Meet the Read family: Three siblings employed by a powerful nobleman will each find love and scandal amongst Polite Society. A Winter Wish-the Prequel Novella Proper, respectable Lucas Holman, Viscount Grimslee, has always done what was expected of him, and that included letting go of the woman he was betrothed to. Now, filled with regrets, Lucas is living quite contentedly and scandalously…for himself. He’s enjoying his new, roguish, carefree existence, until the holidays arrive and he’s summoned home. Miss Merry Amaryllis Read has finally completed enough training to assume the vaunted role of housekeeper to the Holman family. When her new employer decides to throw an impromptu Yuletide party, Mary is tasked with quickly readying the manor for the grand event. She doesn't expect that she'll also be assigned a partner, the earl's dissolute, suddenly-scandalous heir, Lord Grimslee. He's unlike the stuffy gentleman she recalls from her youth, but either way—lordly prig or dissipated rascal—Merry wants nothing to do with Lucas. Her reservations notwithstanding, she and the viscount forge an unlikely connection. With every moment they spend together, they learn more about each other, and when passion flares, both are helpless to resist its pull. Merry and Lucas know a shared future is impossible, and yet, they can't stop wishing for more... together. ***This series starter prequel was previously available as part of Yuletide Wishes: A Regency Duet.