Epilogue

The carriage bounded roughly over the uneven road. When Lady Haywood said she lived in the country, she had not exaggerated. It was apparent that these roads were seldom used by anyone. Tabitha did not mind, though, for the long journey from London provided her time alone with her husband.

Although the start of their marriage had been unusual, the past few months had been deliriously happy. She could scarcely believe that she was so lucky, and a small part of her suspected that this was all too wonderful to be anything but a dream. Someday, she would wake, and everything would be ordinary. But she had not awakened yet.

Matthew’s solicitor had done his work well, ensuring there were no legal obligations regarding Rosemary, the former Duchess of Hillsburgh, and they had not seen her since. She had returned to the Continent, likely to find another nobleman to seduce. Rosemary had not even thought to bid Elaine farewell before vanishing again. Cassius had also vanished, but it remained unknown if he had decided to join Rosemary in her exile or if he had gone elsewhere. But not all was happy. Colin, Lady Miriam’s suitor, had not been the good man they had all thought he was.

A little looking into the man’s character had revealed him to be a snake in the grass who had only feigned interest in Lady Miriam in the hopes of receiving her sizeable fortune. Fortunately, the plot had been revealed before he could enact his plan. Lady Miriam was upset but was a strong woman and managing well enough, given the circumstances. With everything revealed, it seemed to Tabitha as if they could breathe again.

“I can think of a more pleasant way to pass the time,” Matthew said suddenly.

Tabitha laughed. “You are insatiable.”

Her hands moved to her slightly distended belly, where their first child grew. That was, if anything, a testament to her husband’s ravenous appetite. Tabitha could not say that she found such to be unpleasant, however. She found that their romantic entanglements were even more pleasurable and passionate now that they were of one accord.

Matthew grinned and settled into the seat beside her. Tabitha sighed dramatically, feigning vexation as she spread her legs. She lifted her hips so he could shift her skirts past her waist. Matthew lowered his head and kissed the inside of her thigh.

His lips were warm and damp against her bare skin, and Tabitha drew a ragged breath. When Matthew kissed her like that, it always indicated that he intended to be very slow with her, to treat her like something fragile and breakable. By the time he finished with her, she would be practically begging for her release.

“Oh!” Tabitha gasped.

Matthew chuckled, the sound rumbling from deep in his chest. He kissed her again and again until, at last, he reached that wonderful place between her legs. His nose brushed against the delicate curls of hair and down to her entrance. Matthew worked her with his tongue until her legs were quivering beneath his ministrations. Then, he unbuttoned his trousers, freeing his manhood. Tabitha tossed her head back, the bouncing of the carriage jolting through her sensitive body with every uneven motion.

He thrust inside her with a single, strong motion, and Tabitha gasped. Matthew brought his mouth to hers in a feverish kiss.

Their movements were awkward and impeded by the tightness of the carriage, but somehow, that seemed to make the moment all the more intimate and exhilarating. Tabitha kissed him as if her very life depended on it, as if he were the only thing in the world that mattered, as if he were her entire world, and maybe he was.

Tabitha’s hips rocked, seemingly of their own accord. She moved more and more quickly, increasing her pace to match Matthew’s own, which had gone from agonizing slowness to hot intensity. Tabitha groaned. Her muscles tightened, and her legs shook. Tabitha’s orgasm swept over her like a wave crashing against the shore. White spots dotted her vision as she gasped for air. She fell back against the seats, sweat sticking her back to the finely upholstered seats.

Matthew continued inside her, and Tabitha watched as he thrust. His muscles tightened, and his face reddened as he pushed himself nearer to the edge. At last, he found it. His body shuddered, and his seed spilled inside her body, warm and wet. Tabitha grinned lazily at him as he withdrew. He remained over her, panting for air and grinning.

“Insatiable,” Tabitha said, playfully accusing.

“I hope that is not a complaint.”

He kissed her, and Tabitha’s lips tingled from even that brief contact. She ran her hands through his hair, as always marvelling at how soft it was. “You look a little dishevelled,” Tabitha said.

He always did after these activities.

“As do you,” he replied.

He stroked along her sides and over her body, past her hips. Matthew put a hand on her calf and carefully retied a garter that had come loose. Tabitha had not even noticed that her stocking was slowly working its way down her calf. He smiled and took handfuls of her skirts.

Tabitha raised her hips so he could smooth them down her legs. The silk would still be a little wrinkled, no matter how hard Matthew tried to smooth the fabric. However, Tabitha did not think there would be any questions. They had travelled a long way, after all, and it was only to be expected that her clothes might become a little unorderly.

