The Christmastide Secret: a Mary and Bright novella

It's Christmastide in London, and Inspector Gabriel Bright is excited for the season. Newly married to the attractive woman he'd met a year ago while on an accidental case, he can't wait to spend Christmas with his growing family. While out at the Mayfair shops with his son, the men rescue a young climbing boy from a beating on the street. Between the two of them, an idea forms on how to make Christmas wonderful for Mary.

Mrs. Mary Bright couldn't be happier with her life. She married her handsome former Bow Street man two months prior, and since they opted to remain in London for the holiday season, she looks forward to showing their adopted daughter that having a loving family is exactly what the girl needs. But when her new husband turns suddenly secretive and isn't as open as he usually is with her, her mind skitters to worst case scenarios.

Keeping the secret proves a challenge for Gabriel, yet he is determined to try. For the love of his wife, he keeps his little family busy preparing for the festivities, but as Mary becomes more and more suspicious of his activities, she pokes about. Tension brews between the nuptial pair that spills over into passionate conversations after dark. Disaster for the marriage might be looming, but with the magic of Christmas and the solid commitment of the investigative pair, the puzzling mystery is soon solved to everyone's delight.