Alexander, the Laird of Kinfairlie, should be breathing a sigh of relief. Two of his sisters are happily married, but the money coffers of the castle are still almost bare. How is he to feed the people dependent on him? Although it will earn him disdain and possibly revenge from his siblings, he must find a rich suitor willing to take on one of the Lammergeier sisters. Only when the legacy and duty his parents left with their premature deaths is fulfilled can he look to his own happiness.

Wedded and bedded twice over, Lady Eleanor is fleeing for her life. Her last husband's death, although richly deserved, is being blamed on her. Cold and disheartened, she arrives at the chapel on the Kinfairlie estates, but the laird's sisters interrupt her prayer vigil. Their attempts to cajole her into joining the Christmas Eve festivities gladden her heart, but Eleanor doesn't dare. Someone might discover who she is, and she'd rather not have a hangman's noose for a Christmas gift.

The promise of a warm hall and a hot meal lures Eleanor into the castle. She ignores the sisters' other offer--marriage to their brother Alex. However, once she meets the handsome but somber laird, she finds her heart has a mind of its own. Alexander is taken with the newest arrival in his home. Her sun-kissed hair, her vivid eyes, but sadly lacking smile, intrigues him. Before he can make her laugh, duty calls. Alex plays host but can't prevent his mind or loins from turning to thoughts of Eleanor. He shares a toast with his family and awakes the next morning to find he has shared his bed with the lady of his dreams.

Ms. Delacroix doesn't break the tradition of love with her tale of Alex and Eleanor's story. She brings back favorite characters from previous bride books and, as always, keeps readers on the edge of their seats with her suspenseful endings.