Christmas Brides (Three Regency Novellas)

by Bolen, Cheryl

  Elizabeth shook her head and went to protest, but her husband cut her off.

  "She's right, my dear," he said, kissing her hand. "You were the only person in the group who knew how to swim."

  "She had such wonderful presence of mind," Susan said.

  "How is it," he asked his wife, "you do know how to swim? It doesn't seem to be a skill many ladies seem to possess."

  "My papa. He must have wanted a son most badly for he was constantly treating me as one does a son." Elizabeth laughed to herself. "I remember him telling me that my ability to swim might save someone's life one day. How is poor little Robbie?"

  "He's beneath the blankets, and his teeth are still chattering, but he's going to be just fine. Robert and I are so profoundly grateful to you."

  Elizabeth gathered her blue shawl closer around her as a shiver sent her shaking. "I'm ever so grateful that my husband got there in time—and with a rope—to get us out of there."

  Susan's gaze flicked to his. "I did not know my dear husband was possessed of such deep emotions. Did you, Broxbourne?"

  Though he had known Robert since he was eight years of age, today was the first time he'd ever seen him cry. Tears welled in his own eyes when he thought of losing his own loved one. Elizabeth. "I doubt there was a dry eye there today."

  Susan reached out and patted him. "The children—minus Robbie—are going to decorate the drawing room with fresh greenery this evening. We're going to allow Robbie to lie on the sofa near the fire and watch. I would like to request the footmen to place two sofas near the fire, the other for you, my lady."

  "Will you feel up to it, love?" he asked Elizabeth, his voice tender.

  "I wouldn't miss it."

  * * *

  Harry's eyes had moistened! How very touching that he loved his nephew so. Since the day she had met him, she had understood that this rugged, privileged man was possessed of a tender heart. And a nobility of spirit. And a generous soul.

  She was touched at his concern for her, too. Just when she was feeling as if she were as worthless as ashes in the hearth, he had the ability to make her feel. . . valued? How could that be?

  "I'm glad we're finally alone," he said after Susan departed. His husky voice held a note that had not been there before. Not ever.

  Truth to tell, she was glad to be alone with him. She would like to imagine this a real marriage, if only for a few moments. What would it be like to allow herself to love him? The very notion sent her heartbeat roaring, her stomach plummeting, and her lower body stirring in a way she had never experienced. She gazed into his black eyes. "Me, too."

  He squeezed her hand. "This afternoon, for a few minutes, I thought I'd lost you."

  Had she heard him correctly? Her eyes widened. She was afraid to breathe, afraid she might miss his next words because of the roaring of her heart.

  "And all I could think of," he continued, his voice low and uneven, "was I never told you how much I . . ." He swallowed. "I love you."

  Surely she was dreaming! Or had the depth of her own feelings made her hear what she wanted to hear, not what he really said? She could not remove her eyes—which were now filling with tears—from his. Had he really just said he was in love with her? "You love me?" her voice squeaked like a child's. What a pathetic viscountess she made!

  "I think I knew it that morning I left you at St. Clement's, right after we exchanged vows. Walking away from you that day was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Time after time, I picked up my pen to write you, but I thought it would be too cruel to both of us, given my belief that---"

  "---that you were going to die." Tears streamed down her face as she squeezed both his hands.

  "Now that you've come into my life again," he murmured, "I never want us to separate. I've wanted to be with you every waking minute."

  She flung herself into his arms, weeping with joy. "Oh, Harry, my dearest love, I do love you!"

  Now that she was enclosed within her husband's arms, she was finally warm.

  * * *

  His mother was enjoying decorating the drawing room with greenery even more than her two little grandchildren she was supposedly assisting. Why was it, he wondered, her icy countenance melted when she was with the children? He could not have been more pleased at the way she had taken to his precious little Fanny.

  What a wonderful home Farley Manor was going to be for her, surrounded by so many who loved her. And soon, he hoped, she would have brothers and sisters. His breath hitched at the memory of how thoroughly he and his wife had loved that afternoon.

