Page 71 of Christmas Magic

“Please.” Lucian hid a yawn behind his hand.

“Tired?” Cora reached over and patted his other hand.

How he wished she wouldn’t do that. He really didn’t like being patted.

“I didn’t sleep well last night,” he said.

A smug smile touched her red lips—although he had to wonder why him not getting much sleep should please her. “Trouble with Molly?”

“Something like that.” He folded his arms on the table. “A little while ago, you mentioned an event.”

“Yes.” Excitement brightened her eyes. “The Cat’s Paw Cove Historical Society’s holiday party. It’s at my home.”

“Ah. You’re requesting my knightly services.”

Cora’s mouth gaped. “Nightly services?”

His Fair Maiden looked on the verge of swooning. Mayhap she’d misunderstood him. “You’d like me to stand guard,” he clarified. “Protect your household treasures from being stolen.”

“Well, not exactly.”

He frowned. “’Tis my duty. Why else—?”

“Roberta and I….” Cora leaned in, as though to tell a secret. “We’d like you to be our special guest.”

Judging by her expression, she granted him a great honor; a sign of her affection for him. His heart swelled with pride. “I’m very flattered.”

“You’ll be a marvelous Santa.”

Santa? Lucian—a knight—was to take the place of the esteemed Lord of the Elves?

He could scarcely breathe…but was such an impersonation allowed? He didn’t want to be hauled away in chains and imprisoned in Coquina Castle’s dungeon—or meet an even worse fate. “’Tis all right for me to do so?”

“Of course, it’s all right.”

“What, may I ask, will I be expected to do?”

“We’d like you to mingle with the attendees, talk about their Christmas plans, ask if they’ve been naughty or nice this past year.” She winked. “Basically, make sure they have a good time. Nothing difficult.”

Judging by her lighthearted tone, she didn’t understand his concern. “Fair Maiden, I’ll be impersonating Santa.”

She chuckled. “So?”

“So?” Impersonating a lord was a serious matter. “I’m curious to know why you didn’t just ask the real Santa.”

“Real—?”

“He is, after all, just down the road.”

Cora shook her head. “I’d never ask him.”

“Why not?”

“Fred is…busy at this time of year. He’ll have other commitments.”

Again, she’d mentioned his lordship by his given name—a reminder that she knew him intimately enough to be on a first name basis. Yet, ’twas becoming increasingly clear his lordship had no idea Lucian would be acting as him at the upcoming event.

Why would Cora put Lucian in such an awkward situation?