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Six Years Later
William stood beneath the Arbor in the gardens that now belonged to him and Charlotte. His parents were still very much alive and well, but they had chosen to reside in their country home while handing the running of the house over to him and Charlotte.
Age and the presence of grandchildren had softened his mother, not entirely, but at least a little toward Charlotte.
“You cannot run so fast, Madeline, that is not fair!” Clara pouted, falling to her knees on the grass as her twin sister outran her.
Giggling as her blonde curls bounced, Madeline made her way back toward her sister.
At the tender age of six, both girls were the spitting image of their mother. The only way that anyone could tell them apart was by the color of their eyes. Madeline was wild and free with the spirit of her mother, having inherited William’s storm-colored eyes, while Clara was more reserved, her eyes a lighter green.
Both were so similar in looks yet so different in character. William cherished the quiet times he got to spend with Clara while cherishing the whirlwind adventures with Madeline.
Approaching her sister, Madeline relented and fell to her knees beside her. “I am sorry that I ran too fast. I know you struggle to keep up at times.”
Just as kind as her mother. William smiled to himself as he folded his arms and rested them on a sun-kissed pillar.
Clara continued to pout but looked up at her sister. “I told you that I am not very good at being the fox. You are always the bunny rabbit, and you always run faster than me!” she complained quite loudly.
It never failed to amuse William that while Clara was the quieter one, she could be just as loud as Madeline when voicing her opinions.
Another trait that is exactly like their mother.
Sighing heavily, Madeline pursed her lips in a manner that was not entirely different from William’s own mother. “I have another idea. What if we are both the foxes?”
Clara sniffed again but perked up a little. “But who will be the bunny rabbit if we are both the foxes? It would seem a little silly if we just run around pretending to be foxes.”
Lifting her gaze, Madeline looked around as she chewed the inside of her cheek. Her gaze finally fell on William, bringing a light to her face as she beamed from ear to ear. “Papa will be the new bunny rabbit! Let us chase him!” she announced gleefully, bounding to her feet.
It took Clara a moment to realize what her sister was doing, but when she did, she jumped to her feet and started to run after her sister.
Realizing that his daughters expected him to play his part, William rolled his eyes but pulled himself up and descended the stairs. He got to the bottom just in time as Madeline and Clara latched themselves to both of his legs, each one clinging on for dear life as he feigned a fight. “Oh no! What will I do now that these fierce foxes have captured me!”
The girls giggled as he lifted his legs high in the air, closing the distance between them and Charlotte, who was lying on a blanket beneath a giant oak tree.
Her belly was round, swollen with the final months of pregnancy as she propped herself up on her elbows. “Oh dear, however will you get away now?” She played along, pushing her book aside.
William locked eyes with her, feeling his heart burst with pride as he fell to the grass, allowing the girls to climb all over him.
A mess of dresses and limbs engulfed him as both Clara and Madeline giggled gleefully, enjoying the spoils of victory.
“Are the foxes not tired yet?” Charlotte asked, running her hand over her belly.
Hearing their mother, the girls let go of their father and rushed to her side, slowing considerably as they drew near the blanket.
“Will our baby brother be coming soon?” Madeline asked as both she and her sister gently laid their heads on Charlotte’s belly.
Pulling himself up, William frowned at them. “Who said that it is going to be a baby brother?” He looked directly at Charlotte, their gazes locking in a loving embrace.
She returned his smile before rolling her eyes. “Mrs. Nesbit said to Georgina that she thinks I will be having a boy. Apparently, she can tell by the way I am carrying and my penchant for fish soup.”
“We do not want any fish soup!” The girls cried in unison and wrinkled their tiny noses.
William could not help but laugh as he shook his head. “That must be because your mother craved nothing but fairy cakes when she was pregnant with you.”
Madeline seemed to agree fully with this statement as she nodded. “Oh, that seems right. Clara and I are very sweet, but young Thomas is never that kind when he comes to play with us.”
Stepping in, Charlotte made her voice sterner. “It is not nice to speak of your friend in such an ill manner, girls. Young Thomas is much younger than you; he does not yet know how to behave.”
Madeline nodded thoughtfully again. “That is why Clara and I must teach him manners next time he comes to play.”
Stifling a chuckle, William came to his feet and dusted off his clothes. “I think your uncle Theodore and Aunt Abigail have that under control. There is no need for the two of you to raise their son for them.”
Clara seemed serious, but surprised them all when she spoke. “Perhaps we can just make suggestions when they come again? I know that Mama said she will need all the help she can get when little Henry comes along.”
Placing his hands on his hips, William smiled down at them. I do not quite think that that is the help your Mama was referring to. Now, why do the two of you not run along and see if Mrs. Nesbit has prepared your tea? Your Mama and I will be along shortly.”
Bursting into renewed fits of giggles, the girls set out toward the house, skipping hand in hand.
He waited until they were alone before he lowered himself beside her on the blanket. “Henry? When did we decide on our son’s name?” He placed his hand on her belly and gave her a teasing smile.
Grinning contentedly, she placed her hand over his. “The girls have latched on to the idea that the baby is going to be a boy. They asked me what we would be naming him, and the first name that came to mind was Henry. I hope you do not mind. He is the reason that we are all here, after all.”
