20. Epilogue

CHAPTER 20

EPILOGUE

A few months later, York

On a rare sunny morning outside the ancient doors of Holy Trinity Micklegate church in York, the Lord and Lady Ritchfield congratulated Mr. and Mrs. Walker on their nuptials. The two had signed the marriage certificate as witnesses only a few minutes earlier, the stained glass windows on the east side of the building casting them in blue, green, red, and yellow light.

“Are you sure you won’t join us for the ride back to Gladstone Park?” Tom asked, indicating the curricle parked in front of the second oldest church in York. The servants had decorated the equipage for the wedding, with old shoes tied at the end of streamers so they would drag on the street behind the curricle.

Ivy and Robert exchanged quick glances. “This is your day,” the earl said. “Cook should have your wedding breakfast ready when you arrive, and the entire staff knows they have the rest of the day off to help you celebrate,” he added.

“Oh, but do save some cake for us,” Ivy said. “I look forward to having some with tea later today. ”

“Of course we will,” Anne assured her. “And thank you again for the gown. It’s far nicer than my Sunday best,” she added, holding out the blush-colored silk skirt Ivy had gifted her the week before. Anne had discovered it in one of the three trunks that had arrived from London on the mail coach the month before.

“I’m so glad you could wear it. It hasn’t fit me in an age, so I was surprised when Watkins sent it up with my other gowns,” Ivy replied. In truth, the color never suited her complexion nor her hair color. On her lady’s maid, it was the perfect gown for a wedding.

“My lord, if I’m not to drive you, how will you get back to Gladstone Hall?” Tom asked with concern.

“Walk, probably,” Robert replied. “If we grow tired, there is always a hackney about.”

“We’re going to take advantage of this lovely day to get some air,” Ivy said. “And I won’t require your services until tomorrow morning,” she added, turning her attention back to her lady’s maid.

“ Late tomorrow morning,” Robert put in, arching a teasing brow. He held out his right hand to Tom. “Keep her happy,” he said as he shook hands with the driver.

“It’s my every intention, my lord.”

Robert and Ivy watched as the two servants climbed into the curricle, Tom taking up the reins to drive the single white horse past Micklegate Bar and the walls surrounding the city of York.

Ivy waved as the equipage merged into traffic and then she and the earl regarded one another a moment with grins.

“Acting as their witness has meant you have missed your regular visit to the boxing saloon this morning,” she remarked. “Do you wish to go now?” she asked, waving in the general direction of the city.

Robert shook his head. “I haven’t been for several weeks. ”

Blinking, Ivy placed a hand on his proffered arm. “What? But I thought?—”

“I don’t go because I haven’t felt the need to punch anything since Christmas,” he said proudly, leading them toward the River Ouse. “Thanks to you.”

Ivy inhaled softly. Although she had worried he might regret inviting her to stay with him in York, they had settled into a comfortable and satisfying life at Gladstone Hall. “So... where have you been going every Saturday morning whilst I’ve been having breakfast?” she asked.

He chuckled softly. “Taking a long walk is all,” he said, his gaze darting down to the water as they crossed the bridge.

“Where do you go?”

He shrugged. “Usually into town. Sometimes I walk the walls, and sometimes I stop for a bite of chocolate, or I find a costermonger selling oranges,” he said with a shrug.

“So that’s where the chocolate’s been coming from,” she murmured. Every so often, a piece of it would be included with her breakfast, and she had no idea why since she had never included it on the menu.

“I do love watching you eat it,” he said, grinning as they made their way on High Ousegate Street.

She returned her grin, sure her face was red from hearing his comment. “I do wish it had been warmer today,” she remarked.

“Well, if it’s any consolation, the cool weather has certainly helped the earldom’s profits,” he said. “Michael and I reviewed this past year’s ledgers, and I must say, I am quite happy with what he’s done by way of improvements. He’s bought lamps which use a special battery from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and he’s changed the schedules so the miners are working fewer hours.”

“For less pay?” she asked, her brows furrowed.

“No. Same pay, because for some reason, their quotas remain the same and they still meet them,” he replied, a brow furrowed as if he was still trying to sort how that could be.

