Epilogue

Ramsgate Manor, July 1818

The sunshine poured in through the bedroom window and Eleanor blinked wearily. She felt dazed, like she was floating, exhaustion filling her and mixing with elation. She frowned, hearing voices outside the door. They slowly floated into her mind.

"Papa, please. I have to go in." That was Sebastian.

"Wait, son. They'll call you in a moment. It's no place for a man..."

"It's my place ! I'm her husband. They have to let me in."

Eleanor grinned to herself, her heart soaring at the sound of his voice. She gestured to Mrs. Glenbrook, who was Amy's aunt. The older woman went to the door and opened it, just as Sebastian burst in.

"Eleanor! Where are you? Eleanor..." The last word was a sigh as he stared down at her and down at the small baby who nestled on her chest. "Eleanor. Thank God." He knelt by her bed.

"May we call her Harriet?" Eleanor whispered.

"We may call her whatever you wish," Sebastian said softly. He reachedfor Eleanor's hand, gazing at the child. "She's beautiful. So tiny."

He took a shaky breath. He was crying, tears silent as they moved slowly down his cheeks, and Eleanor rested a hand on his hair gently. Even though she was exhausted, it was a strange sort of exhaustion. Strength seemed to flow into her as she held her little daughter, and as Sebastian held her hand.

"Would you like to hold her?" Eleanor asked softly.

"I would like that very much," Sebastian replied quietly. "She's so tiny, though. I don't want to hurt her." His eyes were wide and round with apprehension.

"You won't hurt her," Eleanor whispered. She reached for the linen wrap that Mrs. Glenbrook had put on the bedside table, wrapped the baby in the linen wrap and Sebastian gently lifted her. Eleanor stared. Shereally was tiny, Sebastian's hands seeming huge as he held her tiny form.

Eleanor studied her sleepily, amazed by her beauty as she had been the moment she saw her.The baby had brownish curls already, still damp and plastered to her head. Her eyes were closed, but she opened them uncertainly for a moment and gazed at Sebastian. They were a soft gray color. She closed them again and Sebastian breathed out.

"She's beautiful," he whispered. "You're beautiful," he added to Eleanor warmly.

Eleanor smiled, her heart flooding with warmth. She took Sebastian's hand and held it tightly. Her head was already foggy with exhaustion again, the need to sleep pressing in on her.

"You're rather lovely yourself," she whispered.

Sebastian grinned and leaned in and kissed her and she felt him rest Harriet on her chest again and then she wrapped her arms around the tiny child and fell asleep.

She awoke to find that the afternoon had progressed to evening. The sunshine was slanting in from the west facing windows, low and golden where it painted bars of sunshine on the hearthrug. She looked around, her eyes fastening on the baby in the cradle beside the fire. She slipped out of bed, wincing as she tried to walk to the cradle. Her entire body hurt, but the strange, sleepy strength that filled her made it possible to ignore that fact and she reached the cradle and lifted the baby out, gazing down at her. The child made a small sound, a little murmur, her eyes half opening.

"Hush, little one," Eleanor murmured, settling herself in the chair by the fire. She had decided that she would nurse the baby herself, which was not the custom for noblewomen, who usually hired a wet-nurse. All the same, she and Sebastian agreed they would not want it any other way.

Just as she was settling the little one in her cradle again, she heard a knock at the door.

"Eleanor?" Sebastian called. "May I come in?"

"Please do," Eleanor replied softly. She turned to the door as Sebastian strode in. She was wearing her nightgown—someone, presumably Mrs. Glenbrook, had helped her to change into a fresh one before she fell asleep. Sebastian was in the same suit he'd been wearing just before luncheon when the birth had started. He looked tense but his eyes shone when he gazed in her direction.

"Sweetling," he whispered softly. "Should you not be resting?"

"I'm all right, Sebastian," she said softly. "I'm quite well."

"You need to recover your strength," he said gently, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. "Come and rest," he addedtenderly, gesturing to the bed.

"I'm quite well, Sebastian," she replied firmly, grinning up at him. She sat down heavily on the bed, and he sat beside her. "I assure you, nothing happened to me. The birth went extremely well."

"Good. Good," he whispered, reaching out to take her hand. "I'm so glad."

"It went extremely well," she repeated gently. "And we are both fit and healthy," she added, glancing over at the cradle where Harriet slept. She had chosen to call her after her mother. She could not wait until Mama and Papa could visit and see their new granddaughter. Sebastian had promised to write to them and have the letter sent with haste to Woodford House, so that they could come soon.

"I can see you are," Sebastian replied, gently stroking her head, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I was so, so worried."

She chuckled. "You needn't have been," she replied softly. "It's all very natural, you know."

"I know," Sebastian said, grinning a little embarrassed. "But today is the proudest day of my life. The proudest, and the most terrifying."

Eleanor laughed. "Was it really so terrifying?" she inquired.

He chuckled. "I don't think I have ever been so frightened. It was truly frightening. I thought I might lose you," he added, reaching out and resting his hand on her face.

She smiled. "I don't intend going anywhere for the next sixty years at least," she declared firmly.

He laughed. "Good. I should hope not."

They both shared a smile. Sebastian glanced over at the cradle. "Is she sleeping?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, she is," Eleanor told him gently.

He walked over and stared down at her for a long moment, the tenderness on his face making Eleanor's heart ache.

He came over and sat down on the bed beside her once again.

"Please take care," he said gently, taking her hands in his.

She giggled. "Sebastian! I promise I am quite well. I will take care, but really. This was nothing bad."

"Truly?" Sebastian asked, his eyes wide and round.

"Yes. Truly," Eleanor assured him, grinning.

"Good." He let out a sigh.

"You believe me?" she teased.

"Yes," he said softly. "I believe you."

"Good." She smiled. "Because I want to have lots more babies."

Sebastian blinked. "You do?" he asked, laughing in surprise.

"I do," Eleanor said, her lips lifting at the corners as she smiled at him.

"Well, I shall not argue with you there, my dear. I shall not argue with you."

She smiled into his eyes, and he stroked her hair gently, then bent forward and kissed her lips as she lay down on the pillow.

"I love you, my sweetest Eleanor," he said softly, gazing down lovingly at her, his fingers looping through hers.

"And I love you too," she murmured, squeezing his hand and resting her other hand gently on his cheek. "I love you too."

The evening sunshine slanted into the room, shining warmly on the mat near the cradle, where little Harriet lay sleeping, the first of the Thorntons freed by love and truth, to stand in the light forever.

The End