The Winter Bride (A Chance Sisters Romance) Read online

  “I never miss an Anne Gracie book.”

  —Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author

  “Treat yourself to some super reads

  from a most talented writer.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “For fabulous Regency flavor, witty and addictive,

  you can’t go past Anne Gracie.”

  —Stephanie Laurens, bestselling author

  PRAISE FOR ANNE GRACIE’S NOVELS

  The Autumn Bride

  “Gracie charms and entices with this launch of the Regency-era Chance Sisters series. . . . Layers of secrets and deft characterization make for a deep, rich story that will leave readers starry-eyed.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “Historical romance author Gracie is known for her nuanced, unconventional characters and rich, original plot lines. This book, first of a planned quartet, doesn’t disappoint. A complex, charming heartwarmer that celebrates love, brave heroines and the miracle of second chances.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve enjoyed a book quite this much . . . I predict The Autumn Bride is going to be the book to add to the TBR list of historical romance fans everywhere.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  Bride by Mistake

  “The always terrific Anne Gracie outdoes herself with Bride by Mistake . . . Gracie created two great characters, a high-tension relationship and a wonderfully satisfying ending. Not to be missed!”

  —Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author

  “Another [of] Ms. Gracie’s character-rich, fiery tales filled with emotion and passion leavened by charm and wit.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  The Accidental Wedding

  “With her signature superbly nuanced characters, subtle sense of wit and richly emotional writing, Gracie puts her distinctive stamp on a classic Regency plot.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Anne Gracie’s writing dances that thin line between always familiar and always fresh. She is able to take a Cinderella story with all the inherent—and comfortable—tradition, mix in a few recognizable elements, add a dash of the unexpected and a sprinkling of the unpredictable, and come up with a luscious indulgence of a novel . . . Warm and sweet, tempered with bursts of piquancy and a dash or three of spice. Like chocolate and chili, this novel is your favorite comfort food, with an unexpected—delicious—twist.”

  —New York Journal of Books

  “Gracie takes conventions of the romance novel that have been done to death—amnesia, injured hero, heroine who does too much—and turns them into a story that is fresh and new and interesting. That takes talent. And this, plus two charming main characters, a suspenseful subplot and some delightful love scenes, makes for a near-perfect read.”

  —All About Romance

  “Gracie paints an affecting portrait of a woman surviving parental neglect to manage a home via her wits, and a diplomat who’s not so diplomatic when it comes to the woman he wants but won’t admit he loves. A finely crafted tale, with just the right amount of sexuality.”

  —Library Journal

  “Anne Gracie does it again: The Accidental Wedding is funny, charming and completely endearing . . . There are some authors I pick up when I just want some comfort at the end of a long day. Anne Gracie is one of them. Although the stories have their share of excitement, ultimately it’s the love between the characters and the remarkably well-drawn relationships that pull me in and keep me in the story.”

  —Night Owl Reviews

  “A fairy tale any girl would love. Two people, likely to never know love, find each other to make the perfect match in this extraordinary love story. Anne Gracie’s writing is historical romance at its best . . . [She] has created a story of Cinderella finding her prince and doing her best to give them the most perfect happily ever after . . . [It’s] a delightful and fanciful novel that is charmingly romantic and sure to mesmerize you long after you’ve read it!”

  —The Season

  To Catch a Bride

  “Threaded with charm and humor . . . [An] action-rich, emotionally compelling story . . . It is sure to entice readers.”

  —Library Journal (starred review)

  “A fascinating twist on the girl-in-disguise plot . . . With its wildly romantic last chapter, this novel is a great antidote to the end of the summer.”

  —Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling author

  “Anne Gracie at her best, with a dark and irresistible hero, a rare and winsome heroine and a ravishing romance. Catch a copy now! One of the best historical romances I’ve read in ages.”

  —Mary Jo Putney, New York Times bestselling author

  “Swiftly moving . . . Appealing and unconventional . . . Will captivate readers.”

  —RT Book Reviews (4 stars)

  “One of the difficulties of reviewing a favorite author is running out of superlatives. An Anne Gracie novel is guaranteed to have heart and soul, passion, action and sprinkles of humor and fun.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  His Captive Lady

  “With tenderness, compassion and a deep understanding of the era, Gracie touches readers on many levels with her remarkable characters and intense exploration of their deepest human needs. Gracie is a great storyteller.”

