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Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother’s new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay—unless she meets his “terms.” Somewhere between trying to seduce the beautiful Camilla and struggling with the cruel memories of his childhood Christmases, Pierce discovers that not only does forgiveness go two ways, but that love can blossom even in the coldest of winters.
1
December 1826
Thirty-one-year-old Pierce Waverly, Earl of Devonmont, sat at the desk in the study of his London town house, going through the mail as he waited for his current mistress to arrive, when one letter came to the top, addressed in a familiar hand. An equally familiar pain squeezed his chest, reminding him of that other letter years ago.
What a naive fool he’d been. Even though he had grown bigger and stronger, even though he’d become the kind of son Father had always claimed to want, he’d never been allowed home again. He’d spent every school holiday—Christmas, Easter, and summer—at Waverly Farm.
And after Titus Waverly and his wife had died unexpectedly in a boating accident when Pierce was thirteen, Titus’s father, General Isaac Waverly, had returned from the war to take over Waverly Farm and Titus’s orphaned children.
Even though Pierce hadn’t received a single letter from his parents in five years, he’d still been certain that he would finally be sent home—but no. Whatever arrangement Titus had made with Pierce’s parents was apparently preserved with Pierce’s great-uncle, for the general had fallen right into the role of substitute parent.
Despite all that, it had taken Pierce until he was eighteen, when neither of his parents had appeared at his matriculation from Harrow, to acknowledge the truth. Not only did his father hate him, but his mother had no use for him, either. Apparently she’d endured his presence until he was old enough to pack off to school and relations, and after that she’d decided she was done with him. She was too busy enjoying Father’s fortune and influence to bother with her own son.
Pain had exploded into rage for a time, until he’d reached his majority, at twenty-one, and had traveled home to confront them both . . .
No, he couldn’t bear to remember that fiasco. The humiliation of that particular rejection still sent pain screaming through him. Eventually he would silence that, too; then perhaps he’d find some peace at last.
That is, if Mother would let him. He stared down at the letter, and his fingers tightened into fists. But she wouldn’t. She’d poisoned his childhood, and now that Father was dead and Pierce had inherited everything, she thought to make it all go away.
She’d been trying ever since the funeral, two years ago. When she’d mentioned his coming “home,” he’d asked her why it had taken his father’s death for her to allow it. He’d expected a litany of patently false excuses, but she’d only said that the past was the past. She wanted to start anew with him.
He snorted. Of course she did. It was the only way to get her hands on more of Father’s money than what had been left to her.
Well, to hell with her. She may have decided she wanted to play the role of mother again, but he no longer wanted to play her son. Years of yearning for a mother who was never there, for whom he would have fought dragons as a boy, had frozen his heart. Since his father’s death, it hadn’t warmed one degree.
Except that every time he saw one of her letters—
Choking back a bitter curse, he tossed the unopened letter to his secretary, Mr. Boyd. One thing he’d learned from the last letter she’d written him, when he was a boy, was that words meant nothing. Less than nothing. And the word love in particular was just a word. “Put that with the others,” he told Boyd.
“Yes, my lord.” There was no hint of condemnation, no hint of reproach in the man’s voice.
Good man, Boyd. He knew better.
Yet Pierce felt the same twinge of guilt as always.
Damn it, he had done right by his mother, for all that she had never done right by him. Her inheritance from Father was entirely under his control. He could have deprived her if he’d wished—another man might have—but instead he’d set her up in the estate’s dower house with plenty of servants and enough pin money to make her comfortable. Not enough to live extravagantly—he couldn’t bring himself to give her that—but enough that she couldn’t accuse him of neglect.
He’d even hired a companion for her, who by all accounts had proved perfect for the position. Not that he would know for himself, since he’d never seen the indomitable Mrs. Camilla Stuart in action, never seen her with his mother. He never saw Mother at all. He’d laid down the law from the first. She was free to roam Montcliff, his estate in Hertfordshire, as she pleased when he wasn’t in residence, but when he was there to take care of estate affairs, she was to stay at the dower house and well away from him. So far she’d held to that agreement.
But the letters came anyway, one a week, as they had ever since Father’s death. Two years of letters, piled in a box now overflowing. All unopened. Because why should he read hers, when she’d never answered a single one of his as a boy?
Besides, they were probably filled with wheedling requests for more money now that he held the purse strings. He wouldn’t give in to those, damn it.
“My lord, Mrs. Swanton has arrived,” his butler announced from the doorway.
The words jerked him from his oppressive thoughts. “You may send her in.”
