Epilogue

Hastings Park

March 20, 1872

Although Io and Corbin officially pledged their troth on a cold day in January, they both considered their real wedding day to be March twentieth, or 3-20 by the American calendar, a date they both believed to be an excellent omen for future happiness—if two such practical people were to believe in foolish things like omens or fate.

And yes, it just so happened to be a Wednesday.

Even though it was the middle of the Season, the duke had insisted they all return to Hastings Park for the celebration. To Corbin's surprise, his friend had no plans to return the family to the London residence.

"We can return next year and stay the entire time. I know we could all use some time to relax," was all Hastings would say when Corbin had inquired as to his change of plans.

He suspected part of the reason for Hastings's desire to return to the country was that the sudden dissolution of his betrothal to Miss Edith Barrymore had made life awkward for his friend in London.

In any event, it was a merry group who converged on Hastings Park to celebrate Corbin and Io's union on that chilly, but sunny, day in March.

The house party included not just relations, but new friends and many country neighbors who were delighted to have the leading family back home during a time of year when life was generally quite dull in the country.

Surprisingly, several others—like the Duke of Axbridge—had taken time away from the social whirl to come to Hastings Park.

While it was true that the majority of the guests were acquaintances of either the duke or Eva—the most gregarious of the Hales—Corbin had seen more than a few of Eva's friends casting shyly admiring looks at Io.

He suspected that his wife would soon have an even larger following among the daughters of the aristocracy than she could already claim.

Io and Corbin were not taking a wedding journey as they'd already had one—at least the journey back from New York with Lizzy, not the one out, with Edith.

The journey home—and part of him would probably always think of New York as home—had naturally been tense. Courtesy was more or less bred into his bones, but Miss Barrymore had strained his manners to the breaking point. Often. She had not made the journey easy, especially not for Io.

"Fortunately, I will have my delightful husband to soothe my ruffled feathers every day," Io had teased before they'd begun the long sea voyage. "And I shall have his body to take out my aggressions on every night."

Io had done that and more.

As enjoyable as the nightly sensual abuse had been, the days had been filled with a brittle courtesy that had snapped often over the course of the nine-day trip and Corbin had been relieved to hand Miss Barrymore over to the care of her uncle and aunt.

From New York City they had journeyed to the small town where Lizzy lived with her elderly caretakers.

Corbin had expected Lizzy to fall in love with Io, but his new wife's obvious delight in the girl had made him love her even more, which Corbin had not believed possible.

While he had looked forward to their delayed wedding party—and had greatly enjoyed himself today—he was glad when it was time to bid everyone goodnight and retire to the part of the castle that His Grace had granted Corbin and his small family.

"I know it is too much to ask you to call me John or even Zeus," the duke had said. "But please accept the use of my house—it is big enough for ten families. And I would be honored to share it. Besides, it would be nice to have my sister nearby for a little longer."

What else could Corbin say to such an offer?

"Zeus is beginning to grow on me," was all his wife would say when Corbin asked if she was content to live at the castle.

The day would likely come when Corbin and Io would want a house of their own, but neither of them were in any hurry.

"Are you tired?" Io asked Corbin, who was carrying a very exhausted Lizzy. They had just left the drawing room, where their wedding party was finally beginning to wind down.

"Not in the least," Corbin said. "Are you?"

"No."

"I'm not tired either, Papa!" Lizzy piped up even though she could barely keep her eyes open. "I want to go to the Quarreling King with Uncle Ares."

Io and Corbin exchanged an amused look. "Uncle Ares is going to take you riding tomorrow—along with Uncle Pol," Io reminded her. "But you need to get some sleep tonight so that you can keep up with them."

"And will you come, too, Yoyo?" Lizzy asked, smiling shyly as she spoke his wife's pet name.

"Of course, I will. So will your Papa."

Lizzy had asked Io about names while they'd been aboard the ship.

"What should I call you?"

"What do you want to call me?"

"Should I call you mama?" Lizzy had asked, not looking entirely happy at the thought. After all, she still remembered her own mother.

"Why not just Io?"

Lizzy had looked delighted at the opportunity to call an adult by their Christian name.

But when they had arrived at Hastings Park and she'd heard Io's siblings call her Yoyo, she had been entranced by the nickname.

The rooms they'd chosen to use as the nursery were up three flights of stairs and Lizzy's eyelids had almost drifted shut by the time Corbin set Lizzy down on her bed.

"Are you leaving?" Lizzy asked, blinking up at them.

