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Page 45 of The Duke’s Unexpected Bride (The Gentleman’s Vow #2)

Six years later…

The morning sun cast a gentle light over the ship’s deck, where Hanna sat, watching her two young children play with a group of other children. Her four-year-old daughter, Eliza, with her dark curls bouncing, giggled as she chased her little brother, John, who had only recently learned to walk but moved with all the tenacity of a seasoned explorer. They darted back and forth, sometimes daring to come close to the railings only to be scolded by the watchful eyes of a passing sailor, causing them to turn back, shrieking with laughter.

Hanna smiled, momentarily setting aside the piece of crochet she’d been working on. She was halfway through a soft wool hat that she planned to gift one of her sisters back in England, though she hadn’t decided which one. She could always make another. There was something comforting in the rhythmic movement of her hands, creating something from nothing but simple thread. In a way, it reminded her of these past years with Edwin, of how they had crafted a life together, stitch by stitch, despite the challenges and the pain of the past.

Edwin came up beside her, easing down onto the bench with a familiar warmth. “Don’t you think it’s a bit windy for that?” he teased, glancing at the small, delicate stitches in her hands.

Hanna shook her head, smirking. “It’s been a perfectly calm morning. And I’d rather be here than down in our cabin, stuffy as it is.”

“Yes, I can understand that,” he replied, watching the children play. They both turned their gaze to the horizon, where the endless blue of the sky met the darker, churning blue of the sea. Occasionally, a whitecap broke the monotony, adding a touch of lively contrast to an otherwise tranquil scene.

“Do you think we’re getting close?” she asked.

“About a week away, if we’re lucky,” Edwin said, leaning back. “It’s hard to tell out here; every day looks almost the same. But at least the children seem content to be at sea.”

“They’re endlessly entertained,” she agreed, her eyes following Eliza’s laughing face as the girl attempted to coax a younger child into joining their game.

Their conversation drifted naturally to the reasons for their journey. Edwin, along with Martin and Henry, had recently entered a new business venture together, exporting sugar from India. They’d left behind any investment in Caribbean plantations, the old connections once held by Henry’s family. Discovering that her own family’s finances had been tied up in those operations, Hanna had been horrified. They had sold their shares as soon as they could, wanting no association with the labor practices and suffering behind Caribbean sugar production. Edwin had told her with quiet pride that their decision—and the influence it carried—was helping to set a new standard among their peers. While few acknowledged it outright, the demand for Caribbean sugar was slowly beginning to wane.

Edwin was to spend six months in India setting up the new venture, overseeing the practicalities himself, and this time, Hanna had decided she wouldn’t be left behind. She had brought the children along with their governess, determined to stay with him for as long as she could. This journey was to be an adventure for them all—a year of discovery, of distance from the past, and of new beginnings.

As if on cue, Eliza and John ran over to them, their faces flushed with excitement. “Mama, Papa! Can we have oranges for dinner?” Eliza asked, tugging Edwin’s hand.

“Oranges?” Edwin chuckled. “I think you’ll be lucky if there are any left after all the days we’ve been out at sea. But we’ll see what we can do.”

Hanna laughed. “The best you might get tonight is salt cod and some boiled potatoes. Or perhaps a bit of stew,” she added, smiling as the children’s faces fell in disappointment at the less exotic fare. She winked at Edwin. “We’re not at home, my dears; the ocean doesn’t lend itself to much choice!”

Eliza seemed undeterred. “Papa, will you play with us? Give me a ride like you did last night?”

“Of course, my little monkey,” Edwin said, scooping her up with ease and settling her onto his back. He then grabbed John’s hand, who toddled along beside him with a grin that stretched from ear to ear. “Hold tight, Eliza!” he said before setting off on a lively walk around the stern, ducking and dodging like a man on an adventure, much to the children’s delight.

Hanna watched as they disappeared from view, Edwin’s laugh mingling with the children’s giggles, a sound that blended into the music of the ship’s creaking timbers and the distant cry of seagulls. She returned to her crochet, finishing a row and letting her mind wander back to England, to her family and the ties she had left behind.

She thought of her sisters, Arabella in particular. Her own growing family back in England had brought Hanna and her even closer. Arabella, who already had three children, had been a source of comfort and advice when Hanna became a mother. And then there was her brother Alexander, only recently married, with his own future family on the horizon. The thought filled her with a bittersweet feeling. Their family, once so broken, had found ways to heal and expand.

Hanna’s thoughts turned to her father, a man now only present in her life through faint memories and rare, filtered news. After serving three years in Newgate for his role in Benjamin’s death, he had managed a somewhat favorable exit under the condition that he never return to England. He had settled in Scotland, where, as Arabella had informed her, he’d found a new companion. The knowledge had brought Hanna relief more than anything else. She had no wish to harbor resentment or ill will, but nor did she feel compelled to keep the bond alive. They were worlds apart now, and perhaps that was best for everyone.

After a time, Edwin and the children reappeared, their faces flushed and windswept. Eliza slid off Edwin’s back, laughing, while John stumbled forward, reaching for his mother.

“Did you have fun?” she asked, scooping up John and settling him on her lap.

“Yes, Mama!” Eliza said, beaming. “Papa can run faster than anyone!”

Edwin laughed, pretending to be out of breath as he sat beside Hanna. “I think you wore me out for the day, my little rascals.”

The four of them sat there together, nestled in the warmth of the afternoon sun. The air had taken on a cooler edge, and a few wisps of clouds gathered in the distance, framing the horizon. As the children played nearby, Hanna took Edwin’s hand, resting her head against his shoulder. They watched as the sun began its slow descent, painting the sky in hues of gold and soft pinks.

“What a lovely evening,” she murmured. “I’ve always dreamed of sunsets like this, but I never thought I’d be here, with you and the children.”

Edwin’s hand tightened around hers. “You’ve given me more than I ever dreamed of,” he replied quietly. “A home, a family... something I never thought possible.” He looked at her, his gaze filled with a depth of gratitude and love that never failed to astonish her, even after all these years.

She smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “I think we’ve built a beautiful life together. And there’s so much more to come.”

They sat in peaceful silence, watching the sky deepen to a darker blue as stars began to emerge, one by one. The children lay curled up beside them, their energy finally waning in the quiet presence of the evening.

“Do you ever think of what we left behind?” he asked after a while.

Hanna nodded, her eyes still on the horizon. “Sometimes. But I think of what we gained far more. And I think of our children, growing up in a world where we don’t have to choose between our hearts and our livelihoods.” She looked at him, her voice soft but steady. “We did what we had to, and I’m proud of that.”

He kissed her forehead, his lips warm against her skin. “And I’m proud of you. For all of it—for seeing through the storm and never giving up.”

The ship continued its course, steady and unerring through the waves, carrying them towards a future rich with possibility. In the quiet, with her family around her, Hanna let the last vestiges of the past slip away, replaced by the peaceful certainty that she was exactly where she was meant to be. As the last rays of the sun faded, leaving the world around them painted in shades of soft indigo, Hanna knew that whatever awaited them, they would face it together.

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