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“Will Maryann and Ruth be coming too?” Lady Rosemary asked.
“Yes, I believe all the Prices will be arriving tomorrow. Is that not right, dear?” the duke asked his wife, who sat directly across from him.
The duke, his mother, sister, and bride were all seated close to the hearth of Crabtree Abbey. It was a particularly cold night, but luckily no snow had fallen as of yet.
After their wedding and a short honeymoon, the new couple had retired to their country home to settle into their new lives. Abigail had melded into her role with ease and got along so well with the dowager duchess and Lady Rosemary that the duke already was struggling to remember a time when his home wasn’t full of kinship and happiness.
“I can’t wait to see them,” Lady Rosemary exclaimed.
“It was only two months ago you saw them at the wedding,” the dowager duchess remarked.
“Yes, but I’ve never had sisters before, or siblings all around, and I loved it so much,” Lady Rosemary exclaimed.
The duke had a momentary pang of guilt for all those years he left his sister to be the lone child in the house. She certainly must have been lonely to consider the constant girlish chatter of Lady Maryann, something to look forward to.
“I know they will be very excited to see you too. And you will have all winter to become very close friends,” Abigail assured her sister-in-law. “In fact, by the time they leave us, I am sure you will be glad to be rid of them,” she continued with a little giggle. “Particularly when Maryann and Ruth start quarrelling.”
“I don’t think I would even mind that.”
“Is your brother coming as well?” the duke asked his wife, hoping to turn the subject.
“Yes, he wrote and said so, though I believe he is coming separate from my parents, so I’m not exactly sure when. I suspect he has been visiting Lady Penelope,” Abigail finished.
“Really?”
The duke was shocked to hear this news.
“I have suspected something between them for some time, though neither one has said as much to me.” Abigail screwed up her noes. “I don’t know why Penelope wouldn’t confide in me.”
“Perhaps she doesn’t want to until she is sure that his feelings are the same. She wouldn’t want to pit you against your brother.”
“I suppose.” Abigail tried to shrug it off.
They passed the rest of the evening as they did most. Abigail read a book while the dowager duchess worked on some mending, and Lady Rosemary practiced her drawing skills. The duke sat contentedly with the most important women in his life and read some letters he had not yet got to that day.
It wasn’t long before his sister and mother retired for the night, leaving the newlyweds alone in contented silence.
Abigail let out a long yawn and set her book to the side.
“Are you tired already, my darling?” the duke asked, setting aside his letters.
“I’ve been surprisingly more exhausted of late,” Abigail commented. “But I suppose that is to be expected.”
“Expected?”
The duke furrowed his dark brows at her strange word choice.
“Oh, that reminds me,” she remarked.
Reaching behind one of the cushions on the chair in which she sat, she pulled out a parcel wrapped in brown paper.
“I know you usually give them to me, but I thought you might like this one.”
The duke studied her mischievous expression before turning to open the book.
“A book of children’s stories?” he asked after studying the book’s contents.
“Yes, I thought that might be better reading material for the nanny than the other books you pointed out to me before.”
“But I don’t understand. Why …”
She waited a few minutes for all the gears to lock into place in the duke’s mind.
“Are you saying … are you pregnant?” he asked suddenly, alight with excitement.
Abigail had suspected the last few weeks but had received positive confirmation only a few days ago when she missed her cycle for the second time in a row.
Unable to contain her joy, she simply nodded the affirmative while tears trickled down her cheeks.
Never in her life did she dream that she would have been so lucky to marry the man that she loved and together start a new family.
The duke came over and sat next to his wife. Cupping her cheeks with both hands, he kissed her tenderly on the lips.
“Are you happy with the news then?” Abigail giggled between the kisses.
“More than happy,” he remarked. “So much more, I fear there are no words that can express how I feel.”
And he kissed her again.
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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Delightful Dukes and Damsels", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello, my beloved readers. I hope you had a great time reading my book and the extended epilogue. I can’t wait to read your comments! 😊
I live a story where the two lovers are dedicated in their hearts. Although adversity does hamper a smooth path, they still remain faithful in love.
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, dear Barbara!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. The great love for each other throughout all the attempts to separate them made for interesting reading. I love happy endings when I read a book, and this ending was great!
Ione Heinrichs
Thank you so much for your nice words, dear Ione.
I loved the story, even when others try and come in between love wins out.
Thank you so much for your nice words, dear Shirley!
MS Alice
I really enjoyed letters dear I marques so much and the trials Penrith and Abigail went through in order to be together. I especially enjoyed how they married in the small chapel and then went to a picnic at the pond. The extended epilogue was wonderful and I am sad this was the end of their story thank you so much
Sincerely
Sharon
Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback dear Sharon! I truly appreciate it! ✨
A sweet love story.
Thank you kindly dear Annette! ♥️
This is a good and wonderful story and extended epilogue
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Gwen!
I really enjoyed this book so much it was very different from most books.
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Delores!
This is a sweet romance without any lurid details. I love learning about the British culture
Thank you, dear Kathleen. So glad you enjoyed the book!
It was truly a wonderful book to read. Couldn’t wait to finish reading it!
A wonderful story I enjoyed reading. I’m glad Abigail and Clarke had their happy ending. The extended epilogue completed the story well but left a ? over Penelopes and Heathcoates relationship. Is this another story awaiting to be written ? I hope so and will look forward to it.
Thank you, dear Nora. I am so happy to hear that!
Thank you, my dear Nora. I’m so happy to hear that!
Wonderful story, I just loved the Duke he was so strong and went after what he wanted I loved that about him he wasn’t afraid to let his father know how much he loved Abigail.
Thank you and keep writing.
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Donnett!
I am hooked again on historical romances.
Thank you so much, dear Kitty!
I enjoy this book very much..thank you so much..
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Maria!
Thank you for a wonderful story. Abigail and the Duke were determined that their love would prevail through all their trials. Hopefully, you will write another story to let your readers know what hAppened to Penelope.
Thank you so much, dear Emily. So happy you enjoyed the story!
What a wonderful love story. Abigail and Clark managed to overcome events not of their doing to preserve.
Happy to hear that, dear Toni. Thank you!
Thoroughly enjoyed the story. Well-drawn characters and good plot line.
But there were quite a few typographical errors that could not be caught by Spellcheck. Some examples are: that instead of than, pronouns in subjective case when they should have been objective case; reigns instead of reins; difficulty with other homophones; etc. I am beginning to think most authors of this genre use the same Spellcheck, because the errors repeat in most of the books.
Thanks for your comment, dear Oma. I appreciate your kind feedback!
I enjoyed this book so much. It was such a good story about how true love’s steadfastness can conquer all obstacles.
Thank you, dear Shannon. So glad to hear that!
What a delightful romantic story. This young couple did not have the smooth path to HEA. After they began to fall in love, both were determined to make their courtship turn into marriage. They stayed the course, which I admired.
Thank you so much, dear Brenda! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed my book!
Enjoyable reading so much anticipation,had a hard time putting it down. Wonderful persons who did not give up and believed that they were going to win out in spite of all that was happening.Thanks for a great story
Thank you so much for your comment, dear Jennifer. So glad to hear that!
Even though I knew there would be a HEA, I enjoyed the reading journey to get there.
Thank you so much, dear Vivian. So happy to hear that!
What a lovely story and such wonderful characters enjoyed every word ,anxiously waiting for another book written by you Alice thank you.
Glad you enjoyed the story, dear Patricia!
Lovely story
So glad to hear that, dear Peggy!