A Charming Lady for the Intriguing Baronet – Extended Epilogue

Six Years Later…

Selina gazed out of her parlour window, sipping her tea. This had become her daily routine, a moment of peace before the day indeed started. She had learnt to enjoy these moments because they certainly did not last. More so now that they were organising the annual inclusive ball. Alex had remained true to his word and continued to have a ball once a year that included his servants on the guest list.

“Our servants,” she corrected.

This Christmas would mark their sixth wedding anniversary, and Selina had managed to convince her husband not to throw a lavish party in honour of it.

“Not that it was an easy thing to achieve. Alex does so love to celebrate.”

This year alone had seen four balls and too many dinner parties to count. Not that she minded. She did enjoy hosting the dinner parties and balls.

“It never occurred to me that I would become a society wife, hosting balls as though I was born to do it. But I do stand by the rule that it must be inviting, full of laughter and good food. I cannot abide by those stiff dinners that we subject ourselves to every now and then.”

Just last week they had attended a dinner party thrown by Mr and Mrs Willoughby. While Selina did not bear any grudges against Lavinia or Willoughby for that matter, she would not readily make it a habit of attending any events organised by them. Willoughby had been the same as always, intent on proving his superior knowledge in every subject while Lavinia sat quietly by, seemingly not willing to include herself in the conversations.

“It was unlike her. One would think that she was unhappy.”

Which was why she endeavoured to invite her to tea one of these days.

“Perhaps she just needs a listening ear. She must be bored with a man such as Willoughby.”

Selina smiled when she heard giggles coming from the hallway. Moments later, Alex came into the room, their daughter on his shoulders.

“Mama!” Isabella cried out.

“Morning, my darling.”

Alex put her down, watching in amusement as their daughter ran into her arms and flung her arms around her neck.

“I just spent a good part of the early morning being her horsey, but she only has eyes for you.”

“I am her Mama,” she said, kissing her daughter’s head. “But you are the one who can do no wrong.”

He smiled. “There is that.”

Alex leaned down and dropped a meaningful kiss on her lips before taking a seat next to her and pinching her tea.

“I could pour you your very own cup of tea, you know.”

“But it will not be as tasty as the one drunk by you.”

“Charmer.”

He smiled. “Would you expect any less of me?”

“Mama, Papa promised me a puppy, but he said I must ask you first.”

Selina narrowed her eyes above her daughter’s head. Just last month they had bought a pony to add to her collection of growing pets.

“Do I truly have any say in this?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I am hopeless at denying her anything; you know that.”

He continued to sip her tea, a small smile playing on his lips. Selina attempted to talk some sense to her daughter.

“But what about all our other dogs? And the new pony?”

“But I want a puppy,” Isabella insisted.

“And who will look after the puppy? You and Papa?”

Alex’s head came up quickly. “Me?”

Selina ignored him. Isabella seemed to think about it for a moment before her little face lit up.

“Yes! Papa is good with animals – I want to be just like him.”

A knock at the door interrupted their little family time.

“Come in.”

Margaret’s face appeared around the door before her whole body caught up with it. She curtsied.

“Morning, Missus, Sir Russell. Morning Miss Isabella.”

They all chorused their morning to her, Isabella sounding louder than the both of them. Children never seemed to have sensitivity to noise levels, but it was not something that anyone was particularly bothered by. It had been a long time since a child had run through the halls of Chesterfield House, so Isabella tended to be spoilt rotten by the servants.

“Breakfast is ready. Shall I have Beatrice bring it here?”

“We shall have it in the kitchen, Margaret. I wish to put that lovely table gifted to us by the Collins to good use.”

“The kitchen, Missus?”

Margaret was still new and had not yet become accustomed to how things were done in the Russell home. It was not unusual for Selina and Alex to have their breakfast in the kitchen, primarily as it was the cosiest part of the house during the winter months.

“Yes, thank you. Would you take Isabella with you? We will be along shortly.”

Margaret shook herself out of her surprise and held her hand out to Isabella.

“Come along, little one. Cook might have a treat for you in the kitchen.”

“Nothing sweet, mind you,” she warned. “Isabella must have her oatmeal first.”

Her daughter pulled a face. “I do not like oatmeal, Mama.”

“Neither do I,” Alex added.

She looked at her husband. “You are not helping. You are as terrible as she is.” She turned back to her daughter. “A little oatmeal, a soft boiled egg, and then perhaps a sweet treat. Then we may discuss having a new puppy.”

