A Drakenfall Christmas: A Novel

by Geralyn Corcillo

  The wind had died down and the air didn't bite with quite the same teeth as they walked to The Christmas Tree Grove in the quiet night.

  “It's so peaceful here,” he said softly as they looked at the sparkling trees.

  Pippa leaned her head back to let it rest against Kafi as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “It's wonderful,” she murmured.

  “So much Christmas magic.”

  Pippa could hear the smile in his voice. “Mmm …” she cooed. “But the magic's not in front of me Kafi. It's right behind me.”

  He squeezed her closer and kissed the top of her head, even though she wore a knit cap.

  She sighed. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter 52: A Gift for Cyril

  In the warm glow of the lamp posts lining the circular driveway, Maisy yawned into the shivery air of pre-dawn Christmas. Mark opened the door of the black Mercedes, which Phineas had buffed and polished to exquisiteness before the staff party. The luxury car had the honour of being Drakenfall's most indulgent vehicle, a gift from a dealer in Stroud who merely asked that Drakenfall keep the registration plate holder bearing the dealership's name. Mark had been happy to acquiesce.

  “This way,” he said, opening the passenger side door.

  Mrs. Stockleton got into the car as Mr. Stockleton addressed Mark from across its roof. “Right then. We appreciate the use of the car.”

  “Not at all. Three hours, maybe less. I've checked and the roads are clear. You should get there in time to see him open his prezzies.”

  “Yes. Of course.” And Mrs. Stockleton gave a dramatic shiver from where she sat in the front seat, burrowing down into the collar of her fox stole.

  “Safe traveling,” Mark said before closing the car door.

  Mr. Stockleton climbed in, and the car pulled away into the darkness.

  “Merry Christmas, Cyril,” Maisy said softly to the retreating tail lights.

  “Speaking of ...” Mark turned to her and took her in his arms. “Merry Christmas.” He kissed her softly, then pulled her into his embrace.

  “Merry Christmas,” she whispered into his ear. “C'mon,” she said, pulling back and taking him by the hand. “We have Christmas all to ourselves for, well, for a few minutes at least. And I want to give you my present.” She started pulling him around the house.

  “Okay,” he said on a laugh. “But where are we going?”

  “The stables. That's where I hid it.”

  “The stables?”

  “And it's a good thing, too. You found my card from my parents, so you definitely would have found your gift if I'd tried to hide it in the house.” Maisy started laughing, and couldn't stop.

  “What?”

  “I was just imagining my trying to hide your present somewhere in the house. I'm sure someone would have come across it and ruined the surprise.”

  And off they ran through the dark Christmas morning.

  Chapter 53: The Bonded Pair

  When they got to the stable door, Maisy turned to Mark. She took his hand. “Okay.” She pulled a plush white sash out of her jacket pocket and tied it around Mark's head like a blindfold. “Can you see anything?”

  He laughed. “No.”

  “All right. Let's go.”

  Together, with Maisy guiding the way, they crept softly into the stables. Maisy turned on the lights. Not all of them, but enough to see by.

  Maisy led Mark down the central corridor until they turned to head into the northwest corner of the big building. She stopped before the giant pen with two stalls that Fletcher had arranged two days ago, pretending it had been necessary for the manger set-up.

  Mark heard the squeak as Maisy opened the door to the pen. Then came the sound of a nicker. And of a horse shaking his head, a huffing and snorting. The strangest chills raced up his back and into his hair. “M-Maisy?”

  She put one hand on his arm as she slipped off the blindfold. “Look,” she said softly.

  He did, and he found himself looking at … looking at ...

  “Maisy?” His heart beat unaccountably fast as he looked at the horse in front of him.

  “I found Alair,” she whispered, tears spilling down her face. “He's yours.”

  Mark gasped and seemed to visibly teeter, and Maisy knew his body and soul didn't know who to hug first, her or the horse. So she reached out and gently pushed him to Alair.

  The horse got close to him, pushed into him tentatively with his nose, until he full on bopped into Mark with equine glee. “Alair!” Mark buried his face in his mane. “Alair.” Mark wrapped his arms around the horse's neck, hugging him, until he felt a shove in his back.

  “What?”

  He stepped back and found himself looking at another horse who'd budged in next to Alair and dipped her head forward to suss out Mark.

  He looked at Maisy. “Who's this?”

  “Caronwyn,” she introduced. “I found Alair at a riding school outside Inverness. When I finally went up to buy him—”

  “When did you go up to buy him? To Scotland? And I didn't know?”

  Maisy smiled. “You thought I was doing the accounts all day. Glynis had an army all set to distract you, to keep up the illusion that I was here the whole time. It took some choreographing. And I had to bend it like Beckham to really get the accounts done.”

  “You always use that phrase but I'm pretty sure you're never using it correctly.”

  “Well, I got the accounts done.”

  “Wait a minute! The day Mrs. Fox insisted I teach her how to play Mystic Gyld … the day I spent six hours of my life teaching an octogenarian how to play a computer game ... was that when you snuck up to Scotland?”

