I love you, but you’re crushing me,” she grunted, though she didn’t really mind. Diana, who had married Victor when Juliet was eight, was like the mom she’d never had. They’d all lived together until she turned fourteen, when her grandfather had decided they should have the gate lodge, while Juliet remained in the cottage by the gardens, as if he’d rather she live alone than with the ‘help’. Victor oversaw security and the grounds, while Diana was the chef and housekeeper. They’d both been hired by her grandfather. She wondered again if they knew about the Frost secret.
“Come in, come in, what are you thinking standing out there in the cold? Victor already arrived with your bags.” Diana ushered Juliet inside, as the tips of her fingers were as red as Rudolph’s nose. The delicious warmth of the house was a sharp contrast to the crisp air outside. Her bags sat by the staircase, which was decorated with wreaths and fairy lights.
“Just wanted to stretch after the long drive.”
“I’m not surprised – Victor said you slept most of the way. I was going to put a tree up in your cottage and everything!”
“We can get one together! It’s been too long since we did anything together.” Juliet remembered how Diana used to take her to the Christmas tree farm a few miles from the estate, and Victor would cut down the smallest one to fit in her cottage. Christmas was Diana’s favourite season, and the house screamed it as they walked through the hall; even the rug had been changed from her stepmother’s signature beige to a ruby red.
“Beth is in the kitchen making Christmas cookies,” said Diana, explaining the flour-caked apron, her smile deepening the creases around her eyes. Neither of the Frost daughters were gifted in the kitchen, no matter how hard Diana had tried to teach them. Then again, Juliet was sure Gillian didn’t even know how to turn on the oven.
“I didn’t know Beth would be home. I thought Dad mentioned she was skiing with friends for the holidays?” She was glad her lie to Margot had turned out to be true; she hadn’t seen her thirteen-year-old sister in a year.
“The trip was delayed – the resort closed due to severe weather.” Diana glanced over her shoulder to make sure she wouldn’t be overheard before adding, “The lady of the house wasn’t all too pleased, but we’re keeping her busy.” Gillian didn’t like to parent anyone, not even her own child, especially when that child had been a surprise.
“Whereisthe lady of the manor? Charity brunch or shopping?” Juliet shook away the thought that maybe her sister was better off this way and took the arm of the short, stout woman who had more heart than anyone she’d ever met.
“Neither – volunteering at the library. They have a Santa giving away books, and she’s helping to put together the stockings,” Diana said, smirking at Juliet’s clear shock.
“My stepmother? Mrs Frost? Is stocking-stuffing at the library?” Juliet stopped in her tracks as they reached the open-plan kitchen. “What’s she stuffing them with? She knows children can’t have Xanax and red wine, right?”
“Don’t be unkind; Mrs Frost has been getting into the holiday spirit.” Diana nudged her. “She even let Beth help decorate the tree in the main room.”
Juliet shook her head. “No way! She let someone touchthetree, the focal point of the season?! Have you been putting something in her smoothies?”
Diana tutted. “Mrs Frost is trying; don’t be unkind. She’s missed Beth. Her being away at school can be hard on her.”
Diana had a terrible habit of seeing the best in people. Juliet would never speak ill of her stepmother to Beth, but she had trouble believing that the woman who’d cast a pre-teen out of her home had suddenly found a kind streak.
“What’s the angle?” She narrowed her gaze, not wanting her sister to hear her talking poorly of their ‘mom’.
“No angle. The library in town was struggling. Mrs Frost bought it from the city council and added a bookstore, so you can buy or rent a book, and a small coffeeshop.”
It was a great idea, but books weren’t exactly Gillian’s thing.She used to scold me for always having my nose in a book, and now she’s managing a bookstore?This was almost as strange as learning a magical village existed. Oh well, if her stepmother was out of the house, Juliet had more time and freedom to snoop.
“Look who’s here!” Diana called.
Beth sat cross-legged on the counter, covered in icing sugar, decorating cookies with various shades of green and red icing. Her head snapped up, and Juliet smirked when she saw the gold sprinkles tangled in her dark plaits.
“Excuse me, but have you seen my sister?” she asked, making a show of looking around the kitchen.
“Very funny, J! ” Beth jumped off the counter, and Juliet couldn’t believe how tall she was. There was no way the little girl she’d seen last was now wearing eyeliner and almost the same height as her.