At that, Isabella scrambled off her and ran to Margaret, grabbing her hand.

“Come, Margie. I want that puppy.”

Selina waited until they had left the room before chuckling.

“I imagine that she will do whatever it is that you tell her to do from now on until she gets her puppy.”

“Hmmm, we shall see about that,” she said. “Now, what are we to do about the church? The vicar came to see me yesterday about possibly having a ball to raise the capital needed to extend the building for the poor.”

“That seems like a good idea to me, but how will we convince our stingier neighbours to part with their pennies?”

Selina thought about it for a moment. It was true that the people who could afford to give much were reluctant to do so. They would supply the capital themselves if they were not already busy with completing the repairs that a freak storm had caused to the church some months back. Selina was in charge of keeping the artistic integrity of the church, while Alex was overseeing the actual repairs to the building. They had also donated money to shop owners in town who had lost their life’s earnings to the storm. They were stretched thin, but they could not refuse people in need.

“Perhaps we could auction off some of my sketches?”

Selina was now well-known for her life-like sketches over much of Europe and across the sea. Alex secretly had her sketches evaluated by art enthusiasts, but he had purposely not let them know that the artist behind the sketches was a woman. When enough fuss had been kicked up regarding her work, he had let her in on the secret, shocking her. By then, people had not seemed so opposed to having a female artist’s work in their homes, and as the sketches fetched a princely sum, they were most eager for more of her work.

“That might just work, my love. Perhaps we could add in the London townhouse – the highest bidder has use of the house whenever they find themselves in London. I know for a fact that some of our acquaintances envy us our townhouse.”

“Yes!” she agreed. “That is a grand idea, my love. We hardly ever use that house as it is.”

“Five pieces of your work and free entry to our townhouse – that should garner enough capital for the building.”

“Good, that is settled. Now, what is this about a puppy?”

The ball was in full swing. It seemed that the entire community had turned up to support their cause. Alex had thought to create a board that would show how far or close they were to their goal. Right now, they were surprisingly close to their mark, and the evening had only just begun.

“People are being wonderfully generous, my love,” she said.

Alex came up behind her and put his arms around her, laying a kiss on her head.

“That is because they all love you. You have helped them, and they wish to support you.”

“They love you too, as you very well know. Whenever you go into town, you always return with a pie from Mrs Daley, a leg of lamb from Dennis, and Damson plums from the Taylors’ fruit stall. And that is just naming a few. If the community had anything to say about it, we would never pay for food!”

“Speaking of which, Cook promised me my very own pie which I have yet to see.”

“You may not need to look any further than your own dear friend, Thomas. I saw him disappear into the kitchen earlier today and come out bearing a whole pie.”

“The rascal! Excuse me, my love. I have a pie to avenge.”

Selina couldn’t help laughing at the purpose in his stride. Alex could be a grizzly bear when it concerned his food. Thomas was in for a playful tussle.

Jane came shortly after, carrying two glasses of the Russells’ signature spiced cider.

“Oh, just what I needed, Jane. Thank you.”

“Everything is going wonderfully, Selina. You truly have a knack for throwing lovely balls.”

“I believe that if you enjoy something, it always turns out beautifully. How was the ladies tea this afternoon?”

Once a month, Selina held a ladies tea with the aim of bringing together the working class and higher class women. At first, it was not received well at all. When many of her guests realised that there were working women among them, they walked out of the tea in a hurry. The moment had been awkward and embarrassing not just for her, but the women left behind. It had taken several more attempts to finally get them together and realise that they had more in common than they ever imagined.

“Lovely, as always. The Duchess of Stanhope made an appearance, which of course made the day. It would have been wonderful if you had been there, but you were otherwise occupied. I must say that the ballroom is completely transformed. I imagine that you were the artist behind the floor?”

“Much to Alex’s chagrin. He was not impressed when he found me on my hands and knees, but I wanted to add something special to the night. Never mind the fact that it has probably been marred by our guests’ feet by now.”

“Oh well, I would say that it has been imprinted on their minds. It was indeed beautiful.”

“I am glad for that. Come, let us greet the guests. I believe that I just saw the Clarence family pull up to the house.”

“And Ophelia?”

“With Merida, Isabella, William, and Walter. When I saw her last she was reading a bedtime story to them. The twins are beautiful little boys, are they not? They are a perfect mix of both my sister and Thomas. I think that I am longing for a little boy of my own.”

