Evelyn forbore reminding the Duchess of the proposition Darrius had made to her. Best to leave that little contretemps in the past where it belonged. “I think Blanche does a much better job managing him than I ever would have done,” she said instead. “It seems that her judgement was sound, and that they are both well content. More than that, Blanche tells me that with careful management, the estate is pulling out of debt and perhaps will even turn a profit in the coming year.”
“I think you are right,” the Dowager agreed. “They seem well suited. And now that Blanche no longer feels ill, her parents are also feeling much better, and doing better. It was a very strange time, but all’s well that ends well.”
When the sun had coasted down the sky in the west, the party broke up. Darrius and Blanche rode away in the shabby carriage with her parents. Mr. Petersen took his collection of snakes and walked down to the village. Evelyn’s sister, Leah, arrived with the dower house carriage. Mayson and Evelyn walked with the Duchess and helped her up into it.
When all the guests were gone, Mayson gave Evelyn his arm, and they strolled up to the house where the cook had a country dinner waiting for them.
They chose to dine in front of the drawing room fire, since it was just the two of them. Evelyn reclined on a sofa, bolstered up by pillows. Mayson lounged on an ottoman beside her, leaning an elbow on the curved headrest.
A basket of strawberries from the Tolware greenhouse sat between them. Evelyn picked the green stem off one and fed it to Mayson.
“Should I not be feeding you?” he asked. Then he returned the favor.
The strawberry juice stained her lips. He bent his head, and kissed her. Evelyn tasted the warm cleanliness of his mouth, mint overlaid by strawberries.
“I love you,” she whispered against his lips.
“And I love you,” he replied. He laid his hand upon the rounded mound of her stomach, and they both laughed when a tiny internal thump nearly bounced his hand up from where it lay. “When this little one is born, will you dance with me again? I used to dream of dancing with you. The reality was even better than my dreams.”
“Oh, so gladly, Mayson.” She fed him a strawberry, and they kissed again.
Wordlessly, they cuddled each other, sharing strawberries and the occasional long, slow kiss. When the strawberries were gone, Mayson scooped her up off the couch, staggering only a tiny bit with her weight.
“I can walk,” Evelyn protested.
“I know, but I like carrying you,” Mayson replied. “It makes me feel manly.”
Evelyn giggled. “You are manly. You do not need to prove it.”
A short while later, they were curled together in their large, soft bed, exploring such pleasures as were possible when, as Evelyn put it, one of them felt like a beached whale-fish.
After a time, they lay entwined, with Evelyn on her side, and Mayson curled around her back, her head on his arm. “I could stay like this forever,” he said.
“So could I,” Evelyn replied.
The End?
Extended Epilogue
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Preview: Everything a Marquess Should Never Do
Prologue
At five-and-ten years of age, Blaise Keats could think of a dozen things he would rather be doing than staying at Leosted Manor for the summer.
“There’s nothing to do there,” he protested as the carriage bore him and his family south. “Why can’t the Duke and his family come to our estate instead?”
“You know perfectly well why,” his mother said. “The Duke and his family spent last summer at our estate, and it’s only right that we should take turns. It’s our turn to travel to them this summer.”
“I don’t understand why we have to spend every single summer in their company anyway,” he said. “I had hoped to spend time with Percy this summer.”
“You see plenty of your friends during the year,” his mother said. “You’ll survive a couple of months without Percy for company. And to be frank, that’s another reason for us to go to Leosted Manor rather than hosting them at our home. You spent far too much time last summer away from the Manor with your friends. Our guests saw too little of you. It was inappropriate.”
“They bore me,” Blaise said. “The Duke has you and Father for company, and as for his daughter… she’s a child.”
“She may be a child now,” Blaise’s mother allowed. “But you know full well that an arrangement has been made between our family and hers. One day, the two of you are to be married.”
Blaise couldn’t imagine that. His family had been spending summers with the Duke of Leosted and his daughter for the past seven years, ever since Lady Grace’s birth. When he thought of her, he imagined the six-year-old child he had known last summer, not a young lady he might one day marry.
Then again, it was difficult to imagine marrying at all. The only thing Blaise really wanted to do was to spend more time in the company of his friends. He knew that Percy would be spending his summer exploring their local town, riding his horse, and hunting with his father. Blaise would rather have done all of those things than to waste his days in stuffy old Leosted Manor trying to find ways to pass the time.
“I expect you to be friendly to Lady Grace this summer,” his mother said. “Do your best to forge a connection of some kind with her.”
“That’s impossible,” Blaise said. “Even if she weren’t a child, all she wants to do is read.” He remembered well the past summer and the way Lady Grace had spent day after day in the Kirklow Manor library, pulling down one book after another. He had been certain that she wasn’t actually reading them—surely a six-year-old child couldn’t really read?—but she had sat with them for hours, turning the pages, and she never seemed to grow bored.
