Making the List

By Emma Kaye

Miss Arabella Dowell’s twin sister is in love with a small-town bookseller, a match their parents will never approve. So her sister can be with the man she loves, Bella helps hide their romance from the world, including from a handsome stranger who almost walks in on them.
Spencer Hillgrave must announce his engagement during his parents’ Christmas ball at Watersedge Castle. But first, he has to choose a bride from his mother’s list. A chance encounter with a charming lady at a local bookseller’s makes him realize his perfect woman isn’t on the list. Then a case of mistaken identity leads him to think she’s already given her heart to another. Should he settle for less or reach for love?

• Language: Unknown
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9781509251636

Emma Kaye

Emma Kaye is married to her high school sweetheart and has two beautiful kids that she spends a ridiculous amount of time driving around central New Jersey. Before ballet classes and tennis entered her life, she decided to write one of those romances she loved to read and discovered a new passion. She's been writing ever since. Emma's first Wild Rose Press book, Time for Love, combines two of her favorite romance genres--time travel and Regency. With her loving family, a playful dog, and an extremely patient cat, Emma's living her own happily ever after while making her characters work hard to reach theirs.

Book preview

What type of story interests you? She glanced over her shoulder at him. No. Don’t tell me. I shall endeavor to guess.

He leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and grinned. Would you like a hint, or shall you proceed solely based upon my appearance?

Oh, you’ve already given me any number of hints. She smiled, amazed at her own daring. When had she become so adept at casual conversation?

He raised a skeptical brow, so she continued. "Your appearance is quite revealing. However, your manner is more so. You are dressed in the height of fashion yet don’t wish to be known. Forreston is not a haven for the ton, yet you suspect you might run into an acquaintance even here. You appear distressed to a certain degree, yet there is a casualness about your manner that indicates you are used to getting your way. I would say you face a dilemma of which you have yet to see your way clear."

As she spoke, he slowly sat upright, his gaze intent upon her.

I’d say you need something to sweep you away from your troubles. A humorous, lighthearted tale, perhaps? Something along the lines of… She made a sweeping gesture then grabbed her chosen book. …this.

She swooped over and dropped the title in his lap.

He stared long enough for her to begin to regret her choice.

Making the List

by

Emma Kaye

Christmas in the Castle

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.

Making the List

COPYRIGHT © 2023 by Emma Kaye

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 Tina Lynn Stout

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Edition, 2023

Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-5163-6

Christmas in the Castle

Published in the United States of America

Dedication

To my family—I love you!

Chapter One

Miss Anna Dowell, what a pleasure to see you. Mr. Villiers’ pleasant smile faded slightly when he turned to Bella. And Miss Dowell. I didn’t see you there. Good day to you, as well.

Arabella Dowell, Bella to those who knew her best, nodded in acknowledgment of the greeting but couldn’t bring herself to return the smile. The old codger wouldn’t have bothered with the pleasantry at all if he thought Anna would stand for such nonsense. If only her tongue could give sound to her thoughts, she’d make a clever quip about how his age was showing if he couldn’t see her when she stood directly next to her sister.

Luckily Anna had the grace to ensure this encounter remained friendly. Why, Mr. Villiers, I haven’t seen you in months. We’ve missed you dreadfully at the market. I do hope Mrs. Villiers is much improved from what I must assume is your most excellent care?

Thank goodness Villiers had returned all his attention to Anna. He would not have taken kindly to the barely suppressed snort of derision desperately trying to escape Bella’s nose. Anna’s eyes twinkled with merriment and Bella knew her sister had most definitely noticed.

Villiers breathed deep and puffed out his chest. Yes, much improved. Good woman. Doesn’t much like it when I fret over her. Now her health is so much improved I find myself with an excess of time on my hands. I must drop by the manor soon. With your parents away, you must be lonely at your estate all on your own.

Bella wrapped her arm through her sister’s and pulled her close. We do quite well, thank you. One is never alone when one has a twin sister, after all. Huzzah! The words came out without the slightest stutter.

He scowled. Yes, Miss Anna is so lucky to have you at her side. All. The. Time. He emphasized each word, as if spending time with her sister was a terrible thing.

She pinched her lips together to hold back what she really wanted to say to the foul, loathsome…

Anna took over once more. Please, do not let us keep you, Mr. Villiers. Such an important man as yourself can’t be kept loitering on the street by a couple of young ladies, now, can he?

With a slight tug of her arm, Anna led them away.

They simultaneously peeked over their shoulders to see Villiers smoothing back his hair, taking a deep breath, and approaching a young lady’s maid waiting outside the milliner’s shop for her mistress. Only to be brought up short when a formidable older woman stormed out of the shop and snapped her fingers, sending the young maid racing after her.

Bella and Anna burst into laughter.

After a few deep, calming breaths and with their free hands clasping heaving stomachs that ached from laughing, Bella finally had a chance to say what she wished. "That dirty old man. Does he really think one day you’re going to look at him in all his…glory… She laced the words in a sarcastic tone, though there was no way anyone would think her serious. Mr. Villiers was four-and-fifty, with a pot belly, greasy gray hair, and a hook nose. …and agree to run off with him?"

Can you imagine such a thing? Anna laughed. "I would say Mrs. Villiers might have something to say about that, but I’m afraid she would send us off with her blessings."

They shared another laugh and turned into Leyton’s Bookseller.

Bella eyed the stack of books piled