  —RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars, Top Pick)

  “Once again, author Anne Gracie has proven what an exceptionally gifted author is all about . . . Absolutely one of the best romances I’ve read this year!”

  —CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

  The Stolen Princess

  “Anne Gracie’s talent is as consistent as it is huge. I highly recommend The Stolen Princess and look forward to the rest of the series.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Anne Gracie always delivers a charming, feel-good story with enchanting characters. I love all of Ms. Gracie’s stories and The Stolen Princess is no exception. It stole my heart, as it will yours.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  Berkley Sensation titles by Anne Gracie

  The Merridew Sisters

  THE PERFECT RAKE

  THE PERFECT WALTZ

  THE PERFECT STRANGER

  THE PERFECT KISS

  The Devil Riders

  THE STOLEN PRINCESS

  HIS CAPTIVE LADY

  TO CATCH A BRIDE

  THE ACCIDENTAL WEDDING

  BRIDE BY MISTAKE

  The Chance Sisters

  THE AUTUMN BRIDE

  THE WINTER BRIDE

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) LLC

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014

  USA • Canada • UK • Ireland • Australia • New Zealand • India • South Africa • China

  penguin.com

  A Penguin Random House Company

  THE WINTER BRIDE

  A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

  Copyright © 2014 by Anne Gracie.

  Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices,

  promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning,

  or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporti
ng writers

  and allowing Penguin to continue to publish books for every reader.

  Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.

  BERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

  The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.

  For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

  a division of Penguin Group (USA) LLC,

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

  ISBN: 978-0-425-25926-9

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-63750-0

  PUBLISHING HISTORY

  Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / April 2014

  PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Cover art by Judy York. Hand lettering by Ron Zinn.

  Cover design by George Long.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product

  of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Version_1

  Contents

  Praise for Anne Gracie

  Books by Anne Gracie

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Epilogue

  With thanks to my friend Julia Byrne for

  her encouragement and feedback.

  Also thanks, as always, to the Maytoners

  for support, friendship and laughs.

  And to my readers—a heartfelt thank-you.

  Chapter One

  “The world is pretty much divided between the weak of mind and the strong—between those who can act and those who cannot, and it is the bounden duty of the capable to let no opportunity of being useful escape them.”

  —JANE AUSTEN, SANDITON AND OTHER STORIES

  Devon, England, 1816

  “I want you to look after Aunt Bea and the girls while Abby and I are on our honeymoon,” Max, Lord Davenham, told his friend, the Honorable Frederick Monkton-Coombes.

  Freddy almost choked on his wine. “Me?” he spluttered after the coughing fit had passed. “Why me?”

  “You’re my oldest friend.”

  Hard to wriggle out of that one, Freddy thought. But damn, it was a hell of a thing to spring on a fellow the night before a wedding. As if being best man weren’t trauma enough. He rose and jabbed at the fire with a poker, sending sparks twirling up the chimney. The two men were ensconced in a snug private sitting room in the local inn, a mile or two from Davenham Hall in Devon.

  Max’s idea, doing the honorable thing, sleeping under a separate roof from his bride the night before the wedding. Bad luck to see the bride and all that. And naturally his best man must come too. Not that Freddy minded.

  The less he had to do with the bride’s sisters the better, as far as he was concerned. Pretty, unmarried, respectable girls were not Freddy’s female of choice. Good girls? No, he much preferred the company of bad girls—the badder the better. Good girls, especially good pretty girls, were . . . dangerous. And one Chance sister in particular was, to Freddy’s mind, more dangerous than most. She . . . disturbed him. In ways he preferred not to examine too closely.

  And now Max must come up with this. And playing the “oldest friend” card, dammit.

  “You mean all of them? All the girls?”

  “Yes, of course all of them,” Max said impatiently. “There are only three. They’re not exactly a horde.”

  That was a matter of opinion. “What does look after entail?” Freddy asked cautiously.

  Max shrugged. “Nothing very arduous, just the kind of thing I’d do if I were there. My aunt is well up to snuff, of course, but she’s still somewhat of an invalid and would appreciate having a man to rely on if needed.”

  Having a man to order about, more like it, Freddy thought.

  Max continued, “And Abby’s been fretting a little about leaving her sisters—you can understand that after all they’ve been through recently. Knowing you’ll be on hand to protect them if necessary will ease her mind.”

