A Christmas Courtship

  He drew back, his face warm with love. ‘I want you to be my wife, Blanche. I want you to be mistress of this house again. You told me only today that you were to have been betrothed on Christmas Day, and so it still must be, except that your finger will be graced by my ring, not Mortimer’s. And the Amberley pendant must adorn your wedding gown when I bring you back here, where you belong. I’ll make love to you here in this room, and you’ll be the most cherished and desired of brides, I promise you that. Make all this come true, Blanche. Say you’ll marry me.’

  ‘Yes. Oh, yes,’ she whispered, and as he kissed her again, the sprig of holly fell from her fingers. There was no doubting it now, this would be the most wonderful Christmas ever.

  Also by Jeannie Machin

  and soon to be published:

  LADY SABRINA’S SECRET

  * * *

  THE DANGEROUS DUKE

  Beautiful young widow Deborah Marchant came to Bath on a desperate mission. Her brother Richard stood accused of seduction and theft. Only Deborah could clear his name by unmasking his accuser, Lady Ann Appleby, and finding his love, the lady of mystery named Sabrina. But Deborah’s search was blocked at every turn by the formidable figure of Rowen Sinclair the domineering Duke of Gretton.

  Deborah had but one way to unravel the shroud of secrets surrounding her’missing brother Somehow she had to gain the upper hand over this maddening, masterful man who used women as his playthings – while she tried to keep him from getting a hold on her heart….

  Copyright

  © Jeannie Machin 2008

  First published in Great Britain 2008

  This edition 2011

  ISBN 978 0 7090 9752 5 (epub)

  ISBN 978 0 7090 9753 2 (mobi)

  ISBN 978 0 7090 9754 9 (pdf)

  ISBN 978 0 7090 8656 7 (print)

  Robert Hale Limited

  Clerkenwell House

  Clerkenwell Green

  London EC1R 0HT

  www.halebooks.com

  The right of Jeannie Machin to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988