Boyd slid a document onto Pierce’s desk, then left, passing Mrs. Swanton as he went out. The door closed behind him, leaving Pierce alone with his current mistress.
Blond and blue-eyed, Eugenia Swanton had the elegant features of a fine lady and the eloquent body of a fine whore. The combination had made her one of the most sought-after mistresses in London, despite her humble beginnings as a rag-mannered chit from Spitalfields.
When he’d snagged her three years ago it had been quite a coup, since she’d had dukes and princes vying for her favors. But the triumph had paled somewhat in recent months. Even she hadn’t been able to calm his restlessness.
And now she was scanning him with a practiced eye, clearly taking note of his elaborate evening attire as her smile showed her appreciation. Slowly, sensually, she drew off her gloves in a maneuver that signaled she was eager to do whatever he wished. Last year, that would have had him bending her over his desk and taking her in a most lascivious manner.
Tonight, it merely left him cold.
“You summoned me, my lord?” she said in that smooth, cultured voice that had kept him intrigued with her longer than with his other mistresses. She had several appealing qualities, including her quick wit.
And yet . . .
Bracing himself for the theatrics sure to come, he rose and rounded the desk to press a kiss to her lightly rouged cheek. “Do sit down, Eugenia,” he murmured, gesturing to a chair.
She froze, then arched one carefully manicured eyebrow. “No need. I can receive my congé just as easily standing.”
He muttered a curse. “How did you—”
“I’m no fool, you know,” she drawled. “I didn’t get where I am by not noticing when a man has begun to lose interest.”
Her expression held a hint of disappointment, but no sign of trouble brewing, which surprised him. He was used to temper tantrums from departing mistresses.
His respect for Eugenia rose a notch. “Very well.” Picking up the document on the desk, he handed it to her.
She scanned it with a businesswoman’s keen eye, her gaze widening at the last page. “You’re very generous, my lord.”
“You’ve served me well,” he said with a shrug, now impatient to be done. “Why shouldn’t I be generous?”
“Indeed.” She slid the document into her reticule. “Thank you, then.”
Pleased that she was taking her dismissal so well, he went to open the door for her. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Eugenia.”
The words halted her. She stared at him with an intent gaze that made him uncomfortable. “That’s the trouble with you, my lord. Our association has always been one of business. Intimate business, I’ll grant you, but business all the same. And business doesn’t keep a body warm on a cold winter’s night.”
“On the contrary,” he said with a thin smile. “I believe I succeeded very well at keeping you warm.”
“I speak of you, not myself.” She glided up to him with a courtesan’s practiced walk. “I like you, my lord, so let me give you some advice. You believe that our attraction has cooled because you’re tired of me. But I suspect that the next occupant of your bed will be equally unable to warm you . . . unless she provides you with something more than a business arrangement.”
He bristled. “Are you suggesting that I marry?”
Eugenia pulled on her gloves. “I’m suggesting that you let someone inside that empty room you call a heart. Whether you make her your wife or your mistress, a man’s bed is decidedly warmer if there’s a fire burning in something other than his cock.”
He repressed an oath. So much for this being easy. “I never guessed you were such a romantic.”
“Me? Never.” She patted her reticule. “This is as romantic as I get. Which is precisely why I can offer such advice. When we met, I thought we were both the sort who live only for pleasure, with no need for emotional connections.” Her voice softened. “But I was wrong about you. You’re not that sort at all. You just haven’t realized it yet.”
Then with a smile and a swish of her skirts, she swept out the door.
He stared bitterly after her. Sadly, he did realize it. Leave it to a woman of the world to recognize a fraud.
Matrons might panic when he spoke to their innocent daughters, and his exploits might appear so regularly in the press that his Waverly cousins kept clippings for their own amusement, but his seemingly aimless pursuit of pleasure had never been about pleasure. It had been about using the only weapon he had—the family reputation—to embarrass the family who’d abandoned him.
Leaving his study, he strode to the drawing room, where sat his pianoforte, his private defiance of his father. He sat down and began to play a somber Bach piece, one that often allowed him to vent the darker emotions that never saw the light of day in public, where he was a gadabout and a rebel.
Or he had been until Father’s death. Since then his petty rebellions had begun to seem more and more pointless. There’d been no deathbed reconciliation, but also no attempt to keep him from his rightful inheritance. And no explanation of why he’d been abandoned. None of it made sense.
