Epilogue

Eight Years Later

"I have an announcement to make," Hamish said from his spot by the mantel, the same spot he claimed every Saturday after their weekly family dinner.

Camille snorted and gave her sister-in-law a pitying expression. "Charlotte, you poor dear." Her gaze cut to her brother. "Four children wasn't enough?"

Percy chuckled from the window seat where he currently held the Duchess of Lux's latest of six children. "The heir, the spare, the pair..." He winked at Hamish. "Have a care."

"Still no Byron," Don Deime mumbled beside him.

Percy gave his brother-in-law a grin. "But it rhymed."

Danny rolled her eyes at their antics and took her usual role of peacekeeper—a full-time job with this family. "You have an announcement, you say?"

Hamish raised his scotch and beamed at his wife. "Charlotte is to be published."

When the exclamations and congratulations died down, Renard asked, "How did this come about?"

Hamish took Charlotte's hand and smiled. "Cambridge academics finally came to their senses. Her research on the co-mingling insect species of the Egyptian desert will take front page on the next edition of Entomological Journal ."

Charlotte scowled. "Under a male pseudonym." Her face softened into a smile that didn't bode well for the stuffed shirts. "But that is temporary, I assure you."

"I happen to like ‘Charlie.' He has fire," Hamish said.

Charlotte giggled. "You like the trousers that come with the name."

Hamish's voice went low. "I like when you take them off, anyway."

Camille gagged. "Go back home if you're going to be gross."

Hamish arched a brow. "You're one to talk, sister." He made a pointed look at her stomach and the swell of baby growing inside. "What did you say about poor dear ?"

Renard came to stand behind his wife and rested a hand on her shoulder. "We also have an announcement."

"Not much of an announcement." Hamish chuckled. "We see the evidence clear enough."

Camille made a vulgar gesture with both hands that left the women occupants of the room grinning.

" Our news ," Renard said. "Miss Forthright's Home for Female Companions is now franchised."

"We break construction in Southwark by month's end." Camille's smug tone did nothing to detract from the pride in her voice. "Not only that, after providing proof of the rise in job productivity in the local area since our founding, we received word from the local parish at Greenwich they'd like a consultation to improve their existing Home for Women, possibly converting into our system of education and relocation."

Charlotte applauded. "Brava!"

Danny and Don raised their glasses.

Hamish swelled with brotherly pride. "Well done."

Percy caught his wife's eye and watched her tip her chin in a small nod. Chest light, he stood and addressed the room. "Well, since we're sharing." Percy gazed at his lovely wife, who laid a hand on her midriff. Happiness bubbled up until his smile could no longer be contained. "We're—"

"Pregnant!" Charlotte squealed, launched herself at her friend, and tugged her into a tight embrace. "I'm so happy for you both."

Don offered Percy his hand. "Congratulations, Byron."

Percy had no illusions he grinned like a fool. "Thank you."

They'd waited a long time for children, to the exasperation of Danny's mama and the quiet concern of Lord Bromley. But Percy and Danny shared no regret for how they'd chosen to spend their nights working for a private inspector—Percy's old contact—an inspector who'd decided to retire this year and leave the business to a less-than-proper duke and his duchess.

No one knew of their sleuthing or Danny's growing skill range from pinpoint shots of a moving target to lockpicking to identifying counterfeit sculptures on sight.

Using his experience to save women from abusive relationships, locate stolen funds for the local shelters, find loving homes in the country for six of Lord Pickles's seven kittens—all at the behest of his knowing wife—the past eight years had been the happiest and fullest of Percy's life. Gazing down at his beautiful wife, glowing with the early signs of pregnancy, he had a quiet suspicion his happiness was to double in the coming months.

Don finished hugging his sister, his smile genuine. "Make sure to remind Denise not to tell Mama until you are eight months and no longer able to hide your condition. We'll all be happier for it."

Danny winced. "Actually, I have yet to tell Denise or Mama." She shook her head at her brother's sour expression. "I meant to tell you all together after she returned from her outing since you know how troublesome Denise is when she's the last to know—"

A commotion outside cut her off and then the doors to the drawing room burst open, and the troublesome woman herself stood in the doorway, hair askew, eyes wild.

"I was here the entire morning!" Denise squeaked before she dashed to the open seat on the divan, smoothing her lavender skirts and snatching an embroidery hoop from the basket on the floor—a leftover from the staff, no doubt, since none of the women in this room so much as touched a needle that wasn't attached to a doctor's kit or torture device.

