Page 56 of The Naughty Or Nice Clause

“Don’t!” Lyla cut him off, afraid of who might hear.

The food was enticing: mini iced cakes topped with gold; exquisitely laid out cheese and fruit platters; steaming meat or vegetable pies with flaky pastry, accompanied by baby potatoes, vegetables or salad. Though it all looked very tempting, Lyla was too distracted to eat.

“What? She is! She’s been trying to get into this family since they were kids. Then our fathers arranged their marriage so Mason would have to stay,” Kevin said, taking one of the chocolate-dipped strawberries she’d been warned about. “If it hadn’t been for her meddling, Mason wouldn’t have had such a massive fight with Dad.”

Lyla could hear the anger in his words. She understood; he had lost his brother for years, and now his father.

“It’s all in the past – and she lives here,” she pointed out. “You can’t hate her forever. If the marriage was arranged by their fathers, what was she to do?”

Kevin grinned. “Can’t I? Wait! Mason hasn’t told you the whole story!” He shuffled in close so no one could overhear them gossip. “It was Natalie’s idea. She insisted on the match – went to her father. She argued that since they were already a couple, they should be engaged. Mason tried to reason with her, but she pressed the issue with her parents. Our father agreed in order to keep Mason here, and her father wanted his daughter to be a Klaus.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a few guests gossiping at the other end of the table. “How wonderful Mason and Natalie look together! It was such a pity their engagement ended.” The other villagers nodded in agreement, watching the dancing couple in awe.

Lyla’s skin itched as though she had eaten a strawberry, reminded of how she was an outsider.

Kevin, having heard the guests, offered her a mockingly deep bow and extended his hand. “May I have this dance, m’lady?”

Distracted by his grand display, Lyla curtseyed with a laugh, and took his hand. “It would be my honour.”

“Don’t worry about what they said. Some in the village have a hard time accepting the new and forgetting the past.”

Appreciating his kind words, Lyla followed his lead to the dance floor.

“Careful of those hands, Kev,” Mason warned with a wink as they passed. Kevin stuck his tongue out at his brother.

“What if they’re right, though?” Lyla asked, watching Natalie pushing herself up against Mason. She wished the song would finally end – though Mason’s strained expression was enough to make it worthwhile.

“You have nothing to worry about,” Kevin said, glancing at the couple. “Mason hasn’t taken his eyes off you the entire time.”

“Regardless, I have you in my corner to save me,” Lyla said, and Kevin beamed. Clearly, he liked the idea of being named her knight in shining armour.

“You’re family now, and Klauses always protect each other,” he said.

She smiled back at him, then looked around the room. She saw Lou and Sara together and Mrs Klaus talking with June, and for the first time since her mum had passed away, she felt like she was home.

The song ended. The orchestra was swapped out for a younger band, and the dancing became less formal. Unexpectedly, Mason twirled Lyla out of Kevin’s arms and kissed her desperately. The sudden affection made her cheeks redden, and he looked rather pleased with himself.

“It seems the mulled wine has gone to your head – or is it me making you blush?” he teased, and she rolled her eyes, not caring where Natalie had gone.

“Glad to have you back.”

“Happy to be back,” he said, holding her close, though she could hear some sadness in the words.

“And you feel guilty about it,” she suggested, knowing how hard it was to enjoy happy moments when you were grieving.

“Yes. But right now, all I want to do is dance with you,” he said, dipping her so low that she clung to him, afraid he would drop her.

“Get a room,” Kevin called from beside them, before heading off to join his friends.

“So that’s who he likes,” Lyla said, following his gaze to the guitarist in the band.

Mason smiled, watching his brother nervously pull at his neck. “Seems so.”

They danced until her feet ached and the pins had fallen from her hair. The night came to an end with a raffle of gifts and baked goods, followed by a speech by Councilman Frederick. The room clapped once the speech was over.

Lyla turned to Mason, nodding towards the doors. The room grew stuffy, and she was in desperate need of air.

“Let’s go outside,” Mason whispered in her ear, and she followed his lead eagerly.

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