Jane gave her a private look. “Have you told Alex about …”

She shook her head. “Not yet. We have been so busy with the church, Isabella and many other projects that I simply have not had the opportunity to.”

“He will likely figure it out for himself once you start showing.”

“But I hope to tell him long before that. Perhaps later this evening, once the guests have left.”

Selina rubbed her belly, excited about the new life growing within her. Falling pregnant with Isabella had been relatively quick, but she had struggled to conceive afterwards. Although she tried to hide it, Alex knew that she was disappointed. They both wanted a large family with at least five children running about. Some women had tried to be helpful by giving her ointments, foul-smelling potions and advice such as swimming in a river during the full moon, but that had been her stopping point. Now she was several weeks along and waiting for the perfect time to let Alex know. She linked arms with Jane and headed off to greet their guests.

Alex was happier than he could have ever put into words. He had a beautiful wife whom he loved with his entire being, a beautiful daughter who brought him nothing but joy, and an extended family of staff that were devoted to his little family. There was only one thing that took away from a perfectly happy existence. Alex knew his wife well, that was why he could tell that something had been bothering her for the past three years, but every time he wished to bring it up, she would change the subject. He had a gut feeling that he knew what was weighing on her mind.

“And now that Ophelia is pregnant once again with her third child, she is likely to feel some type of way about it.”

There was no doubt in his mind that she was happy for her sister, but Isabella was now five years old, and yet they still did not have a second child. Alex was content with the family that he had. It would not bother him if they never had another child. He only wished that he could say that to Selina without upsetting her.

“I want her to be happy, but how do I put her mind at ease concerning our lack of a second child?”

He did not need a male heir because Isabella would inherit everything. He would never allow anyone to exclude his daughter due to her gender. Alex wanted to give his daughter every freedom that she deserved and instil values within her that would make her a strong and courageous woman just like her mother. As it were, his daughter loved playing cricket with the staff children and was good at it. If she wished to take up archery or tennis, he would encourage her to do so. Selina was giving her an excellent education in social etiquette, and he encouraged her love of the outdoors. It was not that he wished his daughter to stick out like a sore thumb, but he would not allow her wings to be clipped by society.

Thomas came into view carrying one of his twins. Alex was still struggling to tell them apart.

“I heard that you were looking for me. If it is about the pie, I regret nothing.”

“I want pie, Papa,” the little boy said.

“No, William. I promised your Mama that I would not give you anything to eat but a warm glass of milk.”

“Pie, Papa,” William insisted.

Thomas rolled his eyes. “Isabella must be a little angel compared to this little rascal. His brother is quieter, but they are both equally mischievous.”

The twins were only a year younger than Isabella, but his daughter commanded them like a well-seasoned general. She gets that from her mother. Not for the first time, Alex wondered what it would be like to have a son. He felt guilty about it, but he couldn’t help it. Watching Thomas play rough and tumble with his sons made him yearn for a similar experience. Isabella was his angel, a delicate flower that he would never handle so roughly. She may be more robust than she looked, but he couldn’t imagine tossing her about like a sack of potatoes or wrestling with her.

“Do not be fooled by that sweet angelic face. My daughter can be an absolute terror when she wishes to be. As it is, I am on dog duty.”

“Dog duty? Would you care to explain that?”

“I may have convinced Selina to agree to a new puppy for Isabella, but it comes at a cost.”

“Oh, I see now. You have to take care of the new puppy? That would explain the ball of fluff I saw in the nursery.”

Alex nodded. “Isabella insists that he sleep in there with her. The only problem is that I have to see to the brown piles he leaves about the house.”

Thomas pulled his face. “Our dogs sleep outside where they belong. The boys understand that they are not allowed in the house. Our housekeeper is highly allergic to dog fur. Cat fur for that matter.”

His friend looked over his shoulder, seemingly recognising someone. Alex turned around in time to see one of their business partners disappear into the ballroom.

“Would you take William? I need to speak to Mr Clarkson about a business matter. It has been hell trying to speak with him.”

Thomas placed a dozing William into his hands and took off before Alex could object. He held the boy awkwardly at first, as he was a good deal heavier than Isabella.

“Pie,” William mumbled against his shoulder.

Even while falling asleep, the boy was still insisting on pie! Alex found it amusing, but he did not wish to invite Ophelia’s ire upon his head, especially as she was heavily pregnant. There was something scary about a pregnant woman’s anger.

“Let’s get you some milk first, then we can think about the pie, all right?”

William nodded, putting his thumb into his mouth. As he walked to the kitchen, Alex wondered once again what it would be like to have a son.

