Epilogue
Three months later…
December in Kent was even more frigid than in London.
Rowan’s country seat, Crestwood Manor, smelled of damp earth, salt from the distant coast, and the wild, unclipped hedges of the estate.
A cold breeze whipped through Tamsin’s hair, and she shivered in her heavy coat, burrowing her hands deeper into her fur muff.
They’d arrived earlier in the day to celebrate the holidays, but as soon as it had gotten dark, Rowan had led her up to the roof of the manor. She had a feeling she knew why, and her heart pounded with excitement.
His hand rested on the small of her back, steadying her as they climbed the final set of narrow stairs. When they emerged onto the flat, leaded walk, she let out a breath of pure wonder. The sky was so much clearer here, the stars a dusting of diamonds thrown across an infinite black.
“You said the stars were brighter in the country,” Rowan murmured, his voice low and warm against her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. “And I wanted to make certain you were able to see them whenever you wanted.”
He stepped aside, gesturing toward the center of the roof. There, mounted on a sturdy, mahogany tripod, stood a gleaming brass telescope. It was a magnificent piece of craftsmanship, the polished metal catching the faint starlight.
Tamsin gasped, her hands flying to her lips. “Rowan! Is this... for me?”
“I remembered what you said that night at our engagement ball—about feeling small under the sky but wanting to know it anyway.” He watched her with an expression that suggested he found her far more interesting than the constellations.
“It arrived from the maker yesterday. I had the servants bring it up here while we were at dinner.”
Tamsin moved toward the instrument, her fingers tracing the cold, smooth brass. She peered through the lens, adjusting the dial. Suddenly, the blurry white smudge she had been looking at resolved into the sharp, cratered beauty of the moon, so close she felt she could reach out and touch it.
“It’s perfect,” she whispered, her eyes shining when she looked back at him. “I never thought I would have this. I never thought I would have any of this.”
She looked out over the silhouette of the trees at the vastness of the estate that was now their home. She had never felt at home in London, but even though they’d only been here a few hours, she felt like the queen of a peaceful kingdom. The happiness was so thick in her chest it almost ached.
Rowan came to stand behind her once more, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest to shield her from the wind. “Are you happy, Tamsin? Truly?”
She leaned her head back against his shoulder, looking up at the sky. “I didn’t know it was possible to feel this safe. To feel like the world isn’t something I need to hide from.”
She took a steadying breath, her hands covering his where they rested over her stomach. The secret had been humming inside her for three days, waiting for the right moment.
“Rowan,” she said softly. “I have something I need to tell you.”
He stilled, his chin resting on her hair. “Yes?”
“There won’t be just the two of us much longer,” she whispered, turning in his arms so she could see his face. “By next summer, this house won’t be quite so quiet anymore.”
The transition on Rowan’s face was even more profound than it had been the night she’d told him she loved him.
The shock lasted only a heartbeat before it was eclipsed by a raw, radiant joy.
He didn’t speak; he simply let out a choked sound of disbelief and lifted her off her feet, swinging her in a slow circle under the canopy of stars.
“A child?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion as he set her down, his hands trembling as they moved to her waist. “Our child?”
“Our child,” she confirmed, laughing through the tears that finally spilled over.
Rowan looked up at the stars, then back at Tamsin, his eyes bright with a fierce, protective love. “Then I suppose,” Rowan whispered, gently kissing the tip of her nose, “we will get used to the chaos. I can’t wait for all the adventures yet to come.”
The stars continued their slow, ancient dance above them, but on the rooftop in Kent, their world was small, warm, and entirely complete.
Thank you for reading RAKED AWAY IN SEPTEMBER. I hope you enjoyed Rowan and Tamsin’s story as much as I loved writing it.
Keep reading for a special preview of book ten in THE RAKE REVIEW SEASON TWO, Outrageous in October by Kathleen Ayers.