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Amelia slid gently back into the bedroom, walking briskly to the ornate poster bed where Nathaniel lay slumbering.
“It is time you woke!” she said, giving his rump a quick, loving slap, and Nathaniel’s eyes cracked open.
“Why do you not come back to bed?” he murmured. “There is room for two.”
“There is much to do,” Amelia said, moving to the windows and throwing open the curtains. “Have you forgotten what day it is?”
Nathaniel’s eyes widened as the morning light struck him, and moved by a sudden surge of motivation, he swung his legs out from the bed.
“The christening, yes, I have not forgotten,” he said, rubbing his eyes as he stood up.
“Your son made a mess of his breakfast,” Amelia remarked, crossing the room back to him.
“Whomever said eating had to be neat,” Nathaniel said with a grin, reaching out and grabbing Amelia’s waist as she walked past.
She gave a little yelp of excitement as he pulled her in close and kissed her, and held the embrace a moment longer before pulling back away.
“Get dressed!” she ordered, and she flashed him another quick smile as she reached the bedroom door. “They are no doubt already on their way. I shall see you downstairs.”
It had been a little over a year since their wedding, and everything was perfect as far as Nathaniel and Amelia were concerned. The house, while still undergoing major restoration, was beginning to look like the seaside manor that it was meant to be. Half of the East wing remained covered in exterior scaffolding, but the West had been completed, and the crisp paint, wallpaper, trim, and finish complemented the brand-new roof.
In the distance, the lands thrived. The overgrowth had been cleared away and the cottages repaired, while a small number of families had begun to occupy them. The fishing fleet was still a ways away from full repair, but they could only tackle one project at a time.
At the breakfast table, Nathaniel began to review a few of the latest reports from the mines in the far hills. The production numbers were better than he could have ever hoped for, and the money was indeed pouring in.
“What have I told you?” Amelia asked, walking up behind him. “No business at the breakfast table.”
“Indeed,” Nathaniel replied, folding the papers in half and sliding them across the table. “So right you are.”
The baby began crying from the other room, and both their heads spun on a dime.
“The nursemaids can handle him,” Nathaniel said. “Have breakfast with me.”
“I have already eaten,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Or have you forgotten you slept in?”
“Slept in,” Nathaniel echoed. “It is not even nine o’clock.”
“I will see to him,” Amelia said, hurrying off to the nursery.
Augusta walked up to the table, startling Nathaniel. “How long have you been here?” he asked with a grin.
“I live here, dear,” Augusta said, grabbing a quick bite off the serving platters. “Have you forgotten?”
“I meant in the room,” Nathaniel chuckled.
“Your wife is correct,” Augusta said. “You did sleep in.”
“Some things never change,” Nathaniel muttered.
Amelia’s family began to arrive in the following hour, and Amelia held the baby as they greeted Sophia and William on the front steps.
“There is my little nephew,” Sophia crooned, gently poking his nose. “We must see about finding you a cousin.”
“Indeed,” Nathaniel remarked, nodding to William. “Snap to it, William.”
“Good to see you too,” William smiled.
Catherine and Sir Edmund arrived together a touch later, just driving down from Sir Edmund’s country manor. Their residence together was not so much of a secret, and rumor had it they were planning some kind of wedding, but Catherine had a strict doctrine to adhere to when it came to overshadowing her daughters’ events. She would wait for Sophia’s first child, no doubt, before moving ahead with her grand plans.
Clara joined them all in the parlor, announcing another carriage that was approaching, and everyone struggled trying to guess whom it might contain. For half a moment, Nathaniel thought perhaps that their father was returning for his grandson’s christening, but that thought quickly evaporated as Isabelle climbed down from the coach. That was fine with him. The family he had all around him was more than enough.
“You came!” Amelia exclaimed, embracing her cousin.
“How could I miss such an event?” Isabelle gushed. “Oh, what a lovely home!”
“It is a work in progress,” Amelia said modestly. She knew full well that it was a stunningly large mansion compared to the apartments of London.
With both of her daughters married, Catherine had relaxed a touch on Isabelle. There was not nearly the same risk to reputation as before, and so she had less to lose by welcoming her niece back into the family circle. Still, some slow-burn tension remained, and thus Isabelle chose her attendances carefully, so as not to overstep.