"It's time to get some sleep, darling. Give me and Yoyo a kiss," Corbin said.

Lizzy yawned, stretched her arms around Io's neck, and gave her a peck before kissing Corbin's cheek.

"She's tired," Corbin whispered to Nanny Bedford, who'd come bustling toward them as soon as they entered the room.

The older woman, whom Victoria, Balthazar's wife, had recommended, smiled. "Aye, I'll take care of her. Good night, sir, my lady."

"Good night, Nanny."

Once they'd slipped out of the nursery Corbin turned to his wife. "Did you enjoy the party?"

"Very much," she said, and then pulled a wry face. "Although I must admit I was ready for it to be over a few hours ago." She stifled a yawn and leaned on his arm more heavily. "What did my twin say to you earlier, after dinner, when the two of you were talking so seriously?"

"He just wanted to welcome me into the family," Corbin said, leaving out that Balthazar had also threatened to beat Corbin to a pulp if he ever hurt Io in any way.

The younger man had also shared some unhappy details of Io's relationship with Lamar Jacobsen in the process.

"Jacobsen broke her heart. She was so ill that we feared she would die." Raw emotion had throbbed in Balthazar's voice. He'd cleared his throat and continued in a more level tone. "I never thought she would trust herself enough to fall in love again. And I certainly never expected that she would marry."

Neither had Corbin.

"You don't regret not going to the King's Quarrel with all the others?" Io asked. The others being her siblings and many other guests, mostly younger, who had not yet had enough reveling.

"Not in the least," Corbin assured her. "I have other plans."

She laughed. "Why, Mr. Masterson, what could those be?"

He smirked and opened the door to their chamber. "You will soon find out."

"Ah, a feast! Just what I need after stuffing myself all day," Io mockingly said, gesturing at the table groaning with food. "I daresay this is Zeus's doing."

Corbin plucked a grape off the astounding array of food and offered it to her first, popping it into his own mouth when she shook her head.

"Ugh. I cannot believe you are still eating, Corbin."

"I would rather be eating something else, but—"

"Mr. Masterson! Are you being naughty?"

"If you have to ask then I am doing a dreadful job of it."

"Mmm," she hummed wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling his neck. "You will just have to do better."

He laughed. "And let me guess—you might have a few suggestions?"

***

Io ran her hands up and down her husband's hard body. "First off, you have too many clothes on."

"On that, we agree."

The next few minutes were filled with the sound of unsexual grunting, muttering, a bit of torn clothing, and at least one button bouncing its way off the carpet across the wood floor.

Io had trained Corbin well and no longer had to bark, "Condom," at her husband.

Indeed, he was sheathed and lying on his back before she could shimmy out of her far too elaborate wedding gown.

"No fair," she muttered as she climbed up onto the bed and straddled him.

"It was your idea," Corbin reminded her, lifting her by the hips and notching himself against her entrance.

He was referring to Io's thoughtless comment about whoever made it to the bed first—naked—would get to choose the position.

"I might want to renegotiate that," she complained, and then hissed as she slowly took his hard length into her body.

"You're just angry because you have to do all the work." He smirked up at her, his palms behind his head as she finished seating herself.

"And you're just smug because you get to be laz—" Io yelped as the room spun and she landed on her back.

"You were saying, my princess?" he mocked, slowly pulling almost all the way out before slamming into her hard enough to drive her up the bed.

Io moaned at the pleasure of being so stretched and filled, enjoying it for a moment before muttering, "Don't call me that."

Corbin laughed, withdrawing and then pinning her to the bed with another punishing thrust. "Mmm, what should I call you then?" he asked in a gruff voice, swiveling his hips in a way that gave her just the perfect amount of friction, exactly where she needed it. "My queen?"

Io gasped and then choked out, "All Knowing and Powerful Supreme Being will be sufficient."

Again, her husband laughed, his hips pumping faster and harder. "Rather a mouthful to shout at the moment of climax, don't you think?"

Io opened her mouth.

Before she could answer, Corbin lowered his lips to one of her breasts while his hand slid between their hips.

For some reason, Io's clever retort slid completely out of her head.

"Say it," Corbin hissed as he worked her relentlessly toward the precipice.

"It."

A very un-Corbin-like guffaw burst out of him.

Just for that adorable sound, Io decided to give him what he wanted. "I love you, Masterson."

"You'd better," he growled.

And then he gave her exactly what she needed.

Not The End…