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“I hope that Aunt Rose comes to see me as another daughter as she sees you and your siblings as her sons and daughters,” Lady Amy said.

“I know that she already does, my wife,” her husband responded and kissed her lightly on the cheek. He had never doubted that Amy would love his family, but it was gratifying to have the fact reinforced again .

Lady Rose was alone in Lord Sed’s chambers after the family, doctor, and servants had withdrawn to give her time to say her final farewell to her beloved Sed in private.

She held her husband’s now cold hand, she knew that his soul was no longer in this world and was sure that he had ascended to heaven and was looking down on her as she sat with his mortal remains.

“I will miss you for all of the days of the rest of my life Sed,” she said as the tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

She lifted his lifeless hand and bestowed a kiss on it.

“I know that God made the heart with unlimited capacity to love, but I will never be able to bestow mine on another man after you, and I make this pledge now: until I leave this world and join you in God’s Kingdom, there will never be another.

“When I met you in the middle of my first season, I was a bright-eyed debutant, and you were a very handsome and eligible Marquess.

It was love at first sight for me, and I never thought that the son of the Duke of Bedford and Hertfordshire would give notice to Miss Rosamond Davies, the daughter of an insignificant baronet, but I was wrong.

You did notice me, and it was not long after that you requested permission from my late papa to call on his only daughter.

“Do you remember, my love, that I asked you if you were sure that you wanted to call on one as low as I when you could have the pick of the daughters of the first circles with far larger portions than mine?

I told you that I only had ten thousand and you made me understand, in no uncertain terms, that the things I mentioned held no importance to you.

I fell even more in love with you when I found out what an estimable man you were.

“Before I knew it you had requested a courtship and then you asked for my hand.

Oh, Sed, I felt like it was a dream. Do you remember that before I accepted you, I requested that you pinch me so that I could make sure that it was not a dream?

Rather than a pinch you bestowed my first kiss on me, and I knew that it was no dream and accepted you without reservation.

The reaction of the jealous harpies, hoping to be the next Marchioness of Birchington was so vituperative, the insults that they flung about the ‘nobody that had used her arts and allurements’ to trap you , the snide remarks and digs made to me or within my hearing all ceased when your parents made it known that any who dared to insult or snub me was doing the same to them and their royal cousins.

“Our marriage made me blissfully happy, and my love for you grew each day. Just when I thought that I could not love you more, I would find another reason to do so. When I did not fall with child after three years, I began to believe that God would not bless us with children. It was not for lack of trying,” Lady Rose said with a half-smile as she thought about their many attempts for her to become enceinte.

“It was a great regret that we did not have children, and I felt as if I failed. But you were so warm and understanding, telling me that if it was God’s will that we not have children, that we should accept it. ”

“I cried for Thomas when he was entrapped by that woman.

He could have tried to buy her off, but his honour would not allow that.

God had a plan even for that. He allowed her to give us Jane and Marie before He sent the despicable person to hell where she belonged!

How happy we were when our brother and sister married, and then a year later, Tom was born, and the line of succession was extended.

When Lizzy was born I had not a doubt that she would be exactly as she turned out to be, and then they were gifted with James so that Tom would not carry the weight of both titles as your late father did.

We did not have children born of my body, but we were gifted with the love of seven nieces and nephews that accepted us as a second set of parents.

And we are even luckier still as by the end of this year Jane will gift us our first grandchild.

“First my mama was taken, and within a year Papa followed her, and I was the only by blood Davies left.

We all believed that my father died of a broken heart giving up after Mama passed.

That is why you extracted the pledge from me about the mourning period, ensuring that I would continue to live, did you not, my love?

Even as you lay dying you wanted to protect me, even from myself.

I swear this oath to you, Sed, I will live!

There is much to live for, with four of our surrogate children marrying, there will be more than just one grandchild, and I know that I will have the love of family to support me for the rest of the days that God grants me on the mortal coil.

Living with Sarah and Thomas, I will not be on my own, so I will not be left to brood in my sorrow like my father was.

The Dowager Duchess of Bedford stood, still holding her husband’s hand, “You are and will always be the love of my life,” she said as she leaned over and bestowed a light kiss on his cold lips.

“Rest in peace, Sed.” Lady Rose relinquished her dead husband’s hand and slowly made her way to the sitting room where the family were awaiting her.