EPILOGUE – SYLVIE
Three Years Later
“If you’re looking at April, the gardens are particularly beautiful,” I said, sliding a folder out. “Actually, that’s when I got married this year, and I can show you some of the photos from my wedding.”
“Really?” Amy, the bride-to-be opposite me bounced in her seat. “I would love that!”
I smiled and slid it over to her. “There you go. As you’re aware, we partner with several local businesses in a package deal.
You’re free to choose your own vendors, of course, and I can coordinate them with no problem, but the photos you’re looking at were taken by our partner photographer, Lucy Vale Photography. ”
“Oh, they’re beautiful,” Amy breathed. “Sam, look. They look like a fairytale!”
Her fiancé bobbed his head. “They’re really nice.”
“Nice? Is that the best you can say?”
“They’re wedding photos, babe. I’ve seen thousands of them. If you like it, we’ll get married here. As long as you’re happy.”
“I’m so sorry about him,” Amy said, glancing at me as she leafed through more of my wedding pictures. “He’s got the appreciation of a turnip.”
“It’s fine.” I laughed and shook my head, pulling out another small folder.
“Our partner florist is my sister-in-law—she did both my flowers and my sister’s before that.
She’s incredibly talented, and…” I continued talking up Beth’s strengths, as well as going into brief details about the other local businesses we’d struck up close working relationships with.
“I do like the sound of that whiskey tour,” Sam said, eyeing the flyer. “You said they offer a discount when booking via you?”
“Yes, and just to be clear, we don’t benefit financially at all,” I explained. “Just word of mouth from us all working together.”
He nodded slowly. “And, uh, I don’t mean to be rude, but…” He glanced down at my slightly swollen stomach.
“Sam!” Amy hit him. “You can’t just—”
“It’s fine.” I smiled warmly. “I understand the concerns, but rest assured, there will be no conflict with your wedding whatsoever. I run the business with my husband’s mother and sister, and they’re both more than capable of stepping in in case of an emergency.”
She paused, then tilted her head to the side. “Wait. You live there, don’t you?” She looked between me and the photos. “Sam, look. That’s the Duke of Castleton. That means…” She gasped. “Oh, yeah, it’ll be fine. Everyone knows how close the Castletons are.”
Sam looked between us, then shrugged. “I’m just here to sign the cheques, babe. If you want this…”
Amy hesitated, then squealed. “What dates do you have available during our ideal window?”
I opened the diary with my best smile. “Let’s have a look, shall we?”
***
I leant against the doorway and folded my arms across my chest, taking in the sight before me. “Is that my nephew?”
“Technically, it’s our nephew,” Tom said, gently rubbing the baby’s back.
“And why is he here?”
“Your sister called me.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Tom, I told her no.”
He peeked open one eye and looked over at me. “She didn’t tell me that.”
“Of course, she didn’t!”
“Shh, you’ll wake him.”
I pushed off the doorframe and glared. “Call Hazel and tell her to retrieve her child.”
“She’s going to yell at me again,” he muttered, slowly sitting up while cradling baby Jack.
“Good,” I said firmly. “Let me know when you’re done on the phone so I can yell at her for going behind my back. Again.”
“Hold on. Let me put him down, and I’ll call Julian.”
I rolled my eyes and turned, taking myself to the kitchen. This was his problem, and he could deal with it.
It wasn’t that I didn’t love my nephew, because I did, I just didn’t want to finish work only to have to look after a baby.
A bit rich to say that while I was literally growing my own, but that was different. That was my baby. I chose this.
I did not agree to be my sister’s on-call babysitter whenever the whim took her.
She’d learnt many things since her wedding, but clearly, we still needed a crash course on boundaries.
“All right,” Tom said, walking into my office ten minutes later. “Julian is coming to get him now. He was under the impression you were all right with it, and I quickly set that record straight.”
“Thank you.” I shoved a fizzy peach ring gummy sweet into my mouth. “She’s taking the piss. We only looked after him last week. She’s still on maternity leave, for God’s sake.”
He sat down next to me and pulled me into him, resting my head on his shoulder. “Bad meeting?”
“No, it was a perfect meeting. He’s a walking chequebook whose only mission in life is to make her happy.”
“Ah, the hallmark of all good men.”
