The Duke's Christmas Wish — Aileen Fish

After being told there was no room at the inn, the Duke of Thornton takes refuge at Bridgethorpe Manor for Christmas. His wish for a quiet holiday is dashed by a house filled with congenial adults, gregarious children, and a pair of rowdy mongrels. When his friends contrive to create a romance between the duke and their sister, Lady Patience, his visit becomes a madcap farce. First impressions are rarely wrong, and from the moment Charlotte Harrow invites the duke to await his carriage repairs at her cousins' estate, she questions her decision. Thornton is moody, sullen and unwilling to participate in any of the family entertainments. Overhearing her cousins' scheme to make a match between the duke and Lady Patience, Charlotte does everything in her power to rescue her cousin and keep them apart, never suspecting she might lose her heart along the way.