Epilogue
“Who is Kelly talking to out there?” Deanna asked, peeking through the lace curtains in one of the back bedrooms of the old Beaufort house, a room they’d temporarily turned into a dressing room for the bride.
Rose’s hair and makeup were done, although she was still wearing a satin bathrobe, and she moved next to her sister to look outside at the beautifully decorated backyard and garden.
Kelly was out there, already dressed for the wedding, looking sleek and gorgeous in a deep rose sheath dress and high heels.
She was talking to a grinning young man who had a casual, breezy air and was very good-looking.
“I don’t know who that is. Grandmama, do you know? ”
Their grandmother walked over slowly and glanced out the window, her face changing slightly as she did. “He is a Blake.”
Rose understood her grandmother’s thought processes enough to understand this description. Blake must be his last name, and his family must have a long-standing history in the area. “How does Kelly know him?”
“The Blakes are a very good family.”
“What is his first name?”
Mrs. Beaufort gave a little shrug. “Peter, perhaps.”
“Oh, Peter,” Deanna said as if a light had finally gone on in her head. “She knows him from college, I think. She’s talked about him some, but she’s been very clear that they’re only friends.”
Rose laughed, unsurprised that her sister would have stressed the nature of the relationship given how prone their grandmother was to trying to manage their lives and partners.
Her grandmother tsked her tongue and said under her breath, “The Blakes are a very good family indeed.”
Deanna met Rose’s gaze in silence, both of them understanding that this boded something significant for Kelly.
Then Deanna shook off the thought and said with a smile, “I think you better get your dress on now. There’s really not that much time before we need to go down.” She was dressed for the wedding party too, in a dress that matched the one Kelly was wearing.
Their grandmother was already lifting the vintage lace wedding dress, and Rose felt a thrill of excitement at the sight.
She couldn’t believe she was actually going to wear that old dress as one of the Beaufort women had done almost a hundred years ago.
She couldn’t believe she was actually going to be married to James in a little over an hour.
“James is going to be speechless when he sees you in this,” Deanna said, a look of warm affection on her face. “You’re going to be so incredibly gorgeous.”
Rose felt gorgeous—even before she put the dress on. And what was more, she felt loved and loving and happy, knowing her family was down waiting for her. The girls were so excited about being flower girls this afternoon, and James…
There was no way she could ever doubt how much he loved her.
“He’s already seen me in this dress.”
“Well, he was speechless back then, if what Kelly tells me is true, and he’s even more crazy about you now as any fool can see. I’ve never seen a man who seems to have grown even more in love every time I see him.”
Rose loved the idea, although she would never have believed it possible a year ago—even eight months ago.
Deanna and her grandmother helped her on with the dress, and Rose sucked in a breath as they fastened the top buttons at the back. They’d had to make adjustments to the bodice to accommodate Rose’s larger breasts, but now the gown fit perfectly, falling smoothly over her body to the floor.
“It’s perfect,” Deanna said, covering her mouth with her hand for a moment as she stared. “Absolutely perfect.”
Rose glanced over to her grandmother even though she knew that the woman was never openly affectionate, or even admiring. They all knew that about her. She showed her love in different ways.
So Rose’s eyes burned with emotion as her grandmother murmured, “Georgina Beaufort would be proud to have you wear this dress.”
“Thank you,” Rose managed to say, reaching over to squeeze her grandmother’s hand.
The old woman leaned over to kiss Rose’s cheek, a rare gesture and one that flooded her chest with feeling.
Then her grandmother murmured at her ear, “Georgina was in the same condition as you when she wore this dress.”
Rose didn’t understand immediately, and she was frowning as she straightened up. Then the words clicked in her brain and she gasped, looking down at her mostly flat belly. “What?” she choked. “What?”
Her grandmother didn’t answer, looking perfectly oblivious.
“I’m not—” Rose couldn’t even get the words out. There was no way—no way—she could be in the same condition Georgina Beaufort had been on her wedding day.
Pregnant.
“Don’t worry about it,” Deanna said, obviously having heard the words too. She was smiling in a comforting way, but there was a question in her eyes that made Rose shiver. “You know how she is. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
Their grandmother just smiled as silent and enigmatic as one of the Pride.
“It’s nothing,” Deanna said again, obviously trying to get Rose back on track since she hadn’t yet been able to do anything but stare. “Turn around again. I’ve got to get the rest of these little buttons hooked. There are about a million of them, you know, and they take forever.”
Later that evening, after the reception, James complained about that very same thing after he and Rose had fallen into a bedroom together, halfway in an embrace. Except he was complaining about how hard it was to get the buttons undone—so he could get the dress off.
Rose hadn’t said anything to him about what her grandmother said. There was too much going on, and all day they were both too distracted.
It was a beautiful wedding—in the garden of the Beaufort house. The reception was lovely, and Jill and Julie were practically exploding with excitement the whole time.
The wedding night was nothing to complain about either.
But the following morning, on the way to the airport for their honeymoon in Hawaii, Rose made a quick stop at a drugstore to buy a pregnancy test.
Just in case.