“Why couldn’t you marry Tom or Reginald to her?” he asked. “They would be a better match.”
Tom, Blaise’s next eldest brother at age three-and-ten, looked up. “Don’t look at me,” he said. “This is your burden to bear, brother.”
“Stop that talk,” their mother scolded. “To wed the daughter of the Duke and unite our families is no burden, Tom. It is an honor. Blaise should be proud to be tasked with such an important responsibility.”
Blaise shrugged and sat back in his seat, gazing out the carriage window at the passing countryside. It was difficult to imagine taking pride in a situation in which he had no choice. The Duke of Leosted and his own parents had made the arrangement to unite their families years ago, shortly after Lady Grace’s birth. Blaise had been only eight years old at the time. He had no clear memory of his life without Lady Grace’s presence. She had always been there, a presence waiting for him in his future when the two of them were old enough for one another.
Reginald leaned forward. He was ten years old, and the middle child of the family. “I will marry Lady Grace, Mother,” he volunteered. “I think she’s pretty.”
“I’m afraid not, Reginald,” their mother said. “In order to properly unite our families, Lady Grace must marry your father’s eldest son and the heir to his lands and title.” She shot a glance at Blaise. “As Blaise well knows. This is not a matter that can be negotiated. There is only one viable option.”
Blaise sighed. “You and Father should not have made this arrangement without consulting me,” he said.
“You were a child, Blaise. Ought I to have asked an eight-year-old boy for his opinion on the matter?”
“This is why arrange
d marriages are a terrible idea,” Blaise said. “Everyone should have some say in who they are to marry.”
“Blaise, for God’s sake,” his mother said. “The way you carry on, one would think you were the first person in the world to ever have an arranged marriage.”
“Well, nobody else I know has one,” Blaise said.
“I highly doubt that’s even true,” his mother said.
“Percy doesn’t.”
“Percy has two older brothers. He is hardly in the same position you are.”
“I don’t see why I should be punished for being first born,” Blaise said. “It’s not my fault I’m the eldest.”
“Blaise,” his mother said. “Someday, when you’re a bit older, you’ll understand that none of this has been done to punish you. Your father and I were trying to help you when we made this arrangement. We want to see you happy and successful. And we want you to prosper from a union with the Duke of Leosted and his family. This is a good thing. It will benefit us all.”
“I still say it’s unfair,” Blaise said.
“Well, say what you like,” his mother said. “But I expect you to devote more time to getting to know Lady Grace than you have in years past. She is old enough now for the two of you to become a bit better acquainted. I want to see you spending time in her company.”
“She’s only seven,” Blaise protested. “What am I to do with a seven-year-old girl?”
“You manage well enough with your sisters.” Blaise’s mother indicated Margaret and Cleo, aged seven and five years respectively. Margaret had watched their entire conversation with wide eyes, clearly fascinated by her brother’s grown-up concerns. As for Cleo, she had been asleep with her head on Reginald’s shoulder for the past hour.
“Margaret and Cleo are different,” Blaise said. “At least they like to have fun. I can play hide and seek with them, or we can run around in the yard and have footraces. Lady Grace doesn’t like to do any of those things.”
“She’s a young lady,” his mother said. “She’s the daughter of a duke.” She turned to her own daughters. “Perhaps the two of you might learn something from Lady Grace’s example this summer,” she added. “You ought to spend more time with her too, Margaret.”
Margaret nodded, her eyes bright. “I want to be friends with Lady Grace,” she said. “Is she really my age?”
“You know she’s your age,” Blaise said, his frustration with his family now extending to his sister. Ordinarily, he got along very well with Margaret, but today it felt like everything was an irritation. “You’ve spent every summer of your life with her.”
“I know that,” Margaret said. “But I don’t remember how old she was.”
“She’s the same age as you are,” Blaise’s mother said. “In fact, the two of you were both born in the month of December.”
“Wow,” Margaret said.
“And when Lady Grace and Blaise marry, she’ll become your sister,” their mother went on. “Won’t that be lovely?”
“Yes.” Margaret looked over at Cleo. “I’d like to have a sister my own age.”
Thankfully, the carriage pulled to a stop. Though Blaise wasn’t excited to be arriving at Leosted Manor, he didn’t think he could bear any more talk of his marriage to Lady Grace. At least he would be able to get away from his family for a while.
They all got out of the carriage. The Duke was waiting for them. Standing beside him in a pale blue gown that matched her eyes, her black hair falling in curls about her shoulders, was Lady Grace.
Blaise’s father strode over to the Duke and bowed. “Your Grace. Thank you, as always, for your hospitality.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you and your family again, Lord Kirklow,” the Duke said. “We’re so pleased you’re able to be with us for another summer. I trust your journey was pleasant?”
