Epilogue
Five years later . . .
As the carriage brought them closer to home, Matthew couldn’t help but feel satisfied with the life he had built with Verina.
She had proven to be the perfect partner for him.
The one he always turned to when he needed advice or wished to share a confidence.
The lover who was passionate both in and out of the bedroom.
And a wonderful mother to their two children.
Marcus was four now, a bright, chatty lad who had a sunny nature and was the image of his father at the same age.
Evelyn would be two in two weeks’ time, and she was a nice blend of the both of them, with his cornflower blue eyes and Verina’s blond hair and tall, willowy build.
He would have been satisfied with having two children, but his lovely wife now carried their third child.
She was about four months along, her belly beginning to round.
While she had experienced bouts of nausea with the first two, this latest one had not caused a minute’s worth of trouble from within the womb.
Whether a boy or girl, he would be satisfied with either.
Marcus scrambled from his grandmother’s lap and climbed into Matthew’s. The children had been traveling in the second carriage with their nursery governess and nanny until the last changing station, but he had wanted the pair with him and Verina when they caught sight of Redfield again.
As Marcus chattered away, he glanced across at his mother, who smiled indulgently at her grandson.
Lady Adams sat next to Mama, and she had become an integral part of their family, serving as another grandmother to their children.
Verina’s mother, whom Matthew had fondly called Aunt Agnes, as all the cousins did, had left them three years ago, passing from pneumonia unexpectedly.
At least Lady Traywick had gotten to know her first grandchild.
He only wished she had been able to know Evelyn, whom Verina said had much of her grandmother in her.
It had been a difficult time for Verina in losing her mother, a loving, bright woman.
Aunt Agnes was missed by the entire extended family.
“I like going to town,” Marcus told them. “I like seeing all my cousins. When are we going to Merrifield to see Jane and Michael? But in town, we get to see lots more cousins like Cade and Theo and William.”
“That is very true, my son,” he said, ruffling the boy’s hair. He glanced at Verina, who held a sleepy Evelyn in her arms. “It is fun getting to see your cousins. And you just saw Jane and Michael, but I promise we will visit with them at Merrifield soon.”
Matthew stroked his daughter’s cheek lightly. “Almost home, my sweet girl. Think you can stay awake a few more minutes?”
Evelyn nodded, sucking her thumb, something she did when she was tired.
Verina said it was a habit they would soon need to break, else it would affect Evelyn’s teeth and the shape of her mouth, as well as permanently damage her thumbnail.
They had told their daughter when she turned two she could no longer suck upon it, and Matthew had asked what they would do to be able to stop it.
His wife had laughed, telling him that her own mother had painted something vile-tasting on her thumb and Justina’s when they were a similar age to Evelyn.
It had quickly broken both of them of the habit.
He hated that his baby girl would suffer something such as that.
Or suffer anything which hurt her or made her sad.
Then again, he knew he could not stop her from growing up, and Evelyn must face everything from heartache to joy on her own, without his interference.
Matthew was afraid he would blink and she would be on his arm as they walked down the aisle of St. George’s, pledging herself to another man.
Now, though, Evelyn was his sweet girl, and he would do anything for her. Or Marcus. And the coming babe.
And especially for his incredible duchess.
The carriage turned to head up the drive leading to Redfield, and he sensed the change in the air inside the carriage. While they all enjoyed their time in town each spring and being with family, there was nothing like coming home.
The Ridleys greeted them as they descended from the carriage.
Their nursery governess and nanny hurried over to take the children.
Both women had formerly been in institutions and had been absorbed into his staff.
Matthew hoped he and Verina would be filling the Redfield nursery for many years to come and was happy these two women had a satisfying life now, away from the asylums they had been left in.
“I am so very tired,” Mama announced as they entered the foyer. “The journey to and from town seems to get longer each time I make it. I think I shall have a tray in my room and then go straight to bed.”
“I feel the same,” Lady Adams said. “It has been a long day of travel.”
He was glad after a year, Mama and Lady Adams had returned from the dower house.
By then, Verina was firmly established as the Duchess of Reddington, and the servants knew she was in charge of the household.
In fact, it had been his duchess who persuaded the two older women to once more live in the main house.
She told them she wished for her children to spend as much time as possible with their grandmothers, and Mama and Lady Adams had agreed.
Knowing his wife enjoyed a long, hot bath after the journey from town, he told Mrs. Ridley, “See that bath water is brought to my chamber.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” She smiled at him. “If I may say so, it is very good to have you and the family back home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Ridley. It is the place we love.”
He threaded his fingers through Verina’s, and they slowly mounted the steps. She went to her rooms to undress, appearing several minutes later in his rooms wearing her dressing gown. Matthew knew she wore nothing under it, and that caused his blood to stir.
