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The house was in a flurry of activity. Maids were dusting every surface and polishing every candlestick, footmen were running back and forth down the halls setting everything up, and kitchen staff were hurrying from the kitchen out to the back of the manor house, unloading crates of food and champagne. From the kitchen, delicious scents were wafting up and through the house, making Lisette’s mouth water. Cook was trying out several new recipes for tomorrow night’s ball, and they were activating all of Lisette’s cravings.
It did not help that she was three months pregnant with her second child, and her cravings had become out of control. She was insatiable these days. Marcus had spent the last week hopping out of bed in the middle of the night to pad down to the kitchen and bring her scraps of leftovers to eat.
“You can send for a servant to bring these,” she had told him, after the third night of his doing this. “I feel guilty making you get up with me just because I am famished.”
“Nonsense,” he had said, as he spooned honey onto a slice of bread and fed it to her in bed, silver moonlight streaming in through the curtains of their four-poster bed. “I want to do this for you. It is the least I can do when you are carrying my son and heir.”
“We do not know it is a boy,” she had said, giggling.
“But that is what my grandmother thinks, and she has seen enough children be born to know. She was right about Catherine and Alexander!”
That was true. The dowager had correctly predicted that Lisette and Marcus’s first child, Catherine, would be a girl and that Rosamund and Christopher’s firstborn would be a boy. Rosamund had christened him Alexander, to everyone’s delight.
“She does have a remarkable knack for getting it right,” Lisette had been forced to concede.
Lisette did hope it would be a boy. Catherine was the greatest joy of her life. She was the sweetest little child, with the mildest disposition, red cheeks that were so fun to pinch, and golden ringlets that framed her round, cheerful face. But now, Lisette was curious to know what it would be like to have a son. She suspected he would be slightly more rambunctious, although it was possible he would be as sweet and easy as Catherine.
“Not if he is anything like I was as a boy,” Marcus had said when she’d voiced this to him. “I was a hell-raiser.”
Part of why the dowager believed Lisette was carrying a boy was because of her enormous appetite, which the dowager said was a sure predictor. But as Lisette walked through the entrance hall of Clairmont Manor, she had to put thoughts of food aside. Everyone would be arriving tomorrow, and there was still so much to do to prepare for the ball.
As she reached the doorway, Marcus appeared in it, holding a wooden croquet mallet.
“Ahh, there you are,” he said, taking her hand. “Everyone is looking for you. We are having tea and lemonade on the front lawn and teaching the children croquet.”
“I cannot play croquet right now,” Lisette said, laughing at the excited look on her husband’s face. “The ball is tomorrow, in case you have forgotten!”
“And you have worked very hard,” Marcus said, his eyes glittering. “You deserve a break. Come, your family awaits you.”
And before she could object again, he was leading her out of the manor house and down across the lawn to where a white pavilion had been erected.
Underneath, the entire family was gathered. The dowager duchess was sitting in her rocking chair, eyes closed, probably enjoying a well-deserved nap. At a table next to her, her daughter-in-law was playing cards with Cynthia, Mr Knoor, and Rosamund. Bella and her husband, who had made the long journey from Paris, were sitting together enjoying glasses of lemonade, while out on the lawn, all the children were being directed by Rosamund, Sophie, and Alexandra, who, as the eldest of the cousins, took her role as ringleader very seriously.
She was trying to teach little Catherine how to hold a croquet mallet. But since Catherine was only two years old, this was proving difficult. Alexander, who was a year older than Catherine, was having an easier time of it, as were Cynthia and Mr Knoor’s two sons, Robert and William.
“I found her!” Marcus called out as they neared the pavilion, and everyone turned and waved at Lisette, who smiled and waved back. It felt so good to have the entire family assembled for once. Seeing them all together like this, she wished they would never leave.
Of course, though, Cynthia and Mr Knorr would return to London after the ball, as Cynthia could not bear to be away from all the charms and delights of the city. And while Bella and her family would be here another week, they would soon have to return to Paris.
Rosamund and Christopher, at least, would be staying for some time. They had been travelling the world extensively for the past few years, having started in the East Indies, but had finally decided to settle down in England for a while. They were staying with Marcus and Lisette while Christopher’s townhouse was being prepared for them to move in. They had been gone for so long that it was taking time to hire servants and reopen the house.
“Mama, Mama, come play with me!” Charlotte cried as soon as she saw her mother, and she began to run across the grass towards Lisette. Halfway there, she tripped and fell, and Lisette hurried forward. Thankfully, Catherine was not bothered by a little fall, and she was smiling broadly as Lisette scooped her up into her arms.
“Are you learning croquet?” Lisette asked, hugging her daughter close.
“Yes!” Catherine said excitedly. “Cousin Alexandra is teaching me to use a mallet!”
“She is not very good,” Alexandra complained. She was now seven and could be very bossy.
“She is two,” Marcus said, ruffling the top of his niece’s hair. “What did you expect?”
“I wish there was someone my age,” Alexandra grumbled.
“I know, darling,” Marcus said. “But how about if I play with you? I promise you, I am better than the two-year-old.”
Alexandra shrieked with laughter. “Oh, yes, please, Uncle Marcus!” she cried. “Play croquet with me!”
“Very well. But I promise, I shall make it very hard.”
“You will not beat me,” Alexandra declared, making Marcus laugh. “I am very good.”
As Alexandra and Marcus began their game, Lisette carried Catherine over to the card table. A footman pulled up a chair for her, and she sat down next to Bella, Catherine in her lap.
“I am glad you are joining us,” Bella said, smiling at her. “You have been working yourself too hard with this ball.”