  “Isn’t there anyone else you could ask?” Freddy said desperately. “I mean, you know my problem with unmarried females.”

  “Your problem is with the kind of unmarried female you call a muffin. You told me Abby and her sisters were most definitely not muffins.”

  “They’re not, but—”

  “Then there’s no problem.”

  The noose was tightening. Freddy ran a finger around his suddenly tight collar. “Am I really the sort of fellow you want associating with Abby’s sisters? I don’t have the best reputation around women; you know that,” he said hopefully.

  “I have complete faith in you.”

  Damn. “What about Flynn? Didn’t you say he’d be arriving any day now?” Flynn was the head of the company in which Freddy and Max were major partners. “Couldn’t you ask him?”

  Max frowned. “Yes, I expected Flynn to be here by now. Shame he’ll miss the wedding.”

  “You don’t think anything bad has happened to him?”

  Max gave a wry half smile. “Sea travel is uncertain at the best of times, but Flynn has a knack of turning disaster into success, so I’m not worrying yet. If he turns up, the two of you can share the responsibility if it makes you feel better. But Flynn doesn’t know Aunt Bea and the girls like you do. Nor does he know anything about London society. In fact, I’m hoping you’ll show him the ropes.”

  “Oh,” Freddy said. More responsibilities. Delightful.

  Max’s grin widened. “He’ll need your fashion advice too. He’s planning to cut a swath through London society, and currently he’s a little . . . unorthodox in appearance.”

  “Oh. Joy.” Just what he wanted, to play guard dog to respectable females and social and sartorial adviser to a rough Irish diamond.

  Max laughed. “Don’t look so glum. Flynn is a good fellow. You’ll like him. But you don’t need to worry about Flynn—he can look after himself. It’s my aunt and the girls I’m most concerned about.”

  Freddy sipped his claret thoughtfully, trying to work out a way to wriggle out of what, on the surface, seemed quite a reasonable request.

  Max, misunderstanding his silence, added, “Look, it won’t be hard. Just drop around to Berkeley Square every few days, make sure they’re all right, see to anything if there’s a problem, protect the girls from unwanted attentions, take them for the occasional drive in the park, pop in to their literary society—”

  “Not the literary society. The horror stories those girls read are enough to make a fellow’s hair stand on end.”

  Max frowned. “Horror stories? They don’t read horror stories, only entertaining tales of the kind ladies seem to enjoy, about girls and gossip and families—”

  “Horror stories, every last one of them,” Freddy said firmly. “You asked me to sit in on their literary society last month
, when you went up to Manchester, remember? The story they were reading then . . .” He gave an eloquent shudder. “Horror from the very first line: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Must he, indeed? What about the poor fellow’s wants, eh? Do they matter? No. Every female in the blasted story was plotting to hook some man for herself or her daughter or niece. If you don’t call that horror, I don’t know what is!”

  Max chuckled.

  “You can laugh, bound as you are for parson’s noose in the morning,” Freddy said bitterly, “but every single man in that story ended up married by the end of the book! Every last one.” He numbered them off on his fingers. “The main fellow, his best friend, the parson, even the soldier fellow ended up married to the silly light-skirt sister—not one single man in that story escaped unwed.” He shuddered again. “Enough to give a man nightmares. So no literary society for me, thank you.”

  “I need you there,” Max said simply.

  “Why? Your aunt holds her literary society in her own home—you can’t get much safer than that.”

  “It’s not so much their safety I’m worried about,” Max admitted, looking a little sheepish. “It’s my aunt.”

  “What about her? She’s in her element there—all her cronies about her, dozens of tonnish ladies, even a handful of men.”

  “Exactly. And therein lies the problem.”

  Freddy shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t trust her.”

  “You don’t trust your own aunt? Your only relative?”

  Max sighed. “You know she almost died while I was away.”

  Freddy nodded.

  “The girls nursed her back to health and it’s given her a renewed lease on life—which of course I’m delighted about, don’t get me wrong. The trouble is, it’s made her think she’s invincible.”

  “She is invincible,” Freddy muttered. “Always was. I remember her from when I was a schoolboy. A force of nature even then.”

  Max nodded. “My uncle kept her more or less reined in. Now she’s a law unto herself.”

  Freddy frowned. “Hasn’t broken any laws that I know of.”