Barrow finished unpacking and excused himself as the servants began bringing buckets of water, filling the bathing tub.
When they left, he stripped off his clothes and untied her dressing gown, parting it, marveling in the wonderland of her body.
“Let me help you from it,” he said, pulling the dressing gown from her shoulders and placing it neatly on a nearby chair.
Taking her hand, he led his wife to the bathing tub and assisted her into it.
Matthew then climbed in as well, bracing his back against it, his long legs against the sides as Verina leaned against his chest. He caught the peach scent coming from her skin, one familiar to him after five years of wedded bliss. His placed a palm against her belly.
“I am so happy about the new babe,” he said, stroking her belly.
“I am, too,” she said softly. “Birthing a child is such a miracle, and all our children have been made in love.”
His hand slid lower, slowly moving up and down the seam of her sex, causing her to give a small gasp. With gentleness, his fingers made love to her. Entering her. Caressing her. Finding her bud of pleasure and teasing it into a powerful orgasm.
“I want more of you,” his wife told him, desire hot in her eyes.
With a smile, he said, “I can make that happen, Your Grace.”
Matthew rose and helped her to do the same, taking the bath sheet and drying her. She returned the favor, and they moved to the bed, hand in hand.
Over the next hour, he explored her exquisite body and satin skin.
He touched—and then kissed—every inch of it, entering her with one powerful thrust. Their gazes held one another’s as their dance of love continued.
They reached satisfaction at the same time, and he thrilled to hear her calling out his name.
Collapsing atop her, he nuzzled her neck. “That will never grow old. We may—but our love never will.”
He eased from her and rang for Barrow. His valet would know that Their Graces were hungry now, having satisfied their hunger for one another first.
Matthew helped Verina don her dressing gown again and then found his banyan, slipping into it and belting it.
Taking a seat in a large chair, he pulled Verina into his lap.
They sat in contented silence until Barrow appeared with a large tray, which he set on the table next to them.
It contained apples and pears, several cheeses, and sliced bread with a crock of butter.
The valet poured wine for them, as well.
“Do you need anything else, Your Graces?” Barrow asked.
“That will do,” he replied. “Her Grace and I will be sleeping in tomorrow morning. See that we are not disturbed. For any reason.”
The valet did not bother to hide his smile. “Of course, Your Grace,” leaving them alone again.
Verina remained in his lap as he fed her and himself. He enjoyed such simple pleasures as this.
“It was a good time in town this year, wasn’t it?” she asked, opening her mouth to accept another bite of cheese.
“Very enjoyable,” he told her. “I still think it was bloody brilliant of Ariadne to convince the family to bring their children to town each year. I cannot imagine how much our hearts would break, leaving Marcus and Evelyn behind, year after year. Why, I would be afraid that they might forget us.”
“I only wish that Mama could have known Evelyn,” she said wistfully, touching her belly. “And this new one. What do you want this time, Matthew? A spare to your heir—or a second daughter?”
“I will be happy with either addition to our growing family,” he assured her. “It will be nice to take a third child to town next spring to meet their cousins and the rest of the family. You and Tia should give birth close together this time, I would think.”
Tia’s first child had been a girl, and Jane was now five years of age. After Marcus had been born, Hugo and Tia had added Michael to their family.
“Yes, Tia has had a bit of a rough go of it. Hopefully, her nausea will soon subside. I have been blessed to have none of that this time around.”
She yawned, and Matthew kissed her. “I think it high time that my beautiful duchess gets some sleep.”
“Only if my handsome duke intends to come to bed with me. You know I always rest better when you are beside me.”
Matthew did leave Verina occasionally, going to retrieve a new damaged dove and bringing her to Dove Hall.
Surprisingly, Mama and Lady Adams had stepped up, accompanying Larkin on more of those missions than Matthew himself.
Perhaps now was the time to continue funding the missions, but retire from actively participating in them.
It was becoming harder and harder to leave his wife and their children for any length of time.
They climbed into bed, and he snuffed out the candles. Gathering his wife into his arms, he dropped a kiss upon her brow.
“I may not have been a damaged dove, my love, but you saved me, all the same,” he told her. “You have brought abundant love and laughter into my life and given me such precious children. Thank you, my darling. For everything.”
Verina’s fingers caressed his cheek. “I love you, Matthew. More than I ever dreamed possible. And this life of ours together—along with our children—is as close to heaven on earth can be.”
A moment later, his duchess dropped into sleep, her breathing soft and even. He thanked the heavens above for bringing Verina into his life as he, too, fell asleep.
And dreamed of the babe to come.