The Lord Who Sneered and Other Tales — Heidi Ashworth

Three touching, inspirational tales that evoke the essence of what we love most about the cold weather holidays. Ghosts in the Graveyard: October1816. When Sir Anthony's cousin dies, a grieving widow is left behind, one no longer wanted when her father-in-law, the Duke of Marcross, sires a new heir. She is welcomed to Dunsmere by the Dowager Duchess; she has a plethora of empty bedrooms now that Sir Anthony and his bride, Ginny Delacourt, have moved from the premises. When Lady Avery claims she saw a ghost in the graveyard attached to the church on the Dunsmere estate, Anne, with help from Baldwin, the gardener, and handsome stranger Mr. Williams, attempts to unearth the meaning behind the eerie happenings at the Duchess' estate. Will they solve the mystery of the ghost before the cantankerous Dowager Duchess sends Mr. Williams away and all of Anne's hopes with him?A Rose For Christmas: Autumn 1812. The Dowager Duchess of Marcross wants nothing more than to win the annual flower show and has been developing the perfect Christmas rose, sure to be a winner. However, the rose is stolen and she is faced with a moral dilemma. Can she win the competition without compromising her integrity and sacrificing her reputation ? A young Sir Anthony and Ginny Delacourt make an appearance in this heartwarming tale of loyalty, devotion, and gratitude. The Lord Who Sneered: Christmas 1818. Debutante Lady Sophie Lundell has been warned away from the Marquis of Trevelin by her father, but why? When she meets the infamous Marquis at her first ball, she is fascinated by his scar, one that causes his mouth to be drawn into a perpetual sneer. So determined is she to learn how he came by it, she follows him out onto the veranda and insists on hearing the story from his own lips. Her curiosity transforms into a profusion of emotions when she discovers there is more to the Marquis' wicked reputation than his injured mouth. When Christmas day dawns, she learns that the best of gifts are bestowed only by the heart.