In this hope-filled Gilded Age Christmas novella from bestselling author Lynn Austin, the year is 1901 and the hustle and bustle of the holidays is descending on New York’s Fifth Avenue.

For the first time in her privileged life, Adelaide Forsythe won’t be swept up in it. She couldn’t be happier about the prospect of a quieter Christmas. That’s not to say her transition from Miss to Mrs. has been without challenge. Though she doesn’t regret marrying for love instead of wealth, she can barely light the hearth or cook more than burnt toast. She feels woefully unprepared to run her own household.

Then, on the first Sunday of Advent, winter winds bring change through two unlikely means: a young orphan boy, hiding near Adelaide’s front steps, and a seasoned housekeeper who seems too good to be true.

The boy, Jack, claims he isn’t an orphan at all and is desperate to reunite his family. Adelaide and her husband Howard work tirelessly to solve the riddle of Jack’s story, while Adelaide’s new endeavors open her eyes to a world beyond her past experience—and all the challenge and possibility it holds. As Christmas approaches, small glimmers of wonder light the way toward the answers Adaleide seeks and the most miraculous gift of all.

NP: Hello, Adelaide. Thank you so much for taking time from your Christmas preparations to talk with us.

Adelaide: My pleasure.

NP: When we last met (in the novel “All My Secrets”) you had fallen in love with your family’s lawyer, Howard Forsythe. Has that romance evolved since then? 

Adelaide: I am pleased to say that Howard and I were married one month ago with our families’ blessings. My grandmother was especially happy that I married for love and not for money. She was the one who encouraged me to make that choice.

NP: Congratulations! I imagine marriage has brought many changes to your life?

Adelaide: Yes! Too many to count! I no longer live in an enormous mansion, but in a simple townhouse on a quiet street. I don’t have servants to wait on my every need, but I do need to hire someone to teach me to cook, since I don’t even know how to brew tea. I used to buy anything I wanted, and I never had to think about money, but now I’m learning to economize and live on Howard’s salary. And I had to learn how to travel by streetcar since we can’t afford a horse and carriage. Those are just a few things.

NP: What about your interest in the women’s suffrage movement? Will that be ending now that you’re a respectable married woman?

Adelaide: Certainly not! Howard is very supportive of the suffrage movement, and he encourages me to be active.

NP: I’m guessing that Christmas will be very different for you this year?

Adelaide: Yes, in some ways. Our family charity, the Stanhope Foundation, has always played an active role at Christmastime supporting the many orphanages in this city. That won’t change. I’m still helping my mother, who now heads the Foundation. But I won’t be hosting or attending any Christmas parties or balls this year. Those frivolous activities just aren’t part of my life anymore, and I must say I don’t miss them in the least! Howard and I have better things to do with our time. I’m looking forward to a much simpler Christmas this year.

NP: What do you miss the most about your life as a wealthy heiress?

Adelaide: I think it’s pointless to look back at the past and moan about it. Life always brings change, and if we’re not prepared for it, we will live miserable lives indeed. The better question is, what am I looking forward to in the future? The answer is, a long and happy marriage to my wonderful husband. 

NP: Any other notable changes or surprises in your life?

Adelaide: Well, I was certainly surprised to return home the other day and find a raggedy orphan boy hiding beneath my bushes. He had run away from one of the orphanages Mother and I had visited that day. I am trying to figure out how I can help the poor child. He refuses to return to the orphanage, insisting that he isn’t an orphan.

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Lynn Austin has sold nearly two and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction and was one of the first inductees into the Christy Award Hall of Fame. One of her novels, Hidden Places, was made into a Hallmark Channel Original Movie. Lynn and her husband have three grown children and make their home in western Michigan. Visit her online at lynnaustin.org.