Her Knight Before Christmas

Time Travel/Holiday Novella

Publisher: Blade Publishing
ISBN Number: 978-1-897560-10-5
$2.99
Copyright 2008 Debora Dennis.
All rights reserved.

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Excerpt

Hannah gave a final tug on the hauberk fitting snuggly over the knight’s hips and stepped back to have a look. His steel helmet needed to be straightened out and the squire in position behind him was missing the red and black banner he’d be expected to carry into battle. She flipped an errant curl behind her ear as she tried to keep from tripping over the shield she’d left on the floor behind her. With one hand resting on the knight’s shoulder, she nudged the visor up to ensure he would have no trouble seeing his enemy.

“Hannah?”

Startled, she turned quickly toward her father’s voice and nearly fell into the knight. She managed to right herself before an embarrassing mishap occurred. Thank God, she didn’t have the time to completely redo the display tonight.“Yes, Dad. I’m in here,” she called, her voice echoing in the cavernous room.

“He’s coming,” her father called. The excitement in his tone was matched by the exuberance clearly written across his face.

“Who’s coming?” She couldn’t even imagine who could get him this excited.

Christmas was less than two weeks away, and neither one of them had inwardly enjoyed the holidays in the years since her mother’s death. Outwardly they both tried to make a good show of it, put on the happy face. She dreaded the annual Christmas party the most. Charles Falcon’s Black Tie dinner parties were a notorious display of never-ending boredom. She only attended because it was expected.

“Sir Vin Beauchamp is personally escorting the two heraldic clasps discovered in the last dig. He’ll be here next week for our Christmas party to present them to the museum.”

Charles Falcon bent and picked up the shield beside Hannah’s foot and handed it to her. “The display looks very nice.”

“Don’t patronize me. It’s what you pay me for. And I thought three clasps were found? Couldn’t get him to part with the last one?” She snickered and shook her head. “You’re losing your touch.”

“You’re still angry,” he said without looking her in the eye.

Sometimes Hannah thought he forgot they were living in the twenty-first century. He had spent his life, and a good part of his fortune, putting together pieces of medieval history. He financed the archeological digs, oversaw the recoveries and negotiated with countries for the rights to keep as many of them here at the Natural History Museum in New York as he could.

Year after year he staunchly refused to allow her on any expeditions. Instead she found herself alone in the museum cataloging artifacts, doing what was expected.

Her life was here, touching the pieces of history after they’d been unearthed and cleaned. If she couldn’t actually go on the dig, this was the next best thing. Medieval history would always be her first love, her passion. But lately she found herself defending her love of history to all her friends who were busy dating and expecting her to do the same.

Spending so much of her time at the museum didn’t give her many opportunities to meet or date. She looked up into the solemn face of her knight on display knowing her chances of finding Mr. Right were probably as slim as this mannequin coming to life and sweeping her off her proverbial feet. Hannah glanced at her watch and her stomach coiled. An hour from now she’d be on her third blind date this month, courtesy of her best friend, Susan. Maybe the third time would be the charm and he’d be sweet and intelligent and she wouldn’t have the urge to kill her best friend when it was all over.

Her Knight Before Christmas REVIEWS

4 Angels

Her Knight Before Christmas by Debora Dennis is a story for everyone who ever dreamed of a knight in shining armor. Sir Gavin of Rogueforth is that knight personified – he is big, strong, handsome, and a perfect gentleman, and readers will doubtless be as enchanted with him as Hannah is.

~ Whitney Dark Angel Reviews