Making Spirits Bright

Can a ghostly matchmaker lead a reluctant couple to happiness?

When a recently deceased scapegrace of a gentleman is desperate to earn himself a position in the afterlife as a Ghost of Christmas Present, he's forced to play matchmaker for two resistant people to prove his worth...

As a young woman, Elizabeth Burkhart fell victim to an unscrupulous man. But as wicked as he was, her family was much worse. Abandoning her daughter, Lillian, to the less than tender mercies of the child's father was the only way to save her life. Now, years later, reunited with her child and trying to put the pieces back together, Elizabeth recognizes that something is missing. That, despite the wonder of her having her daughter with her again, her life isn't complete. Then a chance encounter with a handsome man gives her hope... until she finds out he has an unfortunate connection to her painful past.

Oliver Weston, Marquess of Whittendon, is a second son of a second son who never expected to inherit a title. Raised in America, he doesn't fit into the new aristocratic world that he's been thrust into. The loneliness and emptiness of his existence is weighing on him... until the most miraculous thing happens. The most fascinating woman he's ever met walks into a gaming hell and turns his entire existence upside down. And, then, she vanishes.

But with a little ghostly interference and a huge leap of faith, happiness might be just around the corner for both of them.

(Note: This short story was first published as part of the Dragonblade 2020 holiday collection, O Night Divine.)