A Christmas Surprise

By Cynthia Moore

Miss Clara Seaford has loved Julian Astor, Viscount Bentley, since she first saw him at a debutante ball. Years later, Julian is forced to marry Clara to pay off a large debt owed to her father.

A misunderstanding on their wedding night and an extended trip for Julian leads to an awkward beginning.

When her husband unexpectedly returns for the Christmas holidays, Clara vows to ensure there will be no confusion about the depth of her love for him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Nov 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781509223237

Cynthia Moore

Cynthia Moore grew up in a small, southern California beach town. While many hours were spent lying on the sand, she always had a book in hand or a paperback tucked inside a bag ready to pull out and read after a quick splash in the waves. Cynthia discovered British literature as a teenager. After reading most of the Victorian classics, she was introduced to English Regency period novels in 1987. It was love at first read. Since that time, Cynthia has read over four thousand fiction novels and owns a large collection of research books about the fascinating era. She is extremely proud to have several published stories set during the Regency and resides in Southern California with her dog who is, not surprisingly, named Austen.

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She took a deep breath, raising the sprig of greenery up as close as she could to the top of his head. She managed to reach a spot just behind his left ear. Well, it would have to suffice, she thought as she licked her lips nervously. No chance to back down from her chosen course now.

I wish you happy holidays, my lord. She stood on tiptoe to place her mouth against his.

The snow, servants, and greenery pile were forgotten. The chill of the winter air was only a memory as she felt a dizzying warmth rush throughout her body to settle as a fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. As she pressed against him in an effort to capture more of the delicious heat, his lips suddenly left hers. She opened her eyes to quickly study his face and encountered a look of surprise and confusion in his expression.

A Christmas Surprise

by

Cynthia Moore

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

A Christmas Surprise

COPYRIGHT © 2018 by Cynthia Moore

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by RJ Morris

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Tea Rose Edition, 2018

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-2323-7

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To my grandmothers,

Margaret Lucile and Elaine Genevieve.

They both loved the Christmas holidays,

and they each enjoyed reading sweet, romantic stories.

Chapter One

Excuse me, my lady. The butler, Warner, stood in the doorway. He walked into the room and bowed. A special messenger has arrived from London with a note addressed to you. He held out a tray upon which a folded missive lay.

A boldly scrawled Viscountess Bentley appeared on the front. Clara reached out and turned over the envelope. It was fastened together with a wax imprint of the Bentley family crest. Her hand shook as she broke the seal and reached inside. The enclosed message was brief.

Madam, I expect to arrive at Bentley House a few days after you have received this communication. Please make any preparations necessary for my arrival as well as for a five-year-old child who will be residing with us. Until then,

Lord Bentley

She sat and stared at the note in silence. Unconsciously, she reached for the turquoise pendant, fastened with a thin, silver chain around her neck. The stone rested on her chest just above the lace trim on her morning gown. The necklace was a wedding present from her husband, Julian, Viscount Bentley. She had faithfully worn it ever since her wedding day. It had become a habit to rub the turquoise between her thumb and forefinger until the heat from her body made the stone warm whenever she felt anxious or lonely. The sudden sound of someone clearing their throat reminded her that the butler was still present.

Will there be an answer, my lady? he inquired.

She started to reply but then paused to sort out the dazed and jumbled thoughts racing around inside her head before beginning again. No…No. There will be no reply. Please be certain that the messenger is given food and drink before he begins his return journey. She saw the look of concern that appeared on Warner’s face before he bowed himself out of the room, closing the door behind him.

She dropped the note into her lap, looking up to stare out of the window from inside her warm and cozy morning room at the bleak, wintery landscape outside while she continued to rub the pendant with shaking fingers. The note written by her husband brought the unpleasant, embarrassing memories back.

Christmas was only a fortnight away. It was hard to believe that she had lived here at Bentley House for almost one year. It was even more unbelievable on Christmas Eve of the previous year she arrived here accompanied by her father, Sir Henry Seaford in order to be married to Viscount Bentley. Now, her husband was on his way home. She would see him for the first time since the evening of the day they were married.

He was the love of her life. She first gazed upon him inside the crowded room of a debutante ball in London. He was the one who stole her heart with a single passing glance on that night.

She remembered staring at him as he stood at the top of the stairs. He had a