Page 15 of Only a Fortnight with the Duke

Ridlington Manor

Five Years Later

“Children, be careful!” Hanna called as she rushed after her two children, who were occupied chasing Annie and Marian, Arabella and Harry’s children, across the grass.

“She’s a real mother hen, isn’t she?” Emma remarked, rubbing her stomach.

She was at last with child, something she had hoped for a very long time, and she had a glow about her that Arabella adored.

“She is, but I remember I was also extremely protective when Annabelle first was born,” Arabella said, smiling at her daughter, who was now four and a half.

She and Harry had agreed to name her after both his aunt Annabelle and his mother Isabella. They had planned to name their second child Charles, after his father, but when the child had turned out to be another girl, they had chosen to name her Marian, after her maternal grandmother.

Arabella placed one hand on her stomach. Perhaps this third child would be the son they had been waiting for, but she knew that even if it was another girl, Harry would be just as happy.

She watched him as he walked out of the house with Alexander, along with Hanna and Emma’s husbands. The four of them had become quite the quartet and spent much of their time together.

Indeed, the family had grown very close now, especially with Alexander having returned to London. A duke in his own right, just as he had vowed he was going to be, his life felt complete.

Well, mostly. On occasion, they still had to contend with Sir Richard, who, despite having lost his standing in Society, continued to be a thorn in their side.

“Why are you huffing?” Emma asked suddenly.

Arabella looked at her sister. “Was I?”

“Yes. You let out a dramatic sigh. You weren’t thinking of that wretched Sir Richard again, were you?”

Arabella sighed. “I do hope that he will stay where he is.”

“And where is that? Canada?”

Arabella nodded.

After his failed venture of importing tea and spices from India, Sir Richard had decided to build a new business, this time focused on importing goods from Canada and the Americas.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t a skilled businessman. He had business acumen, that was certain. The trouble was his reputation. Everybody knew now that he was responsible for his wife’s death, as well as Helen’s injuries. It was also known that he had blamed a child for this accident, and given that Harry had risen in esteem with his peers at the House of Lords, his uncle stood little chance of ever regaining the standing he once had.

“You’re right, I should not think about him anymore.”

“That is right. But now that you’ve brought him up, where is Helen? I haven’t seen her yet today.”

“She went to the park with Lord Tankersley.”

“What?” Emma sputtered, her eyes widening. “That is wonderful. Do you think he would ask to court her?”

Arabella pressed a finger to her lips, worried she had spoken loudly enough to draw the attention of the gentlemen, who were presently walking past them to the shuttlecock court.

“Do not speak so loudly. Harry will suffer if we talk about Helen. But I think so. The young man has come to call on her a number of times whenever we’ve been engaged in our charitable work at the orphanage. He seems lovely.”

“Indeed. Can you imagine the change in Helen? She was so weak and fragile when she came into our lives, but now she is strong, determined, and quite a remarkable young woman.”

“She is, indeed,” Arabella said, smiling as she thought of her cousin-in-law, who had become like a fourth sister. “I was worried about her for a little while when Mrs. Hollingsworth decided to retire, but Mabel has filled her spot perfectly.”

“Yes,” Emma agreed. “I am glad. It was a little difficult to have two lady’s maids.”

After returning from Ireland five years ago, Arabella had brought Viola, her former lady’s maid, into her household, and both Viola and Mabel had served her. She knew it wasn’t conventional, but she hadn’t liked the thought of Viola being stuck at Hayward Manor with her volatile father.

Mabel had become Helen’s lady’s maid after Mrs. Hollingsworth retired a year and a half ago. Mrs. Hollingsworth now lived in a cottage on the estate with her husband, the former butler, Mr. Baxter.

“Darling!” Emma’s husband called, and she looked up. “Come sit here and wish me good luck.”

Emma laughed. “I am required, you know. My dearest husband is so superstitious—he thinks he cannot win a game of shuttlecock without me at his side ever since the first time I watched him.”

Arabella smiled and helped her sister get up. While they were both with child, Emma was further along and thus needed extra assistance.

She sank back onto the blanket as she watched her sister make her way to the shuttlecock court. On the way, she passed Harry, who was heading toward Arabella.

