Epilogue
London—December
J ulian bounded from the carriage and handed down Tia and then Lia. He signaled the footman to stand on the other side of the stairs as Ariadne descended them. She took the hand of each of them and eased her way down. She was in her sixth month of increasing, and Julian worried about her constantly, while she reassured him everything happening was perfectly normal.
She had been violently ill every morning for the first couple of months. They had to place chamber pots in every room she entered and even kept them on the landings of the staircase. Ever since then, however, his beautiful wife had boundless energy and glowed with good health. The doctor told them she would begin to slow soon, but for now, Julian found it hard to keep up with her sometimes.
They entered Oakbrooke Orphanage, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride at what they had accomplished at the school since they had claimed ownership of the facility. Proving true to her word, Miss Darnell was both efficient and organized. Moreover, the new headmistress was caring toward her staff and nurturing toward the orphans.
It had been Ariadne and Miss Darnell who had hired additional staff for the school, which was woefully underfunded and lacking in teachers and adult supervision. Ariadne had insisted they hire former governesses who had a reasonable amount of teaching experience. The interview questions she and Miss Darnell had devised allowed them to sort through and find the type of teachers they wished for the orphanage to have.
Miss Darnell welcomed them, taking the twins to one of the classrooms to help out for the morning, while he and Ariadne went to another one. Julian stood in the rear of the room, watching his wife read a story to a group of children gathered about her. She changed her voice with each character and read with such animation that her joy proved contagious. He saw the smiles on the faces of the children and knew they adored her as he did.
Changes had been made to what the students were taught, and a wonderful cook had been hired. In speaking with a few of the older students, he had seen how thin and frail many of them were and suspected they were malnourished. Now, however, with their talented cook and plenty of food, these orphans thrived physically. With the help of their caring staff, he knew they also thrived socially and emotionally.
Julian had learned the names of every child in the building since he and Ariadne had spent so much time at the orphanage. They split their time between town and Aldridge Manor. Thankfully, with his country estate so close to London, this was easy to do. As predicted, his tenants and staff in the country worshipped Ariadne. She was the epitome of what a marchioness should be.
They had discussed future endeavors to become involved with, but his wife cautioned him not to take on too much, saying she wanted Oakbrooke Orphanage to be a beacon of light and example to other orphanages before they began new projects to aid the poor. She asked him for a year in which to stabilize things and make certain everything to keep Oakbrooke running was secure, and then they would tackle a new challenge, such as feeding or clothing those on the streets or others in need, such as Julian and his mother had been.
While the orphanage consumed a great deal of their money and time, he knew both were well spent. Julian pictured many of these children working for them or other family members down the line, be it as house servants, stable lads, or tenants. His cousin had agreed to take on a couple of boys as apprentices in his tailor shop, and Julian and Ariadne had plans to talk with other shopkeepers, as well, trying to secure good futures for these orphans.
Ariadne finished reading the story, and the children clapped enthusiastically, begging for another one. He was tapped to read the next one and did so. Much to the delight of the children, he added sounds to the story he read, encouraging them to do the same. They assisted him in knocking on doors, tapping their feet, and even chattering like magpies.
Miss Darnell came to the doorway, signaling it was time for the assembly. The children ran to line up without being told to do so and marched from the room in an orderly fashion. Unlike her predecessor, Miss Darnell used discipline lightly. Because of that, very few children stepped out of line. Those who did proved to be contrite and rarely caused trouble after a first incident.
He went and slipped an arm about his wife’s waist. “Are you happy, love?”
She stroked her belly. “I did not realize just how happy I could be, Julian. You. The babe. These children at Oakbrooke. It is as if I am living in a dream.”
He kissed her softly. “It is no dream, my darling. You have made a difference in the lives of these orphans, but more importantly, you have made all the difference in my life.”
Her palm cradled his face. “I am grateful every day that we are husband and wife.”
Julian kissed her again and then said, “Come. They will not start the assembly without us.”
They went to the dining hall, which was the only place in the building large enough to have the entire population gather as a whole. Lia and Tia motioned to them, and they joined his sisters-in-law at a table in the rear. He loved these two young ladies as if they were his own flesh and blood, and he was happy his wife would help launch them into society next spring.
