“Cold?” Gregory asked.
“Not a bit.” She snuggled against him.
“Happy?”
“Very.”
Around the lake a score of smaller fires had been lit, and skaters glided in pairs and groups between them. Young ones raced, laughing as they bumped into elders and each other. In the midst of all those activities, she saw Ella taking center stage amongst Gregory’s sisters as the young women laughed over the child’s stories and antics.
“We won’t be able to live with her after all this attention,” she told him.
“We shall seriously have great difficulty taking her back with us to Torrishbrae,” he warned with a smile. “My mother is in love with her, and so are my sisters. My sister-in-law, Grace, believes that Ella is the funniest and most loving child she’s met in her life.”
“I may need to give her a lecture about what children are really like. You and I both know Ella is a wild, wee elf covered in a lass’s clothing.”
They both smiled as their gazes were attracted to the pregnant Grace coming down the hill supported by Viscount Greysteil, her husband. Their story was a fascinating one, Freya thought, for it was just this past May that the young woman had arrived at Baronsford, half dead in a crate intended for his lordship.
“Let’s go over,” Gregory suggested.
Together, they skated to where the elders in the family were gathered by a fire at the edge of the ice. Lady Dacre sat beside Lady Aytoun on a bench.
Ella appeared as well, dancing around them like a sprite on skates.
“Millicent, I can’t tell you what peace of mind it gives me to see these two together,” Lady Dacre said.
“We’re all exceedingly happy,” Gregory’s mother said, beaming at them.
As Grace and the viscount joined them, Lady Dacre addressed them. “And I must thank you, Greysteil, for asking your brother to escort these two ladies to the Borders. I’m so grateful to you for bringing them together.”
“But it wasn’t his lordship’s doing at all,” a small voice exclaimed.
Everyone’s gaze turned to Ella, standing in the center of the group and looking around to make sure she had their attention.
“I’m the one who arranged their bloody marriage!”
Author’s Note
We hope you enjoyed the story of Gregory and Freya, another tale in our Pennington family saga. For those of you who have read our previous work, you’re familiar with Millicent and Lyon, the Earl of Aytoun, from Borrowed Dreams. And as you’ve probably already guessed, we have a new series of books in the works featuring the next generation of Penningtons. The romantic adventure of Grace Ware and Viscount Greysteil (Gregory’s brother) is available in the first installment, Romancing the Scot. We hope you check it out.
As always, we want to say that we love getting feedback from our readers. We write our stories for you. We’d love to hear what you liked, what you loved, and even what you didn’t like. We are constantly learning, so please help us write stories that you will cherish and recommend to your friends. You can contact us at may@maymcgoldrick.com, and visit us on our website at www.MayMcGoldrick.com. Also, please sign up for our newsletter. We want you to be among the first to be notified about our new releases and giveaways and other pertinent news.
Finally, we need a favor. If you’re so inclined, we’d love a review of this story. As you may already know, reviews can be difficult to come by these days. You, the reader, have the power now to make or break a book. If you have the time, please consider posting one to a major bookstore or reading group site. Thank you.
Wishing you peace and health!
Nikoo and Jim
Also by May McGoldrick
Pennington Family (Regency)
Sweet Home Highlands (novella in Christmas in Kilts)
Romancing the Scot
It Happened in the Highlands
Sleepless in Scotland
Pennington Family (First Generation)
The Promise
Scottish Dream Trilogy
Borrowed Dreams (Book 1)
Captured Dreams (Book 2)
Dreams of Destiny (Book 3)
Macpherson Family Series
Scottish Relic Trilogy
Much Ado About Highlanders (Book 1)
Taming the Highlander (Book 2)
Tempest in the Highlands (Book 3)
“A Midsummer Wedding” (novella in Say Yes to the Scot)
Macpherson Brothers Trilogy
The Thistle and the Rose (Book 0)
Angel of Skye (Book 1)
Beauty of the Mist (Book 3)
Standalones
The Intended
Flame
Tess and the Highlander
For a complete list of May McGoldrick titles, please visit www.MayMcGoldrick.com
About the Author(s)
Author photograph © Loghan Rose
Authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick (writing as May McGoldrick) weave emotionally satisfying tales of love and danger. Publishing under the names of May McGoldrick and Jan Coffey, these authors have written thirty-nine novels. Nikoo, an engineer, also conducts frequent workshops on writing and publishing and serves as a Resident Author. Jim holds a PhD in medieval and Renaissance literature. They live in northwestern Connecticut.
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Table of Contents
SWEET HOME HIGHLANDS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Also by May McGoldrick
About the Author(s)
Copyright Page
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.
Sweet Home Highland Christmas. Copyright © 2018 by St. Martin’s Press.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover photographs: couple © Hot Damn Stock; bow © Elena Titova/Shutterstock.com; plaid © Vectorchoice/Shutterstock.com
ISBN 978-1-250-16693-7 (ebook)
First Edition: July 2018
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