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The Chaplain's Legacy #0
The Chaplain
One man with a secret. A family torn apart by the consequences.
Arthur Nicholson is the scapegrace youngest son of a baron, scampering from one near-disaster to another but perpetually optimistic that all will be well - tomorrow. Something will turn up, he’s sure, and so it often does. Turned away from his intended ordination as a clergyman, he can’t face his family so he heads north to visit a friend, but a snowstorm strands him at a wayside inn. Happily, he falls into the company of a northern earl, who offers him the temporary position of chaplain at his remote home. Arthur can’t believe his luck, especially when he meets the lovely Lady Alice Atherton, the earl’s blind daughter. Is Alice his key to a permanent home with the earl? If he can win her over, he will be assured of a comfortable life, and it won’t matter that he was never ordained - will it?
This is a complete story, a prequel to the Chaplain’s Legacy series. A traditional Regency romance, drawing room rather than bedroom. The ebook of this story is available free of charge to Mary Kingswood mailing list subscribers.
Arthur Nicholson is the scapegrace youngest son of a baron, scampering from one near-disaster to another but perpetually optimistic that all will be well - tomorrow. Something will turn up, he’s sure, and so it often does. Turned away from his intended ordination as a clergyman, he can’t face his family so he heads north to visit a friend, but a snowstorm strands him at a wayside inn. Happily, he falls into the company of a northern earl, who offers him the temporary position of chaplain at his remote home. Arthur can’t believe his luck, especially when he meets the lovely Lady Alice Atherton, the earl’s blind daughter. Is Alice his key to a permanent home with the earl? If he can win her over, he will be assured of a comfortable life, and it won’t matter that he was never ordained - will it?
This is a complete story, a prequel to the Chaplain’s Legacy series. A traditional Regency romance, drawing room rather than bedroom. The ebook of this story is available free of charge to Mary Kingswood mailing list subscribers.
154 pages, Paperback
Published December 15, 2023
2 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Mary Kingswood
64 books486 followersI live in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland with my husband. I like chocolate, whisky, my Kindle, massed pipe bands, long leisurely lunches, chocolate, going places in my campervan, eating pizza in Italy, summer nights that never get dark, wood fires in winter, chocolate, the view from the study window looking out over the Moray Firth and the Black Isle to the mountains beyond. And chocolate. I dislike driving on motorways, cooking, shopping, hospitals.
The lovely lady in my avatar is Archduchess Clementina of Austria (1798-1881), Princess of Salerno, painted around 1839.
NOTE: I read Regency romances as well as write them, and I review them all on my website, or you can find them right here on Goodreads on my real-name account at Pauline M. Ross.
The lovely lady in my avatar is Archduchess Clementina of Austria (1798-1881), Princess of Salerno, painted around 1839.
NOTE: I read Regency romances as well as write them, and I review them all on my website, or you can find them right here on Goodreads on my real-name account at Pauline M. Ross.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 18, 2025
The fourth son of a baron whose bishop won’t ordain him because he’s a rake finagles his way to being the in-house chaplain for an Earl. He performs a marriage for the eldest son of that family. Eventually, he falls in love with the daughter of the family and marries her.
And there will never be any repercussions from his lack of ordination, right?
This was a fun start to a series!
And there will never be any repercussions from his lack of ordination, right?
This was a fun start to a series!
December 17, 2023
Only Kingswood can take a character that is so detestable and not only have me continue reading the story, but also changing my opinion about him in the final chapters!
Pros - Another well written, character driven story with a very morally grey MMC providing the reader with his POV. Low drama provided a nice, easy read for a rainy Saturday. The story didn’t feel rushed, which is a problem that plagues most novellas. There wasn’t an over abundance of exposition and flowery adjectives, which I personally find tedious. You were dropped right into the story and the plot unfolded at a natural pace.
Cons - None, other than the too long wait for the first full novel in the series. Bring on the Captain!
Pros - Another well written, character driven story with a very morally grey MMC providing the reader with his POV. Low drama provided a nice, easy read for a rainy Saturday. The story didn’t feel rushed, which is a problem that plagues most novellas. There wasn’t an over abundance of exposition and flowery adjectives, which I personally find tedious. You were dropped right into the story and the plot unfolded at a natural pace.
Cons - None, other than the too long wait for the first full novel in the series. Bring on the Captain!
December 19, 2023
A delightful beginning to a new series. One can see the future problems that will beset other characters in future decades. Well-drawn characters make the setting and plot come alive. The change in the main character comes through love. Lady Alice is a wonderful character, strong and resourceful. Sounds like she may need those qualities in future books in the series.
