OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Noble Gentlemen of the Ton", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Eighteen Months Later
“Oliver, darling, would you come here for a moment, please?” Emma called over the heads of their guests as she cradled her six-month-old daughter against her side.
The chubby little girl lay her head against her mother’s shoulder, utterly content in the situation. Her rich auburn hair reflected brilliantly in the early afternoon sun as her light green eyes surveyed the world curiously.
All of the guests who had gathered for the grand opening of the combined surgery and school milled about the garden as footmen and maids offered them various forms of refreshment.
“Did you need something?” Olivier came to Emma’s side; their son was cradled in his arms.
Spotting each other, the twins instantly began to babble and squirm as they smiled in delight. Their matching eyes and hair would make them almost indistinguishable if it hadn’t been for Rose’s defined chin, which she got from her mother.
Rowan squirmed until his father allowed him to fall into his mother’s arms.
“It’s quite all right,” Emma laughed when Oliver started to pull him back. She balanced both children on her hips before offering him a warm smile. “I have had six months of practice, you know. I can handle our children. What I need from you is to go and play referee between our mentors. Mr. Moorwood and Dr. Edmund haven’t exactly been seeing eye to eye this morning.
“Oh dear,” Oliver sighed, and turned to look at the older men who seemed to be locked in a heated exchange at the other end of the garden.
“Oh dear, is right. I have been trying to placate them, but I think they need a firmer hand.” She gave her husband a knowing look.
Shaking his head, Oliver leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll see to them; you go and find our nursery maid. I don’t want you tiring yourself out today. You must celebrate along with the rest of us.” He winked at her before making his way toward the men.
Standing there for just a moment, Emma watched the man she loved handle the situation as if he’d been born to be a diplomat.
Mr. Moorwood and Dr. Edmund at first seemed hesitant but quickly appeared to come to an agreement and shook hands.
Oliver turned around with an exasperated expression and shook his head, signaling to her that he couldn’t believe what he had to do. The men hadn’t been fighting too badly in the year that it had taken to finalize the plans, though there were times when either Emma or Oliver had to step in and help them along.
“There they are!” Oliver’s mother came toward Emma; her eyes fixed on her grandchildren. “Granny has been looking for you everywhere. The nursery maid told me that your Mama had stolen you. Come to Grandmama and give your dear Mama a break.”
The twins cooed at her lovingly and flapped their chubby little arms when she held out her hands.
Emma willingly allowed them to go to her, breathing a little easier now that the extra weight had been taken from her.
“And how is your Mama feeling this morning?” The dowager asked her grandchildren, as she positioned them on either hip and began to bounce.
“She’s doing quite well, actually. I haven’t been feeling as tired as I did in the first few months.” Emma addressed her mother-in-law directly, admiring her children.
Looking up with concern, the dowager forced a smile. “Are you certain?”
Emma nodded. The twins’ delivery hadn’t been the easiest, and the births had taken quite a toll on her body. She spent the better part of the first few months in bed, where her own mother and the dowager had proved to be invaluable to her. It wasn’t until the fourth month that she had genuinely begun to enjoy being a mother. “I feel more energetic now. I’m almost back to my old self. Not that I think I will ever be the same. Being a mother has changed me in ways that I never expected.”
The dowager’s face relaxed a little as she smiled. “I’m glad to hear it. I was a little nervous when you decided to end your rest after such a short time, but you and Oliver have done wonders in that time. I can’t think of any woman who could have pulled this off better than you.”
Emma smiled at her, still so grateful that everyone in their lives supported them so fully.
“Speaking of impressive young women, you have another visitor.” The dowager nodded over Emma’s shoulder.
Turning around, Emma’s heart warmed to see her best friend walking toward her. Her arms were occupied by a bundle of joy as her husband walked proudly beside her. “You made it!” Emma smiled brightly as she embraced her friend before cooing down at the bundle in her arms.
“Are you jesting?” Amy asked with a mock look of indifference. “As if I would miss this grand achievement in your life. Certainly not after it took so much work to get you here.” She smiled up at Marcus, who gave her such a loving look that Emma knew their marriage was flourishing.
“And how is little Emmeline doing?” Emma carefully lifted the two-month-old baby from Amy’s arms and cradled her against her chest.
Turning over in her sleep, the baby sighed contentedly, wrapping a chubby little fist around Emma’s finger. Her lips were cherubic with an almost squished look between her chubby little cheeks. She reminded Emma so much of Rose at that age, with the exception of a light spray of blonde hair.
“She’s been doing wonderfully, so much so that she’s the picture of health,” Amy said proudly.
“I can see that.” Emma handed her back over to her mother. “And how is married life treating the parents?”
Marcus smiled down at his wife and daughter while keeping one hand on Amy’s back. “We couldn’t have asked for a better life. I will say I am not sure at which point we admitted our feelings to one another… though I am certain that it involved quite a lot of champagne.”
Emma drew her lower lip into her mouth, holding her tongue, but deciding to gloat to Oliver later on. He had told her not to meddle, yet her direct meddling had resulted in her friends having a wonderful marriage.
The conversation continued for a few more moments until Mrs. Langley appeared with a letter on a silver tray addressed to Emma. “This just arrived for you, My Lady.” The housekeeper held out the tray and curtsied once Emma had accepted the letter.
“Who is it from?” the dowager asked curiously before returning her attention to the children.
“I’m not sure, the postmark is from France.” She turned the letter over in her hands, not realizing what she was holding until she recalled the day of her wedding.
I hope you will write to me.
Her heart suddenly jolted a little. “Ah. It is from an old friend. Will you excuse me for just a moment?” She extracted herself from the conversation and headed to a more private section of the garden before breaking the seal.