“I would call that an incentive,” she commented. “And it sounds as if it’s working.”

He grunted his agreement as he led them onto Pavement Street.

“I am so glad Michael has taken an interest in running the business of the earldom,” she remarked. “But it’s a shame it requires him to live in Wakefield.”

“He doesn’t mind,” Robert said. “He has his own bedchamber in the townhouse there, and so will Charles once he’s back on British shores.”

Ivy’s eyes widened. “Charles is going to live in Wakefield?” When she had first arrived at Gladstone Hall in January, word came from their youngest son that he would be returning from his Grand Tour sometime that summer.

“According to his latest letter, which I received this morning, yes,” Robert said. He knew Ivy would react with dismay and quickly patted the gloved hand on his arm. “I would have had you read it after I did, but you were quite busy with your lady’s maid,” he reminded her. “Acting as her lady’s maid,” he chided.

Ivy tittered. “I could not help it. She always does such beautiful work on my hair, so it was only fair I do a coiffure for her on her wedding day,” she argued.

“You did a beautiful job, which has me wondering why you need her,” he teased.

She gasped. “I cannot do my own like that,” she argued. “I would require three hands and a mirror in the front and back.” She glanced up at him. “And it would take me far too long.”

He nodded his understanding as he turned them north onto Colliergate .

“So… what other news from Charles?” she asked, remembering they had been discussing his letter.

“He has spent the past few weeks living in his sister’s household in Rome, which has him claiming he is a most excellent uncle but not of a mind to become a father himself,” Robert remarked, his brows arched in preparation for hearing her disappointment.

“He’s far too young to wed,” she said.

Robert chuckled. “That was not what I was expecting you to say,” he commented.

Ivy aimed a happy grin in his direction. “Charles will be sorry to have left the warmth of the Mediterranean when he gets here,” she said on a sigh. “But it will be so good to have him living close to us again.”

Robert murmured his agreement. “Speaking of the Mediterranean, I was thinking we might pay a call on Grace and her husband.” He waited for his wife’s reaction, curious how she would respond.

“You mean after she returns from Rome, or…?” Her eyes rounded as she suddenly stopped and turned to face him. “… or that we’re to go there ?”

Robert chuckled, dropping his head so the rim of his hat touched hers. “Since Michael can see to the mines in my absence, I thought it past time we take a holiday,” he said.

“But… but what about Parliament? We’re supposed to leave for London next week,” she reminded him as they resumed their walk. “Easter is in a fortnight.”

“When the session is over. In June, I am hoping.”

“Oh, that will be lovely,” she replied in awe.

“Normally, I wouldn’t even think of going to Rome or Greece in the summer, but?—”

“It’s been so cold here,” she finished for him. Her eyes rounded at realizing what he had said. “Greece, too?”

“Indeed,” he replied with a chuckle, noting they had reached King’s Square. He was about to say more, but Ivy was suddenly on tiptoes, a hand behind his neck pulling his head down so she could kiss him.

And kiss him she did, her enthusiasm nearly sending his top hat from his head.

Ivy didn’t let go of him right away, either, but continued to kiss him, slipping her tongue betwixt his lips and tasting him until she had no choice but to come up for air.

F inally released from the kiss, Robert blinked several times. He was well aware there were a few couples staring at them in shock. A woman passed them on the pavement, making a sound of disgust as she did so, although she slowed her pace and turned around to continue watching them. A few children intrigued enough to stop their play with a rubber ball gawked until the ball threatened to roll away toward Petergate, and they were forced to race after it.

He didn’t mind, though. He had been warned during their stay at Ritchfield Park that something like this could happen.

He rather hoped it would.

“You minx,” he said with a huge grin, loving how her face displayed a blush and her lips appeared bright pink under the midday sun. “I am yours, Ivy. Always have been. For now and the rest of my life.”

Ivy placed her arm on his and turned to resume their walk. “Just you wait until we’re in Rome,” she warned happily.

Robert guffawed. “Perhaps we won’t go to London at all this Season,” he murmured, not expecting her to kiss him again.

The woman who stared at them fainted, and the rubber ball disappeared into a thicket of ivy.