  "Comfortable, my love?" he asked Elizabeth, who reclined on a sofa, her husband at her side, near the blazing fire.

  The glow of the smile on her flawless face could brighten the darkest room. "Never more so."

  "Mama!" Fanny ran up to them, excitedly. "Milady says I'm to get a present!" Milady was the name the grandchildren had adopted for his mother.

  "That's wonderful," Elizabeth said.

  Though he was certainly not impartial, he thought Fanny the loveliest little girl he had ever seen. Her short, dark curls framed a delicate ivory face that was tinged with pink cheeks. Though her dark eyes were his eyes, he did not possess the uncommonly long lashes this beautiful creature did. In the firelight, her hair glistened with a mahogany tint. From her lovely red velvet dress trimmed in white lace, it was obvious Elizabeth spared no expense when dressing Fanny even though she had cut corners with her own wardrobe. He went to set his daughter on his lap.

  She shook her head. "Not now, milord, I must help milady." She was so utterly serious, he had to laugh as she rejoined his mother "to help."

  It was all he could do not to laugh when she offered his mother meager little twigs with a barely a holly berry on them, yet his mother praised her for her "help."

  "I have some, too," Tommy said, standing beside Fanny and thrusting his offering at his grandmother.

  Collins brought warm mulled wine, and Elizabeth sat up to take her cup.

  A moment later, Collins brought his mother a package tied with string and a much smaller velvet box. His mother eyed Elizabeth. "I know we will exchange presents on Christ's birthday in the morning, but tonight I wish to present the newest members of our family with . . . well, you'll soon discover what!" She lifted the larger box that was tied with a string. "This is for you, Fanny."

  Her little face alight, Fanny ran to her grandmother.

  "Would you like me to help you open it?" his mother asked.

  Her head bobbed as her tiny fingers pulled on the string. The dowager slipped it off and tore into the paper, allowing Fanny to remove the rest of it.

  Fanny managed to lift off the box's top, then exclaimed, "A doll! She's beautiful!"

  Even though the doll had on a brand new dress made of golden silk and her hair had obviously been either restyled or replaced, he recognized it. Susan had toted her "Helene" around for years. That porcelain-faced doll had been like a member of their family.

  "Helene!" Susan exclaimed. "I looked for her because I wanted Fanny to have her."

  Fanny hugged the doll.

  His mother beamed at Fanny. "I have been saving her for a special little girl."

  It hurt him that his mother would not be able to formally acknowledge Fanny as her granddaughter, but it was for the child's benefit.

  "Where did you get Helene's beautiful new dress?" Susan asked.

  His mother's blue eyes sparkled. "I made it last night, especially for Fanny."

  "She's really, really mine?" Fanny asked, looking up at her grandmother.

  "Yes, she is. Her name is Helene." His mother faced Elizabeth and extended the velvet box. "And this belongs to the new viscountess."

  Elizabeth opened the small velvet case. He was nearly overcome with emotion when he saw that it held his mother's diamond and sapphire wedding ring.

  "Every Viscountess Broxbourne has worn this ring, my dear," the dowager said to his beloved wife.

  "Oh, my," was all Elizabeth c
ould say as her eyes once again began to fill with tears.

  "Allow me, my dearest," he said, taking the ring and slipping it on the same finger with the simple gold band he'd placed there two years earlier. To his astonishment, it fit her perfectly.

  He should have known it would. From the minute he'd met Elizabeth, he'd had the feeling a power stronger than either of them was guiding him to her, guiding her to him and Fanny, guiding her to Farley Manor.

  "The luckiest day of my life was the day we found each other at St. Clement's," he told her in a throaty voice. "You are my perfect viscountess."

  "I am the luckiest lady in the kingdom."

  Hi joy was complete when Fanny—and Helene—came and climbed upon his lap. This Christmas at Farley Manor was the happiest Christmas ever.

