Home For The Holidays
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Home For The Holidays
The holidays are upon us and there's nothing like curling up with the gift of a good Christmas book. Enjoy this Regency box set with two of Sherry Ewing's previously released holiday novellas, A Kiss For Charity & Under The Mistletoe!
A Kiss For Charity - Young widow, Grace, Lady de Courtenay, has no idea how a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would make her yearn for love again. Lord Nicholas Lacey is captivated by a lovely young woman he encounters at a masquerade. Considering the company she keeps, she might be interested in becoming his mistress. From the darkened paths of Vauxhall Gardens to a countryside estate called Hollystone Hall, Nicholas and Grace must set aside their differences in order to let love into their hearts.
Under The Mistletoe - When Margaret Templeton is requested to act as hostess at Captain Sander Morledge’s Christmas party and possibly agree to marry him, she did not think she would see the man who once held her heart. Frederick Maddock, Viscount Beacham had never forgotten the young woman he had fallen in love with, and his feelings are evident when he sees her at a holiday gathering. In a swirl of Christmas miracles and joyous celebration, will the two finally put down their differences and once again fall in love?
Home For The Holidays
Sherry Ewing
Contents
Copyright
Other Books by Sherry Ewing
A Kiss For Charity
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Bonus Material
Wedding Night Jitters
A Woman’s Tears
Missing His cue
Miranda Makes Her Move!
A Christmas Craving
Under The Mistletoe
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Other Books by Sherry Ewing
Social Media
New Release
About the Author
Copyright © 2017 by Sherry Ewing.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods.
Kingsburg Press
P.O. Box 475146
San Francisco, California 94147
www.KingsburgPress.com
Home For The Holidays is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
A Kiss for Charity first appeared in Holly and Hopeful Hearts, the 2016 box set of the Bluestocking Belles. Each Belle used characters belonging to other authors in our stories. The participating authors have given me license to publish this story as a stand-alone with their characters included. I give special thanks to Susana Ellis, for George and his family, and to Jude Knight for Aldridge and his.
Under The Mistletoe first appeared in Mistletoe, Marriage and Mayhem by the Bluestocking Belles.
Front Cover by Sherry Ewing. Photo - Decorating the Christmas tree by Marcel Rieder (19 March 1862 – 30 March 1942). This media is in the public domain and available for use.
Home For The Holidays/Sherry Ewing -- 1st ed.
eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-946177-49-0
Other Books by Sherry Ewing
If My Heart Could See You
When you’re enemies, does love have a fighting chance? Amiria of Berwyck vows to protect her people by pledging her oath of fealty to the very enemy who has laid siege to her home. Dristan, the Devil's Dragon of Blackmore, has a reputation to uphold as champion knight of his king. Lies, treachery, and deceit attempt to tear them apart, but only love will bring them together
For All of Ever: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time Novel (Book One)
Sometimes to find your future, you must look to the past… Katherine dreamed of her knight all her life yet how could she know she’d be thrown back into the past? Nothing prepares Riorden for the beautiful vision of a strangely clad ghost appearing in his chamber. Centuries keep them apart but will Time give them a chance at finding love?
Only For You: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time Novel (Book Two)
Sometimes it’s hard to remember that true love conquers all, only after the battle is over… Katherine has it all but settling into her duties at Warkworth is dangerous to her well-being. Consumed with memories of his father, Riorden must deal with his sire’s widow. Torn apart, Time becomes their enemy while Marguerite continues her ploy to keep Riorden at her side. With all hope lost, will Katherine & Riorden find a way to save their marriage?
Hearts Across Time: The Knights of Berwyck (Books One & Two)
Sometimes all you need is to just believe… Hearts Across Time is a special edition box set that combines Katherine and Riorden’s stories together from For All of Ever and Only For You.
A Knight To Call My Own
When your heart is broken, is love still worth the risk? Lynet of Clan MacLaren knows how it feels to love someone and not have that love returned. Ian MacGillivray has returned to Berwyck in search of a bride. Who will claim the fair Lynet? The price will be high to ensure her safety and even higher to win her love.
To Follow My Heart: The Knights of Berwyck, A Quest Through Time Novel (Book Three)
Love is a leap. Sometimes you need to jump… Jenna Sinclair is dealing with a horrendous break up with her fiancé when she finds herself pulled through time to twelfth century England. Fletcher Monroe has spent too much time pining away for a woman who will never be his until a strangely clad woman magically appears. Torn between the past and the present, will their growing love survive a journey through Time?
