The Christmas Ball

Outshone by a gregarious stepsister and overbearing stepmother, Lady Athena Cummins is used to fading into the shadows. Beloved only by her youngest sister Persephone, Athena has accepted her destiny as a spinster. But Persephone has a different scheme in mind, and conspires to send Athena out for one night of fun at Lord Finchley’s masquerade Christmas Ball. The masked beauty catches the Lord’s eye but, determined to avoid the wrath of her stepsister, Athena leads Lord Finchley on a wild chase to discover her true identity.

**originally published as part of the anthology [A Regency Christmas](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1374008.A_Regency_Christmas "A Regency Christmas") in 1994 under the pseud [Leslie Lynn](https://www.goodreads.com/search/search?q=Leslie%20Lynn "Leslie Lynn")