A battle of wills during a season of blessings...
Napoleon himself never gave Captain Gideon Radcliffe as much trouble as Miss Marian Murray. The fiercely protective governess wonât rest until she gains permission for the daughters of his late cousin to stay on at Gideonâs newly inherited estate. He agrees to let Cissy and Dolly remain at Knightley Park for Christmas. But by springtime theyâand Marianâmust go.
Marian is prepared to believe the captain a tyrant. The truth is far more complicated. Gideon is a kind yet solitary man who sees the navy as his only sanctuary. Can Marianâs unwavering faith, and the childrenâs Christmas cheer, convince him heâs found safe harbor at last?
âYouâve probably spent most of your life moving from one place to another. So perhaps you canât understand why a child whoâs lost her mother and father would want to stay in a familiar place around people sheâs used to.â
âI understand better than you suppose, Miss Murray.â Captain Radcliffe spoke so softly, Marian wondered if she had only imagined his words.
âYou do?â
He replied with a slow nod, a distant gaze and a pensive murmur that seemed to come from some well-hidden place inside him. âI was ten years old when I was set to sea after my mother died.â
The wistful hush of his voice slid beneath Marianâs bristling defenses. Her heart went out to that wee boy.
âI shall delay contacting Lady Villiers until January.â Captain Radcliffe sounded resigned to his decision. âThat will allow the children to spend Christmas in the country. After that, the New Year is a time for new beginnings.â
âThank you, sir.â
As she hurried back to the nursery, Marian thanked God, too, for granting this reprieve. Perhaps her earlier prayers had been heard
after all.
DEBORAH HALE
After a decade of tracing her ancestors to their roots in Georgian-era Britain, Golden Heart winner Deborah Hale turned to historical romance writing as a way to blend her love of the past with her desire to spin a good love story. Deborah lives in Nova Scotia, Canada, between the historic British garrison town of Halifax and the romantic Annapolis Valley of Longfellowâs Evangeline. With four children (including twins), Deborah calls writing her âsanity retention mechanism.â On good days, she likes to think itâs working.
Deborah invites you to visit her personal website at www.deborahhale.com, or find out more about her at www.Harlequin.com.
Chapter One
Nottinghamshire, England 1814
âHeâs coming, Miss Murray!â A breathless housemaid burst into the nursery without even a knock of warning.
The book Marian Murray had been reading to her two young pupils slid from her slack fingers and down her skirts to land on the carpet with a soft thud. A tingling chill crept down her back that had nothing to do with the gray drizzle outside. The moment sheâd been dreading for weeks had arrived at lastâ¦in spite of her prayers.
A new prayer formed in her thoughts now, as she strove to compose herself for the childrenâs sake. She hoped it would do better at gaining divine attention. Please, Lord, donât let him be as bad as I fear and donât let him send the girls away!
Unaware of her governessâs distress, Dolly Radcliffe leapt up, her plump young features alight with excitement. âWhoâs coming, Martha? Are we to have company?â
The housemaid shook her head. âNot company, miss. Itâs the new masterâCaptain Radcliffe. Mr. Culpepper sent me to fetch ye so we can give him a proper welcome to Knightley Park.â
âTell Mr. Culpepper the girls and I will be down directly,â Marian replied in a Scottish burr that all her years in England had done little to soften.
Forcing her limbs to cooperate, she rose from the settee and scooped up the fallen book, smoothing its wrinkled pages.
âNew master?â Dollyâs small nose wrinkled. âI thought Mr. Culpepper was master of the house now.â
âDonât be silly.â Cissy Radcliffe rolled her wide blue-gray eyes at her younger sisterâs ignorance. âMr. Culpepper is only a servant. Knightley Park belongs to Captain Radcliffe now by enâ¦en⦠Oh, whatâs that word again, Miss Marian?â
âEntail, dear.â Marian plumped the bow of Cissyâs blue satin sash, wishing she had time to control Dollyâs baby-fine fair hair with a liberal application of sugar water. âCome along now, we donât want to keep the captain waiting.â
Likely the new master would insist on the sort of strict order and discipline heâd kept aboard his ship. It would not do for her and the girls to make a bad impression by being tardy.