Page 22 of The Naughty Or Nice Clause

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t want him to think anything has happened to you. There’s a laptop in my office – third door on the left in the south wing. Just follow the glass corridor out the kitchen. Can’t go wrong.”

“Thank you! I promise I won’t be long with it when I get the chance,” Lyla said. She didn’t plan on moving yet; she was enjoying Mrs Klaus’s company.

“You’re family now, borrow it whenever you need. We have rather limited technology here. The mountains protect us from the outside, and we try to keep communication to a limit. But many of us have kids in the outside world, so we can’t be completely cut off.” Mrs Klaus seemed to relax as she drank. It was nice to see her features brighten.

“It’s like something out of a fairytale – a protected village,” Lyla said, trying not to sound too awed.

“I suppose I’ve got used to it. Travelling by sleigh, the eternal winter, magic bells… it can be very overwhelming at first, especially when you join the Klaus family with its own traditions and responsibilities to the village. I was once like you, so I understand how you must be feeling.”

Mrs Klaus’s words only added to the many questions Lyla had.Then again, do I really need the answers if I’m leaving?But she wanted to hear this story.

“Like me?” she dared to press.

“Henry and I met in the outside world. I was working in a bakery when he came in. He ate more cookies than a man with such an exquisite physique should be able to in one sitting, and for three days in a row he came back. On the third day, he left a note asking for a date. When he came back on the fourth day, I said yes. The following Christmas, I was pregnant with Lou and haven’t regretted a day since. Adjusting to life here is hard, but I think the rewards outweigh the losses.” Mrs Klaus blushed as she recounted the story, but thinking of good memories seemed to make the hard day easier for her.

“But you grew up out there. Didn’t your friends and family miss you?” Lyla wondered.

“They did, at first, but friends grow up and apart. I told them I’d moved to another country. We wrote letters. It was much harder to keep track of each other then, and soon letters stopped as the distance and time passed. I found new friends here. There are many outsiders who marry and come here, so you don’t feel so alone, and then we all slot together like one big jigsaw puzzle. Yule has its own magic – everyone who visits falls in love with it.”

“I understand the pull. I’ve been obsessed with Christmas since my mum first hung the star on the tree. Yule is a Christmas village dream come true, but it’s such a sacrifice,” Lyla mused. She couldn’t imagine leaving her friends, her mother’s townhouse – except maybe she could for a family she loved, for the person she loved.

“Mason leaving made me realise what my family must have felt… maybe what they still feel. I still send Christmas letters to my brother, but that’s it. There is a price for love, but I would happily pay it again if it meant spending another day with Henry. Plus, now that Mason has found someone, I think it was worth missing him. He bought me the laptop to email him, but we prefer to keep to letters, and it was hard to keep in touch,” Mrs Klaus said, changing the subject. Lyla could count on one hand the number of times she had written an actual letter. “I suppose you saw the letter Lou wrote. I asked her not to, but being the eldest and overseeing the workshop, there was no stopping her. Kevin has to wait until he is eighteen to fulfil the role, should it remain empty. For now, he helps with the reindeer and other small tasks.”

“Mason might seem like he doesn’t want to be here, but I can see how much he loves you all. Just coming here has softened him. I’m happy to lend him as an extra set of hands, but can I ask what exactly you need him for?”

Mrs Klaus laughed.

“There can’t be a Christmas without him. Come rain or hail, sun or storm, Christmas must take place,” she said seriously.

Lyla tried not to stare disbelievingly. She knew the truth, and yet it seemed so ridiculous.Mason as Santa?The irony was overwhelming. It was strange enough to think of him as Mason instead of the budget-slashing Mr Klaus.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but we are the generations of Klaus. Our ancestors were tasked with spreading joy through the world. I know it doesn’t make much sense to you now, and it’s a lot for you to take in. If you could have a little faith and patience, I’m sure Mason will explain everything. He never expected this burden to fall on him; he wanted more than our small village. He wanted to see the world, but after Lou had her accident, Mason was next in line. Don’t get me wrong, she can still do the job, but she prefers to work in sleigh engineering.”

When Mrs Klaus didn’t elaborate on the accident, Lyla didn’t pry. She’d never considered that Mason wasn’t only returning to mourn his father, but also to face a future he didn’t want and had little choice in. “I can’t exactly picture Mason climbing down a chimney. His designer suits wouldn’t stand the test,” she laughed, knowing how uptight he was about his clothes.

“Actually, not all the myths are true. We don’t give gifts. We give something else much less tricky,” Mrs Klaus was saying, when Mason came in. He appeared fully recovered from Lyla’s snow bomb, which disappointed her.

“Mum, I think we’ve bombarded Lyla with enough information for one day,” he said. Mrs Klaus pretended to zip her lips closed. “We should get to the village, because I don’t think she wants to wear my clothes for the rest of the season.”

He placed a hand on Lyla’s shoulder, and she put the mug on the table and rose to join him, eager to get out of his clothes.

Mrs Klaus sighed, putting down her own mug. “I suppose you’re right, and I have a luncheon to attend for the charity auction. See you in the evening – and Mason, don’t forget there’s the gala in a few days. You’ll need to find her a dress to wear,” Mrs Klaus said, stopping them in their tracks as they made for the door.

“I don’t think we’re going to attend this year. Lyla has only arrived, and this is such a busy time of year. Everyone is stressed – not the best time to introduce her…” Mason began.

Mrs Klaus raised her eyebrows in warning. “Don’t be silly; everyone is home for the season. It’s the perfect time to introduce her.”

Lyla wanted to argue, but didn’t know what to say without revealing their secret. The last thing she wanted was to be introduced to the whole village when she was a fraud.Mason, what the hell have you got us into?

“Fine. Since Lyla isn’t opposed, we shall attend,” Mason said. Lyla wanted to protest, but it was too late now.

“Glad to see you’ve started listening to someone else,” Mrs Klaus said. She winked at Lyla, who could only force a half-smile as Mason led her out the door.

Chapter Nine

IT TOOK LYLA some time to adjust to the villagers staring at them as they made their way through the village. The streets were packed, so they blended in nicely. Though it was slightly suffocating, being outside made it more bearable. The only break she got was popping into shops, where Lyla was enraptured with the antiques, homemade crafts such as quilts and ceramics. Bakeries filled the air with the most delicious scent. She wanted to go inside every one, the pastries in the window calling to her, but Klaus pulled her along, stating there was too much to be done.

Thankfully, there were also more everyday shops, like clothes stores and grocery shops. Lyla felt pity for Mason, who was occasionally accosted by proprietors or shoppers about his visit. Luckily for her, most were too busy running around gathering their supplies for Christmas or working too hard to care too much about her. She was smart enough to scurry away before she could be introduced and Mason did an excellent job at avoiding their questions, but he was still polite, and she was surprised he took their prying on the chin. If anyone in the office had dared question him like this, they would have been tossed out of the room by the mere power of his glare.

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