“Say that you will marry me, Lady Beatrice,” he said, softly, looking deeply into her eyes and knowing that she was the only thing he wanted, the only thing he would need in his life from this day onwards. “I once thought ill of you, thought that you would not be the wife I required, and yet I have come to see that you are not only what I need but what I long for.” He took a step closer, his hands loosening from hers and running gently up her arms, reaching her shoulders and then spilling down her back to her waist. She was so soft, so gentle, so filled with beauty in both face and spirit that Frederick felt as though he was in the presence of an angel. “I believe I have come to love you, Lady Beatrice, and I want to spend the rest of my days alongside you.”
The smile on her face gave him her answer before she spoke. The way she pressed her hands lightly against his heart, the warm tenderness in her eyes and the happiness in her smile told him all that he needed to know – and his own heart exploded with joy.
“I love you also, Lord Greaves,” Lady Beatrice told him, looking up into his face. “I thought that I was lost to rumor and gossip, only to find the one gentleman in all of London who gave no time to such things!” Laughing softly, she smiled up into his eyes. “I do not think I shall be a part of the Spinsters Guild any longer.”
“It shall be entirely dissolved,” he answered, with a quick smile. “Lady Smithton and Lord Havinsham will be wed and so, it seems now shall you.”
Again, that beautiful smile warmed his heart. “With all the time we have spent together, I have found my heart lost to you, Lord Greaves. I have longed for this situation to be brought to an end so that I might tell you the truth of what I feel, although I am sorry that it has been so painful for you.”
Leaning down, Frederick kissed her gently, aware of just how much his joy overflowed, over just how his whole being yearned for her. “You are the balm to my wounds,” he whispered, pulling her close. “You are all I need, Lady Beatrice, from this day forward until the very last of my days.”
Epilogue
Lady Emily Smithton drew in a long breath, smoothing her hands down her gown as she looked up at the church. She had never thought such a day would come but now that it was here, she felt happier than she had ever expected.
“Lady Smithton!”
Her breath caught as four ladies hurried out from the church towards her, their faces bright with happiness. She took them all in, not moving forward but rather watching them approach her, looking from one to the next and finding her own joy growing steadily. There was Lady Emma Morton, Lady Sarah Ruddington, Lady Amelia Montague and finally, the newly married Lady Beatrice Greaves. They had all been a part of ‘The Spinsters Guild’ but now they were spinsters no longer. Happily married and each deeply in love with their husbands, Emily felt her heart soar to the skies with sheer contentment.
“Lady Smithton!” Lady Greaves called, her eyes filled with warmth. “You look quite beautiful.”
She smiled and took Lady Greaves’ hands. “I thank you,” she said, her throat clogging with emotion as she smiled at each of her friends. “This is truly a wonderful day and I am all so glad that you can each be here.”
Lady Morton laughed and embraced her. “We would not be here if it were not for you,” she told her, smiling at Emily. “Without your help, we might now be in disastrous situations without any sort of friendship between us at all.” Her eyes warmed as she looked around the group. “We have all struggled with great difficulties but you have guided each one of us through them.”
“I do not think I did a very great deal,” Emily answered, smiling a little ruefully. “But now that I see you here with me on this most joyous of days, I am truly glad for you all.” Her heart was filled with such happiness that it was difficult for her to find the words to express all that she felt. “And now, it seems it is to be my turn!”
The ladies all laughed and smiled as one as they walked together towards the church, surrounding Emily with their happiness. Walking through the church doors, Emily felt her breath catch, realizing that this was the first moment in her new life. She was about to step into the church, make her vows and promise the rest of her life to a gentleman she loved with all of her heart.
“Lord Havisham is waiting for you,” Lady Ruddington murmured, as Emily smoothed her gown for one final time. “We are all so very happy for you, Lady Smithton. He has proven himself to you and it is obvious to all that he loves you desperately.”
“He does, yes,” Emily agreed, softly, recalling just how much Lord Havisham had given to her. Time and again, he had done what he did not wish to, had offered his help when he had not needed to and had proven his loyalty to her in almost everything that he did. The day he had told her he loved had made her heart cry aloud for joy, knowing that she too held a love for him that could not be denied. This felt like the right thing to do, the right path for her to take, and now she could hardly wait to make her vows and become Lord Havisham’s wife.
“And ‘The Spinsters Guild’ is no more,” Lady Montague said, happily, as they took their places behind Emily. “Thank you, Lady Smithton, for all you have done.” Her hand touched Emily’s shoulder. “We are all so grateful to be a part of this wonderful day.”
Emily turned her head and took them all in one more time. She smiled gently, her heart pounding with a furious joy that spread all through her. “I thank you,” she said, looking at each one in turn. “I thank you for being here with me today. I thank you for your friendship and your kindness. To be here, surrounded by my friends and marrying the man I love is the happiest day of my life.”
