by Fanny Finch
Lavinia had found herself pregnant only one month after her wedding with her wonderful husband, and every time she thought about having Myles’ baby, she felt she had to sit down to restrain her excitement. Her happiness was beyond anything she had imagined until now, and she couldn’t wait for that wonderful day when she would hold her firstborn child in her arms.
But today was also a wonderful day. For her dear friend Anna. Today Lavinia was returning the favor Anna had done her a few months ago and was helping her prepare for her own wedding. The same ceremony would be performed and the same procession would happen, but this time Anna and Jasper Federline would be the center of attention.
Anna was absolutely ecstatic and Lavinia couldn’t be happier for her lovely friend.
For months now, Lavinia had watched as Anna and Jasper grew closer and closer as time went on and they seemed to be nothing more than perfect for each other. Other than herself and Myles, of course, she thought, a smiling playing on her lips.
Jasper’s eyes were rapidly declining, and by the time the day of their wedding had arrived, he needed help in order not run into things when out in public. Anna had been spending most of her time learning how to help him. She had to make sure she knew everything she needed to watch for and how to care for him the best she could until their wedding.
Jasper Federline was truly a good man and Lavinia was very happy for the couple.
“Oh, my dear Anna. I’m so happy for you. Jasper is a good man and I’m sure you’ll have a blessed life with him.” She told Anna as she buttoned the back of her friend’s bodice and attached a large white ribbon around her waist.
“Oh, yes, I know he is a good man, Lavi,” Anna said, her voice soft as she gazed at herself in the mirror. “He is truly a wonderful man,” she continued with a smile on her face and a note of sadness in her voice that would go unnoticeable to everyone. Except for Lavinia. Lavinia knew her friend better than anyone by now.
She looked up from pinning on the ribbon and stood up, seeing tears forming in her friend’s eyes.
“Oh, Anna,” she said softly. “What is it? What is bothering you? Those do not look like tears of happiness to me. Are you afraid?”
Anna lowered her head down and turned to Lavinia. She took both of Lavinia’s hands in hers and looked directly in her eyes.
“It is not that, Lavinia. I am not afraid to marry Jasper. He is the most wonderful man I have ever met, despite his vision loss. We have so much in common. We have the same taste in almost everything and we like reading the same books and… oh, he is truly a wonderful man. But I cannot help feeling a tinge of sadness in my heart.”
“Talk to me, Anna. Tell me what is troubling you.”
Anna squeezed Lavinia’s hands, and then let go, turning away. “It is because of my brother,” she said and paused for a moment hesitating. “I know what he did was a terrible thing, and I know he is where he is supposed to be…But then again, I still wish he could be here with me on this day to share my happiness and celebrate with me.” She continued, lifting her dress skirts and moving to a chair nearby, where she attempted to sit comfortably. The folds of the skirt wrapped around her and she shifted to settle them.
“He was a horrible person to you, I know that,” Anna said as Lavinia moved to sit next to her. “And I am ashamed of his actions. But he is my brother and… sometimes I miss him.”
Lavinia nodded, taking Anna’s hand in hers and covering it with her other hand.
“Do you remember when we all went on holiday last year and you were able to finally relax? Do you remember how delightful Henry was when we were gone? He had us laughing every other moment, did he not?” Anna said a smile appeared on her face as she reflected their last trip together.
“He did, yes,” Lavinia remembered that trio with great fondness, despite Sir Henry’s façade which was so obvious to her now.
“I was devastated when I found out what he was trying to do, who he really was. Oh, Lavinia. I know it’s silly, but I miss the brother I thought I had.” She concluded, her smile disappearing and lowering her head sadly once again
Lavinia sighed softly, patting Anna’s hand.
It had been some time now since Sir Henry had been jailed because of his inability to off his gambling debts.
“I know, my dear. I am so sorry,” Lavinia said feeling sympathy for her friend. “I will always be here to support you, Anna,” she continued decisively. “And I know your dear husband to be will also be here to support you no matter what. When your brother is released, I won’t blame you if you choose to speak to him. None of us will.” And it was truly what Lavinia felt.
Putting aside everything that had happened, Lavinia knew what it meant to hurt for your family. If her dear father was still alive, she would do anything to have him by her side, even if he hadn’t been the best of characters, like Anna’s brother. Besides, after all that had happened Henry Astor could harm her in no way and Anna would soon have her husband protect her from everyone and everything that might come her way.
