A new North and South story has been published!
The author, Alix James, shared with me how her Christmas story was created:
I’d had this idea rattling around for years, but I always intended it to be a one shot, with a second scene at most. I knew the legalese and the outcome, etc. It just needed to be written down.
Recently, my husband came down with a nasty flu, and I was sticking pretty close to the house. I had intended to write it for a blog post on Austen Variations, something short and sweet. But by the end of the first scene, I knew I couldn’t rush and close it out that quickly. I didn’t want to short change it.
And so, at about 2-3 chapters a day, it sort of… appeared. And I couldn’t stop writing! I love it when a story grabs me like that.
Novellas are special and fun to write because they’re clean, simple, and direct. And this was a case where the story really did almost write itself, to the point that I only realized when I’d hit about Chapter 6 that this was a bonafide novella, so I’d need a cover and a title!
It’s fun that this story was tickling my brain, Trudy, because you just published a new John and Margaret story after a long wait, and I have had readers asking me for a while if I would ever do another one. Merry Christmas, I suppose? I know I loved getting back to Milton!
Here’s the description—it sounds delightful!
When Mr. Bell dies unexpectedly, Margaret Hale inherits more than his estate—she inherits a legal complication she never anticipated. Summoned to a business meeting just days before Christmas, she is prepared for contracts, signatures, and uncomfortable formalities.
What she is not prepared for is John Thornton.
Once the proud master of Marlborough Mills, Thornton arrives in London carrying a failing business, a lifetime of duty, and a secret keepsake he has treasured for months. He expects nothing but loss—of his mill, his pride, and any final connection to the woman he has never forgotten.
But when a hidden clause in Mr. Bell’s will forces them into a private consultation, old misunderstandings resurface, truths emerge, and Margaret begins to see exactly how much Thornton has sacrificed for others… and for her.
As snow falls over London, Margaret uncovers a discovery that could save the mill, protect the workers of Milton, and bind her future irrevocably with John’s. Yet taking that step requires one thing she has never dared to risk her heart.
Can love mend what pride once shattered?
And will this Christmas bring healing… or heartbreak?
A heart-stirring Christmas novella inspired by North and South—perfect for readers of Pride & Prejudice variations, Victorian romance, and tender second-chance love, this novella delivers everything you love about Elizabeth Gaskell—with the warmth, longing, and triumph of a classic holiday romance.
Alix James has written three other North and South stories. If you haven’t read them yet, you can buy them in a bundle.
I’m always happy to see more published stories for North and South fans!