“Pleasant enough, thank you,” Blaise’s father said.
“My staff will take your things to your rooms for you,” the Duke said.
“Perhaps my daughters and I will retire to freshen up,” Blaise’s mother said. “We’ve had a long journey.”
“Of course,” the Duke said. He beckoned to his butler. “Carlton will show you to your rooms. If you’d like to meet us in the sitting room whenever you’re ready, we’ll have tea.”
“Lovely.” Blaise’s mother started to follow Carlton away, but before she left, she leaned in toward Blaise. “Speak to Lady Grace,” she hissed.
Blaise suppressed a sigh. He had no desire to engage the girl standing before him in conversation. But his mother would be asking his father later if he had complied with her wishes, and he knew it was best to do as she had asked and avoid any later recriminations.
“Good day, Lady Grace,” he said, bowing slightly. “It’s a pleasure to see you once again.” He couldn’t help remembering as he spoke that Margaret had confessed to not remembering Lady Grace’s age. Surely Lady Grace would have no clear memory of him.
She curtseyed. “Welcome to Leosted Manor, My Lord,” she said. “We’re so glad you could be with us for the summer.”
He blinked.
Her parents must have told her to say that.
There was no way she had thought of such a statement on her own.
Still, she had gotten his name right. She appeared to know who he was. And that was rather impressive for such a young girl.
But what was he going to do with a whole summer in her company? His parents were asking too much, expecting him to spend every summer with her. It was bad enough that he would someday be forced to marry her. Couldn’t he at least have these few years to himself before that day arrived?
He had done his duty. He had spoken to Lady Grace, as his mother had ordered. Now he addressed the Duke. “If you don’t mind, Your Grace,” he said, “I’m a bit exhausted from the journey. Perhaps I’ll skip tea, and take a nap instead.”
“Of course,” the Duke agreed. “Do you recall where your room is?”
“Is it the same room I stayed in the last time I was here?” He knew it would be. He had been given the same room every time he’d visited Leosted Manor. The one good thing about being a guest here was that he was the only member of his family who wasn’t required to share a room. He knew that his sisters and his brothers enjoyed the vast suites they shared with one another, but Blaise wanted nothing more than a little privacy.
“I’m sure your things are already up there waiting for you,” the Duke said. “Will we see you for dinner?”
“Yes, Your Grace.” He might be able to get away with a nap right now, but his parents would never forgive him for missing the first dinner of the summer.
He made his way into the Manor and up the stairs that led to the familiar bedroom, wondering what Percy might be doing right now. Something exciting, no doubt.
And meanwhile, Blaise was stuck here with no one for company but his siblings and Lady Grace.
It was going to be a very long summer.
Chapter 1
Fifteen Years Later
“Grace, put that book down now and come with me. Your father has made a hire.”
Grace marked her place carefully in her book and set it on the table beside her, then rose to her feet. She had recently passed her twenty-first birthday, so she had known that this day was coming up quickly. Still, she couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. The person she was about to meet would, if all went well, be with her for a long time.
“Have you met her, Mrs. Stone?” she asked anxiously.
The housekeeper smiled. “I haven’t, but I trust your father’s judgment. He hasn’t made a bad hire since I’ve been in his service. Just look at how long most of the staff have been with us here at Leosted Manor.”
That was true. Most of the staff had been in place longer than Grace could remember. His father’s employees were very loyal to him, and to the family, and he repaid their loyalty in kind. Grace couldn’t remember the last time there had been a new hire.
But now that she was of ag
e, she was in need of a lady’s maid. In fact, the filling of that position had already been put off for several years too long, because Grace had been so attached to her childhood governess. But this year her governess had been ready to resign her post, and everyone had agreed that it was time for a change.
Grace and Mrs. Stone made their way into the sitting room. Her father sat opposite a plain-faced, simply dressed young woman.
“Grace,” her father said as she entered the room, “This is Veronica Hughes. Miss Hughes, my daughter, Lady Grace.”
“My Lady,” Veronica said, rising smoothly to her feet and sinking into a curtsey. “I look forward to serving you.”
“Is this your first position, Veronica?” Grace asked. She was surprised at how youthful the woman looked—likely only a few years older than Grace herself.
“Yes, My Lady,” Veronica said.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll do very well,” Grace assured her, wanting to make her feel at ease.
“Thank you, My Lady,” Veronica said.
“You will report to Mrs. Stone, Veronica,” Grace’s father said. “She will show you to your quarters and help you to get settled in. Your duties will officially begin tomorrow.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Veronica said. “I thank you again.” She curtseyed once more and left the room, Mrs. Stone following behind her.
“Thank you, Father,” Grace said. “She seems like a wonderful choice. I’m sure everything will go well.” She smiled at him and turned to leave, thinking to return to the book she had been reading. She had been at a particularly engaging part of the story.
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