Epilogue
Derrington Chase February 1813
The Green Room
“Royce is already a wreck. Could you two cease your petty squabbling until after the baby is born?” Grayson looked at Maggie and Aden as Royce paced in front of the bedroom door.
“I need to be in there with her,” Royce said in a panicked voice as another moan came from the other side of the door. “Or perhaps not.” He sat in the vacant chair next to the door and raked his hands through his hair.
“I think it will be a girl,” Desmond said, breaking a moment of quiet.
“Boy,” Maggie and Aden said simultaneously as they glared at each other.
“Girl,” Grayson added, breaking the tension.
“Well, that is two for a boy and two for a girl. Brother, you are the tiebreaker.” Desmond clapped Royce on the back.
“I do not care either way as long as Della and the baby are healthy.” Royce’s comment was interrupted when he heard a tiny wail.
After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, and a nurse smiled at Royce. “You can come in now, Your Grace.”
In his eagerness to get into the room, Royce tripped over his chair, causing him to stumble into the room. He would have been embarrassed, but it quickly faded when he saw Della sitting on the bed, her tired but content smile putting him at ease.
“Will you come to say hello to your daughter?” she asked, cradling the newborn infant.
“Daughter?” Royce nervously made his way to Della’s side. With a mix of excitement and fear, he reached down and felt the weight of the babe as Della placed her in his arms.
“Hello, little one. We have been waiting for you.” Royce met Della’s loving gaze, and he felt a warmth spread through his chest, as if he had finally unlocked the secret of what it meant to love and be loved in return. “What shall we name her?”
“I was thinking Nell, after my mother, and Wilhelmina after yours.”
“Nell Wilhelmina Derrington it is,” he said, as he gazed down at his daughter with more love than he thought he could ever feel.
Royce placed his finger into his daughter’s hand, marveling at the perfect tiny creature they had made when Della’s breath hitched, and he saw her hands clutching at her stomach.
The doctor rushed to her side as she let out a quick scream, and the nurse guided Royce and their newborn daughter out of the way, giving the doctor more room to work.
“What is it? What is going on?” Royce demanded, as Della let out another a cry of pain. With his daughter in his arms, he stood there, a sense of helplessness washing over him, as the doctor attended to his beloved wife, who he loved more and more with each passing day.
“What is happening, Your Grace—”the doctor finally said, between Della’s moans—“is that you are now the proud father of twins. One girl and…one boy.”
The doctor smiled at Royce as he handed the babe to the nurse and turned to take care of Della. After cleaning the babe up and swaddling him in a small blanket, the nurse placed him in Royce’s other arm.
“You and your mother gave us quite the scare. Please refrain from doing so in the future. My heart cannot handle it.” Royce heard a laugh and looked up to see Della smiling, looking more beautiful than ever.
“Well, what shall we name our little surprise?” Della asked as the nurse helped her to sit up.
“What about Reginald after my father and Ezra after yours?” Royce suggested, letting Della lift their son from his arms.
“Reginald Ezra Derrington,” Della said lovingly.
“May we come in?” Maggie asked, nearly jumping out of her skin with excitement.
“Yes, of course.” Della smiled brightly.
“Everyone else will visit later. They thought it best not to overwhelm you all at once,” Maggie said as she, Aden, Desmond, and Grayson all piled into the room.
“May I present Nell Wilhelmina Derrington,” Royce said, holding the babe so everyone could see her. “And her brother, Reginald Ezra Derrington,” he added, looking at Della.
“There are two?!” Maggie exclaimed.
“Trust me, we are just as surprised as you are!” Royce laughed.
“My goodness, two more Derringtons. Mother will be elated!” Desmond smiled.
“Maggie and Aden, we have a question for both of you. We were hoping—” Della paused and looked at Royce.
“That you would do us the great honor of being godparents to these two.” Royce continued. “With uncles like Grayson and Desmond they will need all the help they can get.” Royce’s eyes twinkled with laughter.
“What did we ever do to you?” Desmond asked in pretend outrage.
“I do not think you want Royce to answer that.” Grayson clapped his brother on the shoulder and laughed.
“You want me to be a godmother?” Tears formed in Maggie’s eyes.
Aden cleared his throat.
“What?” Maggie asked, planting her hands on her hips.
“Are you sure you are the right person for such a job?” Aden asked, taking a jab at her.
“And you are worthy of such a title yourself?”
Aden hesitated for a moment, as if he was about to argue, but then he put on a smile and turned to Della and Royce.
“I congratulate you both, and I will, of course, gladly accept. I could think of no greater honor. We better let the new family get some rest,” he said, ushering everyone out of the room. “Beauty before smarts.” He bowed to Maggie, waving her through the door.
“Then you should go first,” Maggie said with a false smile.
Aden simply nodded and left without saying another word.
“Congratulations again. I love you both…well now the four of you.” Maggie smiled before closing the door softly behind her.
Della sighed. “Royce?”
“Hmm?” Royce responded, smiling down at his daughter.
“Maggie and Aden—”
“What about them?”
“Do you think they truly believe in their dislike of one another?”
Royce sat gently on the bed and kissed Della soundly on the lips. “Who can say, What Fools Believe?”