The virtues of Christmas

the long version

Respect for Christmas features Henrietta Whitlow, who's leaving behind the life of a very successful courtesan in hopes of making peace with her family in the shires. Michael Brenner's family all but ignore him, despite his shiny new baronial title, and his errand along the Oxford road isn't half so benign as Henrietta's. While trying to settle a debt of honor involving Henrietta, Michael instead loses his heart, gains a friend, and learns an important holiday lesson. Patience for Christmas is the story of advice columnist Patience Friendly, whose relationship with her stubborn, over-bearing, publisher, Dougal MacHugh, is anything but cordial. Dougal challenges Patience to take on a rival columnist in a holiday advice-a-thon, and sparks fly clear up to the mistletoe hanging from every rafter. Will Patience follow the practical guidance of her head, or the passionate advice of her heart?