The fact that he wanted it to make sense annoyed him. He was done with trying to understand it. The only thing that mattered was that he’d triumphed in the end. He’d gained the estate while he was still young enough to make something of it, and clearly that was the most he could hope for.
Of course, now that he was the earl, people expected him to change his life. To marry. But how could he? Once married, a man had to endure the whims of his wife and children. He’d grown up suffering beneath the whims of his parents; he wasn’t about to exchange one prison for another.
He pounded the keys. So for now, everything would stay the same. He would go to the opera this evening to seek out a new mistress, and life would go on much as before. Surely his restlessness would end in time.
Leaving the pianoforte, he was walking out of the drawing room when the sight of Boyd heading toward him with a look of grim purpose arrested him.
“An express has come for you, my lord, from Montcliff.”
He tensed. His estate manager, Miles Fowler, never sent expresses, so it must be something urgent.
To his surprise, the letter Boyd handed him hadn’t come from Fowler but from Mother’s companion. Since Mrs. Stuart hadn’t written him in the entire six months she’d been working for him, the fact that she’d sent an express brought alarm crashing through him.
His heart pounded as he tore open the letter to read:
Dear Sir,
Forgive me for my impertinence, but I feel I should inform you that your mother is very ill. If you wish to see her before it is too late, you should come at once.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Camilla Stuart
The terse message chilled him. Based on Mrs. Stuart’s recommendation letters and references, not to mention the glowing accolades heaped on her by Fowler, Pierce had formed a certain impression of the widow. She was practical and forthright, the sort of independent female who would rather eat glass than admit she couldn’t handle any domestic situation.
She was decidedly not a woman given to dramatic pronouncements. So if she said his mother was very ill, then Mother was at death’s door. And no matter what had passed between them, he couldn’t ignore such a dire summons.
“Boyd, have my bags packed and sent on to the estate. I’m leaving for Montcliff at once.”
“Is everything all right, my lord?” Boyd asked.
“I don’t believe it is. Apparently my mother has fallen ill. I’ll let you know more as soon as I assess the situation.”
“What should I tell your uncle?”
Damn. The Waverlys were expecting him in a few days; he still spent most holidays with them. “Tell Uncle Isaac I’ll do my best to be there for Christmas, but I can’t promise anything right now.”
“Very good, my lord.”
As far as Pierce was concerned, the Waverlys—his great-uncle Isaac and his second cousin Virginia—were his true family. Mother was merely the woman who’d brought him into the world.
He ought to abandon her in death, the way she’d abandoned him in life. But he still owed her for nurturing him in those early years, before he was old enough to be fobbed off on relatives. He still owed her for giving birth to him. So he would do his duty by her.
But no more. She’d relinquished the right to his love long ago.
I was in the mood for a good historical romance when I saw ‘Twas the Night After Christmas. I read the blurb, it looked good, so I went for it. This was my first time reading a book by Sabrina Jeffries and I was impressed. I was a little worried about reading a book this far along in a series I’m unfamiliar with. If you have that same fear, don’t worry about it. I never felt left out because of my lack of history with the characters. I’ll be picking up the previous books in the series and they’ll be topping my “to read” list. I really appreciated that there were also no spoilers which will ruin the previous books when I go back and read them.
The shining star of the book is Camilla. She’s exactly the type of woman I love in a romance book. She’s smart, strong, nurturing, loving and is made even more endearing because of her flaws. She brings out the best in those around her. She sees the pain Lady Devonmont is experiencing over the estrangement with her son and decides to take matters into her own hands. Camilla sets her meddling sights on Pierce, the son, even though she has no idea what’s at the heart of the estrangement. It’s a disaster waiting to happen! Pierce starts off cold, angry, hurt and confused, but Camilla slowly manipulates and not so gently draws him out to the point where even he can’t stop himself from liking her. Camilla and Pierce were perfect for each other.
Obviously, the romance is the main story here, but the side characters were good too. Camilla’s high spirited son always brought a smile to my face. Pierce’s mother drove me crazy but I couldn’t help but feel for her, and Fowler was stuffy and awkward but endearing in his own way. I was surprised at how well I connected with each of them.
When I say Pierce’s mother drove me nuts, I mean that. If she had been standing in front of me, I would have had to restrain myself from shaking her. Her refusal to let her secrets go was infuriating. Honestly, what secret could be so important that a mother would risk losing her son over it? Don’t worry, I’m not going to ruin the surprise for you. All I will say is that it made sense when I finally found out, and that is the only thing that could make all my frustration worthwhile.