Selina witnessed the tender way Alex carried William to the kitchen. She had not made herself known as she had not been able to speak. He had looked so comfortable carrying the sleeping little boy, and for just a moment, she had seen the need in his eyes. She rubbed her belly, uttering a small prayer.

“I hope that you are the son he desires, little one. Your Papa will still love you with all his strength if you are a girl, but he cannot but wish for a boy.”

Isabella was his pride and joy, no one could deny that, and she would always hold a special place in his heart as his first-born. However, there were certain things that Alex could only do with a son, and she fully understood that. Her father had never been the physical type to partake in outdoor activities and enjoy nature beyond an aesthetic need, so having two daughters instead of sons had never bothered him. However, Alex was an outdoorsman who preferred to be with his animals than cooped up in a house. While Isabella had her own way with animals, Alex was loathe to treat her as he would a boy. She was his perfect flower, the apple of his eye.

“However, be you a girl or a boy, we will shower you with all the love that we have for you. You will never want for anything, and we will protect you from the ills of this world.”

Selina continued to her parlour where all her artwork lay ready to be auctioned. First the ball and then her happy news. When she first realised that she was with child, Alex had been away on business, and then all of their projects had taken up much of their time. They had hardly spent any time together in the last couple of weeks, but as it was for a good cause, she did not begrudge it. But once the ball was over, life would get back to the same regular pace, and she would have Alex all to herself. With that happy thought in mind, she picked up the four covered canvases and headed for the ballroom.

Selina, Alex, Ophelia, Thomas, Jane and her husband Laurence, all sat outside, watching the sun come up. The ball had been a success, raising more than they initially thought. Not only was the building project paid for, but there was enough to feed the poor for the next several months.

“Oooh,” Ophelia complained. “This baby is kicking up a fuss. Thomas, be a dear and lift me up. I do think that I am stuck to this chair. I blame it on the baby.”

“Of course, it has nothing to do with Cook’s biscuits,” Thomas lovingly said.

“I take offence at that! Are you telling me that I eat too many biscuits?”

“No dear, I would never do such a thing. Would you like me to get you some hot cocoa and biscuits once we get inside?”

“Would you? It has been a good while since my last meal.”

Thomas helped her up, holding onto her hand once she was on both her feet.

“Well,” she began. “I wish you all a good night or morning, whichever is most appropriate. Thomas, would you be a dear and grab my shawl? I am suddenly too warm to wear it.”

“But it is quite cold, my darling.”

“Then you wear it for I shall not.”

The two walked away, Ophelia more so waddling as the weight of her pregnancy hindered her. Thomas had his hand on her back, watching her like a hawk. He truly was an overprotective husband, and Ophelia clearly loved it. They chuckled amongst themselves as soon as they were out of earshot.

“You would swear that they have been married for twice as many years,” Jane commented. “But they are perfect for each other.”

“Just as you are for me,” said Laurence. “I think that we should take a page out of their book and be off to bed. It has been a long night.”

“Yes, I believe that my bed is calling to me. Selina, Alex, will you be going back as well?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I wish to sit out here for a little longer. Alex?”

“I stay wherever my wife stays,” he answered.

“Can we all agree that we will have a late morning?” Laurence asked. “I could not bear to wake up at my normal hour.”

“I second that,” Alex added.

“Very well, a late morning it is. I will have Cook prepare a late breakfast, possibly a lunch judging by when we all will eventually wake up. I will arrange for Ellen to keep the children occupied.”

“Perfect,” said Jane.

The couple disappeared hand-in-hand into the house. Jane and Laurence had only been married for several months now, but he had quickly settled into life at Chesterfield House. Jane had finally found the man of her dreams, and Selina couldn’t be any happier for her than she already was.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Alex asked.

“I am merely thinking about Jane. I am so happy that she has found the perfect man in Laurence. It was an excellent idea for you to invite him last year at Christmas.”

“Yes. It was purely by chance that I bumped into him when I did. He is one of the only relatives that I know, and he had also just lost his parents, so it was natural to invite him.”

“Who would have known that he would fall for Jane so quickly? It took her some time to trust him, but now that they are married, I see a spark in her eyes that I had not seen for quite some time.”

“The spark that has gone out of your eyes?” he asked quietly.

Selina stilled. “What do you mean by that?”

“Only that I have noticed that you are not as happy as you used to be.”

“Do not ever think that Alex. Both you and Isabella have made me the happiest woman in the world. What more can I ask for?”

