Epilogue #2
“Before I go, there was something else that I wished to share with you.”
“What else could you have to share?” Letitia said bitterly. “You seem to have done most of the talking this evening.”
Rachel opted to simply ignore her, and instead, she wove her arm through Simon’s and turned her attention exclusively to Marina.
“Simon and I are expecting.”
“Rachel!”
Predictably, Marina was the one who was the happiest. Her face lit up at the announcement, and she went to hug her sister.
“You were keeping this news from me?” she asked. “Oh, my. You are going to be a mother!”
“Yes. We just had it confirmed. It’s still early, but…” Her hand instinctively drifted to her abdomen. “We are excited about it.”
Simon placed a hand on his wife’s back. “We are happy to have you as an aunt,” he said. “I can tell already that you will be actively involved in this little one’s life.”
“Of course I will,” Marina said. “There is no question about it. This has made my day. Thank you for sharing.”
Letitia looked between them.
“Congratulations,” she managed to sputter out with great difficulty. “I suppose you both are very happy.”
“Can’t you tell?” Rachel smiled.
“Well, good for you,” Christopher mumbled under his breath. “At least you are carrying on my bloodline.”
Rachel winced at that. She did not wish to think of it that way—she wanted to only carry on her mother’s legacy. Christopher was only a stain in her life that she wished to forget entirely.
“A duchess and now a mother,” Letitia said, perhaps to compensate for the fact that she’d been thoroughly outdone. “You seem to be accumulating titles.”
“I suppose I am,” Rachel replied. “And remarkably, not a single one came from you or Father.”
Letitia opened her mouth—then promptly closed it again.
“This baby will be so loved,” Marina jumped back into the conversation. “We must prepare, and—oh! Have you told Aunt Jean? She will be beside herself!”
“I imagine she will start planning the christening before I’ve even begun preparing myself,” Rachel laughed softly.
Marina turned to Simon, grinning. “Congratulations to you as well, Your Grace. You must be thrilled.”
Letitia stood abruptly, fanning herself.
“I feel a bit unwell,” she announced. “You will have to excuse me. I need to get some air.”
“Of course. Do take your time,” Rachel said, laughing now. Letitia had reached her limit. There was only so much that her poor, jealous heart could handle.
Letitia stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
She got to yelling at the staff straight away, likely trying to vent out her frustration.
Marina gave Rachel a sideways glance and rolled her eyes.
“Ignore her,” she said, shaking her head. “She cannot handle seeing you so happy.”
“I suppose she will have to get used to it. Now, we must also take our leave,” Rachel said gently. “It’s been a long evening.”
Marina looked relieved as she stood, casting a careful glance at Christopher, who merely grunted in response.
“Will you accompany us to the carriage?” Rachel asked her sister, who nodded and followed the couple out.
Once they were out of earshot, Marina laughed loudly.
“Oh, God.” She shook her head. “I loved seeing that. Letitia was thoroughly upset. You’d think she was being tortured in there.”
“I’m fairly certain she’d have preferred that to sitting through my pregnancy announcement.”
“She was green with jealousy,” Marina said, “and trying so hard not to show it that I thought she might actually explode.”
“If she gives you trouble,” Rachel said, looping her arm through her sister’s as they descended the steps, “you must write to me. I’ll come back and finish what I started.”
“I doubt she’ll try anything again—not after today.” Marina grinned.
“Perhaps. But Letitia has never taken defeat gracefully,” Rachel noted.
“She’d better learn,” Marina smirked. “You’ve set the bar far too high now. There’s no keeping up.”
“I did not want to ask this in front of Father and Letitia,” Rachel pulled Marina to the side, “but you must tell me if there has been any progress on your side. Is there anyone you’ve taken a liking to? A gentleman who’s caught your eye?”
Marina seemed to jump at the question, but then calmed herself again.
“No,” she said quickly. “No one in particular.”
“Are you sure?” Rachel questioned, raising an eyebrow, but Marina only blushed and waved her hand in the air.
“I am, I am,” she said. “Now please—your carriage is waiting for you.”
Rachel found her sister’s behavior suspicious but decided not to press further. If there was someone, then she would tell her eventually.
Instead, she nodded and gave Marina’s hand one last squeeze. “Write to me if anything changes. Or even if it doesn’t.”
“I always do,” Marina agreed.
They said their goodbyes and stepped into the carriage. The moment the doors shut behind them, Rachel allowed herself to relax.
Simon watched her closely.
“What?” she asked, finally.
“Nothing.” A playful smile formed on his lips. “Just that you were magnificent in there.”
“Oh,” Rachel let out a laugh. “Well, I have to say that it is quite a lot easier dealing with my family now. You sound surprised.”
“I am not,” Simon murmured, shifting closer. “Only proud.”
His hand slid along the curve of her thigh, even though they had just gotten into the carriage and her father’s manor was still visible from the windows.
“Simon—”
“I like watching you be in control of the conversation today,” he murmured against her ear. “But I will remind you that whenever you’re with me like this, I get to be the one in control.”
Rachel found herself breathing harder. Simon always knew just the right things to say. He trailed his fingers up slowly, tracing patterns over her dress.
“Simon, we are in a carriage…” she tried to protest.
“And?”
Rachel let out a soft breath. His fingers did not relent, even for a moment.
“Are you really surprised that I cannot keep my hands to myself, darling?”
“We’ve barely left the drive.”
“Exactly. Which means we have time.”
“Behave,” she warned, though there was no real heat behind it.
“You say that… but you’re already letting me lift your skirts.”
She bit her lip, heat crawling up her neck, her thighs already trembling under his touch, and then, she turned to face him.
“Wait till we get home.”
Simon pulled away then, chuckling softly to himself. “Fine, then. But the moment we are alone—”
“I know,” Rachel interrupted, blushing.
They had been together countless times now, and each time it felt just as exciting. Rachel crossed her legs, feeling the heat pool in. Simon only smirked at her.
Because they both knew—once they arrived home, there would be no stopping him.