The ceremony itself was short and sweet, held in the chapel where they were married. The improvements to the church itself had only increased, and it was beginning to look like a proper center of worship for the vast swatch of land that they owned, as it was always meant to be.
Nathaniel had invited all of their tenants to share in the celebration, and so the church was packed to watch little baby Edward join the congregation. He made a cute sound as the priest touched the holy water to his forehead, and Nathaniel and Amelia felt their hearts melt in unison.
They held a small party afterwards in the West wing of the house. It was far tamer than the wedding, and far more relaxing, with everyone’s attention on baby Edward instead of Nathaniel and Amelia.
After dinner, the men retired for brandy and cigars as was becoming customary in the house, as Nathaniel tried his best to fit into the proper mold of a gentleman. It was not the best fit for him, nor had it ever been, but the appearances were important in the world of business, and so Amelia begrudged him the occasional smell of smoke on his jackets.
“You have done splendid,” Isabelle said, sinking into the seat beside Amelia. “And to think, a year ago you were a complete mess.”
“How rude,” Amelia laughed back, rocking to the side and touching her head to her cousin’s shoulder.
“I am proud of you,” Isabelle said, her tone inflecting. “Truly.”
“You are too kind,” Amelia said. “I am only glad you could come.”
“A house this grand, I shall come whenever you send for me,” Isabelle said, and they both shared a laugh.
“There will always be a room for you here,” Amelia said. “Should you tire of your current accommodations.”
“Perhaps,” Isabelle mused. “One day, I may take you up on that offer.”
“Come,” Amelia said, wrapping her hand around her cousin’s. “Let us dance.”
“Dance?” Isabelle laughed. “Since when do you dance willingly?”
“Since I was pregnant,” Amelia replied with a smile. “I am never going to take my mobility for granted again, I tell you that.”
They danced to the music and later played charades, while everyone drank and ate and laughed. It was as perfect an image as Amelia or Nathaniel could muster in their minds, and they drank in the unconditional love that flooded the room.
The party went on later than expected, and the guests departed by moonlight, saying their fond, tipsy farewells one by one, until finally Nathaniel and Amelia were left alone, looking down at their son in his crib.
“He sleeps funny, does he not?” Nathaniel whispered. “Look at his arms.”
“He is a baby,” Amelia whispered back, leaning her head on his shoulder. “Everything he does is funny.”
“Too true,” Nathaniel said, leaning down and kissing Edward on the forehead.
“Goodnight, dear,” Amelia said, leaning down after him. They retreated through the adjoining door to their bed chamber and began stripping off some of the more cumbersome garments that had plagued them all day.
“This blasted thing,” Nathaniel muttered, fumbling with his necktie.
“Here, let me.” Amelia stood in front of him and began to untangle the mess he had made of the knot. She gave a laugh and said, “Whatever did you do to this?”
“I could not tell you,” Nathaniel replied, grinning. He looked her over as she stood in front of him, and he could not help but to seize her hips, causing her to let out a surprised laugh. “But my, you are beautiful.”
“I am so glad you think so,” she said softly, looking up into his eyes.
“We ought to have another one of those, don’t you think?” he said, bobbing his head towards the nursery.
“Another? So soon?” Amelia asked, smiling as his fingers began to work their way over the strings on the back of her dress.
“Right away, in fact,” he murmured, leaning in closer to her lips.
“You make a compelling argument,” she whispered, her eyes drifting shut as she leaned up into his lips.
They fell into bed together, pulling each other close as her husband kissed her.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Secrets and Passions of High Society", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello there, wonderful readers! I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 😊
I enjoyed the book thoroughly and the epilogue. Thank you.
That’s wonderful to hear, Martha! Thanks for reading. 💖
This was a delightful novel about Nathaniel and Amelia which I read as an ARC. The developing relationships of these individuals and their extended family was written well and developed to keep the reader glued to the book. I highly recommend this intriguing novel.
Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback! I’m thrilled that Nathaniel and Amelia’s journey kept you engaged. Your high recommendation means the world. I’m so glad the story resonated with you! 🌟📚