THE BLACK FALCON’ S CHRISTMAS - Chapter 1 - Aired on Ireland, 1720

Jul 30, 2026

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A tense Christmas morning unfolds in Ireland in 1720 as Maryssa Wylder Kilcannon struggles with worry over her husband Tade’s return and the unsettling possibility that he may be drawn back to his past as the feared “Black Falcon.” While the Kilcannon household prepares Christmas cakes and cares for young Rory, Maryssa navigates exhaustion, isolation, and haunting memories of a joyless childhood. Household warmth competes with growing unease surrounding Tade’s vigilance and vanished mask.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages191

Reading Time4 h 54 min

Chapter 1

Ireland, 1720

THE BLACK FALCON’ S CHRISTMAS [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) KIMBERLY CATES [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be sold, copied, distributed, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or digital, including photocopying and recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of both the publisher, Oliver Heber Books and the author, Kimberly Cates, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. PUBLISHER'S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. COPYRIGHT © Kimberly Cates Published by Oliver-Heber Books 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) CONTENTS 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 Preview Her Magic Touch Thank you! About the Author Also by Kimberly Cates [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) C HAPT E R 1 [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) IRELAND , 1 7 2 0 “H ush now, sweet Rory, aroon.” Maryssa Wylder Kilcannon rocked her crying baby in his cradle. She swiped away her own hot tears before they could spot the white gown she’d stitched with such high hopes, such joy in the months before little Rory had battled his way into the world. “Da will soon be home. I promise.” Her glance strayed to the window, hoping to see Tade riding across the fields toward the crowded cottage in the Donegal mountains they shared with the entire Kilcannon clan. But though the sun was low on the horizon, there was no sign of her husband.“Very soon,” she said, grateful that no one else in the room seemed to notice. Tade’s little brothers were too preoccupied playing with their tin soldiers on the floor, while Katie and Deirdre were busy making the Christmas cakes that had been the subject of delighted discussion for weeks now. Seventeen-year-old Deirdre chopped candied orange peel beside a crockery bowl full of other ingredients, her knife flashing. Deirdre smiled as she surveyed the bounty. “Just think. Rory will be able to have his share of these, now that his teeth are breaking through. When Katie had her first taste of Christmas cake, she gobbled so much that I ended up feeding her most of my piece as well!” “And you never let me forget it,” Katie teased, dipping out a measure of fresh cream. Maryssa felt a pang, imagining the laughter filling this room that long ago Christmas, comparing it to her own childhood in her father ’s grand but joyless household. There had been no Christmas cakes, no siblings to share with, no Christmas celebration at all. Only echoing spaces filled with bitter silence, worlds away from the mayhem she now lived in. But then, wasn’t she still reeling from so many changes in her life since she and Tade had ridden into the cottage yard last winter? Her first months amidst the Kilcannons had passed in a haze of exhaustion. Little wonder, after the desperate flight she and Tade had made across England and Ireland, and then her babe’s difficult birth. But she’d been sure that, given time, she’d catch her balance in her new world. Tade’s siblings had at least tried to blend her into everyday life. They’d taught her how to perform tasks that would have turned her governesses white withoutrage, and she’d quickly learned to live without the luxuries she’d taken for granted in the vast manor houses in England where she had grown up. Rory’s cries turned to a loud wail, as though he sensed her desperation, and she winced, realizing she cou

FAQs

Who is Maryssa Wylder Kilcannon in the story?

Maryssa is a new mother living with the Kilcannon family, holding on to hope that her husband Tade will return soon.

What role does Rory play in Chapter 1?

Rory’s cries and growing awareness heighten Maryssa’s anxiety and bring the family together during Christmas preparations.

Why does Maryssa worry about Tade’s past as the Black Falcon?

Tade appears restless and watchful, staring toward the road, and Maryssa notices doubts creeping in after his disappearance as the notorious raider for nearly a year.

Jul 30, 2026

Upload by Miles