Epilogue
Less than a fortnight later
At barely one week old, Louisa’s and Phineas’ infant daughter lay in her mother’s arms, her little hands balled into fists and her head slowly turning red as she got ready to bawl. Indeed, it seemed the little angel had inherited her mother’s spirit, loud and boisterous and demanding.
Yet Juliet loved her with all her heart.
She loved the few tufts of strawberry blonde hair upon the little girl’s head and the wide blue eyes that looked out into the world with such impatience, as though she could not wait to explore it all.
Indeed, all her sisters, their husbands as well as her parents and grandmother doted upon the little girl, completely taken with her sweet smile and mischievous grin.
Not even Bash and Sam left her side for long, staring into her little face as though it held secrets they wished to uncover.
“Oh, she’s about to do it again!” Louisa exclaimed in a hushed voice from where she sat nestled in an armchair by the fireplace, a warm blanket draped around her legs.
Her eyes flew up and met her husband’s as he all but lunged himself toward her, snatched up the little angel with the practiced efficiency of a father and then marched around the room in a half-bounce, half-skip step that looked utterly ridiculous.
However, while most of the Whickertons soon had tears streaming down their cheeks as they did their utmost to suppress their laughter, the little girl decided against wailing at the top of her lungs, snuggled deeper into her father’s arm and finally closed her eyes.
“As ridiculous as this looks,” Thorne remarked with a wide grin as he followed Phineas around the room with his eyes, “it works like a charm.” He exchanged a delighted look with his wife. “It’s like magic.”
All but puffing out his chest, Phineas smiled at them proudly. “Fifth day as a father, and I’m already breaking records,” he remarked far from modest.
In answer, Louisa laughed, shaking her head at him. “You talk as though you invented this. It’s a proven technique to calm infants.”
Phineas shrugged, then grinned at her challengingly. “Then you do it.”
Louisa glared at him. “I’d love to,” she said in a frighteningly sweet voice.
“Then let’s agree that with the next one, we’ll mix it up.
I’ll do this odd bouncy thing of yours to calm her, if you promise to carry her for nine months and then make it through labor—which is such an adorable word for a dreadful experience that I want to slap whoever came up with it.
” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Well? Are we in agreement?”
Wisely, Phineas refrained from answering and instead continued his rounds about the room. Juliet noticed that whomever he passed could not help but crane their neck and stare at the sleeping angel.
“Oh, I cannot wait to hold my own,” Anne whispered longingly, her hands placed gently upon the slight bump under her dress. Then she looked at Tobias. “Oh, and I can’t wait to see you do that!”
Her husband laughed, as did everyone else.
Juliet exchanged a meaningful look with her own husband.
While the two of them did not yet have news of their own to share, they were hopeful that little Bash soon would have a brother or sister.
Another Whickerton to add to the growing clan.
Indeed, Juliet could hardly wait to see a bunch of little girls and boys chase each other on the lawns and climb up into the fort that was currently under construction in the perfect tree outside.
“And what about her name?” their father asked as he looked from Louisa to Phineas and then to his wife. “Have you finally settled on one?”
A meaningful look passed between the two new parents before Louisa’s gaze darted to Grandma Edie, seated only a few paces beside her in an armchair of her own. “We have, yes.”
“And?” Harriet demanded impatiently as everyone else seemed to draw closer, eager to hear what it was.
A smile came to Louisa’s face, and for a moment, Juliet felt overwhelmed by the strong maternal glow she saw light up her sister’s eyes. “Well, we’ve decided to name her…Edith.”
Everyone looked expectantly at Grandma Edie…who failed to utter any form of reply as she was currently soundly asleep, the only sound passing her lips a deep snore.
Laughter once more echoed through the drawing room, disturbing neither the snoozing infant nor the snoring great-grandmother. “Why Edith?” Harriet inquired, her gaze darting back and forth between her grandmother and her new niece. “Not that I object. I’m merely curious.”
“Well,” Louisa began, “for one, I cannot deny that I, myself, possess certain meddlesome tendencies,” quite a few nodded their heads in agreement, “and apparently Grandma Edie once told Phineas that he reminded her of Grandfather.” Blinking back tears, Louisa shrugged.
“I suppose we thought that…there should be another Edie in the world.”
Now, everyone was nodding in agreement, more than one set of eyes misted with tears. “That is a wonderful thought, sweetheart,” their mother said as she walked over to her daughter and placed a kiss upon Louisa’s forehead. “It’s a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.”
“Aye,” Keir agreed, his blue eyes livelier than Juliet had ever seen them as he peeked into little Edith’s face.
“She’s a bonny lass.” His gaze moved to Phineas and a teasing grin came to his face as he clasped a hand upon his shoulder.
