Epilogue
With brown curls and midnight eyes, dressed in a blue cotton frock, dirt on her nose and knees, and recently turned three, Rose Reeves knew nothing but love.
Holding onto Cassandra’s finger for balance, the girl hobbled from the glasshouse to the oak tree, where wicker baskets held down a checkered blanket.
The corners of the cloth fluttered and lifted with the breeze, bringing with it the steam-spread scent of savory venison, roasted vegetables, and fresh bread.
“Papa!” Rose called out, pointing ahead.
Walking toward them from the house, still in his riding clothes, Seth rushed forward to scoop Rose from the ground and into his arms. He lifted her high and blew loud trumpets of air against her round cheeks.
Rose erupted in bubbles of laughter and wiggled as his beard tickled her.
Throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, holding her by her ankles, Seth leaned down to press his lips on Cassandra’s.
Trevor jogged up to them and opened his arms.
“What about me?” He grinned. “Give me that baby!”
Still squirming, Seth deposited Rose into her brother’s arms. Trevor rubbed the tip of his nose against hers.
“Did you miss me, Rosie?”
“What about me?” Cassandra put her hand on her hip. Trevor dutifully bent to kiss Cassandra on the cheek.
“Hello, Mother.”
Trevor had grown two feet during the past four years, and gained lean muscles from metal work while apprenticing under Seth.
Every other weekend, her son would accompany her to town and watch over her as she conducted her errands.
Cassandra knew he went along less for her safety, and more so he could flirt with the village girls.
“Anything in the post?” Cassandra asked Seth.
“Letters and a package from Lord Bolderwood,” he replied.
“A summons?”
Seth shook his head and frowned. “A wooden, rocking pony.”
“Do you hear that, Rose?” Cassandra sang. “Grandpapa Holly sent you a toy.”
The child babbled, “Holly!”
Seth’s eye twitched.
The Reeves family spent half of their year in London, and the other half in Lincolnshire.
When they were in the country, Lord Bolderwood’s summons came once every other month, and always arrived with a present for Rose.
When they were together in Hampshire, the Earl often had the child on his shoulders.
Rose was spoiled by both sides of her family, and her feet scarcely touched the ground.
Even now, she shrieked as Trevor lifted her high, pretended to drop her only to swing her up again.
“You’ve received some correspondence,” Seth said. From inside his vest, he brought forth three letters and handed them to her. The first one was a pristine white paper with an elegant script.
“From The Dowager Countess, Lady Worthing.” Cassandra smiled and her eyes scanned over the page. “Her son George has no taste for our shortbread… she reminds me that his birthday is in May… she eagerly awaits our arrival in London, and demands that I call upon her to ‘reacquaint the children’.”
Honora proved to be an unconventional but loyal friend to Cassandra.
After four years of Saturday breakfasts, Honora would not suffer negative comments about the Coopers.
Recovered and ruling the ton, she had taken Caroline under her wing for the last two seasons to teach her proper etiquette, of which she felt Aunt Valentine lacked and Cassandra had none.
Seth scowled. “If she’s trying to set up some sort of match between them, remind her they’re three years old and Rose isn’t marrying until she’s thirty.”
“You can relax.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Lady Worthing would never allow her son to marry our daughter, no matter how close friends we’ve become. She gets lonely, the company is as much for her as it is for George.”
Next, Cassandra reached for a well-traveled paper tanned from dust with a departure postmark from Spain on the front and the Dorchester seal on the back.
“It’s from Jasmine. She wasn’t satisfied with any of her prospects in Spain… they’re returning to London in the spring for what she hopes is her final season, as she’s now old enough to be a spinster and has ‘met every available bachelor in Europe,’ and didn’t like any of them.”
“That isn’t a battle that Aunt Valentine is going to surrender easily,” Seth said. “She’ll be more determined now than ever.”
Cassandra opened the last letter, one piece of parchment with frayed edges. When she opened it, a whiff of cedarwood teased her nose. Unsurprised, she said, “Matthew wants me to chaperon Caroline for the season.”
“He tries to get out of it every year.” Seth huffed. “What’s his excuse this time?”
Cassandra’s eyes scanned the page. “He says he won’t have time to track her down and play match maker while he’s searching…” Her voice rose with her brows. “For a wife of his own!”
Seth barked a laugh.
“Finally ready to settle down?”
“It’s about time.” Cassandra set the three pages off to the side of the blanket, setting a rock on them to prevent them from flying away with the breeze. “Being a rake doesn’t suit him.”
Seth smirked. “Trust me, it’s suited him quite well.”
“Please stop talking.”
Seth laughed and settled behind her on the blanket. Tucking Cassandra between his knees, he leaned against the tree. Closing his eyes, he hummed as she leaned into him.
“It’s decided, then?” he asked. “London for the season?”
“If it’s all right with you, I would like to go.”
“We can do that. I’ll write to Matthew and Lord Bolderwood to inform them of our plans.”
With a flutter in her heart and a smile tugging at her lips, she thought, now is as good a time as any.
“When you write to Matthew, tell him that I’ll chaperon, but for only half of the season.”
“And why is that?”
She whispered in his ear, “Because I’m expecting.”
His eyes snapped open. Hands trembling, he reached for her face, tilted her head up to his and when his eyes met hers, they were glistening. “You’re sure?”
Seth’s cool thumbs brushed over her cheekbones, soothing the heat of her blush, and he looked at her the same way that he had so long ago, over a book, a flickering flame, and a smile that started it all.
“Yes, I’m pos—oof.” He muffled her words with his lips, and he crushed her to him. Laughing, she wormed her way out of his hold.
“Having a baby requires the ability to breathe, Seth,” she teased. “Perhaps a boy this time?”
“Give me another girl.” He grinned. “Give me an entire house of them, just like you.”
Cassandra giggled as he pressed his thumbs into her ribs. Seth captured the sound in a deep kiss. And Cassandra thought that this was all she needed. An open sky. Food on a table. A wonderful husband. A family growing by the day.
And love.
Enough to last a lifetime.