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Authors: Victoria Alexander

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BOOK: What Happens At Christmas
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“May I have this dance, my lady?” he said and swept an impressive bow.
She swallowed hard. “I fear I am not dressed for a ball.”
“And yet, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.” He held out his arms. She stepped into his embrace and they began to waltz.
“Grayson, this is . . .” She shook her head.
“Christmas, Camille,” he said with a smile. “The first of every Christmas yet to come.”
“How did you . . . Where did you . . .”
“You were right about all sorts of things being stored in these trunks and boxes.” He chuckled. “Although it took most of yesterday to find what I needed and to arrange all this.”
“Which is why you were so preoccupied yesterday.” She stared up at him. “You did this for me.”
“I would do anything for you, and you did want a proposal from a prince for Christmas.”
They whirled over the floor, in perfect step with each other. At last.
“I did until I realized it was the wrong prince.” She drew a deep breath. “How much did you give him?”
“A hundred pounds and ship's passage to America.” He shrugged. “It seemed a small enough price to pay.”
“Last night, you knew it was me?”
“Not until the end.” He chuckled. “I've never had a conversation with your sister in which she hasn't insulted me or said something sarcastic.”
“You should know, I had already decided, before last night, not to marry him.” She paused. “It's possible I decided the moment you stepped back into my life.”
“Good, then you shall marry me.”
She arched a brow. “Shouldn't that be in the form of a question?”
He laughed. “You're absolutely right, and I would hate to make a mistake about this sort of thing. After all, it has taken me eleven years.” He pulled to a stop, gathered her closer against him and gazed into her eyes. “Will you dance with me on every Christmas Day from now until we breathe our last? Will you let me make amends for my past mistakes every day for the rest of our lives? Will you argue with me and wager with me and never let me forget what a lucky man I am? Will you marry me, Camille?”
She stared at him for a long moment and smiled. “I always would have.”
He bent to kiss her.
“There is one thing, though,” she said quickly. “Not a condition exactly. More in the realm of a favor.”
“Oh?”
“We don't need to mention what has happened here at Christmas ever again, do we?” A hopeful note sounded in her voice. “The actors, and, well, the prince, and this entire charade. It can stay here, can't it?”
He laughed. “I'm fairly certain no one in your family wants this farce of yours known beyond the walls of the manor, so what happens here will stay here. But, Camille”—he gazed into her eyes—“there isn't a moment of this Christmas that I will ever forget, nor do I wish to. And it brought us together at last.”
“It has not been my finest hour.”
“On the contrary, you were brilliant.” He grinned. “And, Camille”—he lowered his lips to hers—“what happened here at Christmas is just the beginning.”
as for the supporting actors . . .
 
Mrs. Montgomery-Wells retired from the stage to a cozy cottage in the country, where her new friends could never quite figure out what her given name was as it seemed to change every time she was asked.
Mr. Henderson became a beloved writer of children's adventure stories.
Miss Murdock gained notoriety in burlesque theater wearing very little of substance and was rumored for a time to be the mistress of a foreign dignitary.
Mr. Dunstan vanished into obscurity.
Mrs. Fortesque did indeed accept the position of cook in the London house of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott.
Mr. Fortesque found a measure of theatrical success as the manager of a small London theater, where he often performed on stage.
A play entitled
The Christmas Pageant at Milton Manor
was a hit on the London stage and became a staple of the holiday season for many years.
It was written anonymously.
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
 
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40
th
St.
New York, NY 10018
 
Copyright © 2012 by Cheryl Griffin
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
 
Kensington and the K logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012941701
ISBN: 978-0-7582-7951-4
 
 
BOOK: What Happens At Christmas
3.21Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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