Under the Mistletoe
A new suitor seeks her hand. An old flame holds her heart. Which one will she meet under the kissing bough? When Margaret Templeton is requested to act as hostess at a Christmas party she did not think she would see the man who once held her heart. Frederick Maddock, Viscount Beacham never forgot the young woman he had fallen in love with. Will the two finally put down their differences and once again fall in love?
A Kiss For Charity
Young widow, Grace, Lady de Courtenay, has no idea how a close encounter with a rake at a masquerade ball would make her yearn for love again. Lord Nicholas Lacey is captivated by a lovely young woman he encounters at a masquerade. Considering the company she keeps, she might be interested in becoming his mistress. From the darkened paths of Vauxhall Gardens to a countryside estate called Hollystone Hall, Nicholas and Grace must set aside their differences in order to let love into their hearts.
You can find out more about Sherry’s work on her website at www.SherryEwing.com and at online retailers.
A Kiss For Charity
Prologue
Highgrove Manor
Summer, 1810
Lord Nicholas Lacey reached for the decanter of brandy near at hand, pulled the stopper, and raised the entire container to his lips. The roaring fire within his heart
h did nothing to chase away the coldness now coursing through him. Nothing could. Numb. He was chilled to the bone from the news he had just received by special messenger.
The liquor burned its way down his throat, perhaps in an attempt to light a fire in the pit of his stomach. That he was even able to swallow was surely a testament to his need to get completely inebriated. He knew offering up a prayer to a higher power would do him no good. God had forsaken him.
How could he have known when he wished his dear wife safe travels that it would be the last time he would ever see her? Juliette had been the light of his life, though their marriage had been arranged. Even now, amidst the tragedy tearing his soul apart, he could hear her sweet tinkling laughter, her soft French accent. She had begged him to accompany her, her sister Geneviève, and their mother to London. A last minute issue with the estate had left Nicholas with no other recourse than to decline in order to see to the matter. He would regret the decision not to spend the extra time with her. Perhaps if he had been there, she would even now be enjoying the delights of town. He would not think of the alternative that would have left Blanche an orphan.
Nicholas took another swig, not caring that the brandy should have been sipped or savored, not gulped down like the cheapest of gins. He set the decanter down and reached for the crumbled parchment that had fallen to the floor. His vision blurred with unshed tears while he read it yet again. The message that had transformed his entire world in one heartbeat unfortunately did not change. His innards churned. A blinding anger erupted in a growl of pain, replacing his stunned silence. His hand swept the table, and the brandy decanter went flying through the air until it smashed against the fireplace mantel, leaving splintered shards of sparkling glass upon the floor. Nicholas wiped at his eyes and rested his head back upon his chair. He could almost see what had happened to his wife, along with her sister and mother, as if he had been witness to the horrific scene.
Their carriage had been attacked by highwaymen. The driver and footmen had been ordered to the ground during the robbery attempt. In the midst of taking the ladies’ valuables, one of the footmen fired a shot at one of the bandits. He missed, and his error in judgement not only cost his own life, but had spooked the horses. With no driver to stop the runaway team, the carriage bolted away and hit a boulder, causing a wheel to shatter, and sending the rig end-over-end until it fell into a deep ravine. All had perished.
“Carson,” Nicholas called out to his butler. His voice cracked with grief, yet he knew he must remain strong, at least in front of others.
Ever-efficient, his man answered as though he had been standing just outside the doorway. “Yes, my lord?”
Nicholas went to the sideboard where more brandy waited, and poured a generous glassful, leaving the bottle behind. “Inform Mrs. Robinson to ready the house in order to observe a period of mourning. Then have a maid run up and fetch my daughter.”
“Of course, my lord.” Carson proceeded to quietly leave the room.
He did not have long to wait before he heard the pitter patter of his daughter’s feet racing down the stairway. A round, happy face with bright cornflower blue eyes stared back at him when she saw him. Blonde ringlets bounced upon her head as she made her way across the room. Blanche looked so much like her mother it broke his heart all over again, knowing he would need to tell his thirteen-year-old daughter that her mother had gone to heaven.
With his emotions frozen in place, he performed his duty toward his daughter with a fair amount of the efficiency that was expected of him. He was not sure how he remained calm while he gave Blanche the comfort she needed. Her cries of anguish crushed what remained of his heart. Nicholas was on his own with only the ghost of his wife firmly etched upon his mind.