  Maisy laughed. “Glynis was at her most brilliant when she came up with that idea. She didn't know about Alair or Scotland, but she knew I was cooking up some surprise for you. Fletcher is the only one who knew. He helped me track down Alair.”

  Mark looked back at the horses, never taking his hands off them. “But where've they been? I tried to teach Mrs. Fox Mystic Gyld weeks ago. They haven't been here the whole time.”

  “I boarded them with Julian Cavendish.”

  “And Fletcher and the lads got them yesterday?”

  Maisy nodded.

  Mark laughed. “I can see why you didn't try to hide them in the house.” He leaned back into Alair as he stroked the blaze down Caronwyn's nose. “There a bonded pair, aren't they?”

  “Mm. When I went up to get him, and the lads were loading him into the trailer. Oh, God. He didn't want to go. He'd been so docile, and the fuss he suddenly started kicking up! Another horse was making a racket, too. Then I saw her, standing there in her stall, and my heart broke on the spot to see how crazy it made her that we were taking him. I bought her right then and there and brought them both home.”

  Mark petted both horses with both hands as they nuzzled at him.

  “This is all about finding lost love,” Maisy said with a glowing smile. “I wasn't going to break any hearts along the way.”

  “Aw, Maisy ...” He stepped away from the horses and he and Maisy fell into each other's arms. “Maisy,” he said again. “Maisy.”

  “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas.” He kissed her softly. “Now,” he said, setting her back from him. “You close your eyes.”

  “Really?” Maisy beamed as she squeezed her eyes shut.

  After a moment of hearing Mark rustling in his pockets, Maisy felt him pick up her hand and slip something on her finger. Her breath hitched.

  “Open your eyes.”

  Maisy looked down at her hand and saw that he'd given her a diamond ring. Understated, elegant, sublime. “Mark ...”

  “The two week engagement, the wedding in Vegas … we never got around to rings.”

  “Mark ...” she breathed. “Is it one of the Drakenfall jewels?”

  He shook his head.“I picked it out myself, just for you. My one and only Maisy.
I got these, too.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a velvet box and opened it.

  “Wedding bands!” Maisy gently took one off its cushion. Mark took the other and set the box aside.

  Maisy picked up his hand and looked into his shining sky blue eyes. “With this ring, with this man, I am so happy, every day of my life.” She slipped the ring on his finger.

  Mark picked up her hand, but he could scarcely speak. “I love you, Maisy.” He slipped the ring on her finger.

  They hugged each other hard, just as Christmas began to dawn across Drakenfall.

  The End

  Meet Maisy & Mark and the gang at Drakenfall in

  Upstairs, Downstairs ... and the Lift in Between: A Novella (Drakenfall #1)

  Initially featured in the romantic comedy anthology Love in an Elevator

  Look for the next Drakenfall novel, featuring Vicar Peter Cade

  Those American Thighs (Drakenfall #3)

  Spring 2017

  Also by Geralyn Corcillo

  The romantic comedy “In Love in the Limelight” Series

  Miss Adventure (In Love in the Limelight #1)

  Queen of the Universe (In Love in the Limelight #2)

  Catch a Falling Star (In Love in the Limelight #3)

  and

  The Short Stories:

  4 in the Afternoon: Four Romantic Comedy Short Stories

  Dear Reader,

  Word-of-mouth is crucial for any book to succeed. If you've enjoyed A Drakenfall Christmas, please consider leaving a review here on Amazon by scrolling down to the bottom of the page. A sentence or two, even a word or two, would be wonderful, especially during the Christmas Season. It would make all the difference, for it means that more readers will find out about this book and get a chance to enjoy it. Thanks!

  And please feel free to stop by and check out my daily posts on Facebook and even say hello or comment or chat. You can also make contact with me on Twitter or on my Website —I love to connect with readers!

  Reading sure can be an adventure, and I hope it always brings you joy!

  Sincerely,

  Geralyn Corcillo

  About the Author:

  When she was a kid growing up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Geralyn Vivian Ruane Corcillo's favourite Christmas present was a box set of four Agatha Christie paperbacks her mom put in her stocking. When she got a bit older, she spent her last six months of college at The University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, where she met life-long friends. These days, Corcillo loves to kick back by watching British mysteries on Masterpiece, Amazon, and Netflix. She lives in a draughty old house in Hollywood with her husband Ron, a guy who's even cooler than Bucks Fizz.

  Acknowledgements

  Glynis Astie

  Ian Tovell

  Iona Sinclair

  Matt Swales

  Mark Thompson

  Helen Taylor

  Jennifer Collin

  Pippa Franks

  Bernadette Maycock

  Serena Clarke

  Lindy Dale

  Sarah-Jane Fraser

  Celia Kennedy

  Lizzie Koch

  Kirsty Maclachlan

  Monique McDonnell

  Amsie Morgan

  Maxine Morrey

  CJ Morrow

  Katty Nichol

  Elise Noble

  Cassandra O'Leary

  Mary Smith

  Em Taylor

  Stacey Wiedower

  TA Williams