“I promise ye, the time will come that ye wish she weren’t.
” He laughed heartily as Phineas glared at him.
While Drake and Jack remained rather quiet, as they often tended to, Thorne was not the kind to hold back.
“Honestly, considering her namesake, I cannot help but wonder what kind of person she will grow up to be.” He grinned wickedly, not only his eyes darting back and forth between the two Ediths. “A force of nature, no doubt.”
Phineas nodded enthusiastically. “That is exactly what we thought.” He looked down at his sleeping daughter, and the softness and devotion that came to his face made Juliet’s heart ache. “I want one as well,” she whispered quietly to Christopher.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Only one?” he asked with a wide grin.
Juliet chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind a dozen. After all, that means we only have eleven more to go.”
Christopher’s grin broadened as he tugged her into his arms. “I like how you think, Wife.”
“Well,” Harriet exclaimed as she turned from the two Ediths and looked at their brother, who stood in a corner by the pianoforte, “six siblings and five are married.” She grinned at him, wiggling her brows and completely ignoring the steel-like expression that came to his eyes.
“Any marriage plans upon the horizon, Troy?”
Juliet drew in a sharp breath, for she knew her brother well.
He might appear calm to most observers; however, she could see the tight control he was currently keeping upon his emotions.
She saw the way his teeth ground together, the muscles in his jaw tense, as he kept his hands linked behind his back, which he always did when something unsettled him deeply. “Harry, perhaps we should not—”
Unfortunately, Harry did not hear her. “What about Nora?” she asked as everyone stared, the same question on all their minds.
After all, in the previous weeks, all of them—in varying constellations—had discussed their speculations regarding Troy and Nora at great length.
Of course, Troy was not aware of it and clearly had not seen this ambush coming.
Stepping forward, Troy met Harriet’s gaze unflinchingly. “I would appreciate it,” he said in an even, yet barely restrained voice, “if you kept your nose out of my affairs.” Then he turned and marched toward the door.
Unfortunately, yet again, Harriet was not so easily swayed. “I know you care for her. We all do. Why do you deny it?”
Troy froze, and for a long time, it appeared time itself had stilled.
Then, ever so slowly, Troy turned upon his heels to face his sister, his blue eyes cold and hard, revealing the depth of his emotions better than a flood of tears could have.
Juliet cringed at the sight of it. “I do not care for whatever you think you know,” he said with a deadly calm.
“Lady Nora means nothing to me beyond an old acquaintance. In fact, I plan on searching for a suitable wife come next Season.”
Juliet drew in a sharp breath as Troy held Harriet’s gaze for a moment longer. Then, he once more turned to leave.
Like a dog with a bone, Harriet was about to speak up again; however, in that moment, the door opened and a rather breathless man covered in snow stumbled into the room, whom Juliet recognized as Gerald, one of the grooms at Fartherington Hall.
“Gerald!” Christopher exclaimed, exchanging a concerned look with Juliet before he strode toward the man. “What are you doing here? Is something the matter?”
Gerald drew in a deep breath and then spoke. “I’m afraid I bring bad news, my lord. Your mother bade me ride to Whickerton Grove as fast as possible.”
Juliet felt an icy chill crawl down her back and knew from the expression upon her husband’s face that he, too, feared to hear the messenger’s next words.
“Speak!” was all Christopher said.
Gerald nodded. “This morning, Lady Nora went for a ride,” he swallowed, and out of the corner of her eye, Juliet noticed Troy tense, “and she has yet to return.”
Christopher’s face paled. “How long has she been gone?”
“Four hours.”
Shocked murmurs went through the room. “It will be dark soon,” Christopher growled with a look out the window at the snow-covered countryside. Then his gaze snapped back to the messenger. “Where did she go?”
The man shrugged. “I’m afraid we do not know. Lady Nora rides out often, but she always returns after two hours. We’ve dispatched men to look for her, but Lady Lockhart…eh…the Dowager Lady Lockhart bid me to ask for your assistance.”
“Of course,” Christopher bit out, his gaze pained as he looked at Juliet. “We have to find her.”
“We will join you,” Juliet’s father stated, and one by one, his children and their spouses rose to their feet, nodding their agreement and support.
Phineas gently returned little Edie to her mother’s arms before he, too, stepped forward.
“When she rides out,” he asked the group, “where does she go?”
Everyone shrugged, including the messenger. Juliet turned to look at her brother. “Perhaps Troy kno—” She broke off when she found the spot where he had stood only seconds before empty.
A moment later, the sound of hoofbeats could be heard outside, and as they rushed to the window, they spotted Troy charging down the drive.
Despite his words, Nora clearly meant a lot more to him than an old acquaintance. Juliet could only hope that he would find her in time.
THE END