The Regent's Secret Matchmakers: a Regency Romance

1819. A war widow, a former spy, and two fugitive wallabies. Prudence Hartwell lives on a meagre income after the death of her husband injured fighting the hated French at Waterloo. She wants a quiet life in the country. Her plan to nurse her lonely heart and limited budget by filling her days with gardening and her evenings with knitting goes haywire when the Prince Regent gifts her with a wallaby from his menagerie to "provide you with endless entertainment in your new abode". The bizarre beast keeps escaping to the lush grass of the estate next door, owned by her landlord, Luc de Certain, a French émigré with a doubtful past and a glib tongue. After fighting Napoleon's regime as a spy, Luc De Certain,travelled Europe after the war in search of emotional healing. He's back in England to enjoy a peaceful country life at his childhood home. That is, until The Regent foists not only a wallaby but also a needy tenant upon him in the form of the delightful widow, Madame Hartwell. Hopelessly attracted to Prudence despite all his fears, he plans a flirtation with her during the long winter, but she is persistently resistant. Merde! Luc and Prudence find their Antipodean charges are wayward and highly resourceful escapees, determined to be together. Can Prudence keep her wallaby at home and avoid Monsieur de Certain, who makes her feel far too much? Will the wallabies help Luc win over the widow, who could heal his tortured soul? And can they achieve their goals by Christmas day? The Regent's Secret Matchmakers is a sweet M/F Regency romance novella featuring: love at first sight, forced proximity and enemies to lovers tropes. It can be read as a standalone story. The Oxford Friends Series comprises: #1 The Wallflower's Christmas Surprise #2 The Kidnapped Christmas Bride #3 The Regent's Secret Matchmakers