Epilogue

EPILOGUE

S amuel smiled as he watched Nora walk down the aisle, her red hair styled in intricate curls down her back and her yellow dress adding to her sunny disposition. Her smile matched his as she walked up to him, looking every bit as lovely as she had the first time he saw her.

He looked to the side, where Benedict stood slightly behind him, a teasing smile on his lips.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the vicar said as they exchanged rings.

Samuel's smile remained fixed on his lips as they made their way out of the church.

The past few days leading up to their wedding had been the happiest days of his life. There was never a doubt that he would be happy and fulfilled in his marriage.

"So, Duchess, how does it feel to be married?" he asked her, grinning widely.

"I do not think I can say for certain, Duke. Perhaps you could ask me that again when the night is over," she teased, wearing a matching wide smile.

Samuel's eyes widened as he looked around them to make sure no one was standing near them.

She giggled softly, the sound sending a shiver through his body. "I have been reading some books I found in your library, Your Grace. One would wonder why you have such."

She ran down the stairs towards the carriage, and Samuel followed after her, snapping her up as their family and friends laughed behind them at their silliness.

He enjoyed being with her like this. No longer did he have to be serious all the time, wearing a mask to keep people away from him, but with her, things were different. He could be who he wanted to be without holding back.

They arrived at the wedding breakfast that was being held at his estate, and Nora took in the delicacies like roast meat, pies, and all sorts of cakes and desserts.

Samuel walked around, thanking family and friends for joining on their special day. He stopped to look at Benedict, who signaled for him, and he pulled away Nora.

"Do you have anything?" he asked.

Benedict nodded. "I have the information you requested. Lord Worlington is involved in a few illegal businesses. With all that I have found, I am certain that we can make him go to trial for what he has done."

Samuel nodded. "Thank you, my friend. I cannot think of a better wedding gift than this. I do hope the Duchess will be happy with that."

Benedict laughed. "How easily you have adjusted to calling her your Duchess mere moments after your wedding."

Samuel joined in the laughter. "Ah, but she has always been my Duchess. I have only just been able to officially call her that."

Benedict clapped him on the back. "How you have changed, my dear friend. I cannot say I am not relieved to hear it."

"Come on. Let's share the news with Nora and her mother," Samuel said, leading Benedict over to where Nora stood with her mother, smiling atover something she said.

"Lady Julia, there is something she said.

"Lady Worlington, there is something we must tell you and Nora," Samuel said. "We have found out that the Viscount has a hand in the trade of counterfeit jewels to unsuspecting nobles. Those who have fallen victim to these sales are embarrassed and vengeful. This will make it possible for us to make him pay for how he hurt you both."

Nora nodded in satisfaction. However, her mother gasped. They turned to her as her face fell, showing her devastation.

"Oh heavens. I cannot say that I am happy with this news. I must confess that I love Timothy. I know he is incredibly flawed, but I have loved him from the moment I saw him, and I don't think I will ever not love him."

She turned to Samuel. "I do know that he has to pay for everything that he has done, and I know that he has hurt us, but I will need some time before I can fully accept this."

She regarded Nora with a smile, caressing her cheek lovingly. "I know that I have disappointed you over and over again. It must not have been easy for you to watch me be so weak. I did not mean to be such a coward or ruin the idea of marriage for you. I can only be grateful that you have found your own happiness free from all of the pain and fears you had in the past. I do hope you will forgive me someday."

Nora shook her head, hugging her mother. "You do not need to apologize to me, Mother. I understand what you are going through, and I promise that I will always be there for you, no matter how long it takes you to feel ready to move on."

She pulled away and smiled at her mother encouragingly, just as the Dowager Duchess joined them.

"Lady Worlington. I would like to invite you on a trip," the Dowager Duchess said suddenly. "I am a part of a dowagers' club. Most of the ladies are widows. However, there are some who simply wish to join us and enjoy the time we have together, and we allow them. I do hope that you will consider it and join us on our trip. It truly will help you get your mind off everything that has happened."

Lady Worlington smiled at her. "Thank you for the offer, but I do not know if I can do that. I still have a lot to do at home."

Nora looked between them and then at Samuel, who nodded. "If you truly wish to go with her, I would be more than willing to help with everything."

Her mother smiled. "Truly? I wouldn't want to be a burden."

Nora shook her hands. "Of course not. He is my brother, after all, and I do not mind taking care of himYou are never a burden."

"Nora!"Nora."

Selina turned around with a smile as her friends hurried towards her.

"Oh, Nora, it was such a beautiful ceremony, and you look so beautiful in your dress. I could not stop crying," Selina said, wrapping her arms around Nora in a hug.

