A Winter's Romance: A Regency Anthology

by Audrey Harrison, Jayne Davis, Christina Dudley, Penny Hampson

Genres: Anthologies; Historical Fiction; Regency Romance

Synopsis

A Regency romance anthology perfect for curing the wintertime blues. GL Robinson, Audrey Harrison, Penny Hampson, Judith Hale Everett, Christina Dudley, and Jayne Davis have collaborated to bring you six delightful short stories, which include:

Advice to Young Ladies, by Jayne Davis
An unexpected courtship between two people, both wary of fortune hunters, is threatened when the gentleman makes a disastrous discovery.

A Christmas Wish, by Penny Hampson
When a disfigured army officer inherits the guardianship of a young girl, he never dreams she would be in the charge of a charming and pretty teacher.

Epiphany Day, by Christina Dudley
Blindness and deception are no match for love, when a spinster schoolmistress is drawn into nursing an injured rogue.

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway, by Audrey Harrison
A young lady’s flight from a horrific marriage proposal forces her to a life on the London streets, but the kindness of a stranger may lead her to a happily ever after.

A Worthy Alteration, by Judith Hale Everett
At a house party to woo a beauty, a carefree lord cannot comprehend why his thoughts are consumed by the plight of the drab little governess.

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by GL Robinson
Obliged by an accident to spend Christmas in a reclusive family’s cottage, a man of the world finds himself increasingly taken by the unconventional manners of the lively daughter.

 

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Release date: November 4, 2024

Publisher: Evershire Publishing

Print pages: 448

Sample

The Viscount’s Christmas Runaway – A Regency Romance

By
Audrey Harrison

Amazon bestselling author of Historical Fiction and Kindle Storyteller Finalist


Published by Audrey Harrison
© Copyright 2024 Audrey Harrison
This book is set in Regency England and is written in British English.
Audrey Harrison asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
This eBook/paperback is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook/paperback may not be re-sold, reproduced in any format or given away to other people without the consent of the author.
Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Find more about the author and contact details at the end of this book and the chance to obtain a free copy of
The Unwilling Earl.
Proofread and edited by Jenny Warren and can be contacted at [email protected] or
www.warrenproofreading.co.uk
 

Prologue


London 1812

The feel of the crisp, white sheets slid over her body: the mattress so soft underneath, the blankets providing a cocoon, keeping her warm and secure. She snuggled deeper into the co-vers and smiled sleepily to herself. There was nothing quite like the feeling of real luxury on the skin. She had never truly appreciated it, but she did now.
“Hey, watch out! This blanket isn’t big enough for the two of us as it is without you hogging it!” Rosie grumbled, disturbing her bedfellow’s reverie.
Louisa opened her eyes. There were no crisp, white sheets, no comfortable mattress, no warm blankets. There was a cold and draughty doorway from which they would be force-fully removed if they dared to remain until the business owners arrived. There was also a hungry stomach, aching limbs, and more fear and danger than anyone at eighteen years old should have to deal with.
The memories of the dream faded into the deep recesses of Louisa’s mind, where she forced them to stay every waking moment. There was no point longing for what had gone; pining would reduce her resilience and make her vulnerable to the elements and the people who threatened her every day. She left the tiny amount of comfort provided by half a blanket and Rosie’s body heat and stood, disturbing Billy, their other bedfellow.
She was alive for another day and still determined to find work or shelter that would provide the three of them with some form of safety. Unprotected people didn’t survive un-scathed on the streets of London for very long. She was fully aware that, at some point, her luck would run out.
Grimacing to herself, she shook off her maudlin thoughts. The fact of the matter was that her luck had already run out. She was homeless, penniless, and terrified. She had never been as afraid in her life. Well, perhaps once, but to admit to her present fear was to give in. If she did that, all the risk would have been for naught, and she couldn’t let it be so. She had to find a way of surviving and leaving the past behind where it could no longer hurt her.
He would not win. Not while she had breath in her body. ...