Dear Lady Mistwood,
I am sorry that it has taken so long for me to write you this letter. You see, I was still a little ashamed of my past action and the choices I made. I have, however, learned of the birth of your children. I wanted to personally offer you my deepest and most sincere congratulations. I know that you and the earl will make splendid parents.
I hope it pleases you to know that I did indeed marry a friend of my husband’s family. He is the Marquis Châtellerault, and I couldn’t be happier. We are yet to be blessed with a family of our own, but I know that it will happen when the time is right. In the meantime, there is a little orphanage not too far from where we live. We have been talking for quite some time now about adopting a little girl or perhaps even a little boy so that they may grow up together. Only time will tell, but for now, I hope you are well. If it isn’t too much to ask, I would love to receive a letter from you. Perhaps we could even visit each other one day.
Yours affectionally,
Lady Châtellerault.
Emma closed the letter with a full heart. It was nice to know that the old Mrs. Fagean now seemed like a new person. Lady Châtellerault suited her so much better than Mrs. Fagean. Her mind briefly wandered to Nicholas. He had vanished without a trace, seemingly never to be heard from again. A part of Emma felt sorry for him, and she hoped that he was making better choices in life.
“And who may I ask is writing you such mysterious letters that pull you away from your guests?” Oliver came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her neck.
“Just a friend from France. Lady Châtellerault. She wants us to visit them one of these days.” She turned in his arms and draped her own over his shoulders.
“And who exactly is this Lady Châtellerault? I don’t recall hearing that name before.” He frowned down at her.
“Really? She’s always expressed a fondness for you and your character.” Emma smiled teasingly at him, enjoying the look of confusion on his face.
“No, I’m afraid that it doesn’t ring a bell.” He shrugged, giving up after a very short attempt.
Emma sighed happily. “That is because she used to go by the name Mrs. Fagean.”
Realization dawned on Oliver as a look of surprise crossed his face. “Oh, now that is surprising. Everything seems like such a long time ago that I’d completely forgotten about her.”
“That’s because we have built a life where the past no longer matters. I am happy for her, though; she may not have started with the best of motives, but she’s just as much a victim of Nicholas as the rest of us.”
Oliver’s face saddened a little as if he had suddenly recalled his cousin. “I hope he’s doing better in life. I can’t say that I would ever want him around again, but I don’t like to think that he’s still gambling and making decisions that hurt others.”
Emma let out a breath and shook her head. “Let’s not talk about the past. Wherever Nicholas is right now, he’s there of his own doing. Good or bad.”
Smiling again, Oliver held her closer. “What would you like to talk about then, Lady Mistwood?” He gave her the cheeky smile that never failed to melt her.
“Oh, I don’t know, perhaps we should revisit how many times you have told me you love me today. I seem to recall a promise on our wedding day that you would never allow a day to pass without counting.”
“Hmmm, and starting a school combined with a surgery doesn’t excuse me from this promise, does it?” His eyes darkened again with the look of passion that always let her know he was about to kiss her.
“I’m afraid not.” Emma giggled when he drew her closer again.
“Well then, I had better remedy the situation.” He tickled her sides before dropping his lips to her forehead, where he planted a kiss. “One, for the first time, I really noticed you in this very garden.” He moved to her cheek. “Two for the way you made me believe in love.” He dragged his lips to the top of her nose. “Three for agreeing to marry me.” He moved a little slower down her face, briefly pausing over her lips until he reached her chin. “Four for the children you have blessed me with…” He moved to her lips and kissed her deeply.
Shivers of pleasure ran down her spine, creating a fine layer of bumps that spread over her body like a blanket.
Drawing away almost breathlessly, he looked down at her while keeping her captive in his arms. “And five to let you know just how much I love you. You have turned me into a good husband and even better father. Emma Courteney.”
Shutting her eyes for just a second as Emma reveled in the moment, she thought of all the time that had passed and everything they’d had to endure. “I love you so much, Oliver Courteney. You will never understand just how much you mean to mean,” she said tearfully, hoping and praying that the rest of their lives would be just as wonderful as the first year of their marriage.
“Oh, but I think I do.” Oliver placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her face to look at him. “I know because it’s the exact way that I feel about you. Never doubt for even a second just how much you mean to me. There is nothing else in this entire world, other than our children, that makes me happier than you do.”
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Noble Gentlemen of the Ton", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hi wonderful readers! I truly hope you enjoyed the romantic journey and the Extended Epilogue! I can’t wait to read your comments! 💖
Not my favorite book. The end was drawn out for a very ling time. I also thought the expression ” thrown under the bus” was not of the time period
Sorry to hear that, Marilyn. Books can be a hit or miss for us, and this one turned to be a “miss” for you. Still, thank you for your support always!
Excellent! I loved this story although it got a bit cloying towards the end. I loved the main characters although I do wish they had been honest with each other, but then you would have no story! (swings and roundabouts! ) Some small mistakes, but I got the gist!
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it—even with the bumps at the end. And you’re right, a little secrecy does keep the story rolling! 💕
The story was great. You showed how different members of families can be so good or bad. Nick was a spoiled man, with no thought for anyone else. Emma and Amy were a joy to read about. His lord was a kind character too. Thank you for a good read.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed the story and the characters.
I enjoyed reading this book, but as a born proofreader (I admit often to my detriment), I found it very distracting with the many, many errors in wording. Most of the words were spelled correctly so spellcheck would not have caught them, but they were not used in the right context. There were often extra words that seem to have been left behind when a correction was made. I have wondered if AI has been used in the last few of your books. I truly enjoyed reading your earlier books, but I will probably be taking a break and checking out some other authors.
Thank you for writing a book that isn’t filled with filth and things that really matter.
Thank you so much! I’m really glad the story resonated with you.