Percy shared a knowing look with his wife, expecting to see the Countess of Bromley track through their home any second, Bible in hand. After eight seasons and no proposals, everyone knew from experience to run and hide when Lady Bromley was within lecturing distance of the youngest Deime sibling.

Danny shook her head at her sister. "What did you do now?"

"Nothing!"

"Denise—"

"DENISE DEIME!"

The scandalous shriek had everyone in the room turning to the drawing room doors, where Lady Kendra appeared, red faced and breathing as if she'd given chase up the two flights of stairs at a cheetah's pace, in skirts.

Percy spared a glance at his sister-in-law and enjoyed a rare vision of the spirited woman blushing fiercely.

"You can't run away after that," Lady Kendra said.

Denise swallowed and failed miserably at sounding composed. "Lady Kendra, what a pleasant surprise. You know my sister, the duchess—"

"Don't give me those insipid pleasantries. I demand to know what you meant by kissing me the way you did!"

All attention went to Denise, whose face was now the color of boiled beets. "I—I..."

"You said you loved me," Kendra continued, eyes fixed on Denise. "Did you mean it?"

The room held its breath. Percy saw the fear in Denise's face, fear of reprisals for admitting what everyone else could plainly see.

Denise bit her lip, her eyes pleading.

Kendra would give no quarter. "Did you?"

They all waited. Denise glanced at her sister, then brother, seeing their shocked expressions widen into grins of approval. After eight seasons, they'd all shared suspicions that Denise Deime preferred hens to cocks.

Frankly, this was long overdue.

Denise's sigh of relief was short-lived as she answered the other woman. "Yes, I meant what I said."

Kendra nodded. "Good."

She crossed the room, and in full view of the three couples—and Don—the heartless wench they'd all known as an envious-flirt-turned-spinster took Denise's face in her hands and kissed her, soundly.

Camille hooted.

Charlotte applauded.

Danny laughed.

Percy gazed in awe at the assembled band of lunatics he was honored to call his family, feeling his wife's hand slide into his.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and cushioned her head. "Well, I'm properly scandalized."

She smiled. "That was unexpected."

"You know what this means?" he whispered.

"We need to up our game?"

"Absolutely." Percy regarded Denise and Kendra as they shared shy glances next to each other on the divan, the unmistakable warmth of love in the air. "We can't allow your sister's grand spectacle to stand. What we need is a bold counter."

"Fireworks over the Thames? Knife-throwing at St. James? Pinching the new bear sculpture from Pleasure Park?"

"I was thinking of a walk through Hyde Park stark naked."

She laughed. "Your competitive spirit may very well end up in the pen, dear husband."

Percy tipped her chin up and caught his breath at the glint of mischief in her eye. Eight years after their wedding, and he still found himself at a loss for words—and a desire for a loss of clothes—when she touched him. "Any objections?"

She shook her head. "None at all. I've plenty more suggestions."

His body shivered at the innuendo in her voice. "Tell me."

Running a finger down his arm, she raised up on tiptoes to whisper a wicked image of a circus tent by the river's edge and something unimaginable with high wires.

His own trousers tenting at the erotic scene she conjured, he nipped at the sensitive lobe of her ear. "When did you concoct such a naughty fantasy?"

"After I read a History of the Barnum and Bailey Greatest Show on Earth ."

Percy sighed. "Have I mentioned how I adore how much you read?"

She chuckled. "Glad you agree."

"Shall we begin practicing now?" he asked. "There's a narrow ledge in the maze that would do nicely."

She smiled knowingly. "This ledge wouldn't be part of a fountain, would it?"

"Perhaps."

"Hmm." She wrapped her arms around his neck and glanced at the beckoning terrace doors. "We must be careful. People have been known to spend hours lost in the maze."

"Hours, you say?" Percy ran a hand down her back, maneuvering them around furniture and away from the others still lost in the joy and distraction of Denise's budding romance. "My darling, we have a lifetime of avoiding the authorities to look forward to."

Danny grinned. "Why does that sound more appealing than it should?"

Percy rubbed his nose against hers and tickled her side with deft fingers. "Because you married a dangerous man."

Danny shook her head and laughed. "You are up to no good, sir."

He caressed her cheek and stared down into the eyes of his goddess. "Does the idea make you happy?"

"Exceedingly."

Entwining their fingers, they stepped out onto the terrace that overlooked a greenhouse of coconut trees—a successful batch of a small variety that had survived when three other varieties had never made it past a year. Remembering those first three years of failures and his wife's endless teasing, Percy sighed.

Laughing, as if she too remembered, Danny led him down the stairs and into the hedge maze, where they lost themselves for a lifetime.

And never considered finding their way free.