  The End

  Win a $50 Gift Certificate

  I hope you enjoyed Christmas Brides. If you did, would you please consider posting a review by the book's listing at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Smashwords or a site where you might have read it? If you do, please send me an email at Cheryl@cherylbolen.com and I will enter your name in one of my quarterly drawings for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or I-Tunes. Each time you review one of my books, let me know, and you will get another entry for each review. This promotion will last all of 2012, with a drawing each quarter.

  Thank you from Cheryl Bolen

  Other eBooks by Cheryl Bolen:

  With His Lady's Assistance

  (Book 1, The Regent Mysteries)

  (Humorous Regency Romance Mystery)

  Finalist – Best Historical ebook, International Digital Awards

  "With His Lady’s Assistance is a delightful blend of humor, romance, and mystery, a romp through Regency society, sprinkled with appealing characters and colorful figures from British history. Protecting the eccentric Prince Regent from an unknown assassin has never been so entertaining." – In Print

  "A delightful Regency romance. . .The mystery is nicely done, the romance is enchanting, and the secondary character are enjoyable. 4 Stars. – Romantic Times

  "Bolen is a masterful storyteller who brings us enchanting love stories that offer fresh outlooks on love, while combing humor and mystery." – Regency Inkwell on With His Lady's Assistance,

  5-Star Hall of Fame book, With His Lady's Assistance. – Historical Romance Critic

  * * *

  To help him mingle in the highest echelons of English society to investigate threats on the Prince Regent's life, super spy Captain Jack Dryden must feign an engagement to the exceedingly plain spinster, Lady Daphne Chalmers. Together they embark on an investigation which brings them into grave peril—and makes the captain reevaluate the skinny maiden who has a most amorous effect upon him.

  Buy at Amazon.com

  A Most Discreet Inquiry

  (Book 2, The Regent Mysteries)

  (Humorous Regency Romance Mystery)

  In this second installment on Bolen's Regent Mysteries, Captain Jack Dryden receives another urgent summons to come to the aid of the Prince Regent--on Jack's wedding day...

  Will Jack find the missing papers before d'Arblier finds him? Will Daphne find a competent housekeeper before they starve? And will Daphne and Jack ever have their wedding night?

  Read A Most Discreet Inquiry for the answers, and enjoy another adventure with the most charming of Regency detectives. 5 STARS. – In Print

  “Once again Ms. Bolen gives us a humorous and romantic read filled with action and mystery.” – L. Sims, Top Amazon Reviewer

  * * *

  It all started quite innocently when Lady Daphne Chalmers's duchess sister came to her sleuthing sibling for help in retrieving love letters she wrote to Major Styles, now deceased. But as Daphne and her own lover, Captain Jack Dryden of His Majesty's Hussars, join forces to track down the letters, they follow a trail of treachery and murder that threatens the entire kingdom.

  Buy at Amazon.com

  Marriage of Inconvenience

  (Love Inspired Historical, October 2012 release)

  Readers of Counterfeit Countess and One Golden Ring have asked for Rebecca Peabody's book. This is it!

  A loveless marriage between a bluestocking and a powerful peer turns out to be anything but. . .

  * * *

  From Bluestocking to Bride

  Proposing to the Earl of Aynsley seems a sensible-if unconventional-solution to Miss Rebecca Peabody's predicament. As a married woman, she will be free to keep writing her essays on civil reform. Meanwhile, the distinguished widower will gain a stepmother for his seven children and a caretaker for his vast estate.

  But the earl wants more than a convenient bride. He craves a true partner, a woman he can cherish. To his surprise, the bookish Miss Peabody appears to have every quality he desires...except the willingness to trust her new husband. Yet despite his family's interference, and her steadfast independence, time and faith could make theirs a true marriage of hearts.

