Page 62 of Tis The Season for Secrets
“Do you want my help or not?”
“We do,” Will said quickly before Mason could disagree.
“Given how Eloise has helped train the next generation of guardians without incident, the council may lean in her favour,” Mason said thoughtfully, “but if they find out she stole Yule ancestral property and risked Yule’s safety, all this might be for naught, and Juliet might have her memories of this season wiped from her memory. That would include her relationship with you.”
Will set his jaw. “If it comes to that, then I’ll have to make her fall for me all over again.”
“You might have to decide…” Harvey winced, trailing off.
“It wouldn’t be my home without her,” Will told him, and Harvey threw up his hands in defeat.
“You love her.” Mason sighed. “I know the feeling.”
Harvey started to put on his jacket. “Now that we’ve got a plan to convince the council, I might just make my plane.”
“Not so fast– I need you to distract Margot. Juliet might reach out to her,” Will said slyly. Perhaps some matchmaking might make his life a little easier.
“I was going to go skiing in Aspen with some clients. A couple of the council members will be there, if you need me to charm them discreetly,” Harvey said. Since he didn’t return to Yule often, he liked to treat higher-ups in Yules to vacations and lavish gifts to keep his connections fruitful.
“Take Margot with you, but keep her away from the council members,” Mason suggested.
“You expect me to keep her busyandhelp you with the council?” Harvey asked. “Do you think I’m a miracle worker?!”
“You’ll figure it out,” Mason smirked. “Just make sure you keep her away from your bell – they have a habit of fast-tracking relationships.”
“Unlike you two, I want to be engagedbeforeI bring anyone back to Yule,” Harvey drawled.
“Ironic, considering how much you despise the rules,” Mason teased him.
“I can’t just force her onto a plane without any explanation!” Harvey exclaimed, as if they wanted him to kidnap her.
“What’s the big deal? Take her to your ski resort. Tell her it’s a seasonal perk if she comes to work for you? Make it about business,” Will countered. Harvey had never put this much effort into hiring anyone, so Will was sure that adding her to the company roster was only half of his friend’s plan, even if Harvey didn’t want to admit to his feelings.
Harvey lifted his hands. “Don’t you think she’d be creeped out by a guy she’s just met asking her to travel to another country?”
Will didn’t get a chance to argue; Harvey’s phone buzzed. “Speak of the little devil,” he muttered, pulling it from his pocket.
Mason leaned forward as Harvey read the text with a frown. “Lyla wanted me to give you her number for Juliet in case she needs anything. I’ll text it to you. She knows how hard it can be to adjust to Yule, and she wants to help in any way she can.”
“Thank her for me– Juliet will appreciate it. It’s a relief to know she has someone she can call a friend in Yule.”
“She has more than just Lyla. Kevin and Mum want to have you both over for Christmas dinner,” Mason chuckled, slapping Will on the arm. “Let’s just make sure we don’t all end up banished first.”
Will nodded. “We just have to make it to Christmas. I’m worried about her meeting with her dad; I hope she didn’t reveal too much. I doubt he’ll look kindly on her mum reaching out after all this time.” Frost wasn’t the type to be happy for someone else’s gain, not if he wasn’t getting anything in return. Despite what could be mended between mother and daughter, the banishment for the rest of the Frost family was permanent.
Harvey caught their attention as he sat up straighter. “Margot’s with Juliet. She says Juliet saw her dad and it didn’t go well. They’ve gone to a bar, but Margot’s worried about her. I think we should head over and check up on them.”
“What bar?”
“Alexandria. She doesn’t know I own the place. I’ll have my staff cut them off, and keep them in the private rooms,” Harvey said, already setting his phone to his ear. “It’s only twenty minutes from here. We can get there before they leave.”
Will pulled on his jacket, apologising to Mason for cutting their evening short, and hoped his nerves didn’t show. Whatever had happened with Mr Frost yesterday, it had been bad enough for Juliet to call on Margot for support and go out drinking. He needed to make sure she was okay. With everything going on, it was a relief to know Margot was with her.
Juliet’s one goal for the evening was to get blind drunk and make an absolute fool of herself by singing as loudly and as off-key as humanly possible. Dancing– check. Singing off-key – check. Drunk – not even close. She feared it would be one of those nights when it didn’t matter how many overpriced margaritas she had, she’d remain sober as a sailor on land.
“I need water,” Margot pleaded, taking her hand as they pushed through the sweaty, crowded club to the front of the bar. Usually, Juliet didn’t particularly enjoy the smell of sweat or having drinks sloshed over her every few minutes, but after the last few days, she needed to disappear into a sea of carelessness. The gold tinsel decorating the edge of the bar irritated her skin as she ordered another margarita from a bartender with a skull tattoo on his neck.
Margot chugged her water, swaying to the remixed Christmas music. Skull-Neck blended some ice for Juliet, but another bartender walked over and turned off the blender before turning to approach them, without their drinks.