Anna looked into Lavinia’s eyes for a moment and then hugged her . “Thank you so much for kind words, Lavi. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
Lavinia’s heart jumped a bit. She could tell her friend needed her support more than anything at this moment. “Oh, nonsense. You would have been just fine,” she said as Anna released her from her tight embrace.
“Now, let’s get you ready and not keep your future husband waiting,” Lavinia said decisively once again.
“You know, now that I come to think of it, since our husbands are like brothers, then I suppose that practically makes us sisters, does it not?” Lavinia said in an attempt to take her friend’s mind of her sadness and cheer her up.
Anna’s eyes opened wide and she looked on the side pondering on Lavinia’s words. A smile spread on her friend’s face, and her sorrow suddenly turned to delight.
“It does! I declare that it does my dear Lavinia.” Anna nodded and both women laughed delightedly.
Suddenly, hearing the sound of a bell tolling, Anna’s eyes opened wide.
“Oh dear! I will be late! We must go!” she exclaimed.
Lavinia laughed, standing up and holding her hand out to help her friend to her feet. “You are a silly woman, Anna. We are only going downstairs. Besides, this is your day. You can be a minute or two late if you want,” Lavinia said teasing her friend. But Anna didn’t want to be late a minute or two and Lavinia knew that.
They hurried to the door and Lavinia held up the back of Anna’s skirt as she went down the staircase to the bottom floor of the chapel. They would cross through the back hallway and come out at the front of the church where the doors were. From there, they would walk down the aisle.
For the second time that year, little Patricia was acting as a flower girl. She had done such a fantastic job at Lavinia’s wedding and had such a delightful personality, Anna had personally asked her mother, Katherine, if she would be willing to let the little girl do it again.
Katherine had readily agreed and was happy to have an opportunity to return and see her brother and sister-in-law again.
After the ceremony and the wedding breakfast, Lavinia watched as the coach pulled away with her best friend and her husband’s best friend going off to their trip to Manchester. Myles was by her side, waving and calling out cheers to his friends.
She looked up at him, wondering how she could have been so blessed. Her father had to have been one of the most intuitive men alive. He had seen through the hard exterior Myles typically showed and could see how perfect the man would be for his daughter.
He had taken a chance that the Marquess would not want the money of the dowry for himself and would actually take the time to get to know Lavinia and fall in love with her.
She wondered sometimes if her father was watching from Heaven, happy about what he had done. If she had a chance to see him, she would have thanked him profusely and given him the biggest hug she could ever gi
ve him.
“Would you like to walk, my lady?” Myles asked, breaking into her thoughts. “It is a lovely day and the fresh air will be good for you.”
Lavinia smiled up at him. “Yes, I would very much like that, my lord.”
“Are you sure? I do not want to tire you out. You should be careful you know. I want you happy and healthy until the time comes for you to give birth to our child.”
Lavinia took his arm and they began walking. She looked up at him, raising her eyebrows and said teasingly “So no happiness for me after I have our child?”
Myles chuckled, looking at her with affectionate eyes realizing what he had said. “Happiness forever for you, my love.”
It was Lavinia’s turn to chuckle this time. She wished she could stop right there in the middle of the street to kiss her wonderful husband with all the love and passion she had in her heart for him. But that was not proper and she had been proper for all of her life.
“I think that was a beautiful wedding, was it not?,” Lavinia asked changing the subject. Myles gazed down at her, one side of his lips lifted in a side-grin.
“It truly was,” he said. Lavinia looked up at him. His voice was so deep and filled with emotion. It surprised her.
“My lord, are you all right?” she asked, concerned for her husband.
Myles cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes. I am… feeling a little overwhelmed.”
Lavinia’s heart melted for him. She squeezed his arm. “Tell me what is on your mind, husband.”
Myles hesitated just briefly before he said, “The wedding today was a beautiful one, I admit. But the most beautiful thing I have ever seen is right beside me. My beautiful bride with my child growing in her belly. I cannot possibly be happier. I am so blessed to have you as my wife, Lavinia.”
She shook her head, stopping in the middle of the street and turning to face him. “You are not the only one who is blessed, my lord. It was divine providence that we be married. I know we will have a large family and live for the rest of our lives happily. You know that, do you not?”
She giggled. “I know it, my lord. I will not allow anything else to happen.”
“I hope your prediction comes true.”
She lifted one finger and set it on her husband’s lips, shushing him. “My lord. There is no reason to hope for it. It is simple. You and I will work together to make our lives happy. We will make our children and our friends proud. We are meant to be together. It is meant by God .”
