One Winter’s Night Regency anthology (4 book by 4 authors) is on sale for $1.99 until Nov 15.
A Season for Giving is part of the anthology, One Winter’s Night. This fresh Regency paranormal romance novella, set in London, England in December of 1812, takes a luscious bite out of the age-old fairy tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
A Season for Giving, in One Winter’s Night
After one unsuccessful season, Miss Honoria Gilbert knows just what she wants in a husband. And she’s finally found him. But Christopher de Wynter isn’t your typical English gentleman. He’s living a double life, doing undercover work for the crown, and has no intention of letting anyone get too close. But then again, he’s never been up against the power of a young lady’s Christmas wish . . .
Excerpt
Her papa put aside his newspaper and addressed his cooling breakfast. “It is good to make a proper list, Honey. Wise to be clear about what you want.”
“But what are we to take to church for the play?” her mother asked. “That is the list that concerns me.”
“Sometimes you are too particular.” William frowned with concern at Honoria. “Fellows do not like to be found wanting. Else you may find yourself without a suitor next Season, too.”
“I had plenty of suitors!” Honoria said in hot denial.
“None who came to heel by Season’s end.” Will’s tone was adamant. “Burn your list. How about a ship in a bottle, Mama?”
“Rutherfords have ships in bottles covered,” her papa said.
“Locke, do not be difficult.” Her mama’s face was flushed. “At this rate, we will attend church on Wednesday empty-handed.”
Honoria crossed her arms and pressed her lips tight. Her brother had made an unarguable point””while four of her friends already planned their marriages, no one had offered for her. But her suitors had been so dull that she had not encouraged any. “I have grown more mature this autumn.”
“Aged,” William said, with aplomb.
“Wiser!” That, too, stung, for two months ago, she had turned nineteen. She was almost on the shelf!
“Please Lord, let him be taller than I, but not so tall that he resembles a lamppost.” Horrid Henry’s mimicry was so uncanny, Honoria’s face burned. But the careless lad had stepped too close to William, who snatched the letter from the young scamp’s grasp and handed it to her.
“Oh, thank you, Will!” Honoria hugged him as sweet relief coursed through her. Thankfully, Will had saved the letter before Henry reached the part where she mentioned that she wanted a suitor who was pleasing to look at, but not too studious about his appearance.
Men who were overly concerned with their looks tended to find a style they deemed smart and then followed it religiously, resulting in the dandy set who looked so similar, it was hard to distinguish one from the other. Then there were those who showed little interest in perfecting their attire. They tended to sport garish waistcoats that attracted too much attention. She wanted a man who dressed discretely but exhibited exquisite taste.
She sauntered triumphantly past Henry and, once seated, folded the note and tucked the page close to her bosom inside her gown. Let the toad try to get it now.
“All of you hurry up and finish your breakfasts or we shall be late for Sunday service,” her mama said. “And while there, I hope everyone prays for an idea of what we can bring with us to the play.”
“Why must we go to the early service?” Henry asked. “The pavements are probably still icy.”
“Once we return, we have a great deal to accomplish for our ball tonight,” his mama said.
“Could we not postpone church then, Mama, so you do not tax yourself?” William asked in a suspiciously solicitous tone.
“To my recollection,” his mama said in a disapproving tone, “most of us have missed services the whole year through. Today, on this fourth Sunday of Advent, we will all be present. And Henry, wear your purple vest to represent your penitence. And take this rare opportunity to be in God’s presence to beg His forgiveness for your transgression toward your sister.”
“He will be more forgiving than I.” Honoria glared at Henry, silently promising retribution.
Laughing with unconcern, he slumped into his seat across the table. “I shall make amends to Honoria by seeking out a pleasing-looking fellow to lead her onto the dance floor. One who is not too concerned with his looks but still cares.”
She instinctively kicked out and struck his shin so hard he cried out, while her toes thrummed with pain. Her big toe complained as if she had broken the thing. She cursed herself for her vile temper and worried she might not be able to dance at all now. Fighting back angry tears, she nibbled on her cold buttered toast and wondered if William was right.
Should I burn my list? She could trim it. In fact, she was ready to strike out every requirement but one. Fleet of foot. Oh, I would love a chance to race across London’s rooftops in my man in black’s arms. Her throbbing toe called her a daydreaming fool. She did not care. She wanted to fine-tune her sketch, but there was no time. After church, her mama would conscript her to decorate the house with holly and other greenery for the ball.
Her drawing did not show any facial features. The man had been too far away and the sky too dark for her to see him clearly. All she had gleaned was an outline of his body. But what a body! Tall, lean and muscular. Honoria toyed with her eggs. What would it be like to be held in his arms for a dance? The image stirred a shiver of excitement. That was the type of man she wanted, and no words conveyed it more succinctly than “fleet of foot.”
All of a sudden, she was anxious to go to church, for it would be nothing short of a miracle if she were to find a man that stirred her as had the one who had leapt across London’s rooftops this morning.
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Question:
Most fairy tales teach us something…
What is the best takeaway from the Goldilocks and the Three Bears fairy tale?
- We should respect other people’s privacy and property.
- After you break in, don’t fall asleep!
- Avoid eating a bear’s porridge.
- There’s a middle ground in every argument.
- Good to have standards for what we want, but sometimes we can become too picky.
- An individual’s actions can inadvertently hurt another.
- ________ (fill in you’re thoughts).
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