Extended Epilogue
If there was one thing Sophia wasn’t sure she could handle, that was Pall Mall. She wasn’t playing, of course—Michael would never allow her to in her current state—but the sight of it alone exhausted her. She wrapped her hands around her protruding stomach, taking a deep breath—she couldn’t get used to pregnancy no matter how hard she tried.
“What are you dwelling on this time?” Michael asked. He sat next to her on the tall grass, joining her, while the rest of the family continued their game of Pall Mall. He kissed her gently on the lips, allowing her a moment of peace.
“The fact that I can’t do anything while pregnant.” Her words sounded whiney, but she still held a smile on her face. “Apparently, I’m enough to scare Meredith away from marriage. Am I that pitiful?”
“Of course not, my love. We’re just teasing you here,” he said. “Well, not Meredith. She likely means it knowing her.”
Sophia sighed. Meredith’s coming out ball was approaching soon, and she had mentioned more times than anyone could count that marriage was something she absolutely dreaded and wished to avoid. Sophia understood her intentions, but Michael still needed some persuading.
A ball rolled up toward them, and Sophia stood up at once. She stretched—as much as her full stomach could allow—picking up the ball and throwing it back with such force. It didn’t go that far, naturally.
“I’ll get it!” Meredith yelled out. She ran toward it and toward Sophia. “Don’t strain yourself next time; you might get hurt.”
“I’m all right, Meredith; you already know this. Tell her, Michael.”
“Sorry, my love, I’ll have to agree with Meredith,” he said. “The doctor warned us that you shouldn’t move too much these weeks until the babe is here—I don’t want you hurt.”
Sophia groaned, feeling irritable. It was her odd swings of mood acting up again, but she was also tired of the pregnant life already—she couldn’t do anything. She walked a couple miles, and a parade of warnings came her way. Well, it would all be worth it in the end, as if she was certain of one thing, it was that she could not wait to see her child for the first time. She supposed that made all the fussiness worth it for now.
“I’m certain it’s far better than sitting all day. And besides, I—”
Sophia hesitated, holding her stomach tightly and groaning from the pain. Another cramp, this time much more intense.
“Sophia!” Michael ran her way, quickly. He held her steadily, and everything seemed all right once more.
“I think a moment of respite would do me some good after all,” she said. She sat down on the tall grass, feeling slightly better until yet another one hit. But the tighter Michael held her, the less pain she felt. She took a deep breath, wrapping her arm around him.
“Call the doctor,” Michael instructed. “Are you hurting? Is the baby coming?”
Sophia shook her head. “I’m all right. Sorry for worrying you.”
Michael continued to hold her close as if any movement she made would bring her closer to giving birth. She didn’t like being treated with such fragility, but she understood his worry—frankly, she was worried too. Her heart warmed at the realization of how much Michael truly cared about their well-being as a family and their unborn child.
“I like that you’re smiling so much, but it makes me wonder why,” Michael said.
“Nothing in particular,” she said, “I just realized how much I love you.”
***
A week later…
Michael and Sophia walked hand in hand to the estate Anthony had left her. His will stated that she would keep everything—from his wealth to his estate, to even his horses. It was far too overwhelming, of course, and she had come to a single decision: she would gift the orphans one of the largest houses to allow them the life they never had. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to accommodate all of them for a long time. And it was far better than the house they had back in the slums.
Both she and Michael were currently standing in front of it now. It was a two-floor building (similar to most of the royal estates around London) with an even larger garden, suitable for playing and running around. The orphans were currently inside due to the temperamental weather, and the estate was shrouded with an intense fog that slowly seemed to be subsiding.
“I used to hate rainy weather,” Michael said, as he clutched the umbrella tighter and Sophia closer to him,
“What changed then?” Sophia asked.
“You,” he quickly replied. “Well, I mean, the day we met. It was raining, and to this day, it reminds me of your stubbornness.”
Sophia grinned, kissing him on the cheek. They walked closer to the estate, not knowing if the orphans were awake or not. It was seven o’clock in the morning, so they had arrived quite early. They knocked on the wooden door, waiting for a response.
One of the workers, a young woman with distinct gray eyes, opened the door and welcomed them back. The inside was just as cozy—if not more so—than the outside, and a homely aroma lingered.
“Don’t wake them if they’re still asleep,” Sophia said.
“Some are already awake, Your Grace. I can call them if you wish.”
Sophia nodded, thanking her. The woman disappeared up the stairs with rushed steps, calling after the orphans. Sophia hadn’t seen them for weeks now, but she promised she would check on them as frequently as possible (when she wasn’t busy being pampered by Michael and the others due to her pregnancy).
Tiny steps echoed throughout the home as Harriet’s little figure came into appearance. Her tiny frame jumped each step, giggling loudly as she raced with another boy next to her. She finally jumped the last stairs, standing frozen with her mouth open the moment she saw Sophia.
It took her a moment to react before she screamed, “Sophia!”
Sophia extended her arms, and Harriet ran up to her for a hug. Sophia couldn’t pick her up this time around, but she still held her as tightly as ever. The little boy, Jacob, walked slower, joining in on the hug himself.
“Have you grown taller, Jacob?” Sophia asked. “Oh, you too, Harriet! Look at you, you’re almost four feet.”
Harriet stood on her tiptoes, grinning proudly. “I’ll be five feet next year! And then even taller—I’ll be taller than Betsy too.”
“Where is Betsy?” asked Sophia.
“Asleep,” Jacob responded. “She was playing with Urania all day yesterday, so she’ll be asleep for a while. We can wake her up if you want—it shouldn’t be too hard if we tell her you’ve come.”
Sophia shook her head. “Oh, no, no, let her rest. I’ll come tomorrow too, so I’ll see her then.”
Michael, who had remained silent for a short while, cleared his throat and turned toward the children. He was teasing them. And they both turned in his direction, yelling, “Uncle Michael!”
“Glad to see you,” he replied. He embraced the two of them, then pulled away, walking to the back. He pulled out a bag of toys, handing it to them. “This is for you, make sure you share with the others,” he said.
The children held it in their hands, unwrapping the bag with excited faces. They pulled out cricket bats, wickets, and balls.
“Why don’t we go in the back so I can show you how to play?” Michael asked. “Sophia will help keep track of the score, right?”
“Yes, I will.”
“But it’s raining!” Harriet yelled out.
Michael stared out the window, realizing that the rain had already seized and the clouds slowly disappeared. “Not anymore. Come on, let’s go. Go, go, go!”
He held Sophia’s hand with one hand while helping the two children carry the items with the other. And together they went to the back garden, full of joy and happiness.
And Sophia knew this was the man she wanted a family with. This was the man she loved so much. And her life would only be perfect from now on.