“Well, the Clairmont Country Ball has become somewhat of a buzzed-about event in the last few years,” Lisette said, shaking her head. “I believe that the notoriousness of our marriage has something to do with that. Even after all these years, it seems as if the entire ton comes all the way from London to see the earl’s daughter, who disguised herself as a servant and had her stepmother and fiancé arrested for murder.”
“It is rather exciting, when you put it like that,” Cynthia said with a wink.
“I am just glad that is all behind us,” Lisette said with a sigh. “It is exciting on paper, perhaps, or when others are gossiping about it. But living it, I assure you, is much worse.”
“Whatever has become of your stepmother and Mr Darwin?” her mother-in-law asked. “They are still behind bars, I trust?”
“Oh, yes,” Lisette said at once. “I am regularly in touch with the magistrate of the Bow Street Runners, as he knows I want to be kept apprised of any developments. They are safely locked away from society, and we can rest easy.”
“That is good,” her mother-in-law murmured.
“Speaking of old enemies, though …” Rosamund said, and her eyes twinkled as she looked at Lisette. “I have heard news of Lady Helena Starling.”
“My goodness, Lady Helena!” Lisette was surprised to hear that name. She had not thought about the woman who had tried to steal Marcus away from her–and who had nearly got her trapped in a marriage to Alistair–in years. She did not like to think of her. While she was no longer angry about what she had done, it could have had disastrous consequences, and Lisette wanted her as far away from her family as possible.
“Apparently, she has married a Russian nobleman,” Rosamund said. “I saw it in the papers the other day.”
“A Russian nobleman!” Cynthia frowned. “Good. Hopefully, that means she is as far away from us as possible.” Unlike Lisette, Cynthia was still angry about Lady Helena’s role in Lisette’s kidnapping.
“Yes, they have gone to Russia together,” Rosamund said. “I did some asking around, and apparently, the man is a widower and quite wealthy. So, he has taken Lady Helena far away. From the reports I heard, she is happy now. She may even regret the part she played in all of this.”
“She may,” Lisette agreed. “But in the end, I cannot be sorry for any of it. It led me to where I am now, married to the man I love and blessed with two children–one on the way, of course.”
“Mama, what are you talking about?” Catherine asked at that moment, and all the adults around the table looked at each other in alarm.
“I was just saying how lucky I am to have you,” Lisette said, kissing the top of her daughter’s head. “And that I would not have it any other way.”
She was dealt into the next round of cards, and soon, she was no longer thinking about Lady Helena, Beatrice, Alistair, or the past. The present was where she preferred to be, and for the next few hours, she let herself immerse herself in the joy of being with her family.
Soon, the afternoon was drawing to a close, and it was time to start preparing for supper. The nannies came down and took the children upstairs to get washed, and the adults made their way slowly across the lawn and back up towards the house.
Lisette and Marcus hung back, behind the rest of them, walking together arm-in-arm and enjoying a few rare private moments together.
“I love having the family here, but it does mean getting less time alone with you,” Marcus said to her, as if reading her thoughts. He drew her closer and smiled down at her, his eyes soft and full of tenderness. “Maybe it will not be so bad when they are gone.”
“Do not lie,” she teased. “You love having the house full of people. It reminds you of how things were when you were a child.”
“That is true,” he conceded. “I am glad our children will also grow up in a big, bustling house full of cousins and friends. I only wish …”
He hesitated, and she knew what he was going to say.
“I know,” she said, slowing to a halt and taking his hand. “I wish your brother were here, too.”
“He would love you so much,” Marcus murmured, gazing down at her. “And it pains me to see Alexandra without a father.”
“You are a father figure to her,” Lisette insisted. “She loves and admires you more than anyone.”
“I am glad she and Sophie came to stay at the house,” he said. “And with Sophie helping with the estate, I can spend more time with both Alexandra and Catherine.” As it turned out, his sister-in-law’s knack for numbers had proven very useful. As a former schoolteacher, she did not like to be idle, and she had been helping Marcus run the estate for the last few years. Under her direction, everything was running more smoothly than ever.
“We have everything we have ever wanted,” Lisette murmured, and she stood up on her toes and brushed her lips across her husband’s. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer into a deeper kiss.
“You are everything I ever wanted,” he whispered. “Our life is my dream come true.”
And he kissed her again, as passionately as the day they were married, while the sun set behind them over the beautiful, sloping lawns of Clairmont Manor.
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!
Hello, my dear readers! I hope you truly enjoyed this heartwarming romance! I would love to know your thoughts on it! Had you imagined a different conclusion for our couple’s love story? I am eagerly waiting to read your comments here! Thank you – always! ♥️💫
I enjoyed Marcus and Lissette lovd story do much. I lkvdd the lack of class distjvtions on Marcus’ part. And I loved her bravery kn saving her self. Another excellent book.
Thank you so much! I’m delighted you enjoyed Marcus and Lissette’s story—their love and her bravery mean a lot to me too.
I throughly enjoyed the story of how a Lady can stand up for themselves. The lies that were told out of desperation to save oneself really brought home the idea that others should always be willing to help those in need.
Thank you! I’m happy the themes of strength and compassion came through for you.
I absolutely loved this book. There was so much happening I never wanted to stop reading. I also loved the Extended Epilogue with all the family being together.
Thank you so much! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story and especially the Extended Epilogue—it makes me so happy to know it resonated with you
Yes, another good story with strong lead characters. I liked Marcus and his stance on privilege versus not privileged class. People don’t change much, even today, people don’t seem to like it if you are upper class! A kind of inverted snobbery! I don’t pretend to understand it.
Thank you! I’m so glad the characters—and Marcus’s perspective—resonated with you. It’s so true that those class tensions still linger today! 💖