wondered fleetingly how Hector could read his thoughts, and then he touched Lucy's face, stroked her cheek. She turned toward him and sighed, as her body continued to heal in front of his eyes.
"Lucy, sweetheart, can you hear me? You're safe now. I promise you." Nicholas could not stop shivering, a feeling of desperation gnawed at his stomach.
"Hector, will she be completely recovered? Will she remember what happened?"
The healer grimaced as he shuffled back from the bed. The sphere popped off Lucy's chest and hovered in front of the old man, waiting. Hector closed his eyes and murmured something from his memory.
Nicholas watched in astonishment as the sphere danced back to Lucy's body and touched the spot above her heart, then rushed to his own chest, illuminating his heart for a moment before it flew back to the cabinet. It spun giddily on the shelf, as the color deepened from translucent pink, to cranberry, and finally back to a rich blood-red. Helga laughed as she closed the cabinet door.
"That one hasn't been out in a while. She had a good time, eh?"
Hector smiled. "Yes, I have forgotten how powerful she is.
And such a sucker for true love." He rolled his eyes as he 66
Sweet Inspiration
by Penny Watson
waved at Nicholas. "She likes the boy, of course. Lucky for you, Nick. The woman's name is Lucy?"
"Yes, Lucy Anne Brewster." Nicholas released a breath in relief as Lucy snuggled up closer to his hand.
Hector nodded in her direction. "She will sleep for a long time, Nicholas. When she wakes up she will be completely healed. In fact, if she had any medical issues in the past, they will probably be healed as well. Obviously, she cannot stay here. Where will you take her?"
"To my home here in Glasdorf." Nicholas brought Lucy's hand to his lips and kissed her softly, inhaling her sweet fragrance. "Hector, I must apologize for my behavior..."
"Save your breath, young man. The council will be anxious to hear an accounting of this, I am sure. And your father will be disappointed in your behavior. This is a most inauspicious start for the future Weihnachtsmann."
Nicholas gazed at Lucy's peaceful face. "I am not afraid to face the council or my father."
Markus stepped forward and bowed to Hector. "You are truly worthy of your title, Healer. Thank you for serving Nicholas and this woman. I will bring the sleigh to the front door." He hurried out of the cottage, quickly closing the door as a freezing gust of wind snuck inside.
Nicholas slid his arms beneath Lucy's body and pulled her against his chest. "I can never repay you for this, Hector. You have no idea what this kindness means to me. Truly."
Nicholas bent his head in awe at the diminutive old man.
Hector glanced at Helga. "Actually, I do know. Now get her home quickly and out of the cold. Come along, Helga. It's 67
Sweet Inspiration
by Penny Watson
time for tea." Nicholas heard the muffled thump of the cane as he carried Lucy out of the cottage and back to the sleigh where Markus awaited him.
Hector Ischman watched through the frosty window as the sleigh disappeared into the blustery night. He turned to his wife and uttered a weary sigh. "Who could have guessed that Nicholas would be the one to defy our laws? He has always been such a damned prig."
Helga clucked and wrapped her arms around Hector's waist, resting her face against his chest. "Maybe it was time for him to loosen up a little, Schatzi. Something tells me that Alena will be thrilled. Nicholas is the first of the brothers to show any sign of settling down. Alena would like a few grandchildren, I think."
"Alena is a hopeless romantic, just like you." Hector bent down and placed a soft kiss on his wife's head. "My feet are sore. Let's snuggle in front of the fire and you can rub my feet with that honey cream I like so much."
Helga laughed, a musical sound that forced Hector to smile in spite of himself. "All right, Mr. Grumpy. Don't worry.
Everything will work out."
Hector prayed she was
"Lucy, sweetheart, can you hear me? You're safe now. I promise you." Nicholas could not stop shivering, a feeling of desperation gnawed at his stomach.
"Hector, will she be completely recovered? Will she remember what happened?"
The healer grimaced as he shuffled back from the bed. The sphere popped off Lucy's chest and hovered in front of the old man, waiting. Hector closed his eyes and murmured something from his memory.
Nicholas watched in astonishment as the sphere danced back to Lucy's body and touched the spot above her heart, then rushed to his own chest, illuminating his heart for a moment before it flew back to the cabinet. It spun giddily on the shelf, as the color deepened from translucent pink, to cranberry, and finally back to a rich blood-red. Helga laughed as she closed the cabinet door.
"That one hasn't been out in a while. She had a good time, eh?"
Hector smiled. "Yes, I have forgotten how powerful she is.
And such a sucker for true love." He rolled his eyes as he 66
Sweet Inspiration
by Penny Watson
waved at Nicholas. "She likes the boy, of course. Lucky for you, Nick. The woman's name is Lucy?"
"Yes, Lucy Anne Brewster." Nicholas released a breath in relief as Lucy snuggled up closer to his hand.
Hector nodded in her direction. "She will sleep for a long time, Nicholas. When she wakes up she will be completely healed. In fact, if she had any medical issues in the past, they will probably be healed as well. Obviously, she cannot stay here. Where will you take her?"
"To my home here in Glasdorf." Nicholas brought Lucy's hand to his lips and kissed her softly, inhaling her sweet fragrance. "Hector, I must apologize for my behavior..."
"Save your breath, young man. The council will be anxious to hear an accounting of this, I am sure. And your father will be disappointed in your behavior. This is a most inauspicious start for the future Weihnachtsmann."
Nicholas gazed at Lucy's peaceful face. "I am not afraid to face the council or my father."
Markus stepped forward and bowed to Hector. "You are truly worthy of your title, Healer. Thank you for serving Nicholas and this woman. I will bring the sleigh to the front door." He hurried out of the cottage, quickly closing the door as a freezing gust of wind snuck inside.
Nicholas slid his arms beneath Lucy's body and pulled her against his chest. "I can never repay you for this, Hector. You have no idea what this kindness means to me. Truly."
Nicholas bent his head in awe at the diminutive old man.
Hector glanced at Helga. "Actually, I do know. Now get her home quickly and out of the cold. Come along, Helga. It's 67
Sweet Inspiration
by Penny Watson
time for tea." Nicholas heard the muffled thump of the cane as he carried Lucy out of the cottage and back to the sleigh where Markus awaited him.
Hector Ischman watched through the frosty window as the sleigh disappeared into the blustery night. He turned to his wife and uttered a weary sigh. "Who could have guessed that Nicholas would be the one to defy our laws? He has always been such a damned prig."
Helga clucked and wrapped her arms around Hector's waist, resting her face against his chest. "Maybe it was time for him to loosen up a little, Schatzi. Something tells me that Alena will be thrilled. Nicholas is the first of the brothers to show any sign of settling down. Alena would like a few grandchildren, I think."
"Alena is a hopeless romantic, just like you." Hector bent down and placed a soft kiss on his wife's head. "My feet are sore. Let's snuggle in front of the fire and you can rub my feet with that honey cream I like so much."
Helga laughed, a musical sound that forced Hector to smile in spite of himself. "All right, Mr. Grumpy. Don't worry.
Everything will work out."
Hector prayed she was
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