In this delightful novella from the national bestselling author of A Study in Death, Lady Kiera Darby has one last mystery to solve before she can walk down the aisle… Scotland, 1831. With her wedding to fellow investigator Sebastian Gage only a day away, Kiera is counting down the hours. But just when matrimonial jitters threaten to consume her, Kiera receives a welcome distraction in the … a welcome distraction in the form of a mysterious gold necklace.
The Celtic torc, thought missing for decades, was directly involved in a recent investigation. Now, Kiera feels compelled to uncover the truth behind its sudden reappearance.
But with an overwhelming flock of wedding guests, a muddled cat, an unpaid favor, and a ferocious storm throwing things into disarray, it’s anyone’s guess whether Kiera and Gage will actually make it to the altar…
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After I finished reading Lady Darby, book 4, I had to read this novella to see Lady Darby and Sebastian Gage finally get married. And the novella did not disappoint. Not every book author can write short pieces well, but Anna Lee Huber delivered a really solid story with not one, but two intriguing mysteries AND a wedding, with all of the characters’ relationships well done. She did an especially good job between Keira and her sister, Alana, and between Keira and Gage, and even Bonnie Brock, the villain she’s made us care about. Not an easy feat. Add to this that Keira and Gage’s wedding was lovely and their marriage tender and sweet. A thoroughly satisfying achievement.
What a great little short to let fans know that Lady Darby is now Mrs. Sebastian Gage. Horary!! I love these two together. Thanks for not allowing the characters to go through a full investigation but just tiny mysteries to uncover.
Alana is planning her Keira’s wedding from a gorgeous gown that involved into 12 dress fitting, flowers, food, tarts even Champagne. What could Kiera possibly be anxious about? Except the nuptials went from a large social summer event. too a small intimate wedding…. At least that is what Kiera & Sebastian wanted. Instead she took the event from summer & put it into a wedding event 3 weeks after giving birth to her fourth child Jaime. Alana has to worry that the gossip to the rush wedding is because Kiera is with child. But Alana is all about social propriety. While Kiera just wants to be unnoticed & doesn’t care what people think. She has already had her reputation ruined because of Sir Anthony. She just wants to marry Sebastian Gage the gorgeous, Agent who she has been working with for almost a year on investigation Lady Darby doesn’t just love him for his looks but for his character, & the way he cares, protects & cherishes her. Which is part of the reason Kiera is so frantic, she just cannot believe the fiancé she has gotten. Let alone getting married again.
That’s why the two dilemma’s that occur the day before the wedding are just up Kiera alley. It will keep her anxiety down over this social wedding. She also is determined to get Lord Gage to come to the wedding for his son’s sake. She will even use threats to make it happen.
It was rather interesting that Kiera had all theses cousins that seem to come out of the wood works that happen to be so close to her? Maybe it’s an introduction to know the characters for a future endeavor. That being said, Jock gives Kiera a beautiful Gold Torc necklace but for the investigator’s that Gage & Kiera are wonder if the necklace was a legitimate purchase? Could the Celtic torc, necklace be the missing one that was part of their last investigation? Kiera is compelled to uncover the truth behind its sudden reappearance.
This little issue gives Kiera a way to disappear & hide from the chaos that Alana keeps creating 12 hours before the big day of the season.
While the two attempt to find clues on the necklace, look who shows up outside of the pawn shop but their favorite criminal Bonnie Brock. He needs to cash in his favor from Lady Darby.
The day before the wedding! While Kiera is worried Gage will be upset that he is requesting to get a journal that is hidden in a secret compartment of a desk that none other Michael Dalmay brought for his fiancé. So while Gage is trying to find out who pawned the necklace. Kiera is asking Caroline if she can come over to her town house to see the desk. Using the excuses she needs to get out of Alana’s way.
While pretending to misplace amethyst necklace for Caroline to look for. Kiera is trying to find the trap door that would have the journal hidden. Fortunately, she is able to find it & the investigating couple decide they must look thru Bonnie mother’s journal before giving it to the crook. They don’t believe this journal will help get his sister Maggie out of her depression. That is when they discover that their mother was a whore & blackmailed many of men during her life.
Before Kiera leaves from Caroline’s residents, she decided it’s time to pay a visit to her future father in law- Lord Gage. From the silence that Sebastian provided earlier in the day she knows that the arrogant, cruel man Lord Gage is he will not be attending to tonight’s dinner or the wedding tomorrow. Now Kiera doesn’t care if he comes or not. But her husband to be does regardless how much tension between the two men are. Kiera will stop at nothing to get her fiancé’s father to come to both gathers. Even if it means making threats to never see his future grandchildren. She just hopes the threat works because she doesn’t believe she could ever do that to either men. With that visit neither one put their guard down, so Kiera leaves with the assumption she didn’t succeed. Who knows?
After finding the lady’s maid to the owner of the necklace, the couple hears the history behind the necklace. & the real reason that a certain nephew wanted them to find the torc. However, the owner who inherited the Celtic torc necklace wanted it to go to a museum. Kiera & Gage are determined to have the torc necklace placed to the proper owner.
While they have uncovered one mystery, they have know made themselves late for their own wedding dinner that Alana has worked so hard on. Kiera tries to sneak past her sister & get ready in 10 mins. But she has been caught & all of their pent up anxieties built up from the past few months have erupted & the sisters end up hurting one another in front of their ladies maids. To top it off Alana has banished Earl Grey since he has threw up on the gown she was to where to tonight’s dinner.
Kiera’s shock of emotion change everything & she realizes Alana might be a social perfectionist but she did this for Kiera to have a memory that she deserves after the Hell she endued w/ her 1st husband. After they get thru the dinner Kiera & Gage has to meet Brock to produce the journal & get back to the residents before midnight. Since Alana is suspicious of the happy couple seeing each other before the wedding.
With an overwhelming flock of wedding guests, a muddled cat, an unpaid favor, and a ferocious storm throwing things into disarray, Can Kiera and Gage make it to the altar…& have the Affair that Alana, Lady Cromarty planned for her sister. Read the short novel and find out?
I love the romance between the two characters, & from the authors writing it would be naughty to have described the wedding night. But I have to admit it would have been nice. Maybe in a future book. Just a tiny one.
Reviewed: Sept 15, 2016
What an absolute delight this novella was! Not only do we have an anxious bride, a Celtic torc as a wedding gift and Bonnie Brock calling in his favour, but we have Earl Grey acting strange! Add in some wild weather, Lord Gage and champagne and you have a delicious mix of mood, menace and humour. This was the perfect build up to Lady Darby and Sebastian Gage’s wedding day!
On the eve of her wedding to Sebastian Gage, Lady Kiera Darby is more than ready to have the ceremony over. Her sister is fussing over details, the matter of the torc from her last adventure is still in question, Bonnie Brock is calling in a favor and Lord Gage is refusing to attend the wedding. There is much to do and a short time to do it.
This was a quick but fun read. A lot is packed into the short time span and low word count. Kiera has a lot to handle between keeping her sister happy and tying up the last ends of the previous investigation. She maneuvers Lord Gage into behaving and putting on a front for society. There is a task she needs to do for Bonnie Brock, who is calling in the favor she owes him.
Fast-paced and fun, this gives fans a front row to seat to the wedding drama of this delightful couple.