Extended Epilogue
Six years later
“Eleanor, come out of that lake,” Matthew ordered his five-year-old daughter. She stopped splashing and turned pale blue eyes at him.
“There are not enough elephants in Africa to make me come out,” she said, placing her tiny hands on her hips.
Good lord! Matthew looked heavenward. Diana had taught their children the phrase, and they were tormenting him with it. He took off his coat and began to wade into the water to get her.
Something hit the back of his head and he turned around, his mouth falling open when he saw Eleanor’s twin brother, Simon, reach for another strawberry from his pocket to throw at him. Matthew raised a warning finger. “You will not do that.”
Simon pouted. “There are not enough elephants—”
“You will not say that either.”
“What can I say then?” Simon folded his arms across his chest, his brows knitting.
He walked with the children every morning, and today’s destination was the lake of the dancing willows—the name Diana had concluded would be the permanent name for the lake. Eleanor had run into the water the moment they arrived, while Simon stood on the bank to play with pebbles.
“Say you will not throw food at anyone again.”
Simon opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Eleanor caught Matthew’s leg. “Arrrggghhh! I am the sea serpent!” she growled. “Release the prince or I will eat you!”
With one hand, Matthew fished her out of the water and placed her on his good shoulder.
He could carry her on his bad shoulder, too, because it rarely ached, but he chose not to unless he was carrying both of them.
“Unhand me, you unnoble knight!” Eleanor giggled, ruffling his hair.
“That is not a word, Eleanor,” Matthew laughed.
“The sea serpent declares it a word!”
Matthew turned and held his hand out to Simon. “Come, I shall return you to the queen.”
“Do not believe the knight, Prince Simon!” Eleanor squealed. “He will imprison you in a tower.”
Simon picked up a twig from the ground and took a stance, swinging it like a sword. “En garde, unnoble knight!”
Matthew decided to be what they called him, and he scooped Simon up, holding him under his arm as he wiggled.
“All of you are mine now!” he roared, and they giggled.
“Mercy, knight!” Simon squealed. “Mercy!”
“No!” Matthew started back toward the castle. “The queen will place you in a tower herself.”
In their play, Diana was the queen, Matthew the noble knight—now unnoble—and the twins, a sea serpent and a prince. Matthew had begun the story, but now Eleanor and Simon wrote it themselves.
McGill opened the door for them, his brows slowly rising when he saw their mud-covered feet and Eleanor’s soaked frock. “We went to the lake,” Matthew explained, heading for the stairs with them.
“Matthew?” Diana’s voice stopped them, and his heart stuttered in delight.
“Oh, no!” Simon gasped, hiding his face behind Matthew’s leg. “Do not tell her about the strawberries, Papa.”
“I heard that,” Diana said sweetly as they turned around to see her in the drawing room doorway. “Did you throw strawberries at your sister again?”
“He threw them at his father!” Eleanor giggled, and Diana’s brows rose.
“I will apologize,” Simon quickly said, then looked up at Matthew. “Forgive me, Papa.”
Matthew shook his head, chuckling, “You are forgiven.”
“Mama, will you give me more sugarplums now that I am forgiven?” Simon pleaded, his large blue eyes sparkling.
“You will if you go up to the nursery and clean yourselves,” she said. Eleanor was the first to run up and Simon followed. Matthew began to reach for Diana but she took a step back, grinning. “You, too, darling.”
He grumbled and started up the stairs. She was still smirking up at him when he reached the landing that separated the wings of the castle, and he could not help laughing.
***
“Did they go swimming again?” Helen asked Diana when she returned to the drawing-room.
“Yes.” Diana smiled. It had taken three years but her mother had redeemed herself. She was spending the summer with them, while Jacob remained in London. He visited but not as often because he still felt a lot of guilt about what Margaret had done to Diana and his denial at first. Florence lived in London, too, after marrying a baron but she wrote to Diana often.
They were as good with each other as cousins and friends ought to be, and the affection that Margaret had prevented them from finding now existed between them. In her last letter, Florence had mentioned that she was expecting her second child and hoped that it would be a girl so her little boy, Edmund, would have a sister to play with.
Her aunt had been exiled to Scotland, and Diana had not seen or heard anything about her since. Crawford was in prison, while Annabelle was taken to Ireland. Diana seldom remembered them, and when she did, the thoughts were fleeting because she had so much more to occupy herself with now.
The sound of tiny feet in the front hall filtered into the room, and Helen began to laugh as Marcus, Emma’s son ran into the room. Emma had married the Earl of Dereham after all, and they had three children. Marcus was first, and the same age as her twins, the second was three years old, the last only five months old, and they were all boys.
“Aunt Diana!” He ran to hug her, and she ruffled his chestnut hair. “Do you have sugarplums?” he asked, then glanced at Helen. “Good morning, Grandmother Helen!”