Taking in a deep breath, she nodded to the two footmen standing on either side of the doors, her eyes fixed straight ahead as they pulled the doors open wide, revealing the church and the congregation. She walked in with swift, sure steps, her gaze lifting to Lord Havisham’s face and seeing the love that was held in his eyes as he smiled at her. He reached out and she took his hand, feeling how he pressed her fingers and feeling her heart quicken with anticipation and excitement.
“I love you, Havisham,” she whispered, unable to keep those words from her lips as they turned towards the front of the church, ready to make their vows. “Truly, I do.”
His fingers squeezed hers again, his eyes fixed tight to hers, holding an intensity of affection that burned in his gaze. “As I love you,” he replied, his expression of tenderness filling her heart completely. “I have longed for this day and now to have you standing by my side is to see my hope fulfilled, my life complete and my heart filled with joy.”
There was no more time to say anything more, for the congregation was asked to stand as the vicar began to speak. Still holding Lord Havisham’s hand, she turned to face him, feeling overwhelmed with joy as they looked into each other’s eyes, ready to make their vows. Vows that would tie her to Lord Havisham for the rest of her days, vows that would make her promise before God to love and honor him until they were irrevocably parted. Vows that she wanted to make, knowing that he returned her love and that, in giving him her promise, she had nothing to fear with only joy and happiness awaiting them in their future – a future she could hardly wait to begin.
I hope you enjoyed the final book of the Spinsters Guild series. I loved seeing everyone find the love of their life!
Please check out my latest Christmas story, A Family for Christmas, where Anna overcomes a great deal of hardship but eventually finds her match! Read on for a sneak peak of Anna’s story.
My Dear Reader
Thank you for reading and supporting my books! I hope this story brought you some escape from the real world into the always captivating Regency world. A good story, especially one with a happy ending, just brightens your day and makes you feel good! If you enjoyed the book, would you leave a review on Amazon? Reviews are always appreciated.
Below is a complete list of all my books! Why not click and see if one of them can keep you entertained for a few hours?
The Duke’s Daughters Series
A Rogue for a Lady
My Restless Earl
Rescued by an Earl
In the Arms of an Earl
The Reluctant Marquess (Prequel)
A Smithfield Market Regency Romance
The Smithfield Market Romances: A Sweet Regency Romance Boxset
The Rogue’s Flower
Saved by the Scoundrel
Mending the Duke
The Baron’s Malady
The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square
The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square: A Regency Romance Boxset
The Waiting Bride
The Long Return
The Duke’s Saving Grace
A New Home for the Duke
The Spinsters Guild
A New Beginning
The Disgraced Bride
A Gentleman’s Revenge
A Foolish Wager
Mistletoe Magic: A Regency Romance
Home for Christmas Series Page
A Family for Christmas
Love and Christmas Wishes: Three Regency Romance Novellas
Collections with other Regency Authors
Love, One Regency Spring
Love a Lord in Summer
Please continue on to the next page for a preview of the first book in The Spinsters Guild series, A New Beginning! If you have already read A New Beginning, please try The Returned Lords of Grosvenor Square: A Regency Romance Boxset. It will keep you entertained for hours!
Happy Reading!
All my love,
A Sneak Peak of A Family for Christmas
Chapter One
It seemed strange, on such a somber occasion as a funeral, that there were boughs of holly, hundreds of candles and garlands of evergreens decorating the church ready for the service to commemorate the beginning of Advent that was due to take place the next day. Anna Campbell looked at the coffin set upon trestles at the altar. It contained the mortal remains of her father, Colin Campbell. The casket was the best she could afford—and had been the cheapest the carpenter could offer. Anna ran a hand over the rough, unvarnished wood and wondered if she would miss him at all.
The vicar’s words echoed around the empty church as he performed the final blessing and said a solemn prayer commending Pa to God’s mercy. He gave Anna a rueful smile, then nodded to the men hovering at the very back of the church to come and fetch the coffin to take it to the gravesite. They were clad in dark clothes, their boots and breeches covered with mud. They had swarthy complexions from working outside in all weathers. Their expressions were solemn and inscrutable. She could only assume that they were the gravediggers and that the vicar had paid them a few coppers more to come and carry Pa to the gravesite as she had nobody who might do it for her. She nodded to them politely, and they gave her a respectful half-bow, then another to the casket, before they picked it up and began to walk steadily down the aisle.
Anna followed them, the vicar walking just ahead of them all as they carried her father’s body towards the doors of the church. The pews were all empty. There was not a soul present to witness Pa’s passing or to offer Anna their love and support. It did not surprise Anna that not even one of the more dedicated members of the congregation had come, as they often would for even a stranger that was to be buried. Pa had made too many enemies in his life for anyone to mourn him, much less offer him respect, and she hadn’t known if there was anyone she should have told that he had finally succumbed to the evils his whoring, drinking, and gambling had put upon his body. She doubted that even she would miss him.