William’s teasing smirk settled into a satisfied smile. “No, I do not mind at all. I think that Henry is a fitting name for a strapping young lad. Truth be told, I will not mind a boy. I do not know if you have noticed, but your daughters are not exactly easy to raise. I hope our son is calmer.”
“My daughters? I seem to recall you being present at their conception. I hesitate to remind you, but you were the one who said you hoped our children would be exactly like me. I tried to warn you that it seemed like a horrible request, but you seem to have gotten a mixture of all the traits you fell in love with!”
Chuckling to himself, William lowered himself beside her on the blanket and continued to rub her belly.
The late Autumn air was filled with a cool crispness. The scent of primroses drifted past them on a breeze that made them both want to stay in that position forever.
Charlotte broke the silence as she began to run her hands through his hair. “Before I forget to tell you, Edmund wrote again. He and Edith will be passing through London and would like to see us this winter. Apparently, they have some exciting news to share with us.”
“Perhaps they are also expecting a little blessing from above.” William fell silent again and smiled when the baby kicked against his ear. It was always the greatest joy in the world to him when he could feel the life they had created together.
The silence lingered on for a while longer until Charlotte asked him a question.
“If there was one thing that you could change about the way that we met and built our lives, anything at all, what would it be?”
Turning to look at her, he propped himself up on one elbow. “Honestly? Nothing at all. Every stumble and fall brought us to where we are today. The scars we bear from learning how to love one another are reminders that we made it. It was not always easy, but we chose each other every day, and no matter what comes, I will continue to choose you for as long as the sun sets on this earth. I find no sense in changing things when the harshness of our past created this beautiful present that you now see before us.” He glanced down at her belly before planting a single kiss on her forehead.
“I choose you as well, remember? If I were given the choice of erasing my past or never meeting you, I would choose each and every bruise all over again. I would relieve the heartache in every lifetime if it meant that our paths would finally cross.”
A moment passed between them where neither of them needed to speak. The message was clearly written on their faces.
They loved each other deeply, honestly, and with everything that resided within them. There was no need for talking when the life that they had built spoke volumes.
He settled back down beside her as they looked to the house where the flickering light of candles was just starting to show.
They did not need to see the occupants to know exactly what was going on. The girls would be preparing for their baths after having eaten far too many treats because none of the members of staff had the heart to say no to them.
Their parents would be settling into their separate chambers that served as their living quarters each time they visited the house, which was quite frequent.
Both of the grandmothers would meet up once the stories were read and blankets had been tucked securely in place. Having put the past behind them, both women had allowed a close bond to form between them. A bond that had been formed in mutual love and adoration for the grandchildren they shared. Surprisingly, William’s mother had even taken to knitting little bonnets for the coming baby, an idea that everyone seemed to have taken on board before William even knew about it.
Leaning down, Charlotte placed a kiss on his forehead. “I know I do not need to say it, but I love you, William Armitage.”
William shut his eyes as he lay peacefully against her belly, holding his world close to his heart. “I know, and I love you, Charlotte Armitage.”
They were just about to stand when Rufus came trotting along with the end of a fishtail in his mouth. Having never outgrown his rebellious puppy phase, he placed the spoils on the blanket beside them and wagged his little tail triumphantly.
Sitting up straight, William began to scold him, but Charlotte gently placed a hand on his arm and stopped him.
“Just leave him. Besides, I think your Uncle Henry is sending us a sign. There is no other place than the secret pond where Rufus could have gotten that bone. Mrs. Nesbit runs her kitchen far too sternly to ever allow her garbage to be accessed.”
Softening again, William laughed and shook his head. “You know, I think you are right, as much as I would love it if Rufus started behaving, things would just not be the same if he did. And it would be just like my Uncle Henry to send us a fishbone as a sign of his blessing. I wonder what he would say if he saw that both the women from his past are grandmothers to our children.”
“I think he would say that we are blessed beyond measure.”
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, my dearest readers! I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 😊
This was a great book and I enjoyed it so much. I enjoyed so many different personalities and how they finally blended together. I love William and Charlotte grew to love each other.
Thank you so much, Carolyn! Glad you enjoyed the characterization, in this one! Happy holidays! ❄️💝
A novel showing not all arranged marriages are negative. Both were against marriage. Charlotte only wanted it if it was a love match which was lacking with her parents . William never wanted to wed because of the unhappy marriage of his parents and the unresolved love of his uncle. They are forced to marry to strengthen their families in society. Negative vibes exist with Williams mother toward Charlotte for unknown reasons. Can this fragile relationship survive until their agreement is reached. I read as an ARC and recommend to other readers.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful review and for reading the ARC, dear Darleen. I truly appreciate your recommendation and I’m glad the story and characters resonated with you!🙏💞
What a lovely story. Loved how William was able to get to the bottom of the matter with his mother. It’s always hard when family members get involved in your marriage and not for the better.Glad they made up their minds to stand together for each other and found they loved each other.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful comment, Joan! I fully agree, at the end of the day a couple should be able to come as one and fight for their love, if they wish to prove worthy of one another!