“My darling wife,” he said, sitting beside her.

“Have you decided to forgo the game?”

“No, but I’m going to have Alexander play the first round for our team. I want to spend a little bit of time with you. Both of you,” Harry said, placing his hand on her stomach. “How are you feeling?”

“I am well. Better than I had expected. But I was rather ill this morning.”

Indeed, her condition sometimes caused her sudden nausea, but she knew from experience that it would soon pass.

“You will let me know if you need anything, yes?”

“Of course, I will. But right now, I have everything I need. Maybe tonight you could play me the harp?”

“With pleasure. Maybe the girls can accompany us on the piano as well.”

Arabella chuckled. “Annabelle perhaps, but Marian just likes to slam her hands on the keys.”

“I believe that’s how we all start,” Harry said, smiling. Then his expression grew serious. “I have news of your father. Do not fret, he is well. The physician reports that his health has improved considerably.”

She sighed. She had not seen her father in three years, not since he had decided to move to a small village outside Glasgow. His reputation, like that of Sir Richard, had never recovered, though he’d stopped drinking eventually. This, she knew, was due to his second wife, who had been a good influence on him. Being Scottish, it had made sense they’d start over in her home—and it appeared to have done her father a world of good.

While Arabella had not wished to see him again, it was a relief to know that he had found some semblance of peace.

“Thank you for telling me, Harry,” she murmured softly. “I don’t think I will ever truly forgive him, but knowing he’s no longer suffering does bring me some comfort.”

“He may never be part of our lives again, but you can rest easy knowing he’s at peace. That’s what matters.”

Arabella nodded, feeling a sense of closure. It was as if the final chapter of that painful part of her life had been written, and now she could fully embrace the future.

“And our future,” she said, her voice tender as she turned to Harry. “I feel so blessed, Harry. To have you, our beautiful children, this life we’ve built together… It’s more than I ever dared to dream.”

Harry smiled, his eyes filled with love. “I feel the same, my love. There was a time when I thought I’d lost you forever, that our paths would never cross again. But here we are, and I thank the heavens every day for bringing us back together.”

She leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. “Do you remember our second wedding?” she asked, her voice filled with nostalgia. “It was the most beautiful day of my life.”

“How could I forget? The look in your eyes when you walked down that aisle, the way you smiled at me when we exchanged vows… It was like time stood still, and it was just you and me, promising forever.”

Arabella sighed contentedly. “And here we are, still keeping that promise. Still in love, still growing our family. Sometimes I can’t believe how far we’ve come.”

“I knew from the moment I saw you again in London that we were meant to be. I was a fool to ever let you go, but I vowed that day never to make that mistake again. And I never will.”

She tilted her head up to look at him, her heart swelling with affection. “I love you, Harry. More than words can say.”

He leaned down, capturing her lips in a tender, lingering kiss. It was a kiss that spoke of everything they had been through, everything they had overcome, and all the love that had only grown stronger with time.

As they parted, Arabella smiled, her hand still resting on her stomach. “I can’t wait to meet this little one. To see what our future holds.”

“And I can’t wait to share it all with you,” Harry said softly. “Every moment, every joy, every challenge—we’ll face them together.”

Just then, they heard the sound of wheels on the gravel path and turned to see Helen returning from the park, with Mabel walking beside her. Helen’s face was bright with joy, and she waved at them, her smile as radiant as the sun.

Arabella waved back, feeling a surge of happiness. This was her family, the people she loved most in the world, and they were all here, together, in this beautiful place they called home.

As Helen reached them, her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I had the most wonderful time, Arabella! Lord Tankersley showed me the most beautiful gardens, and we talked for hours.”

“I’m so glad, Helen,” Arabella said, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “You deserve all the happiness in the world.”

“We all do,” Harry added, smiling warmly at Helen. “And we’re going to make sure of it.”

Arabella watched as Helen’s smile grew even brighter, and she knew in her heart that their family was finally complete. They had all found their way back to each other, and now they could look forward to the future, hand in hand.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the estate, Arabella leaned into Harry’s embrace, her heart full. This was her life, her love, her family, and she couldn’t imagine anything more perfect.

The End.