The powerful Duke of Danby is at it again! 1816 was the year
without a summer, but what a Christmas it will be when His
Grace finally turns his matchmaking machinations to distant
branches of the Whitton family tree.
Collection Two includes:
Aileen Fish's A Marquess For Christmas
Four years ago, Lady Eleanor’s brother Archie found his
love, Harriet, indirectly due to the Duke of Danby’s summons
at Christmastime. Now Eleanor hopes Danby will do the same
for her, but she’ll have to get over her shyness to meet
anyone. Discovered by the handsome Marquess of Wickham as
she hides away in the nursery, she agrees to pretend there’s
an understanding between them so his uncle won’t try to
force him to marry. Eleanor enjoys Wickham’s company, but
how will she find a husband if the gentlemen all believe
she’s already in love?
Claudia Dain’s The Mating Game
Jeanne Whitton is a whisper away from being on-the-shelf.
She and her sisters have been summoned to Danby Castle for
Christmas. She knows that her uncle, the Duke of Danby has a
history of arranging marriages and she, as the eldest
sister, decides to sacrifice herself on Danby's altar of
matrimony. * Achilles Munro has been sent by Danby to India
for one purpose: matrimony. He must choose one of the
Whitton sisters to marry, but which one? Jeanne isn't the
beauty of the family yet there is something about her that
soothes the shadows on his soul.
Jane Charles’s Christmas Spirits
Mary Soares was supposed to spend Christmas, nice and warm
on her family’s estate in Falkirk, Scotland, tending to
their whisky business. However, the English have made
smuggling almost impossible, and so order after order is
waiting at the distillery until it’s safe enough to continue
shipments. Most customers understand this. Most customers
are reasonable. The Duke of Danby is not most customers. So
after a number of demands from His Grace, insisting upon his
order, Mary decides to deliver the whisky herself since no
one else is available. * Benjamin Storm, Earl of Kenley,
breathes a sigh of relief when his summons from the Duke of
Danby has nothing to do with matrimony or a stack of special
licenses. Instead, his uncle just needs Benjamin to travel
to Scotland and procure his missing whisky shipment in time
for his holiday festivities. The chore sounds easy enough,
at least until he encounters a most unusual smuggler on her
way to Danby Castle. Benjamin’s life may never be the same.