Matthew took his shaft in hand and tucked it back into his trousers, deftly buttoning them. Tabitha straightened against the seat and ran her hands through her hair, trying to work away any tangles that might have formed while her head was pressed against the seat cushions. “You were correct,” Tabitha said. “That was a more pleasant pastime than many others we might have found on this journey.”

“I am glad you agree.”

He seated himself beside her and leaned against her shoulder. His breath still came more quickly than it usually did, and his face was still flushed. With time, the redness would fade, and by the time they reached Lady Haywood’s country estate, there would be no evidence that the two of them had done anything inappropriate in the back of the carriage. Hopefully, the uneven road and the carriage’s infernal bouncing would have concealed their sounds from the driver.

Matthew moved a hand to Tabitha’s stomach, stroking her through the thin material of her gown. Tabitha smiled and placed her hand over his. “I cannot will our child into being a boy.”

He shrugged. “If this child is not a boy, the next one will be.”

“Will it? Are you like the wizard Merlin and capable of seeing the future?” Tabitha asked, her lips twitching into a small smile.

“Or the next one,” Matthew said. “Or the fourth one. The fifth, perhaps.”

“You are anticipating an army of heirs!” Tabitha exclaimed, laughing.

“I am,” he replied. “You will give me many children, and I shall love them all.”

Tabitha smiled, imagining Matthew surrounded by dozens of children. “It sounds like a difficult time on the marriage mart,” she observed. “We will have to find suitable matches for all those children.”

“I like to think of it as a challenge, which I know you will enjoy.”

“Indeed.”

The carriage slowed, and Matthew glanced out the window. He furrowed his brow, his playfulness giving way to apprehension. “Matthew?” Tabitha asked quietly.

He hummed.

“Elaine will be delighted that you have come to see her.”

“Why would you say that?”

Tabitha shrugged. “You always look so nervous when we come to visit Lady Haywood and Elaine. She loves you, you know. Every time you see her, she looks happier and happier.”

It was true that they had only seen Elaine on a handful of occasions, but their first meeting had gone well. Elaine had been delighted to see her missing father at last, and although she seemed distraught to learn about her mother’s lies, it was difficult to have a strong attachment to a woman who had never really spent time with her. Elaine could not even remember Rosemary, and although there were some letters, they were sparse.

There were conversations about Elaine joining them during the summer and possibly at their country estate during the fall and winter months. Lady Haywood was also considering joining them.

It seemed as though Matthew would have his larger family, after all. Although there was some hesitancy around Lady Haywood, she could not be more different from Rosemary. Lady Haywood was kind and charming, concerned only with Elaine’s future.

“She is an amazing girl,” Tabitha said. “She will be an amazing sister to our child.”

“Yes,” Matthew said, smiling. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He took her hand in his and lightly kissed her knuckles. Tabitha shivered in delight. Even Matthew’s smallest show of affection sent a little thrill through her. He had her feeling like a princess.

“I wish I had opened myself up to the possibility of loving you sooner,” Matthew said, his face softening. “Think of all the time we might have missed together. We might already have an heir if I had known you much sooner. You might be a mother and pursuing all those lovely causes that I heard you mention to Bridgette.”

“I can still pursue my causes,” Tabitha said, amused. “I do not think the Abolitionist Society will collapse if they wait a few months for my patronage. We have years and years ahead of us. I would rather think about that and encourage you to do the same.”

The carriage door opened, and Tabitha, giving her husband a final and loving look, descended from the steps. Her shoes struck the familiar pathway, and she stood aside, waiting for Matthew. Once he emerged from the carriage, he offered his arm.

She took it, her shoulder brushing his. The country estate spread before them, beautiful and green. Red and orange flowers lined the path, broken with swaths of sweeping grass that gently waved in the breeze.

“You are wise, as always,” Matthew said. “I shall think about the many years ahead and all the wonderful things I may do with my Duchess of Hillsburgh.”

“And I with my Duke of Hillsburgh,” Tabitha said, grinning.

Matthew squeezed her hand. They ascended the steps leading to the entrance of the manor. They would spend a week at the country estate, better acquainting themselves with Elaine and Lady Haywood. Tabitha felt a flutter of anxiety herself. While she had reassured Matthew only moments before, she could not deny that the situation was strange. It was not unheard of for a previously married man to have children from another marriage, but it was less likely for said man not to know his daughter himself.

Tabitha took a steadying breath as the butler greeted them. It would all end for the best; she truly did believe that. When she was with Matthew, things seldom ended the way she expected them to, but they always ended for the best.

Her marriage to Matthew, once a hollow marriage of convenience and a means to avoid scandal, had blossomed into true love. And Tabitha could not have been happier. She had everything she had ever wanted.

THE END?