'Tis the Season for Lady Sarah - Maggie Dallen Page 0,43

over her mouth, fresh tears filling her eyes. “Do you mean it?”

“I do.” Theo reached for Sarah’s hand, pulling her close. “I shall speak to your brother first thing in the morning.”

Miss Rathmore gave a nod and then lunged forward to give Sarah a quick, fierce hug. “Thank you.” She stepped away, eyeing each of the packages in their hands. “I shall leave the two of you now. But I’d like to wish you both a Happy Christmastide.” Sarah drew in a deep breath of cold air as the other woman headed inside and she turned to look at Theo. “That was marvelously well done.”

He leaned down and brushed a kiss along her temple. “It was easy. I just thought about what you might do and did exactly that.”

She laughed, her arms snaking about his waist as he pulled her close. “You give me far too much credit.” Then she pulled one arm back between them, holding up her small box. “I’ve been waiting all day for this. I can’t wait any longer. Open it.”

With a grin, he pulled off the ribbon and slid open the lid to the box. From inside, he pulled a sprig of mistletoe, artfully arranged with more red ribbon.

He lifted it above their heads. “I love it,” he said, his brows arching. “But I feel as though this is a gift that has a second part.”

“It is indeed,” she answered, lifting up on her toes and softly pressing her mouth to his. The kiss lingered and lengthened as the mistletoe was forgotten and his arms wrapped about her, holding her close.

When they finally broke apart, Sarah was certain she’d never been warmer despite the cold winter air that swirled about them.

“Now mine,” he whispered, sliding a box between them.

Quickly Sarah removed the ribbon and opened the lid. Inside lay a patch of silk, and nestled in its folds was a sparkling diamond ring.

She gasped. It was her mother’s, given to her by her father upon Sarah’s birth. Tears welled up in her eyes as the stone sparkled in the moonlight. “How did you…” She gasped, not even trusting her fingers to lift it out of the box.

Theo set his own gift aside and reached in, pulling the stone from the fabric. Then he deftly undid the buttons of her glove, sliding the material off her hand so that he could put the ring on her finger. “I had help from your family, of course. Your mother said that this should be yours and I thought it would be the perfect way to ask for your hand one more time. I love you with all my heart, Sarah, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how deep that love can be. You’ve taught me to trust my feelings again and—”

But she didn’t allow him to finish. Because her lips crashed into his once again. This wasn’t the sweet kiss of a few moments ago. This one held every drop of her love for him. She’d found her other half. The person who made her complete. “I love you too, Theo,” she said when she finally pulled away. “Happy Christmastide.”

“Happy Christmastide, my love.”

Up next in January 2021! Our poor Miss Rathmore needs to find a match better than the nefarious Mr. Stallworth…

Meet the Earl of Darling! This standalone romance will be the start of a new series by Maggie Dallen & Katherine Ann Madison. Prepare for a whole new world of sweet and lighthearted romances!

And coming soon from the Wallflower’s Wish series…

You can now preorder the next book in the series, A Hero for Lady Abigail. Learn how this lady manages to redeem herself and find love…

No one would mistake Lady Abigail for a delicate wallflower. In fact, she's more like the gardener's shears. But she's about to discover that love can bloom in the unlikeliest places...

Lady Abigail is desperate for a match. Major Mayfield? He'll do. There's only one problem. He wants nothing to do with her. But this is her last chance to choose a husband for herself, and she means to make it work. Even if it means playing nice...for once.

Major Mayfield has no interest in the belle of the ball, and even less in a lady who is spoiled rotten. He's already chosen the perfect lady...it's just too bad he can't seem to remember her name when Lady Abigail is nearby. But that's only because she is so very irritating. And clever. And, of course, everyone knows that she has beauty in spades. No, what the major finds so intriguing is the rare glimpse of her true nature when she thinks no one is watching. The more he digs, the more he's stunned to find...she's more than a diamond in the rough. In fact, she might just be a diamond of the first water.

About the Authors

Maggie Dallen writes adult and young adult romantic comedies in a range of genres. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers on Facebook, Twitter or at www.maggiedallen.com. For a FREE sweet regency romance, sign up for her monthly newsletter at http://eepurl.com/bFEVsL

Katherine Ann Madison is the sweet side of USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen. An English major and longtime lover of romance novels, writing historical romance feels like her Cinderella fairytale come true.