Nora giggled. "Thank you, Selina. I'm glad you were both able to join me."

"We wouldn't have missed it for anything," Thalia said, smiling at her as she hugged her too.

"It was indeed a beautiful wedding. I don't believe I've been so happy to see two people wed," Benedict said. "Pleased to meet the friends of the new Duchess."

Selina smiled, placing her hand in his for a kiss. "I'm Lady Selina, and this is my sister, Lady Thalia."

"Lady Selina, Lady Thalia. I don't believe I will have any rest if I do not tell you how beautiful you both are."

Selina giggled, turning to her sister, who glowered.

Nora hid her smile. Thalia had always been protective over her sister when it came to men like Benedict. Men with sugarcoated tongues who were so quick to dole out compliments and only really cared for what they stood to gain.

Benedict was as much a rake as they came, and Thalia would never let Selina come near him if there was anything she could do about it.

"I'm certain it will not be so difficult for you to live with yourself if you do not compliment us, Your Grace," Thalia said, an eyebrow raised as she looked him over with a sarcastic smile on her face.

Selina softly jabbed her in the ribs, causing Thalia to glare at her.

"Do not listen to my sister, Your Grace. She does come off as cold sometimes, but I assure you she isn't," she said with a soft smile that contradicted Thalia's.

Nora giggled at something Samuel said as they retired for the night. She had looked forward to having him to herself, where they could just be who they were without having to worry about anyone but themselves.

"So, it would seem that we will be having our seven nights, after all," Samuel said, a wry smile on his lips as he advanced towards her almost predatorily.

"Ah, but, Your Grace , we will be having more than seven nights together. We will have nights for as long as we both shall live.

"I think I like how that sounds," he said, lifting her into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him.

She lowered her head to kiss him as he carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.

"Careful, love. We wouldn't want to end up with broken necks only hours into our marriage," he said, spanking her ass and making her giggle.

She laughed as he hurried to the room, dropping her on the bed. He jumped in beside her, and climbed atop her, supporting himself on his hands and knees. She kissed him softly as his hands wandered up and down the length of her body, pulling and tugging at her clothes until she lay naked on the bed.

She stayed her hands before she could cover herself up, even as her body turned a shade of red. Samuel kissed a trail from her neck to her breasts, sucking her nipples into his mouth, one after the other. He smirked as her body arched off the bed.

"I've dreamed of worshipping all of you," he said, kissing down to the small of her waist and the dip of her navel.

She writhed on the bed as he kissed even lower, parting her red curls with his hands. He breathed her in and licked as she groaned under his ministrations.

"Oh, Samuel," she groaned, wrapping her hands around his head, the memory of the last time they were together like this igniting her pleasure and searing her skin.

"I've touched myself as I thought of you. Just like you showed me," she said, moving his head away as she played with her clit, arching her back as she rubbed the swollen nub.

Samuel groaned. "I don't believe I've ever seen a more beautiful sight."

He took her finger, bringing it to his lips as he licked it clean. He then directed her hand to his covered length. "This is what you do to me, my Duchess."

He stripped off his clothes and lined himself at her core, grinding his teeth as he pushed into her warmth. He kissed her eyelids when she moaned in pain.

"I'm sorry I have to hurt you, Duchess," he said, his eyes showing that he truly meant what he said, not that she had ever doubted him.

Nora spread her legs wider to accommodate him as he slid into her once again until he was fully inside her. He pulled out and thrust back in, slowly until she got used to him being inside her.

She gasped as he rolled his hips, her eyes widening when pleasure shot through her. She looked at him in surprise, and he grinned.

"There it is," he said, rolling his hips once again to hit the same spot.

She rolled her hips against him, matching his movement, however poorly she did it. Her arms wrapped around his back as she pulled him closer.

Nora gasped as the pleasure built in her core. She rolled her hips faster, chasing after the pleasure. Her eyes closed as Samuel latched on her nipple, the sensitivity intensifying.

"Oh, Samuel," she moaned, her lips parted into a silent O.

Her pleasure built faster, intensifying until she could no longer control it, losing the rhythm she'd developed. She gasped as Samuel's movement turned erratic, and his eyebrows kitted, his face contorting into what was now her favorite expression on him.

So free and without fear as he spilled inside her, his warmth coating her insides. Nora tensed around him, groaning as her body shook and she came.

She came down from her high, her chest heaving.

"Oh my. I don't believe I have ever experienced anything like that," she said just as Samuel pulled out of her, pulling her into his arms for a cuddle.

"There is so much more to come," he said, pecking her on the lips. "You are my forever, my little rabbit"

Nora nodded, his words sounding like a promise to her. There truly was so much more to come.

The End?