Christmas Cake Kisses: Victorian Holiday Romance (A Short Story)

Arabella Ashbury, the new Countess of Kentwick, isn't satisfied with a mere marriage of convenience. Her handsome groom, his lordship Malcolm Ashbury, may be known for his glowers and growls, but she sees through to his softer side. She's in love and longs for his affection. It's nearly Christmas and her plans to win him over hinge on an outrageous plan, to bake him his favorite Christmas cake, a nearly impossible confection of meringue, genoise, and hazelnut cream.
To do this, she faces her first challenge, enlisting the help of the earl's suspicious household staff, who view her as The Dowry, a wealthy, social climbing commoner who cares only for Malcolm's title. Christmas Cake Kisses is a short-but-sweet Victorian holiday romance. The story was inspired in part by the author's love of Beauty and the Beast themed romance, Victorian and Regency Christmas anthologies, and her near obsession with The Great British Baking Show.
Length: A quick romantic read of 6200 words (approximately 40 print-formatted pages)Content: a sweet romance, with no graphic content or swearing