Epilogue

EPILOGUE

“ M ust you always have your hounds, Penelope?” Lady Egerton asked irritably in the dining hall of Garvey Manor.

Penelope groaned. “Yes, Mother!”

“This is Garvey, Penelope,” the mother scolded. “I don’t think your hounds are as accepted here as they are at home.”

Lucy giggled from the floor as the pair of hounds sniffed her cheeks and neck, their wet noses leaving a trail of tickles along her skin. She grasped their snouts, giving them as many kisses as they’d allow.

“I say,” Lucy called out, “they aren’t here enough!”

Alicia stood silently outside the room, listening in on the conversation. A smile made its way onto her lips at their interactions, the sound of laughter filling the once sullen halls of Garvey. She grasped her stomach as butterflies danced around nervously.

“Alicia.”

She turned to see Matthew approaching from down the hall. An enveloping smile spread across his face, and he reached, grasping onto her hands and pulling her into a tight embrace.

“My dear,” he murmured into her hair, “why do you wait outside?”

She smiled sheepishly. “This is the first time we are all together.”

“That is a wonderful thing.”

“I know,” she whispered, wanting to press herself into his chest till she could hide within his coats.

“Then what is it?”

Alicia pulled back to meet his gaze. “Suddenly, this all feels very real.”

He smiled. “It does.”

“No more secret mornings of just you and me,” Alicia said quietly.

“No more private dinners.”

Alicia grinned. “Are you scared, Matthew?”

The duke placed both hands on her face, leaning down till he could press a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Not at all,” he replied against her skin. “Not at all.”

Alicia took his hand, feeling as though he had transferred some of his courage into her with that kiss. “Let’s go then!”

Together, the pair dipped into the dining room.

Lady Egerton sat at one end of the table while Penny and Lucy were too busy on the floor with the dogs to pay any attention to them.

“My dear Alicia,” Lady Egerton drawled, her arms extended as she left the table.

Alicia rushed into her mother’s embrace. “Mother,” she said. “How grand it is to see you.”

“I’m so glad we received the invitation.”

Matthew glanced around. “No Owen this evening?”

“I’m afraid not,” she replied. “Some urgent business whisked the boy away to Scotland. Can you believe it?”

Alicia raised a brow. “Perhaps a trip away could do him some good.”

“Perhaps,” Lady Egerton said with a shrug. “But never mind that! We are here now, and despite everything I have said, there’s no getting either one of your sisters off the ground away from those hounds.”

She reached for Matthew, gripping his elbow in a motherly way. “My apologies, dear, but it seems your Lucy is infatuated with them.”

Matthew sighed. “She’s just trying to convince me to get some of my own, Lady Egerton.”

“Is it working?” Lucy suddenly called out from the floor.

Matthew rolled his eyes.

“You’ll have to keep trying, Lu,” Alicia replied for him as she tucked her arm around the duke’s. “I know you girls are quite preoccupied, but might you tear yourselves away for one moment?”

Penny’s head could be seen popping up over the table. “Whatever for? There are more important things down here, Ali.”

“Penny,” Alicia said with a stern playfulness. “The hounds aren’t going anywhere!”

“Are you?”

“Well, no.”

“Then we might as well stay down here!”

There was a series of giggles from Penny and Lucy as they lay with the dogs.

“Leave them,” Lady Egerton said, “before I have a conniption.”

Alicia tightened her grip on Matthew. “Mother, we have some news.”

“What is it?”

Matthew glanced at Alicia, both of them sharing the same nervous glint in their eyes.

Lady Egerton stepped closer. “Well, now you’ve got me curious. Out with it, you two!”

Alicia felt her hand instinctively drift to her stomach, holding the base below her belly button. The butterflies from before seemed to dance around at the contact. “Mother,” she began.

Lady Egerton’s eyes snapped down to Alicia’s stomach, then rapidly back up to her. “Are you?”

Matthew grinned.

“Yes, mother,” Alicia whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

A squeal that almost sounded like a goose echoed through the room, erupting from between Lady Egerton’s thin lips. She jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Alicia and Matthew, pulling them down to her height for a sudden hug. All their faces grew wet with shared tears of happiness.

“What on earth is going on?” Penny asked, now curiously standing behind them.

Lucy popped up alongside her. “Adults,” she muttered. “Never make sense.”

Alicia pulled out of her mother’s embrace. “Girls,” she began, still holding her stomach, “the duke and I are pregnant.”

Almost immediately, Penny stuck her tongue out. “ That’s why you wanted us to stop playing with the hounds?”

Lucy gleefully clapped. “How splendid!”

Alicia laughed, unable to stop herself from crying. Matthew wrapped himself around her, holding every piece of her together as they marched towards a new journey.

The End?