Page 57 of Tis The Season for Secrets
Will rolled his eyes. “I’m to blame for your drama, and if you need me I’m only meeting Harvey. Mason is joining us tomorrow night, since Harvey won’t go to Yule. Harvey will probably talk about Margot refusing to work with him, and Mason won’t shut up about wedding plans. I’d much rather spend the time with you.”
Juliet felt the same, but she didn’t know how this meeting would go. It wasn’t like her dad to talk about private matters in public, and away from the estate meant he didn’t want anyone there to hear them. “One night won’t kill us. Hopefully the time will fly by. The next time I see you, we can snuggle up. You still haven’t seen The Grinch, which is a sin in my eyes.”
“Because it’s a little too close to home,” Will chuckled. “But I give in. We can watch a movie about a hairy green guy. Whatever gets you going.”
Juliet swatted him playfully as he brushed his stubble against her cheek. He hadn’t shaved in a few days, and though the Grinch did nothing for her, she liked Will’s rugged look.
“Go!” She scampered out of the car before she changed her mind.
He rolled down the window as she closed the door. “I’ll have my phone with me; call me if you want me to pick you up. For anything.” His tone had turned serious, reminding her of what she was walking into.
“Yes, sir,” she mocked, and he pulled away from the curb. Even if she was teasing, she kept her phone tucked in her back pocket in case she wanted a quick getaway.
Heading into the shop and down a long, narrow staircase, she eyed the dark green wallpaper lined with images of all theprestigious men who’d patronised the business over the years. The photos spanned from black and white to colour, a reminder to those who entered of how long the men’s-only establishment had been open. Windsor Barbers reeked of expensive cologne and shampoo, and its interior still looked like it belonged in the 1940s, with its worn brown leather chairs and varnished counters. The waiting area sat empty; it wasn’t the type of place patrons were left waiting.
Juliet’s father’s reflection greeted her in the long mirror as the barber finished wiping away the remaining shaving cream from his cutthroat shave. The rest of the chairs were empty, and she guessed he’d bought out the place for this conversation.
“Prompt as always, chickpea. Please take a seat.”
The immaculate barber stepped away from Mr Frost and swivelled the brown leather chair beside him so she could sit facing her dad. She sat down and thanked the elderly barber, who just blanked her.
“I’m surprised you wanted to meet here. I thought there was some kind of emergency.” No point in wasting time on small talk.
“I wouldn’t say ‘emergency’, but there is an urgent matter I wish to discuss,” he said, looking to the moustached barber in the mirror and dismissing him with a curt nod. Without a word, the man disappeared through a door at the end of the row of chairs.
“First, I want to know about what happened between you and my mom,” Juliet said, wanting some answers before he got a chance to distract her.
“Why the sudden interest?” His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his legs. “What exactly do you want to know?”
Juliet didn’t know what to say; she’d expected to be shut down. He never spoke about her mom, and asking usuallyresulted in a punishment. Suspicion crept up the back of her neck. Why was he letting her ask now?
Her father lifted an expresso cup to his lips and took a sip, leaning back in his chair. His calm demeanour made her sweat. “Did you think I’d be surprised by your questions? I thought this might happen, and it brings me back to my own subject. I was going to ask you, have you met her yet?”
Juliet’s jaw dropped, and her blood ran cold. She should’ve known better than to think anything she’d done recently could’ve escaped his watchful eyes.
“I’ll take your silence as a no.” He sighed. “Maybe I should’ve started with an easier question. How was your trip to the North Pole? Yule is lovely this time of year, or so I hear.” Smugly, he wiped the last trace of shaving cream from his jaw.
Juliet tried to put aside her anger and focus on getting through to the man who’d written her mom such a beautiful love letter. She sat forward in her chair, trying to bridge the gap between them.
“Dad, why did you keep the truth from me? Why not tell me about you and Mom, about where we’re truly from? I would’ve understood how hard it was for you to lose her, and what Grandfather did to separate you,” she said, hoping, wishing they could find some common ground. That the truth might be able to mend their relationship.
Her father sighed. “What your grandfather did was make me see sense. He was right to report us to the Council of Yule. Look at all that I’ve built– what our family has built in spite of our banishment. If I’d given it all up to be with Eloise, who knows where we would have ended up?”
“You can’t mean that.” He acted like their relationship had meant nothing to him, but she’d seen his letter. “You loved Mom, and you wanted to be with her, but Grandfather had you separated.”
He rolled his eyes. “I should be mad at you for breaking into my safe and going through my personal things. However, like my love affair with your mom, I chalk it up to youthful exuberance. Our love was a mistake. I’m sure she’d say the same. Last I heard, she’s Head Guardian.”
Juliet didn’t know how to respond. Hearing that the love which had brought her into the world was a mistake felt like taking a steak knife to the heart. She didn’t know why she’d been expecting another answer. She should’ve known better.
“I couldn’t believe she dared to reach out to my mother in her old age. Your grandmother always had a soft spot for her and our situation, but to smuggle you the Frost chest is a crime far worse than any love affair,” Mr Frost went on, shaking his head, and she realised he’d known about the chest all along.
Has he found the chest? And the bell?No, if he had surely he would’ve used it. “How did you know she reached out to Nana Rose? Did Nana tell you?”
“She didn’t say a word, but do you think I’m a fool? Just because our family was cast out doesn’t mean I’m clueless. I know about legacy laws. The moment you turned twenty-six, I knew your mom might try and contact you. Even back then, she reached out to your grandfather to steal you away from us. She didn’t want me, or to be a family. She only wanted you.”
His bitter words turned the knife, but they also clarified his feelings. He was upset because Eloise had left him, but still wanted Juliet. This explained why he’d never cared for her, because her mom’s love for her was greater than her love for him. She could see how that could turn to bitterness and anger over the decades, even if he had loved and waited for her at first.
“How could you know about the chest?”