“You sound very confident, my beautiful wife,” Myles said with a smile and a teasing note in his voice. “You know, sometimes I think you will tire of me. I can be grumpy and hard to deal with.”
Lavinia laughed softly, shaking her head. “I have seen you grumpy, my lord. In the mornings especially. But being grumpy is no reason for me to stop loving you.”
Myles looked down at her, a sparkle in his eyes. “I love you, Lady Lavinia Arlington,” he said, leaning slightly to put a kiss on her forehead. “I will love you until the day I die.”
Lavinia closed her eyes, feeling his lips on her skin, her love for him swimming through her veins and making her body tingle. She moved into his arms and pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Propriety or no propriety, this was their moment.
“And I love you my dear husband. Nothing will ever stop me from loving you,” Lavinia said with Myles’ arms now wrapped. around her. Lavinia had never felt so loved, and she knew that this love would only continue to grow as they moved into their lives together.
“The wedding was beautiful,” Myles said, quietly. “But nothing will ever rival the beauty of you, my lady. The woman I love.”
The Extended Epilogue
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A Fiery Love for the Reluctant Duchess - Preview
Chapter 1
“Bye, Papa. Be safe!” Thea Caulfield called after her father, having given him a soft kiss on the cheek as his farewell. He was on his way to a meeting that he was certain would prove fruitful. The morning was cool, and a slight breeze wafted through the door as her father exited.
Thea watched him go, aware that he was always hoping for fruitful meetings, always doing his best to trade with the wealthy, with the nobility. As a merchant, a man without a title, he had to work harder for his reputation, but Thea was proud of him for having done so well for himself. He had truly proven his mettle and was constantly making his way up.
For a merchant, he was surprisingly respected in the community and had a good name for providing quality materials. Additionally, he sold them at a price that managed to show the quality without that stench of thievery that wreaked upon the wares of so many merchants out there. Of course, those merchants were desperate to sell products for more than they were worth.
But still, despite his reputation, their home showed little of his hard work. They were making it well enough but remained people of no large wealth, and yet, Thea was proud of him and proud to know that she would always be at home to care for him.
“Did Papa leave already?” her sister Delia asked, coming up behind her.
“Yes,” Thea replied with a hopeful sigh.
“I didn’t have a chance to wish him luck,” Delia complained.
“He knows. He knows we are all hoping for his success today,” Thea reminded her. “He doesn’t have to hear it to know it is true.”
“Still. I would have liked to kiss him on the cheek and give him a hug,” Delia said.
In reply, Thea put her own arm around her sister’s shoulders. Delia was only two years younger than Thea, with hopes and dreams of her own. The two were fairly close, but Thea knew that Delia’s goals would take her away from them all.
“Any news from the man you had written to about finding work as a governess?” Thea asked as she heard the sound of Georgette complaining at their mother for telling her that it was time to start her lessons.
“Not yet. Perhaps I should write to another? I truly thought that by now he would have found me a position. If I cannot teach, then what am I to do with my life?” Delia asked, the notes of sadness in her voice seeming desperate.
Thea gave her a wan smile. “You could always stay here with me and find work nearby and look after Papa,” she reminded her.
“I shall leave that to you and Μother,” Delia replied with a gentle warning in her voice.
“I know. But the little ones. You could teach them,” Thea added, referencing their three youngest siblings.
“Really, now, Thea! Mother teaches Georgette as she taught you and I. And the boys are at their boarding school in Brighton. Who exactly am I to teach?” Delia prodded defensively.
Thea gave up, knowing the argument was of no use. “I suppose you are right…”
Delia turned to her, reflecting the same green eyes and similar nose, but with a far lighter shade of brown in her hair and a smaller mouth. It was clear that the two were sisters.
“Georgette and Christopher are nearly sixteen. While he is off and away at school, Georgette has you and I to show her what is possible with her life. Do you not wish f
or more than simply staying at home, being a burden on Mother and Father until Papa is no more and Thomas has to take us in?
“He is nearly finished with his schooling and fancies himself to be more than a merchant’s son. Even if he does become a tradesman, does that mean he can support all of us?” Delia asked sensibly.
“You know I’m right. Father does not need three of us and Μother to take care of him here in this home when he is old. And Georgette has the same prospects for marriage that you and I have, seeing as how we have no single male relatives of an appropriate age.