December 18, 2023
This prequel introduces us to the man whose fateful decision affects the future lives of the characters in Mary Kingswood's new series, The Chaplain's Legacy. In 1777, Arthur Nicholson is the scapegrace fourth son of a baron, who can't even manage to get himself ordained. He heads North to avoid having to tell his father of yet another failure. Providentially, he meets Lord Rennington and ends up as chaplain in his castle. Lord Rennington's daughter, Alice, is blind. He initially pursues her, thinking that he would insure himself a comfy life in the castle, but things don't go as planned.
It's difficult to completely sympathize with Arthur. He isn't the most honorable of men, but neither is he the worst. We begin to realize that Lady Alice is a match for him, when his rival, Lord Tarvin, is dealt with.
The fact that he was never ordained, and that he performed the marriage ceremony for Lord Rennington's son and Lady Birtwell, weighs upon his conscience, especially when a son and heir is born. The issue of the missing ordination is not resolved in this novella. It will surely figure in the new series. Chapter 1 of Book 1, Disinheritance, is included at the end. Oh. My. God.
As usual, Mary Kingswood's writing is wonderful; the world of characters she creates is compelling.
It's difficult to completely sympathize with Arthur. He isn't the most honorable of men, but neither is he the worst. We begin to realize that Lady Alice is a match for him, when his rival, Lord Tarvin, is dealt with.
The fact that he was never ordained, and that he performed the marriage ceremony for Lord Rennington's son and Lady Birtwell, weighs upon his conscience, especially when a son and heir is born. The issue of the missing ordination is not resolved in this novella. It will surely figure in the new series. Chapter 1 of Book 1, Disinheritance, is included at the end. Oh. My. God.
As usual, Mary Kingswood's writing is wonderful; the world of characters she creates is compelling.
January 7, 2024
Can’t wait for the first book of this series . This is the prequel and what a story it is. I can already see the problems created by the careless chaplain as he thoughtlessly arranges his life to his satisfaction and kicks the can down the road for others to fix. What horrors lay in the future to innocent people . I have enjoyed all her series and can’t wait for this one. One of the most attractive parts of her books is how old characters in past books reappear in new series . We greet old friends but new readers are not bewildered by a lot of old history irrelevant to the story.
December 2, 2024
2 ⭐
This story is a prequel to an entire serie and I think that I would like it more if I red the following books. But here I disliked the hero so much...Almost faithless, a rogue and a scoundrel but also a liar ! He was sincerely in love and I do understand why, the lady was quite a nice one, and I did like her little spoilt side but he was just...I still felt a little bit attached to him in the end, and I do understand that his absence of attonement is necessary for the next books of the serie, but I still did not like it.
This story is a prequel to an entire serie and I think that I would like it more if I red the following books. But here I disliked the hero so much...Almost faithless, a rogue and a scoundrel but also a liar ! He was sincerely in love and I do understand why, the lady was quite a nice one, and I did like her little spoilt side but he was just...I still felt a little bit attached to him in the end, and I do understand that his absence of attonement is necessary for the next books of the serie, but I still did not like it.
December 31, 2023
Kisses only.
Oh dear! I can’t wait to read how Mr. Nicholson’s lie affects the earl’s family. I didn’t like him at first but his “courting” (I know they weren’t technically courting at the time) of Alice was so endearing. I loved them as a couple. I loved how Mr. Nicholson worked to improve Alice’s quality of life and how he believed in her even when others didn’t.
Oh dear! I can’t wait to read how Mr. Nicholson’s lie affects the earl’s family. I didn’t like him at first but his “courting” (I know they weren’t technically courting at the time) of Alice was so endearing. I loved them as a couple. I loved how Mr. Nicholson worked to improve Alice’s quality of life and how he believed in her even when others didn’t.
December 27, 2023
Infuriating clay footed hero. Another great read
January 1, 2024
A lovely Novella to set up the next series! The author has a wonderful way of developing flawed but loveable characters in her novels...I'm looking forward to the series!
February 26, 2024
I am glad I was able to get this free when I signed up for the Mary Kingswood newsletter. It really gave some good background for this new series.
October 14, 2025
A great introduction to what will be another wonderful series by Mary Kingswood.
March 27, 2025
3.5 Alice and Arthur. The opening book to the chaplain series is not my usual go-to because the main character is so unlikable for me. But this story leads to the consequences of the ML actions in the following books. It did keep my attention and I look forward to reading about what happens to the family who was unfortunate enough to ever know Mr Nicholson.
December 18, 2024
Having read - and in some cases reread - all of Mary Kingswood’s novels, I was excited to launch into a new series by her. This novella was delightful and full of interesting characters, and I was glad to see from the description of Book 1 that Captain Michael Edgerton will be appearing once again. If I was to make any criticism of this novella it would be to say that some events fell,into place just a little too easily and conveniently, but this did not detract from the great enjoyment as I read. I can’t wait to get into the new series!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews