First published 2010
Arabella Dempsey takes a teaching position at Miss Climpson's Select Seminary in Bath, hoping for quiet independence near her younger sisters. Jane Austen warned her against teaching, but Arabella expects nothing more challenging than organizing the Christmas recital. Then she meets Reginald "Turnip" Fitzhugh, a bumbling gentleman often confused with the legendary Pink Carnation spy. Together they discover a Christmas pudding containing a mysterious French message directing them to Farley Castle. This holiday puzzle draws them into a dangerous game involving French aristocrats and international espionage. Their investigation leads from the Austen family drawing room to the grand Dovedale estate, where the Dowager Duchess hosts an elaborate twelve day Christmas celebration. Arabella must navigate between lesson plans and enemy agents, while Turnip stumbles through yet another spy adventure. The fate of Britain may depend on whether they can decode the Christmas conspiracy before the holidays end.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, adventure, mystery, 19th-century
Vibes: cozy, suspenseful, whimsical
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Bath, Farley Castle, Dovedale
Period: Christmas
340 pages · Hardcover · Dutton