(Previously published in the anthology Nine Lords for Christmas .) The Countess of Marsden invites you to her house party! Seven nights of frolic, gossip, dancing and match-making for her three nieces. Sad, isn’t it, that none of the Craymore sisters wishes to wed? Exciting, isn’t it, that three war heroes arrive who know precisely what they want for Christmas? Wonderful, isn’t it, that each might gain the most precious Christmas gift of all? She’ll never wed, so she catches crooks, instead! Belinda Craymore, shamed by her father’s gambling, believes herself unworthy of marrying the one man she’s always loved. While he is off to war, she seeks to improve her family’s reputation and earn a reward for it by catching smugglers! For her sleuthing, she can earn hundreds of pounds…if and when officials catch the culprits. She certainly hopes they do soon…before those crooks come after her! Missing in action at Waterloo, Captain Alastair Demerest returns home and wants only two gifts this Christmas. Peace. And the love of his life. Wounded in battle, Alastair suffers loss of his memory...except for the name of the young woman he adores. After months of recovering many of his faculties, he returns home to claim the one woman whom he knows waits for him. She’s bold and stubborn, but he has no wish to tame her. Only marry her. Yet she refuses! Can he help her regain her pride? Or will she condemn them both to live a life without each other? If you love swoon-worthy historical romance, starring endearing heroes, sassy heroines and a house full of rogues and cardsharps, this book is for you! Buy THE DUKE’S IMPETUOUS DARLING to attend this Christmas Belles house party!