AustLit

'A Spinster who has lost purpose in her life, no longer a companion to the aristocracy, a Vicar who has discovered that loneliness makes everything hollow, a mystery that draws them together, a Christmas where everything changes, an unexpected love.

'Miss Lydia Millpost has spent her life as a governess or companion to ladies of the aristocracy. Now, without a role to fill, she is faced with the possibility of having to actually live quietly in her little cottage, for the rest of her life. Suddenly, independence doesn’t taste so sweet, and with Christmas not far away, loneliness looms. But what choice does a spinster of near fifty have?

'Mr Nathaniel Godfrey has given his life to the church, and been happy as the vicar of the Dartworth village church. He is obsessed with history, and has allowed that to fill his time, never thinking of marriage – for what woman would want a man who cares more about the contents of tombs than the present day? But when he discovers an equal passion for history in Miss Millpost, he realises how solitary his life has been.

'When a mystery draws them together, can they each overcome their uncertainties, and allow love to flourish? Or will lifelong habits steal their chance for happiness at Christmas?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.