Epilogue

" D iana."

Diana looked up from the letter she had been writing, and Matthew laughed.

"Who could you possibly be writing to? All of our family and friends are here."

"I am writing a letter to our baby."

"When he arrives, he will not be able to read," he pointed out, his eyes sparkling.

She frowned at him. "It may well be a girl. What, then?"

"Then we shall have yet another beautiful, headstrong lady in our home," he replied promptly, and she could not help but smile. "Are you ready to go and share our news with our guests?"

"I am ready," she replied with a smile, and he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Then let us go."

With that, he tucked her against his side and led her to the garden, where everyone had gathered.

Her mother and father were sitting primly in their chairs in the back area. Her sisters were milling about, gushing over the variety of flowers. And there were John and Isabelle, talking excitedly to one another.

But everyone looked up as they entered the gardens.

"You may wonder why we have brought you all here today," Matthew began, his eyes still twinkling with joy. Diana's face flushed as he pulled her closer still and stared around at their assembled guests. "I would like to announce that Diana has made me the happiest man in the world yet again by informing me that she is expecting."

Immediately, there was a flurry of excitement from everyone gathered, including her parents. Diana flushed even more as her sisters raced to her, wrapping her in their arms.

"It is wonderful news!" the Countess squealed as she rushed over to her.

The Earl smiled as well, though Diana felt yet again that this was all about appearances.

They would be happy that she was having a child not because she was happy, but because it meant that they had something else to prove they were ‘better' in some way. That their daughter was not only a duchess but was also providing the Duke with an heir.

It soured the moment for her slightly, but the immense, genuine pleasure of everyone else lifted her spirits.

John and Isabelle approached them next, embracing both of them with genuine happiness on their faces.

"It seems you may have lost your chance at inheriting the duchy, after all," Matthew quipped.

John immediately stepped back, shock on his face before he caught the smiles on both of their faces.

"Do not even jest about such a thing," he insisted. "I do not want the duchy, and you know it. I could not be more happy for you to have an heir. Not the least because I know that there will be someone else to torment you to no end."

"Ah, I have had a great deal of practice with you," Matthew replied, patting his cousin on the shoulder.

"And you shall have a great deal more," John promised, a smile lighting up his face once again. "I shall teach your child how best to do so."

"I have no doubt that you will," Matthew snorted.

Diana was pleased that the two of them seemed to have no ill will or bad blood between them but could not help asking a question of her own.

"How fares your father? Have you heard mention of his whereabouts?"

John frowned at her question. "I do not keep tabs on him now. He has made his bed, and now he must lie in it. Isabelle and I have ceased all contact with him, as have all people who could consider themselves your friends."

"But surely you have heard something," Diana pressed.

He reluctantly nodded. "The last I heard; he was traveling outside of London. He has some holdings there and is likely seeking to ingratiate himself to another lord or duke with the hope of securing himself a position of power and prestige, when he could not hope to have such a thing here."

"You have no regrets?" Diana asked him.

Both John and Isabelle shook their heads sharply.

"I feel regret that there was a need for one," Isabelle replied. "That he resorted to such means and believed that we would be accepting of such deception. But we do not regret ceasing contact with him when what he had done became clear. Matthew never deserved such treatment."

"And I never wanted the duchy in the first place," John added, "let alone to inherit it through such means. I am perfectly happy being replaced in the line of succession by your child."

"And I am grateful that I have the both of you to rely on. That I have no reason to doubt your care for me," Matthew acknowledged.

"Never," John promised.

When the two siblings had walked away, Diana turned toward Matthew again.

"Do you believe that your uncle is truly gone now?"

"I do not know. But I do believe he will never try such a thing again. And even if he does, we will not allow him back into our home. Not even with John and Isabelle."

His confidence was certainly inspiring, and she could not help but lean closer to him.

"What is wrong?" Matthew asked.

Diana looked up at him, startled. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You are still worried about something. I can sense it in your bearing."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.

"Diana, you cannot lie to me. I know you better than you think. And I will know what it is that is bothering you," he insisted, turning to face her.

She frowned at him. "You shall not order me about, Duke," she snapped.

"Ah, Duchess," he shot back, "I believe that your stubbornness betrays you."

"We are hosting a party. And I shall enjoy it," she declared, before quickly striding away from him and toward her sisters.

"A baby, Diana! It is so exciting!" Valery exclaimed.

"I can't believe it!" Arabella squealed.

"And to think, not that long ago, you were so unhappy to marry him," Marigold added.

"Ah, I seem to remember that you were quite unhappy to marry him."

"Well… that I was," Marigold admitted. "But you were not so happy to take my place."

Diana smiled as she thought back to it.

Had it really been so short a time since then? Since she had thought her life was entirely over because she was to be wed? And to be wed to the man she had thought Matthew to be?

"To be sure, he is just as obstinate and stubborn as the rumors say. But as for the rest…" She smiled softly in Matthew's direction. He was conversing with John yet again.

As if he could sense her gaze, he turned toward her and gave her a smile before she returned to her sisters.