‘Twas the Night After Christmas is the perfect holiday read. It has the comforting, traditional, homey feel I associate with the holiday as well as a good romance. This book would make a great gift for any historical romance reader.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.skelley55
Posted December 5, 2012
This book is good not my favorite and not especially distinctive. I would recommend it for a "light" read not something to get your blood stirring or one that you can't put down.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Author Sabrina Jeffries takes an intriguing look at how misunderstandings and pride cause a split between mother and son that only a Christmas miracle and a meddling companion can mend. Narrator Michael Page does an excellent job giving each character their own unique sound. His vocalization of the emotions felt by the characters will bring you to tears, have you ready to slap someone, and laughing as he guides you through the story. Pierce Waverly, Earl of Devonmont, has been an unabashed rogue most of his life. Basically abandonment by his parents and sent away to boarding school, he was raised by distant relatives. Since his father’s death, Pierce has taken on taken on the responsibilities of his title, but has never forgiven his parents - especially his mother. An urgent message come from Mrs. Camilla Stuart, his mother’s new companion, saying she is seriously ill. Unable to stop himself, Pierce races to Montcliff only to learn it was a cruel trick by Mrs. Stuart hoping to get mother and son together. Pierce also finds Camilla is nothing he imagined a vicar’s widow to be. Drawn to her, he finds himself staying longer at Montcliff. Meanwhile, he also discovers there may be more to his mother’s past than he knew. In addition, Camilla has secrets of her own that she tries to keep from Pierce. The author has created characters with great depth as we see the kindness in Pierce coming to the surface and the longing in Camilla. There is also the brave face of Pierce’s mother and the innocence of young Jasper. The descriptions of the era, setting and customs places the listener (reader) in the middle of the scene bringing it all to life. ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS will tug on your heartstrings and then have you laughing out loud. This historical romance is mingled with surprises, loyalty and the magic of Christmas for a delightful story. FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Enjoyable Christmas story that loosely ties back to the Hellions of Halstead Hall series but no fear it reads great as a stand-alone if you have not read the series and personally this one was my favorite so if you only read one this would be it. 'Twas the Night After Christmas is now on my Holiday rotation list and I will be reading it for years to come. There was a lot of heart and soul in this story and I didn't want to put it down. I own all of Sabrina Jeffries books and enjoy her stories and series; however, this one really spoke to me and is now one of my top picks in my SJ collection. I like there was a bit of a mystery and character conflict mixed in with the romance and thank you very much SJ for giving us a leading lady with curves!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Absolutely loved it! Fantastic Christmas read with wonderful characters and an ending that made me cry happy tears. Couldn't ask for anything better! Curl up in front of your Christmas tree and enjoy this one!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Mirabelle8
Posted November 19, 2012
Ms. Jeffries's latest book "Twas the Night After Christmas" is a holiday warmer with characters having high emotions during the time of the holidays. Skillfully written, her characters Pierce and Camilla contribute to a lovely Christmas story. Both of them find that they lived similar hurts in the past. Trusting each other, a friendship will bloom between Pierce and Camilla. I loved Camilla's son Jasper. Camilla cannot understand why Pierce ignores his mother. Being a straight-forward person, Camilla will try to solve the mother-son problems.
You will have to read the story to find out! This book should be on your Christmas list for the ones you love. Full of emotions, this book is a story of forgiveness..Let yourself be carried away by this beautiful Christmas romance. I highly recommend Ms. Jeffries's "Twas the Night After Christmas"
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 13, 2012
It was a good romance, easily putting down though. It took me more than three days to finish it, and that's not normal for me with a really good book. I think the author lost the romance in the drama between mother and son.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted April 5, 2013
Not the usually, seem like there was something missing. Nothing that was not expected. I am hoping the next book will be better. I have all her books.
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Posted February 14, 2013
This was my first Susan Jeffries book. I liked the characters, although I thought Pierce Waverly was arrogant and manipulative. However, near the end he is able to redeem himself, as he comes to understand the sacrifices of love. A lovely story.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I loved hearing about Pierce and Camilla. I love everything from Jeffries.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 5, 2013
thought it might get better, but fell flat.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 1, 2013
Excellent Christmas Story! This was a lovely story. I loved everything about it. The outcome is what we expect during Christmas. I will read this again and again.
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Posted December 27, 2012
Not a great book which is usually what we get from ms. jeffries. however,since it's christmas and the book is a light read i'd say get it from the library if you can.
This is the perfect Christmas romance!