There was an aunt somewhere. Anna’s mother’s sister. There had been no contact between them since long before Anna had been born, so she doubted that even they, her only family now, would have wanted to come and pay their respects. Pa had always grumbled that Mama’s high-and-mighty sister had never thought Pa good enough—it had always been clear that there was little love lost between them. All Anna knew of Aunt Hannah was her mother’s stories of their childhood and the moments when it was clear just how much she missed her sister after Hannah had upped and left home to marry a man who lived in some grand city somewhere. It might have been London, or Liverpool, York, or even Edinburgh. It had never been spoken of, and Anna had been too young to remember the details—Ma had died when Anna was barely five years old, and all she had been left with was an idea that someday she might seek out her aunt so that she could get away from her miserable life with Pa.
The silent quartet made their way out of the church. The weather was mild but damp, making everything smell just a little earthy. The churchyard was sheltered by trees and filled with extravagant monuments to the much-beloved dead. Anna admired the beauty of some of the carvings and sculptures that adorned the graves of the wealthy, buried as close to the church as they could be. She noted the way the extravagance of the closest graves gave way to simple headstones and unadorned crosses as they moved further away from the hallowed vaults of the imposing village church. But they kept on walking. Anna could not afford even as much as had been provided by these families of more modest means. Pa would be buried in a quiet corner, along with many other men who died penniless in recent weeks, with no grave marker of any kind. He would be forgotten by the world.
With a grimace, she thought about the debts her father had left behind. Some she would be able to forget, as they were many years old and it would be unlikely that she would ever see those of her father’s creditors again. Many would simply acknowledge that her father could no longer pay and so would consider the debts null and void. But there were too many that would expect her to make good on them, despite knowing she hadn’t a sous to her name. Anna had no idea how she would ever make payment of such vast sums, and she feared that she would be followed wherever she might go by some very unsavory characters.
The gravediggers made their way through the churchyard to a boggy corner that was the furthest from the church that was possible and lowered the coffin into the gaping hole in the ground. Inside the hole, Anna could see a number of other rough coffins and even a couple of bodies wrapped in nothing more than a sheet of rough cloth. It made her sad to think that so many men and women ended their days in such a manner, cheek by jowl with people they had not even known. She wondered briefly if like Pa, they deserved such an ignominious end, or if they had been the unfortunate victims of poverty and sickness. She could only hope that what the bible taught was true, that man’s earthly remains mattered little—that it was the soul that God cared about. Even for Pa, she prayed that he had done enough good in his life, somewhere, and had repented of his many sins so he might be permitted to enter heaven’s gates.
The vicar sprinkled holy water over the grave, said a brief prayer of committal, and it was over. The gravediggers began to shovel the earth piled up beside the grave back into the hole, and the vicar made his way back inside the church—once Anna had handed him a small purse with all the coin she had left in the world. She’d had to sell Pa’s wagon and everything in it just to give him this meager funeral. Even men of God needed to be paid their share.
Anna stood at the graveside and watched until the last shovelful of earth was back where it had come from and the gravediggers had moved away. “You got what you deserved,” she said bitterly, remembering the beatings she’d gotten over the years. Pa had always been handy with his fists when in his cups, and he had been a sore loser. Anna had always been to blame for everything that had gone wrong in Pa’s life, from saddling him with her very presence, to the times when a horse trade fell through because she’d fallen off the half-wild mounts he insisted on selling before they were ready. “But you were all I had, and so I am glad I have done right by you. Rest easy in your grave, Pa.”
She walked away, her head held high. Anna had learned early that she needed to hide her feelings and to pretend to be that which she was not. Pa made her play so many roles as part of his many schemes and she’d learned young how to mimic th
ose around her. Now, perhaps those skills would help her to move on and to find a better life. Anna knew that she could speak more eloquently than most of her kind, and she moved with grace. She was sure that she would be able to find a position in a fine house somewhere – even if she had to start at the bottom as a scullery maid or kitchen hand. Anna knew how to work hard – even if Pa never had.
She made her way back to the grand porch of the church and picked up the old carpetbag she had left there. Inside its battered, capacious exterior was everything Anna possessed. A tattered gown and clean undergarments, an old necklace Pa swore had belonged to her mother and a book of poetry she’d found in amongst her mother’s old things some years earlier. Anna could barely read them, though she tried hard to do so. She could vaguely remember her mother reading them to her, but the recollection was so hazy and vague Anna often wondered if she’d simply imagined it.
Anna felt that she had known no other life than the one she had shared with Pa, though she knew that things had been very different whilst her mother had been alive. In her memories, Ma was always so much more refined than Pa, she had interests and skills that he had grown to be envious of, sparking his temper and spite. Anna often wondered how differently her life might have been had Ma lived longer. Perhaps she’d be able to read and write, have taken up a place in service and be respectable.
Instead, a life of trading in half-wild horses, card-sharping, and moving from town to town before anyone could catch Pa and demand he repay them had not given Anna many usable skills, other than the ability to act to deceive. She did not wish to continue in the vein that he had followed. His passing was her chance to make a new life, one where she could do good rather than harm. Yet there were few employers that would take on an unskilled, uneducated, and penniless woman such as herself. She’d probably end up having to throw herself on the mercy of the parish, though she vowed to do all she could to avoid such an outcome.
A Lord Undone: The Spinsters Guild (Book 5) Page 16