“May I have sugarplums?” Emma corrected, walking into the room with Marcus’s brother, Brandon. She gave Diana a wink when their eyes met.
“Yes, I have them,” Diana whispered to the boy. “Everyone will have sugarplums at the picnic.”
Marcus jumped, then ran out of the room, calling the twins’ names.
Emma greeted Helen and sat, releasing Brandon’s hand, who ran out after his brother. Diana glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearing noon and almost time for them to go out. They were going to have a large picnic under one of the large oak trees in the castle. She stood. “I should see to the picnic preparations,” she said.
“Do you require help?” Emma asked, sitting up.
“I am only going to speak to Mrs. Ross,” she replied, walking out of the room.
Abigail was descending the stairs when Diana stepped into the hall, and they smiled at each other. She was her lady’s maid now. After Margaret’s exile, she had come to the castle to bring the remainder of Diana’s dowry that was hidden in the fireplace of her bedchamber, and Diana had asked her to be her permanent lady’s maid.
“Can you help me check the picnic preparations?” Diana requested.
“Of course, Your Grace.” Abigail curtsied as Diana began to run up the stairs. As she turned left on the third floor and started toward her and Matthew’s chambers, she saw Albert walking toward her.
He no longer required a cane, and the hitch in his step was barely noticeable. “Your husband owes me fifty guineas,” he said, grinning. “He lost a wager to me just now.”
Diana laughed, stopping. “I will ensure he pays you if you tell me what the wager is.”
“I cannot.” His cheeks colored slightly.
Diana’s eyes narrowed. “You have never excluded me from your dealings before, Albert.”
“Hmm, I think I hear my wife calling me.” He walked past her down the hall, leaving her puzzled. In a happy coincidence, Albert was married to Viscountess Saville’s daughter, Blanche, and they had two children, John and Bertha, who were also going to be attending the picnic.
Shaking her head, Diana opened the door and walked inside just in time to see Matthew shove something into a drawer and close it. “Matthew?”
“Yes, darling?” He grinned, standing in front of the bureau next to the window in their sitting room that looked out into the garden.
“Is there something there?” she asked, more curious now. It could not be a coincidence that both Matthew and Albert wore guilty expressions on their faces.
“No, of course not.” He straightened the dark green coat he had changed into. “Did I tell you the twins made me forget my coat at the lake?”
“No, you did not,” Diana said slowly, walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his middle, smirking. “Will you go back for it?”
“Yes. After the picnic.” He began to lower his head but Glover walked into the bedchamber just then with Matthew’s sodden clothes. He bowed quickly, his face coloring, and exited the room.
Diana got what she wanted, a moment alone with Matthew, and she rose onto the tips of her toes to kiss him.
“Will you tell me what you are hiding?” she murmured.
“I am no—”
She pulled away from him and began to undress. His eyes darkened and he groaned. “Very well. I will tell you before you fog my mind, and make me tell you everything,” he chuckled. “It is a gift for your birthday.”
Her hands that were pulling her dress down her shoulders stopped. “My birthday is five months away.”
“One can never be too early.” He pulled her to him.
“What is it?” she asked, growing breathless when his finger traced her collarbone.
“I cannot tell you. I will lose a bet against Albert if I do.” He kissed her neck.
She laced her fingers through his hair the way he loved, and he groaned again. “Will you tell me, darling? Please?” she begged sweetly.
“I will tell you if you will allow me to love you afterward.” Matthew pulled her dress down to her waist, reaching behind her to undo her stays.
“We have a picnic,” she protested with a giggle.
“They can wait an hour.” He gave her a wicked smile.
“Agreed. What is my gift?”
Matthew released her and opened the drawer, pulling out a blue velvet box. When he opened it, her breath caught because on a satin bed was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. “It is a rare blue diamond,” he whispered. “And the fiery stones are opals.”
“Matthew, it is divine!”
“You are divine.” He removed the necklace and circled it around her neck. “I wanted to wait until November but now is better.” He fastened the clasp at her nape, then took her hand and led her into their bedchamber so she could see herself in a mirror.
Diana gasped at the sight, realizing the colors of the gems were close to the colors of their eyes. Matthew kissed her shoulder, his gaze tender through the mirror. “Perfect,” he murmured, kissing her neck again as his hands returned to her stays.
“I do not know how to thank you.” He knew how to steal her words and leave her completely speechless.
“You gave me two little imps that I utterly adore. That is more than enough.”
She did not realize her stays had been undone until she felt his hands on her breasts, and a smooth current of pleasure ran through her body. She surrendered herself to his touch, forgetting the picnic.
In Matthew’s heart, Diana had found a home, and in her arms he was complete. They were stars that burned brighter every day for their love.