Louise Allen - Once Upon A Regency Christmas - On a Winter's Eve / Marriage Made at Christmas / Cinderella's Perfect Christmas

Praise for the authors ofOnce Upon a Regency Christmas

LOUISE ALLEN

‘Allen deftly pulls fans into the glittering, dangerous world of England’s elite.’

— RT Book Reviews on His Christmas Countess

‘Allen has written another spellbinding and adventurous Regency romance.’

— RT Book Reviews on Beguiled by Her Betrayer

SOPHIA JAMES

‘Readers will be thrilled with this triumphant tale.’

— RT Book Reviews on Marriage Made in Hope

‘Delightful and seductive…’

— RT Book Reviews on Marriage Made in Shame

ANNIE BURROWS

‘Burrows is a master at Regency romance.’

— RT Book Reviews on In Bed with the Duke

‘The poignancy and humour will make any reader a Burrows fan.’

— RT Book Reviews on The Captain’s Christmas Bride

LOUISE ALLENloves immersing herself in history. She finds landscapes and places evoke the past powerfully. Venice, Burgundy and the Greek islands are favourite destinations. Louise lives on the Norfolk coast and spends her spare time gardening, researching family history or travelling in search of inspiration. Visit her at louiseallenregency.co.uk, @LouiseRegency and janeaustenslondon.com.

SOPHIA JAMESlives in Chelsea Bay, on Auckland’s North Shore, in New Zealand, with her husband who is an artist. She has a degree in English and History from Auckland University and believes her love of writing was formed by reading Georgette Heyer in the holidays at her grandmother’s house. Sophia enjoys getting feedback at sophiajames.co.

ANNIE BURROWShas been writing Regency romances for Mills & Boon since 2007. Her books have charmed readers worldwide, having been translated into nineteen different languages, and some have gone on to win the coveted Reviewers’ Choice award from Cataromance . For more information, or to contact the author, please visit annie-burrows.co.uk, or you can find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/AnnieBurrowsUK.

Once Upon a Regency Christmas

On a Winter’s Eve

Louise Allen

Marriage Made at Christmas

Sophia James

Cinderella’s Perfect Christmas

Annie Burrows

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Cover

Praise

About the Author

Title

ON A WINTER’S EVE

Dear Reader

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

MARRIAGE MADE AT CHRISTMAS

Dear Reader

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

CINDERELLA’S PERFECT CHRISTMAS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Dear Reader

The idea for this story began with a Regency cartoon showing a frantic Norfolk turkey escaping from its Christmas doom in Leadenhall Market. I wondered what became of it, and found the answer when my hero rescued the ungrateful bird from a snowdrift. From there the story just grew, set in a snowy Norfolk landscape not far from where I live.

We don’t often get heavy snow, let alone a white Christmas, in this part of the world, so the idea of my lovers snowed in together was a Christmas fantasy for me, as well as for them.

I hope Giles and Julia’s story gives you a warm glow this winter, wherever you are.

Happy Christmas!

Louise Allen

For the Quayistas Mark 2—

Linda, Jenny, Janet and the Significant Others.

You know why.

When had she last seen snow? It must have been at least nine years ago, before she had left England. Remembered in the heat of a Bengal summer, it had been pretty and fluffy. Not like this, heavy with a subtle, beautiful threat. The great billowing drifts, like ocean waves, were poised to swallow the coach whole. Oh, this was such a bad idea.

There was a convulsive movement beside her, a blurred reflection in the breath-misted glass, but when Julia turned her stepdaughter was smiling, even as she shivered.

‘Miri, darling, I am sorry it is so cold. I didn’t think, I just wanted to be away from that dreadful woman.’

‘Aunt is strange, isn’t she? I suppose she was angry that Father didn’t leave her anything in his will.’ Miri shrugged, slender shoulders struggling to lift the layers of rugs. ‘And I didn’t expect her to like me, but she did offer us a home while you arranged your affairs in England.’

Of course Grace— parental optimism in the naming of her had been severely misplaced— Watson did not like her niece. Miriam was illegitimate, half-Indian and beautiful. What was there not to hate for a bigoted woman with a plain daughter of her own to launch?

‘Did you not realise? My sainted sister-in-law was selling introductions to me, the indecently rich nabob’s widow who must, of course, be in need of a man to relieve her of her wealth.’

‘No! You mean those parties and receptions were to set you out like goods on a stall? No wonder you are so angry.’

‘Too angry to explain properly to you. I am sorry, you must have thought I had lost my mind, dragging you out of there at five o’clock yesterday morning.’ Julia did not often lose her temper, it was not a profitable thing to do, but when she did she was well aware that it was like wildfire over the grass plains of the Deccan, sweeping everything before it.

Miri had meekly held her tongue and left Julia to a fuming silence broken only by curt orders to servants, coachmen and innkeepers. ‘I must have been a perfectly horrid companion yesterday, I should have explained. I overheard your aunt agreeing terms with Sir James Walcott on what he would pay her if I were to wed him.’ She took a steadying breath. ‘I lay awake all night brooding and the thought of seeing her sour face over breakfast was too much.’

‘I rather liked Sir James.’

‘So did I,’ Julia agreed grimly.

‘You are very rich.’ Miri sounded as though her teeth were clenched to stop them chattering. There was only so much that fur rugs and pewter hot water bottles could do against the Norfolk weather on a late December day.

‘Oh, indecently so.’ Julia’s own teeth were gritted, but not because of the cold. ‘And it is a well-known fact of life that indecently rich widows are fair game for any impoverished gentleman who fancies lining his pockets. After all, marrying money is not the same as lowering oneself to engage in trade and actually earn it.’

There was silence as the coach lurched through another drift. It gave Julia ample time to rue allowing her temper to land them here.

‘So what will you do now?’

‘See what this house your father left me is like. I have no hopes of it, but, if it at least has a roof, then we shall stay there for Christmas and by the New Year I will have a plan.’ She always had a plan and usually they were rather more successful than her bright idea of leaving India and returning to England with her stepdaughter and a fortune, expecting to find it easy to make a new life.