It’s Christmas in Ireland in 1814, and Elleanor Maguire is in no mood to be cheery. She believed her future was set with Fergus Murphy, but he abruptly lost the heart she thought was hers to a bosomy blonde... moreIt’s Christmas in Ireland in 1814, and Elleanor Maguire is in no mood to be cheery. She believed her future was set with Fergus Murphy, but he abruptly lost the heart she thought was hers to a bosomy blonde. Her uncle, Martin Gallagher, thinks a luxurious Christmas with the Anglo-Irish family he recently married into will cheer her, so she is dispatched from her home in County Clare to the splendid Kendall House in County Meath, where she finds herself in the midst of the nobility: earls and countesses, both present and to-be; a marquess and his marchioness; and even a young handsome viscount. For Elleanor it is all overwhelming. Although the welcome is warm, she is very aware that she is a commoner herself, born of generations of commoners, and she tries to find her own way through the titles and grandeur. Her uncle, Mr. Gallagher though he might be, is completely at home being surrounded by the aristocracy, but Elleanor is relieved when she is introduced to Mr. Bowyer, the earl’s steward. There’s another plain person there! Can a plain man, used to being the employee rather than a member of the family, find a place when he is unexpectedly drawn into the middle of them all during the warmth of Christmas season? Can a girl who thought her heart was broken find the path to a plain and ordinary but very special love under the mistletoe, warmed by the burning Yule log? less
#4
