O Night Divine A Holiday Collection of Spirited Christmas Tales - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,124

to Edward. His friends descended upon him, offering hearty congratulations. Edward, who at first looked thunderstruck by her announcement, soon regained his composure and now beamed with pride.

Joellen came over and said, “Your Graces, we are most grateful.”

“I appreciate your gratitude, Joellen, but Edward was the only candidate we considered.” She smiled. “Notice that we didn’t ask him before we shared the good news.”

Joellen chuckled. “Well, he couldn’t possibly turn you down in such a public forum.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Edward joined them, embracing her and shaking Reid’s hand. Then he spontaneously kissed his wife, despite a crowd.

“I see I am rubbing off on you at last, Edward,” Reid said with approval.

Ashlyn smiled, knowing Reid had expressed his love for her publicly on numerous occasions, sometimes to the dismay of their children.

“As long as announcements are being made, I would like to add one,” Joellen said to them. “Just for the three of you to know for now.”

Edward’s brow creased with worry. “What is it?”

His wife smiled. “By next summer, you will not only be a headmaster. You will be a father.”

“I . . . what?” Then realization kicked in and Edward whooped with delight. He lifted Joellen off her feet and swung her around before kissing her soundly. Turning to the room, he shouted, “I am going to be a father!”

After many rounds of congratulations, Ashlyn encouraged their guests to retire to their rooms to freshen up and change for dinner. She and Reid climbed the stairs together, the last to leave the drawing room.

“We certainly have a lot to celebrate this Yuletide at Gillingham,” she said.

He stopped on the landing and framed her face in his hands.

“We have much to celebrate every day, love.”

Reid kissed Ashlyn and she knew they would celebrate their love each day for many years to come.

Additional Dragonblade books by Author Alexa Aston

Medieval Runaway Wives

Song of the Heart

A Promise of Tomorrow

Destined for Love

King’s Cousins Series

The Pawn

The Heir

The Bastard

Knights of Honor Series

Word of Honor

Marked by Honor

Code of Honor

Journey to Honor

Heart of Honor

Bold in Honor

Love and Honor

Gift of Honor

Path to Honor

Return to Honor

The St. Clairs Series

Devoted to the Duke

Midnight with the Marquess

Embracing the Earl

Defending the Duke

Suddenly a St. Clair

Starlight Night

Soldiers & Soulmates Series

To Heal an Earl

To Tame a Rogue

To Trust a Duke

To Save a Love

To Win a Widow

The Lyon’s Den Connected World

The Lyon’s Lady Love

About the Author

Award-winning and international bestselling author Alexa Aston’s historical romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire for one another grows into the treasured gift of love.

She is the author of Medieval and Regency romance, including The Knights of Honor, The King’s Cousins, The St Clairs, and The de Wolfes of Esterley Castle.

A native Texan, Alexa lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She enjoys reading, Netflix binge-watching, and can’t get enough of Survivor, The Crown, or Game of Thrones.

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A Thrill of Hope

Anna Markland

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new glorious morn.”

Chapter One

No Laughing Matter

Aust, Gloucester, England, Christmas Day 1879

Sitting demurely in one of the well-upholstered chairs in the living room of her parents’ comfortable Georgian-style house, hands folded in her lap, Samantha Hindley surveyed the others in the circle. She resisted the urge to smile at her fiancé seated across from her. There was no hope of winning the party game if she showed the least bit of amusement. Brock was a stickler for rules. Not that she had a chance against him. He rarely smiled anyway. He tended to be too serious, but she put his dour nature down to his many responsibilities as an up-and-coming young barrister.

Samantha’s fun-loving younger sister was already giggling, so it was unlikely Grace would win the game in a month of Sundays.

Papa had already imbibed too much mulled wine to stay poker-faced for long.

Mama would excuse herself before the game was done to fret over the Christmas dinner being prepared in the kitchens. The delicious aroma of roasted turkey was already making Samantha’s stomach growl.

“You go first, Sister,” Grace declared.

Samantha nodded. “Hah,” she exclaimed loudly, struggling for control when her sister burst out laughing and tipped sideways off her chair.

“You’re out, Grace,” Brock said, sounding bored with the game already.

Samantha shifted in her seat when her father rolled his eyes and said, “I think she realizes that.”

“Hee, hee, hee,” Grace taunted as she regained her seat.

“You’re out.