  Buy at Amazon.com

  My Lord Wicked

  Winner Best Historical Novel in the 2012 International Digital Awards

  This terrific regency novel has Gothic elements: the eerie abbey; the gloomy weather; the portrait of his wife seeming to watch over everyone; and his dark, twisted memories of her. Ms. Bolen's novel has it all. A great romance with spooky elements and the mystery surrounding the wife, the author could not have done a better job. I loved this book, and I hope you will love it also. Very highly recommended! – Amazon Reviewer

  * * *

  What woman would dare make her home at eerie Marshbanks Abbey, perched on a stony hill in remote Northumbria? It is said its owner, the brilliant botanist, Lord Stacks, killed his beautiful bride there ten years earlier.

  Unaware of the tales of Lord Stacks' wickedness, Freddie Lambeth comes to live with her guardian, and through his caring blossoms from a plain, shabbily dressed girl to a lovely young woman. Freddie and Lord Stacks come to need each other as his flowers need sunshine, but Stacks cannot allow himself to love her. His own wickedness has destroyed any chance for happiness.

  Buy at Amazon.com

  His Lordship's Vow

  This was the kind of sweet, romantic Regency romance I used to love to read. I'm so glad they're coming back - especially by talented authors like Cheryl Bolen. 5 STARS – Amazon Reviewer

  Thank you so much for writing a story of ROMANCE. Ms Bolen makes reading about the hero and heroine enjoyable and romantic. 5 STARS – Amazon Reviewer

  * * *

  Bereft of beauty as well as fortune, the exceedingly plain Miss Jane Featherstone has failed to attract any suitor during her three Seasons. Rather than be a burden to her brother and his obnoxious wife, Miss Featherstone vows to accept the first man who asks—even though she's always worshipped a lord who's far above her touch. . .

  Lord Slade must marry an heiress in order to honor the deathbed vow he made to his father, and he needs Miss Featherstone's help in wooing her beautiful cousin. After her initial anger, Miss Featherstone agrees to his scheme, telling him she's doing so because she admires his Parliamentary record of humanitarian legislation and his reverence for truth. But the more he's with the two cousins, the more attracted he becomes to Miss Featherstone. What's a man of his word to do? Break a vow to a beloved father—or follow his heart with Miss Featherstone?

  Buy at Amazon.com

  The Bride Wore Blue (The Brides of Bath Series #1)

  Cheryl Bolen's writing draws you into her fast-paced story. 4 Stars – Romantic Times

  Cheryl Bolen returns to the Regency England she knows so well. . .If you love a steamy Regency with a fast pace, be sure to pick up The Bride Wore Blue. – Happily Ever After

  * * *

  For six long years Thomas Moreland has dreamed of the beautiful young noblewoman who rescued him from death. While amassing his fortune in India, not a day passed he did not recall Felicity's fair loveliness, did not recall the silken tones of her sweet voice, did not desire
to possess her.

  Now a widow, Felicity Harrison does not recognize the handsome nabob as the young man left for dead by highwayman years earlier. Though she wants nothing more than to snub the arrogant man who promises to rescue her family from financial ruin in exchange for presenting his sister to Society, she cannot snub him. She must force herself to bear his company. But the longer she is with him, the more she has to force herself to remain true to her dead husband's memory. Why is it the humbly born Thomas Moreland possesses more nobility that any man of her class? And why is it she finds it harder and harder to mourn a dead man when Thomas's virility awakens her deepest desires?

  Buy at Amazon.com

  With His Ring (The Brides of Bath Series #2)

  Texas Gold's Runner-up for Best Historical Romance 2002

  Highly recommended. – Under the Covers

  Cheryl Bolen does it again! There is laughter, and the interaction of the characters pulls you right into the book. I look forward to the next in this series. 4 Stars – Romantic Times

  With His Ring is a good book. Once you start reading you will not want to put it down. . .The secondary characters are a blast. They will have you laughing right along with Glee's stunts. – The Romance Readers Connection

  If you liked Cheryl Bolen's first installment in her Brides of Bath series set in Regency England, you'll like this one. With His Ring has plenty of sensuality. – Happily Ever After

  * * *