Chapter 1
London
August 1812
Grace, Lady de Courtenay grimaced as her hair was pulled yet again. It was hard not to be impatient while her maid attempted to put the finishing touches to her dark brown hair. She hated the obnoxious curls that continued to plague her and caused Elsie to spend more time than surely was necessary in order to tame the unruly locks into some kind of manageable coiffure.
She looked up at her reflection and attempted not to sigh. What she really wished to do was stick her tongue out at the mirror, but such a childish antic would gain her nothing this day. At the age of almost thirty, she still appeared young, although too young to be a widow.
Her marriage to her second cousin had been arranged years ago by their parents, and she had had no reason to decline Adrian, the young Earl de Courtenay, when he had proposed on bended knee. She had looked forward to a lifetime of wedded bliss as they began their lives together, despite her younger sister teasing her about marrying a man who had the same first name and surname as their brother. Indeed, since her husband was one of the few earls who took their title from their surname, Grace walked into the church Miss de Courtenay, and came out Lady de Courtenay.
Unfortunately, her husband had died of an unknown malady only a fortnight later.
Because she had married so young, her husband’s death seemed as though it had been another lifetime ago. She still felt like a naïve young woman in so many ways, despite her age. Since she had not produced an heir, her husband’s title passed down to her brother, with whom she lived as her only male relative. Since their parents were also deceased, their younger sister was in need of female companionship and who better than Grace to help keep a watch over her.
A brief shake of her head brought her out of her melancholy mood, and she once more examined her reflection. A clear complexion was framed in a round face. Her eyes were a deep brown, and yet the green gown she wore brought out flecks of hidden color if one cared to look close enough. Not that anyone ever did. Her mouth looked like a perfect little bow; it was a compliment her mother had used many times in the past. Her chin had her cringing despite the many years her father had claimed it was her best feature. Her finger brushed the slight cleft that had been so much like his own, and she missed the times when he used to remark on the resemblance. Grace was not vain enough to consider herself beautiful, but she supposed she was comely enough. She had resigned herself to never marrying again and remaining forevermore a widow, for who would wish to marry someone her age?
Another tug from the brush brought her out of her musings. Surely there must be a bald spot on her scalp from this last attack on her hair. Patience. Grace needed a lot of it right now. Her eyes met the maid’s reflection as she stood behind her, a worried look upon the girl’s features.
“Sorry, milady,” said Elsie in a voice tight with apprehension. Clearly she assumed a reprimand was about to fall upon her head.
“No need to fret,” Grace reassured the young woman. “I am not my sister, who would take you to task for your attempts to put her hair in order.”
Elsie let out a startled gasp. “I would never speak ill of your sister.”
A small smile lit Grace’s face. “I know you would not, which is why I hired another maid for her and sent you to attend me instead. I know how trying Miranda can be.”
As if she knew she was the topic of conversation, her younger sister flew into the room without so much as a knock. Miranda made her way across the floor to flounce upon the bed in a most unladylike manner. Her sister was a lovely little creature used to getting everything she ever desired. Younger by almost nine years, Miranda was the baby of the family, and had been doted upon by their parents to the point of being spoiled. The two sisters were as different as night was to day, at least in their personalities. As to their looks, there was no doubt they were sisters since they had the same features right down to their unmanageable curling hair.
“Leave us, Elsie,” Miranda ordered, looking down on the maid as if the poor girl had given her offense.
Elsie bobbed a curtsey and left quickly.
Grace turned upon the stool to stare at her sister, who swung her legs back and forth upon the edge of the bed. “You have no cause to be
rude to Elsie. It is not her fault that she could not please you and was taken away from you. You were treating her unkindly, and you know how much I hate it when you act toward our servants in such a way. It is uncalled for, Miranda.”
Miranda shrugged with a wave of her hand. “She is yours now to do with as you wish. You have given me someone who is far better at seeing to my needs than Elsie ever could.”
“You just did not give her a fair chance. She is young and was new to her position here in the household. You should have more compassion for those less fortunate than you are. Not everyone can be born to wealth and privilege, Miranda,” Grace said with a stern look at her sister.
“It is not of any import to me where she came from,” Miranda replied offhandedly. She examined her fingernails as though she had not a care in the world before she returned her attention to Grace. “Where are you heading today?”
“Adrian and I are off to Miss Clemens’s Book Palace.” Grace pulled on a straw bonnet and tied the white ribbon into a neat and proper bow beside her cheek.