Page 67 of Her Devil of a Duke

EPILOGUE

ONE MONTH LATER

“When do we leave?”

“Ha! We’ve only just arrived,Rafe. You wish to leave already? Not this time, sir,” Evelyn laughed as she stepped down from the carriage, her eyes taking in the newly restored west wing of the castle.

Rafe gracefully alighted from the carriage behind her, his fingers tracing a lingering touch around her slender waist, a gesture she had come to adore. They had been married for two days now, their first night together one filled with thrilling passion that had reminded her of the utter joy and excitement of the first night they had lain together in his chamber. She still could not quite believe she was now EvelynFitzroy, the Duchess of Ravensworth!

“I know we have only just got here,” Rafe whispered in her ear, his boots crunching in the light dusting of snow beneath them. “But can you fault me for wishing to have you to myself so soon again when you look at me that way?”

“What way?! So impatient,” she teased, towing him along by his coat as she ventured forward. “You know the plan. You wished to check on the rebuild before we go on our honeymoon.”

“That I did,” Rafe sighed comically, as if it were some great task, then quickened his pace to join her.

They made their way to the grand west wing, now shrouded in intricate wooden scaffolding that hinted at the majestic transformation within. The building work had been delayed by the recent snowfall, but Evelyn was pleased to see the new vision she and Rafe had for this part of the castle was finally starting to take shape.

“Are you pleased with it?” she asked, turning to face Rafe and taking his hands in hers.

“Strangely, I am.” He smiled at the building before him.

Evelyn’s gaze lingered on his contented smile. The last few weeks, Rafe had changed much. It was as if the snow no longer bothered him too. The night after their wedding, she had asked him about it, and he’d said it was as if the night he had asked her to marry him, everything had flipped. Now, he found hope in the snow, where there was only darkness before.

Clearly, he was as eager to help her face her fears as she had been with him. The night before, they had slept in his chamber in their new home in London without a candle to keep them company. Remarkably, Evelyn hadn’t felt afraid at all in that darkness, not while she could reach out and feel Rafe beside her, his warm body cocooning her own.

“It has much improved,” Rafe said with a contented sigh as he looked at the new west wing. “It feels right, to have a new beginning, a new building. When I return home, it won’t unsettle me as before...”

Evelyn took hold of his hand, their gloved fingers entwining together. Since their betrothal, she had come to learn of his past and the first love of his life. Rafe had shared how dastardly visions of his past would come to haunt him, and how when Evelyn came into his life, she had quelled his nightmares and gave him hope for a better future again. Evelyn felt precious with that, deeply moved to think that she had been the one who had made Rafe realize he could love again.

“I’m so glad,” she whispered. “When we return from our honeymoon, Hester says she is eager to come and see the house.”

“She and Simon will be married by then,” Rafe said, turning to face her. “You should hear Simon talk of the marriage. You think I’m impatient?”

“Ha! Then he and Hester are in the same boat. She is desperate to escape her home and start a new life. I know that feeling all too well.” Her hand softened in Rafe’s grasp as she leaned against him. For the first time, Evelyn felt as if she was exactly where she should be. She was where she belonged, by Rafe’s side.

Since her marriage, she hadn't seen Peter or Mavis, and she had a feeling that she would see very little of them in the future. In contrast, Bridget and Kitty were clawing at every opportunity to see her and Ravensworth Castle, and she and Hester had made plans to write to one another often. And as Hester was to marry Rafe’s dearest friend, it was clear the four of them would spend a lot of time together in the future.

“Well, before we welcome them to this house,” Rafe whispered to her, “we still have our honeymoon awaiting us. Come, let’s have some tea to break the journey before we go.”

“You reallyareimpatient to leave,” Evelyn giggled as she let him tow her this time toward the main door of the house.

“Of course, I am. It has little to do with introducing you to Paris, though I am certain you shall adore it.” He paused on the front step, turning back to face her with a wolfish grin. “I’ve secured us some secluded, soundproof accommodations overlooking the Seine. No one will hear us there.” He winked at her, and she blushed and giggled, realizing that she had never felt so free in her life as when she was with Rafe.

As they rounded the castle again and entered through the front door, a pair of familiar faces greeted them.

“Ah, Your Grace,” Stede bowed, a broad smile gracing his features. “Lovely to have you home. Petra has arranged tea for you both.” He gestured to the maid beside him who beamed at Evelyn, excited to have her back, holding up a tray with a teapot and freshly baked biscuits. “Do you plan to stay long?”

“Well,” Rafe sighed, then smiled. “We’ll stay a short while I think. I wish to ensure the tenants are well-cared for, and the remaining cottages on the land are fixed up, then we’ll be on our way.”

The butler couldn’t have looked happier. As Evelyn and Rafe walked into the sitting room, with Petra trailing behind them, Evelyn elbowed Rafe with a knowing grin. Over the last few weeks, it seemed Stede had approved more and more of Rafe.

“Perhaps I've finally become the duke he always hoped I’d be,” Rafe whispered, as he gently lifted her hand and pressed a warm kiss upon it. “I know how he feels. I feel as if I’m where I should have always been at last.” Yet his eyes on her showed her exactly what he meant. He wasn’t just talking about the duchy; he was talking about the two ofthem.

And I, too, am where I belong.

The End?