SOLVED. Historal/Regency Romance - Lady arranges marriage to get inheritance, secretly ends up with childhood friend who was gardener's son [s]

[Megan]

Read it sometime in the 2000s, but I believe it was older and perhaps part of a collection of shorter romance stories/novellas? Anyway, the lady has to marry to get her inheritance so she arranges to marry this guy and they have to go at night in a carriage and wake up a preacher to get married. He turns out to be her childhood friend who was sent away because they were getting too close. He was the gardener's son and she cares for the estate's roses because it makes her think of him. At the end they sled down a hill on a board or something. Any ideas?

[Kris]

The collection Married at Midnight by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss which contains the story "A Kiss After Midnight" by Tanya Anne Crosby?

A Goodreads reviewer says, "A Kiss After Midnight by Tanya Anne Crosby... The princess of Blackstone has a best friend, the gardener's son. Her father disapproves and pays to have him sent away, but they promise never to forget one another. Years go by and Victoria's father passes away. With the reading of the will, she discovers that she must wed immediately to keep everything. An impulsive letter to the gardener (who she frequently wrote to in the past) puts things on the path to help Victoria keep what she thinks she needs and gain what she has been missing."

[Megan]

Definitely it. You're a hero.

[Kris]

Thanks and you're welcome. :)