Christine Merrill - Regency Christmas Wishes - Captain Grey's Christmas Proposal / Her Christmas Temptation / Awakening His Sleeping Beauty

Three Regency tales of festive wishes come true...

CAPTAIN GREY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL by Carla Kelly

Captain Grey had been fighting malarial fever in Savannah when he met Theodora Winnings. He proposed by letter—but it’s taken ten years to receive her reply. The answer was “yes!”—but is she still free to become his Christmas bride?

HER CHRISTMAS TEMPTATION by Christine Merrill

Faith Strickland’s plan to marry to save her family backfires when notorious rake James Leggett sets out to break her unhappy engagement. He’ll storm her Twelfth Night celebrations and scorch her into surrender!

AWAKENING HIS SLEEPING BEAUTY by Janice Preston

Lonely Diana Fleming knows handsome knights don’t really exist. But can a festive kiss from the man she loves reawaken her frozen heart?

Praise for the authors of

Regency Christmas Wishes

CARLA KELLY

‘Kelly is a master at emotional, uplifting romances.’

—RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Ring Quest

CHRISTINE MERRILL

‘Merrill pens another winner.’

—RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Game

JANICE PRESTON

‘Readers will enjoy this well-written tale packed with authentic characters and a tender lover story.’

—RT Book Reviews on The Governess’s Secret Baby

CARLA KELLYstarted writing Regency romances because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars. She enjoys writing about warfare at sea and the ordinary people of the British Isles rather than lords and ladies. In her spare time she reads British crime fiction and history—particularly books about the US Indian Wars. Carla lives in Utah and is a former park ranger and double RITA® Award and Spur Award winner. She has five children and four grandchildren.

CHRISTINE MERRILLlives on a farm in Wisconsin, USA, with her husband, two sons and too many pets—all of whom would like her to get off the computer so they can check their email. She has worked by turns in theatre costuming and as a librarian. Writing historical romance combines her love of good stories and fancy dress with her ability to stare out of the window and make stuff up.

JANICE PRESTONgrew up in Wembley, North London, with a love of reading, writing stories and animals. In the past she has worked as a farmer, a police call-handler and a university administrator. She now lives in the West Midlands with her husband and two cats, and has a parttime job as a weight management counsellor—vainly trying to control her own weight despite her love of chocolate!

Regency Christmas Wishes

Captain Grey’s Christmas Proposal

Carla Kelly

Her Christmas Temptation

Christine Merrill

Awakening His Sleeping Beauty

Janice Preston

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Table of Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text Three Regency tales of festive wishes come true... CAPTAIN GREY’S CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL by Carla Kelly Captain Grey had been fighting malarial fever in Savannah when he met Theodora Winnings. He proposed by letter—but it’s taken ten years to receive her reply. The answer was “yes!”—but is she still free to become his Christmas bride? HER CHRISTMAS TEMPTATION by Christine Merrill Faith Strickland’s plan to marry to save her family backfires when notorious rake James Leggett sets out to break her unhappy engagement. He’ll storm her Twelfth Night celebrations and scorch her into surrender! AWAKENING HIS SLEEPING BEAUTY by Janice Preston Lonely Diana Fleming knows handsome knights don’t really exist. But can a festive kiss from the man she loves reawaken her frozen heart?

Praise Praise for the authors of Regency Christmas Wishes CARLA KELLY ‘Kelly is a master at emotional, uplifting romances.’ —RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Ring Quest CHRISTINE MERRILL ‘Merrill pens another winner.’ —RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Game JANICE PRESTON ‘Readers will enjoy this well-written tale packed with authentic characters and a tender lover story.’ —RT Book Reviews on The Governess’s Secret Baby

About the Authors CARLA KELLY started writing Regency romances because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars. She enjoys writing about warfare at sea and the ordinary people of the British Isles rather than lords and ladies. In her spare time she reads British crime fiction and history—particularly books about the US Indian Wars. Carla lives in Utah and is a former park ranger and double RITA® Award and Spur Award winner. She has five children and four grandchildren. CHRISTINE MERRILL lives on a farm in Wisconsin, USA, with her husband, two sons and too many pets—all of whom would like her to get off the computer so they can check their email. She has worked by turns in theatre costuming and as a librarian. Writing historical romance combines her love of good stories and fancy dress with her ability to stare out of the window and make stuff up. JANICE PRESTON grew up in Wembley, North London, with a love of reading, writing stories and animals. In the past she has worked as a farmer, a police call-handler and a university administrator. She now lives in the West Midlands with her husband and two cats, and has a parttime job as a weight management counsellor—vainly trying to control her own weight despite her love of chocolate!

Title Page Regency Christmas Wishes Captain Grey’s Christmas Proposal Carla Kelly Her Christmas Temptation Christine Merrill Awakening His Sleeping Beauty Janice Preston www.millsandboon.co.uk

Captain Grey’s Christmas Proposal Captain Grey’s Christmas Proposal Carla Kelly

Dedication To all who believe in the magic of Christmas

Dear Reader Dear Reader , All my life I’ve noticed that the Christmas season is a time when people everywhere seem to become a little better, perform kindly deeds, think of others more and act upon good promptings. It’s almost as though Christmas gives us permission—as if we needed it—to bring out our better natures and the better natures of those around us. We become more susceptible to the possibility that glad tidings of great joy can become a reality. Maybe we’re more willing to believe in impossible things because at Christmas all things feel possible. In that vein, I bring you the whimsical tale of a post captain in the Royal Navy—a careful man swept into an adventure made possible by the receipt of a years-old letter that went astray. The Peace of Amiens (1802–1803) becomes a window of opportunity that takes him from Plymouth, England, to Savannah, Georgia, in the new country of the United States—a place he remembers well from his childhood and has never quite forgotten. There’s a touch of magic, too…or maybe it’s more than magic. Maybe it’s the grace that can shower down upon us all if we’re willing to let the spirit of Christmas and St Nicholas step in and make things right. Reader, whatever your faith or creed, I invite you to consider the possibilities of this season of wonder. Carla Kelly

Prologue Prologue This wasn’t a story shared widely. After some thought and a few laughs, New Bedford shipbuilder James Grey and his wife, Theodora, decided to tell their little ones this odd Christmas tale of how they’d met, or re-met, after years apart. They thought it wise to tell it before those same children reached maturity and no longer set much store by St Nicholas. Later, if more adult scepticism took over—well, that was their worry. It was Christmas story to tell around the fireplace, drinking Papa’s wassail and gorging on Mama’s pecans nestled in cream and caramelized sugar she called pralines.