The Wallflower's Mistletoe Wedding
A country Christmas at Barton ParkPlain, sensible Rose Parker is a self-proclaimed wallflower, but she’s always dreamt of dancing with Captain Harry St George…Once, Harry wouldn’t even have noticed Rose. But now, after a hard war, Harry’s knows he’s a different man. Shy, sweet Rose intrigues him more than any gregarious young lady – but he must marry a rich bride to save his mortgaged estates – and Rose is no heiress. Now, more than ever, Harry needs the magic of a mistletoe kiss…
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A country Christmas at Barton Park
Plain, sensible Rose Parker is a self-proclaimed wallflower, but she’s always dreamed of dancing with Captain Harry St George...
Once, Harry wouldn’t even have noticed Rose. But now, after a hard war, Harry knows he’s a different man. Shy, sweet Rose intrigues him more than any gregarious young lady—but he must marry a rich bride to save his mortgaged estates...and Rose is no heiress. Now, more than ever, Harry needs the magic of a mistletoe kiss...
‘You need an heiress,’ Harry heard his brother say in his mind. An heiress would indeed be an answer for Hilltop. And he himself would admit that companionship, a partner, would be most welcome.
Harry looked down at Helen—at her brilliant smile, the flash of jewels in her hair—and for an instant felt the tug of temptation towards a life that had never been his. A life of carefree glitter.
And then, over the swirl of the dancers, he glimpsed Rose Parker, laughing with the other musicians as her slender fingers skipped lightly over the keys. And he was drawn towards her soft warmth that was like a fire on a cold day, sustaining and sweet.
But Rose deserved far more than he had to offer—a wounded soldier whose house was falling down around him. That was one thing he did know for sure
When I was a child, my grandmother loved Christmas! I loved visiting her house at that time of year, because she had a huge tree covered with sparkling glass ornaments, dishes full of candy and a pair of beautiful antique Santa and Mrs Santa dolls, which sat high on a shelf because I was allowed to look but not to play with them. Now they belong to me I still don’t play with them, afraid she might be watching from on high! I think she inherited this love of Christmas from her own grandmother, who grew up at the end of that heyday of Christmas: the Victorian Age.
The people of the Regency era weren’t quite as elaborate in their celebration of Christmas as those of the Victorian age, but they did have a fun-filled family holiday. Even though there weren’t large evergreen trees there was greenery: holly, ivy, rosemary, and mistletoe boughs that are very useful for romance authors. On Christmas Day, there might be small gifts—books, handkerchiefs, maybe toys for the children—a walk to church and then a large, merry dinner, with roasted goose, mincemeat pies and puddings, followed by games like Bob Apple and Snapdragon. On Boxing Day the servants would be given their gifts and maybe some time off to visit their own families.
I loved getting to spend time in a Regency Christmas, and to remember some of my own childhood traditions, too! If you’d like more of a peek behind the history, please visit my website at ammandamccabe.com.
AMANDA McCABE wrote her first romance at the age of sixteen—a vast epic, starring all her friends as the characters, written secretly during algebra class. She’s never since used algebra, but her books have been nominated for many awards, including the RITA®, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Booksellers’ Best, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Holt Medallion. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband, one dog and one cat.
Books by Amanda McCabe
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
and Mills & Boon Historical Undone! eBooks
Bancrofts of Barton Park
The Runaway Countess
Running from Scandal Running into Temptation (Undone!)
Tudor Queens
The Winter Queen
Tarnished Rose of the Court
Linked by Character
A Notorious Woman
A Sinful Alliance High Seas Stowaway Shipwrecked and Seduced (Undone!)
Stand-Alone Novels
The Taming of the Rogue
Betrayed by His Kiss The Demure Miss Manning The Queen’s Christmas Summons The Wallflower’s Mistletoe Wedding
More Mills & Boon Historical Undone! eBooks by Amanda McCabe
To Court, Capture and Conquer
Girl in the Beaded Mask Unlacing the Lady in Waiting One Wicked Christmas An Improper Duchess A Very Tudor Christmas
Visit the Author Profile page
at millsandboon.co.uk for more titles.
To the memory of my grandmother, Roberta McCabe, who loved the magic of Christmas.
Contents
Barton Park—summer 1820
‘Oh, Rose! Doesn’t the music just make you want to twirl and twirl and twirl?’
Rose Parker sat back on her heels and laughed as she watched her sister, Lily, spin in an exuberant circle, her new white lace and tulle skirts like a great cloud. The music from the party floated up to their chamber and it was indeed very twirly. ‘You won’t twirl for long if I don’t finish that hem. It will come unravelled and you will trip and fall flat on your face—right in front of Mr Hewlitt.’