"I am glad that he was not the horrid man we had thought him to be," Marigold told her, clutching her hands and staring into her eyes earnestly. "I felt dreadful that I had caused you to be married to such a man… and that I was the cause of all of your future misery."

"You may rest assured, Marigold, that I bear you no ill will. In fact, quite the opposite. I owe you all of my happiness. And all of my future happiness as well."

"He seems… much changed from when we first saw him," Arabella acknowledged.

"Oh, he certainly is," Isabelle agreed, walking up to their group. "He was always friendly enough with John and me, but even then he was not so… so open as he is now. We have you to thank for that," she added, turning to smile at Diana.

"I am glad to have done so. But this person was always in there. It was only that he had been taught for so long to ignore these feelings and hide away his true thoughts. It only took a little effort to bring it out."

"Ah, it took more than just a little effort, or else John and I would have done so long ago. It took you , and everything that you are to him."

Diana could only smile and blush even harder at the high praise, not certain she really deserved it. But Isabelle seemed to believe that she did. And Isabelle was one of the people who knew Matthew best.

"Are you happy here, Diana?" Valery asked.

Diana nodded immediately. "I am happy. So very happy."

She had the house of her dreams. The husband she had never even dared to dream of. And she was about to have a child.

She frowned slightly at that thought, a motion that was almost imperceptible. In fact, her sisters did not notice it. But she could tell that Matthew had noticed it from across the room. And he wasn't about to let it go.

Still, for the next several hours, she stayed with her sisters and even spoke to her parents for a few moments, though that went about as she had expected.

"Such wonderful news that the Duke shall have an heir."

"I never would have expected less from our daughter," the Countess crowed.

"Yes, I am very happy to be having a child," Diana told them, trying not to sound too frustrated with their blatant lack of concern for her or their future grandchild.

"Of course, dear," her mother continued. "To be giving the Duke a child so quickly… it is excellent. And it will not be long, I am sure, before you're popping out more."

"Perhaps I should wait until I've had this one first," Diana retorted dryly.

"Diana, do not be impertinent."

"Of course not, Mother. It is not as if you care more for the heir to the duchy than you do for your own daughter."

"It is all one and the same," her mother replied.

Diana shook her head. "It is not. You do not care that the child I carry is your grandchild. You only care that the Duke shall have a child. That your daughter has given the Duke a child and you may then brag to all the members of the ton as you see fit. I have no interest in it," she told them, before quickly striding away so she could find someone, anyone, that could make her feel better.

"There you are, Diana." John approached her slowly, as though he were still uncertain whether he was welcome in her home.

"John, you must know by now that we bear you no ill will."

"I-I feel bad because I knew that he was up to something, but… I never would have imagined…"

"None of us would have. And that is how he was able to get away with it for so long. Do not fret. You have nothing to fear from us."

"You have been good to Matthew," he told her. "And I'm not just saying that to get myself off the hook." He grinned.

"I am glad. Because I feel that I am good to Matthew as well. Though not nearly as much as he has been to me."

"You saw Matthew before your influence. Do you really think he wouldn't be bad?" There was a sparkle in his eyes that said he was certainly enjoying this, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, well, I can attest to the fact that he was not pleasant when he arrived to claim Marigold."

"And yet you decided to claim him for yourself," he teased.

Matthew walked over to them just then, sliding an arm around Diana's waist. "It has proved fortuitous," he replied.

He did not attempt to ask her about what was wrong when they were with John, but once their guests had departed, he cornered her again.

"You shall not escape me this time, Diana. What is it that you are hiding from me? What is bothering you?"

For a moment, Diana considered arguing. Telling him that it was nothing. But that was doing neither of them any good, so she sighed and sank down into a chair in the sitting room, where he had found her.

"I am scared, Matthew," she admitted.

His eyes widened in surprise before he quickly sank down beside her.

"What are you scared of, Diana? What can I do to help you?"

"There is nothing you can do to help me in this," she replied, though his immediate desire to make things better for her had already eased her mind some.

"Tell me, Diana. What is it that scares you?"

"The baby," she said slowly. "I worry… what if I am like my mother? I wish to do better, but… I am frightened, Matthew. I am frightened that I will not."

"Ah, my dear, you shall not become like your mother. You are not that person. Think of the way you have taken care of your sisters. The way you have supported them and encouraged them. The way you have loved and cared for them. You shall continue to do that with our child. I know it."

"But what if I do not?"

"We shall help each other, love. I have not had a good model for how to treat a child either," he reminded her. "Yet, I will do everything I can to be a good father for our child, and if I am not, I will count on you to correct me."

"You have already learned so much about how to be loving and supportive," she encouraged him. "And I know that you will be a good father."

"I hope that you are right. But if I am not, I hope that you will inform me immediately. And that you will guide me."

"Just as you will guide me," she said, finally realizing just what it was he meant.

"We shall help each other. And in doing so, we shall be the parents that our child deserves." He held her close, and she could not help but smile. "I love you, my dear Diana. And I always shall."

"And I love you, Matthew. Forever."

The End?