Sprig of Mistletoe

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She’s unconventional . . . Lady Catherine “Kitty” Egerton leads a quiet life in Hertfordshire where she rides horses, reads extensively, and entertains one disappointing suitor after another. She desires to marry, but the men her father introduces her to cannot be bothered with a headstrong woman, and Kitty has no desire to change her ways, especially when she has the power to help the poor. Christmas is her favorite time of year and provides ample opportunities for charitable pursuits when women aren’t allowed to join organizations that fund these efforts. Luckily, her brother is supportive and invites her to accompany him to London to visit Field Lane Ragged School, a school Charles Dickens once visited. She’s delighted to be walking in her favorite author’s footsteps, but she’s only allowed to go if she agrees to spy on her brother and his elusive friend—a key investor in the formation of a new Poor Law Union, a man who’s refused to visit their home in Christmases past. Kitty agrees only because she has an ulterior her dearest friend has been in love with her brother since they were children, and the railway journey to London allows her time to play matchmaker. He is not who he says he is . . . Bartholomew “Bart” Fernsby inherited his wealth from a kind man who liberated him from the workhouse in Holborn. Sent to upper-crust schools, he received every lodging, food, clean clothes, except that which he most desired—his mother’s love. But to whom much is given, more is required. Haunted by his parents’ deaths and a scandalous past he fears will taint his good name, Bart is determined to change other children's fates by beating back the crushing blow of poverty taking London by storm. He puts his money to good use, becoming one of the founding members of a Poor Law Union, which seeks to educate the poorest districts in the city, and enlists an old school friend’s help to raise funds for Field Lane Ragged School. His friend, Charles Dickens, previously visited the sc