“Come here,” he ordered, drawing her out of the chair and placing her on his lap. “I want to make sure that you do not go stomping off once I have said what I have to say.”

Selina did not know whether to relax in his arms or remain stiff. A part of her was worried about what he had to say. But if I tell him my news first, he may just forget about whatever he has to say.

“Alex, I have something to tell you.”

“May I have a chance to speak first? You will have an opportunity as well once I am done.”

“But–”

“My love, let me speak.”

She sighed, nodding her head.

“Thank you. I am your husband – there will not be another person who will love you the way that I do or understand you as I do. Selina, you have brought light into my life, first by agreeing to be my wife, and second by giving me our precious daughter. I have woken up every day thankful for these blessings in my life, never taking one moment for granted. When I asked you to marry me, I promised you that I would make you the happiest woman.”

“Which you have done,” she said.

“But I have not done it very well if there is an ounce of sadness in your life. I know that you have wished for another baby for these past three years, but I want to tell you that I am perfectly content with the family that we have now. You and Isabella are all the family that I need, believe me when I say this.”

He raised his hand and glided his thumb across her cheek, coming away with tears. It was only then that she realised that she was crying. Her heart felt like it would burst with all the love that she felt for him. He was being sincere; she could see it in his eyes. Suddenly, all of her guilt and sadness of not being able to conceive in all these years past fell away. Alex cupped her cheeks, staring intensely into her eyes.

“There is my Selina. Welcome back, my love.”

This made her cry all the harder as he kissed her tears away, muttering sweet nothings to her. He finally took her in his arms and held her, tenderly stroking her hair. They stayed like this for quite some time, saying nothing but watching the sun climb the sky. This is the right moment to tell him that I am with child. She pulled away from him, but he pulled her back. Laughing, she tried again.

“Let me sit up, Alex. I have something important to tell you.”

“Can I not hold my wife for a few moments longer? It has been a long while since we have done this.”

“I know, but this news cannot wait. You did say that I would have my opportunity to speak once you were done.”

He sighed. “Yes, all right. What is it that you have to tell me? Be quick about it because I intend to hold you for a good while longer.”

She took a deep breath, expelling it slowly. “Do we still have our rhubarb patch in the garden?”

He frowned. “Is this what you wished to tell me?”

“Answer the question, my love.”

“Yes, I believe so. But you do not like rhubarb! I cannot imagine why you would ask me such a thing. The only time that you consumed large quantities of rhubarb was when you were with child.”

She looked at him meaningfully and nodded her head. It took him a few seconds to realise what she was trying to tell him.

“Do you mean to tell me that you’re ….” He looked down at her belly and then up again. “Are you?”

Selina smiled, answering him by taking his hand and splaying it against her belly. Alex stared at his hand in wonder, hardly uttering a sound. Selina found that she couldn’t take the suspense anymore.

“Alex? Are you happy?”

He looked up at her. “Happy is not the word that I would use. It sounds too simple for the emotions that are within me at this present moment. I am to be a father once again?”

“Yes, my love.”

Selina was shocked when she saw tears run down his face. He buried his face in her chest, holding her close as he silently cried. It was her turn to stroke his hair, her other arm holding him close. When he lifted his head, he looked at her, unashamedly overcome by emotions.

“Do you know how much I love you?” he asked.

“Of course I do. You show me your love in many ways – how can I not know?”

He shook his head. “I do not think that you do, for I did not understand the depth of my love until this moment. You are the perfect mother, wife, and woman. Believe me when I said that you and Isabella were enough for me, but news of this little one has filled me with so much joy that I might just climb the roof and shout it to the heavens.”

“Please, do not do such a thing!”

He laughed. “There are only two other times that I have felt like this: the day I made you my wife and the day I held Isabella in my arms for the first time. A man cannot ask for any more than this.”

Selina kissed his brow and held him close to her. This was all that she needed.

Seven and a half months later, Charles Robert Russell was born, followed by Emma Charlotte Russell precisely two minutes later. Exhausted, Selina lay in bed watching her husband carry the twins. For such a big strong man, he truly was gentle with the now sleeping babies. She caught his eye, mesmerised by all the love that shone out of them. Thank you, he mouthed. Selina nodded her head, smiling at him. To think that I contemplated becoming a spinster! I am relieved that he pursued me with purpose. I will live the rest of my days making sure that he knows how thankful I am that he made me his. He certainly was her perfect suitor.

THE END

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