I pulled back, eyeing him. “Just because you’re a vastly wealthy simp for your wife doesn’t mean everyone is.”
“True. I have found it easier to just give you whatever you want, though.”
“I don’t think wealth has anything to do with that. That’s probably a universal experience for men.” I popped another sweet in my mouth and sucked off more of the sugar. “Do we have more of these?”
“I can have more in an hour.”
“That might be a good idea.”
“Noted.” He pulled out his phone. “Zara will get some.”
“Zara is working! She has a meeting with the gin distillery and—”
“And she can stop on her way back here,” he replied. “Are you done for the day?”
I sighed. “Just a bit of paperwork, but not a lot.”
“Good. You look tired.” He gently brushed some hair from my eyes. “How are you feeling?”
“A bit better,” I said slowly, then held up the bag. “These are really good.”
He grinned, resting his hand on my small bump. “Are your parents coming for Christmas this year, by the way?”
I shook my head. “They’re on a cruise. Hazel had a hissy fit because it’s Jake’s first Christmas, but it’s non-refundable or some bullshit.”
“Some bullshit,” he mused. “I know which one I’m going with.”
“Mm. Well, not all parents are meant to be grandparents.” I paused. “Or parents.”
“At least the wedding opened your sister’s eyes a bit.”
“Hers or ours?” I said dryly.
He laughed, sagging back into the sofa. “Both? Especially ours. That one definitely opened a lot of people’s eyes.”
“Mm. I don’t want to think about all that. As far as I’m concerned, they can cruise off into the sunset and leave us to enjoy our lives.” I rested my hand on my bump, just above his, and closed my eyes. “Oh, I wish I could take a nap.”
“Why don’t you? Just half an hour.”
“No, I can’t. I’m still behind on some things from a few weeks ago. I really need to get it under control.” I sighed, forcing my eyes open again. “I’ll rest after. Wait, where did you put the baby?”
“Jack? He’s on the doorstep.”
“Tom…”
He laughed and got up. “He’s with Lizzie, don’t worry. She’s watching him while I check on you.” He leant down over me and kissed my forehead. “Are you sure you’re fine?”
“Yeah, it’s nothing I can’t handle. Don’t forget we promised Danny we’d go to the Christmas markets with him tonight. He wants to buy Beth and Zara their Christmas presents. I think he wants something for Lily, too.”
“I know. He’s only reminded me every day this week.” He grinned and kissed me again. “Rest now, okay? I’ll come and wake you in half an hour.”
“You promise? Only half an hour. No longer. I have to work.” I yawned and repositioned the sofa cushions as I lay down.
“Yes, I promise.” He gently laid a blanket over me and tucked me in. “I’ll handle everything, don’t worry.”
“Mm. Famous last words,” I murmured, snuggling in under my little blanket. “Can you throw another log on the fire, please?”
“Of course.”
The air filled with crackling, and I smiled into my blanket.
“Is that better, Your Grace?”
I opened my eyes to his face right in front of mine and laughed. “Yes, thank you. Remember, half an hour.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Thirty minutes only.” Tom dipped his head and kissed me softly. “Sleep. Do not pick up your phone. In fact, I’m putting it out of your reach.”
“But I—”
“No.”
“Okay,” I muttered, watching as he put my phone on the shelf on the other side of the room. “You know me too well.”
He smiled from the doorway. “Of course. That’s how I conned you into marrying me, after all.”
I yawned. “It wasn’t a con if I willingly participated.”
“True.” His eyes softened. “Have a good rest, my love.”
I closed my eyes as the door clicked shut, and I smiled into my blanket. I could barely believe that only three years ago we were still bickering every time we saw each other.
Not that we’d stopped that, mind you.
And now, here I was, about to spend my first Christmas back in Castleton as an official resident of the village once more.
Not only that, I was married.
I was having a baby.
I hadn’t left behind the life I’d built—I’d taken it with me and rebuilt it brick by brick, stone by stone, and tile by tile.
It hadn’t been easy.
But now, as I lay here, giggling into my blanket at the sound of my husband telling my sister to, “Shut up before you wake her up,” I knew one thing.
It was worth it.
Every tear, every bit of sweat, every moment I spent lying awake, wondering if I was making the right choices.
It was all worth it.
All because Thomas had, once upon a time, saved my Christmas.