The Earl of Devonomnt, Pierce Waverly, at the age of 8 was suddenly abandon by his parents to a boarding school and distant relations for his care. Now a man he still holds great resentment for his lack of parents during his childhood.
When his father passes, Pierce inherits everything. He sets his mother up comfortably, she even has a lady companion (Camilla Stuart) but he still refuses to have contact with his mother.
Determined to mend the fences broken in the relationship between her Ladyship and her son, Camilla sends a letter to the Earl stating that his mother is ill and that he needs to see her before it’s too late. Not expecting the Earl to rush to his mother’s side, Lady Waverly and Camilla are both shocked when Pierce arrives.
Almost immediately taken by his mother’s witty companion, Pierce sees something in Camilla that he just can’t walk away from.
Twas the Night After Christmas truly is a wonderful holiday read. The emotional charged encounters, intriguing mystery and clever dialog immediately pulled me into this story. I especially enjoyed Camilla son, Jasper...his openness and innocents was refreshing. I found this book a heartwarming and touching Christmas tale.
This copy of Twas the Night After Chrimstas was given to me by Edelweiss and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Published Date October 30, 2012.
Reviewed by Guest Reviewer/Kimberly & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog
Agitating and heartwarming all in one colorful package.” ~Under the Covers
When Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont receives a letter from his mother’s companion that says it’s dire he sees his mother before it’s too late, Camilla Stuart has no idea the trouble she has set in motion as she lacks the knowledge as to why the Earl has been estranged from his mother and feels it’s more his petulance than anything else that keeps him far from Lady Devonmont.
Pierce has not had an idyllic upbringing. Having been sent away to a boarding school at eight years of age by his indifferent father, the late Earl, he blames both his parents for their abandonment. Once his father passes away and Pierce becomes the Earl of Devonmont, he purposely distances himself from his mother and anything having to do with his family. He has a bit of a reputation as a rake, but he truly isn’t happy with his existence.
Widow of a pastor, Camilla Stuart has become an essential part of Lady Devonmont’s household, but when she oversteps the boundaries with the Earl and his mother, she may put her position in jeopardy and that would be a very bad thing considering she has her six year old son, Jasper to think about. Unbeknownst to the Earl of Devonmont, his mother’s companion has been hiding her son from his household and his manager for fear she would be dismissed.
Once the Earl arrives and discovers his mother is not at death’s door as he believed , Pierce wants to take the widow to task for her deception and run as far as he can from his mother, but when Camilla and Pierce strike a bargain so that Pierce stays to have dinner with his mother, a series of events are set into motion that not only throw Pierce in his mother’s presence, but finds him seeking out Camilla’s company. Even better, when the Earl finds Camilla’s hidden son, he must set aside the animosity about his own childhood to be in the company of the endearing little boy.
The more time Pierce spends in his childhood home, the more facts begin to come out about the abandonment he went through as a child. Pierce struggles with his ill feelings towards his mother, and a budding relationship with the intoxicating Camilla, but can the Earl set aside his pain and let Camilla into his heart, or will he ruin the only chance he has at true love with his blatant disregard for propriety. Of course you will have to read T’was the Night After Christmas by Sabrina Jeffries to find out.
I really enjoyed this holiday themed book by Sabrina Jeffries. T’was the Night After Christmas is agitating and heartwarming all in one colorful package. Watching the difficult Earl lose his battle against forgiveness is a wonderful ride. Camilla’s little Jasper chips away at the ice that has formed around Pierce’s heart to allow him to become the man he always should have been. Camilla, although a meddling chit turns out to be a savior of sorts as she stands up for herself after having an equally disturbing childhood as the Earl. Her demand for respect is refreshing and only adds to the charm of this tale.
*Review copy provided by publisher
Anonymous
Posted December 13, 2012
This was an excellent story great read for the holidays
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 1, 2012
Love Sabrina Jeffries and loved this book! Can't wait for the next one in this new series!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 26, 2012
This was a great holiday read. If you are a fan of Sabrina Jeffries, this book will not let you down.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 3, 2012
Good story...definately a stand alone. No need to read the Sharpe books.
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Posted March 8, 2013
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Overview
A heartwarming Christmas romance from a beloved New York Times bestselling author!
Pierce Waverly, the Earl of Devonmont, has been estranged from his mother for most of his life. When his mother’s new companion, Mrs. Camilla Stuart, writes to tell him that his mother is seriously ill, he goes home. But when he learns that the lovely widow tricked him in order to effect a holiday reconciliation, he refuses to stay—unless she meets his “terms.” Somewhere between trying to seduce ...