Julian marveled that by that time, he would be a father. Having grown up with no father in his life, he fully intended to be an active participant in his child’s life. He had heard enough from Ariadne and Val about what their childhoods had been like, and how they could go days without seeing their parents in the country, much less the months they had been left with servants while the duke and duchess attended the Season in town. Ariadne was in agreement with him that they would never be separated from their children and that their family would come to town each year and remain until the Season ended.
Ariadne had told him they would only attend a handful of events in future years. She even planned to wear gowns more than once, which would set tongues wagging, but she didn’t care. His lovely wife said she would rather spend money on their orphans than on herself, but she made certain that people such as Madame Laurent and his own Cousin Dalglish would be hired to sew clothes for these children. They had already engaged the services of the pair this autumn, and both modiste and tailor had been grateful to have such a large amount of business come their way during a slow time of year for them. Children grew rapidly, and Dalglish and Madame would be kept busy making new outfits for the Oakbrooke Orphans.
Miss Darnell addressed everyone, and Julian thought again what a treasure they had in her. The woman was a dedicated headmistress and had also become a dear friend to the two of them.
“We have a special treat awaiting all of you. The Christmas season is upon us, and Lord and Lady Aldridge wanted to celebrate it with you. They have gifts they wish to distribute now to everyone. My lord?”
He rose from his seat and said, “We will be giving out the gifts now, and Lady Aldridge and I want to wish each of you a most happy Christmas.”
The children cheered. He doubted a single one of them had ever received any kind of present. He certainly never had.
Until Ariadne Worthington came into his life—and she was a present who would give and give as the years went on.
Helping Ariadne to her feet, he motioned for Lia and Tia to join them. They began calling out names, handing over packages wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. Each child was to receive a new pair of shoes, along with something to wear, as well as a book and an item to play with, based upon their age. Ariadne had chosen every single book, gearing it toward the interest of that particular child, as well as deciding what toy should be gifted to them. He watched as children opened their packages with glee, finding everything from dolls to tin soldiers to blocks and spinning tops.
To a child, they all came and thanked their benefactors, awarding hugs and kisses in gratitude.
The last orphan to approach was Joseph. Although he tried his best not to play favorites, this boy reminded Julian so much of himself at that age. When the time came, he fully intended to take Joseph into their household.
“My lord, my lady, you have been so generous to us since you took over,” the boy said, blinking back tears. “I hated it here before you came. I was going to run away and live on the streets. Any place had to be better than here. You changed that. You make me want to learn more about reading and writing, and I want to better myself, all thanks to you.”
Ariadne wrapped her arms about Joseph, stroking his hair. She released him, and Joseph turned. Julian also embraced him, telling Joseph, “Keep up with your studies. There will be a place for you with Lady Aldridge and me when you are ready to leave Oakbrooke.”
Tears of gratitude spilled down the orphan’s cheeks. “Thank you, my lord,” he said fervently. “Thank you for changing everything.”
“It is time for another treat,” called Ariadne, and the kitchen staff brought out trays of baked goods from Gunter’s.
As the orphans ate their sweets, Julian and the others distributed guineas to the employees, from the teachers to the kitchen and cleaning staffs. His wife had discussed it with Miss Darnell, and the two women had agreed it would be better to give the teachers and other workers coin to spend on whatever they wished.
He slipped his arm about his wife’s waist and looked on at the animated children, who were laughing, eating, and talking about the gifts they had received.
“I think it is time we depart,” he told his wife.
She motioned to her sisters, and the twins joined them.
“Thank you for allowing us to come with you today,” Lia said. “It was wonderful to get to meet these children.”
“They are so kind and loving,” Tia added. “You are doing wonderful things for them, and they are so appreciative of your efforts.”
“It is time for us to leave,” Julian said. “You will need to pack because we will depart tomorrow morning after breakfast for Aldridge Manor. We have our own Christmas to celebrate there,” he declared.
Julian had been happy to ask the twins to spend Christmas with them. He knew how much Ariadne loved her younger sisters and how little attention the three had received from their parents. His wife would watch over these young women as they made their come-outs next Season. Hopefully, they would find men they loved.
Julian had come to understand that marriage contained many layers, but for him, the most important aspect was love.
As Tia and Lia headed for the carriage, he gazed into his wife’s sky blue eyes. “Do you know just how happy you have made me, Ariadne Barrington?”
Her radiant smile warmed him as much as the sun of a summer day. “You couldn’t possibly be any happier than I am, my darling husband.”
He bent and kissed his precious wife, knowing each day shared with his marchioness would be one filled with love.