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One Year Later
Arabella planted her hands on the back of her hips as she leaned backward to take the weight off her swollen belly as she stood in front of the window watching Cecilia’s carriage approaching the estate. She was very pregnant; ready to go at a moment’s notice, as it were, and her mood lit up in delight to see her old friend coming to help her through those last few days.
Sebastian was off at a day lecture, and Arabella walked slowly around the room, trying to pace out some of the discomfort while Cecilia disembarked and waltzed into the grand house. Her back was under enormous strain, her legs were sore, and her muscles just felt tired at all times, but as she felt the tiny feet kicking up against the wall of her womb all the discomfort was forgotten. Cecilia came bursting in, her flowing gown moving with her energetic arms as she called to Arabella happily.
“You look terrific,” Cecilia immediately remarked, scurrying over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“You are far too kind to say so,” Arabella joked. “I fear I know exactly what I look like, and terrific is not on the list.”
“Come now, you are nearly there,” Cecilia said, reaching down to feel the side of her belly. “Oh look, a kick!”
“Yes, he has been up and about today, and as such, so am I,” Arabella said, gently swinging her hips back and forth. “They say it will be any day now.”
“Please, it may be any minute,” Cecilia said. “That was how it was for me, at least. One moment it was happening, and that was that.”
“How is the little one?” Arabella asked.
“Oh, the same, sleeping mostly,” Cecilia said with a little wave of her hand. “He is adorable, though, at times I can hardly stand it.”
They spent the rest of the day finalizing their plans for the baby’s room. It had already been built to their specifications several times over, and now they were just spending time affirming their previous choices. It was a fine enough way to spend the hours as Arabella anxiously heard each second ticking by on the grandfather clock, imagining the impending birth with each strike of the hour hand.
“Oh, I heard a bit of scandalous news,” Cecilia said giddily as she sat on one of the low sofas and patted the seat beside her, gesturing for Arabella to join her. “It seems Nathaniel has deserted from the army.”
“Deserted?” Arabella scoffed with wide eyes, slowly lowering herself onto the couch. “Where? How?”
“Somewhere in India, can you imagine!” Cecilia said, aghast. “What a poor existence that must be. He walked plumb out of the barracks, according to the gossip Edmund has heard.”
“He can be shot for that,” Arabella said, processing the news.
“Hung, I think,” Cecilia said shortly, without much of a second thought. “But that is only if they find him. From what Edmund tells me, it is a real problem. Too hot, too many bugs, the disease, many men run off. Imagine, off into the jungle with a price on one’s head,” Cecilia went on with a soft shake of her head.
“It is one way to go about things,” Arabella said, briefly trying to imagine Nathaniel bumbling about in some Indian jungle. “Perhaps it suits him,” and she gave a guilty smirk. She did not like relishing in the suffering of others, but in that case she would make an exception.
“I should think so,” Cecilia said, “But come, let us put that scoundrel out of our minds. When did you last eat? I am famished.”
There was a small commotion near the front of the house and they both looked up to see Arabella’s mother-in-law, strolling confidently through the door with a series of parcels in tow, propped up by a pair of overwhelmed footmen.
“Ah!” she exclaimed with a clap of her hands. “If it is not my favorite neighbor.”
“You look well,” Arabella said with a little laugh, gesturing to the stack of packages. “What have you brought us?”
“We cannot have my grandchild coming into this world without a few material possessions,” she replied with a little click of her tongue, and the ladies all shared a laugh.
“My mother was the same way,” Cecilia said with a quick shake of her head. “There is no use explaining that we already own everything we need.”
“Are you sure they will not miss you too terribly?” Arabella asked. “Your own child is merely a few months old for you to be away these few days.”
“Edmund is more than happy to have a few days to himself,” Cecilia said with a quick cock of her head. “I fear perhaps I have been running him ragged.”
“And your son does not?” Arabella laughed back.
“He enjoys it,” Cecilia said with a little wave of her hand. “Speaking of which, where is your husband? Does he not know you could go into labor at any moment?”
“You take the words from my mouth,” Sebastian’s mother said with a quick shake of her head.
“He is at a lecture,” Arabella answered, leaning back against the sofa with her hands on her stomach. “I told him to go; he does nobody any good pacing the house with his hair in his hands.”
“That is true enough,” Cecilia agreed. “No good can come from pacing.”
“You must be hungry,” Arabella said, changing the subject. “Let us have a meal. They are always cooking something.”
“I thought you would never ask,” Cecilia said dramatically, and they all shared a bout of warm laughter as they migrated to the dining room and sent for an early supper.
Sebastian arrived home as they were midway through their meal, and his face lit up with delight as he rounded the doorway of the dining room and laid eyes on Arabella. She could not help but grin at his reaction; it was hard to tire of his infatuation.
“How was the lecture?” she asked, perking up as he walked into the room and around the table to give her a kiss. “Have you eaten?”
“Schoolboys,” he murmured after drawing away from their short embrace. “Hopefully they learned a thing or two. Yes, I ate a late enough lunch. I have no appetite from the ride.”
“I am sure they must have learned something,” Cecilia added from the other side of the table. “How could they not?”
“It is shockingly easy to learn nothing from a lecture,” Sebastian replied with a grin, sinking into an empty chair around the corner from his wife.
“Well, it is their loss,” his mother added, and Arabella smiled to see her being more generous with his profession. He took his wife’s hand and leaned one elbow across the table, his head drooping.
“I am exhausted,” he murmured. “I was out the door far too early.”
“I still do not understand why you travel to all these lecture halls,” his mother added. “You are a duke, they ought to come to you.”
“They do, mother,” he said. “That is entirely the business of what happens at Oxford.”
“No matter,” Arabella said, smoothing the small wrinkle over. His mother had come a long way, and any progress was enough. “I too find myself spent.”
“You should go rest, my dear.” He looked to Cecilia, “We shall put you in the western guest room. It should be made up.”
“Do not fret on my account,” Cecilia said with a little wave of her hand. “Go to bed, the both of you.”
“I am mortified to retire so early,” Arabella joked, pulling her napkin up from her lap and dropping it on the table. “But now you have excused it.”
Arabella and Sebastian retreated up the stairs and crawled into bed, relaxing on their backs as they let the weariness of the day wash over them, and he reached out to pull her into a gentle embrace from the side as they shut their eyes.
“The baby will come soon,” she muttered, and his fingers interlocked with hers beside her shoulder. “It is good of Cecilia to be here.”
“I know,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It brings me joy, and fear.”
“Me as well,” she breathed, nestling up closer to him. “Everything will be well.”
“Yes,” he replied. “I love you.”
Arabella smiled. She never did get tired of hearing it. “And I, you.”
***
They woke in the night with a start as the baby decided his moment had come, and the house became alive with frantic, excited energy as the thing they had waited for so long suddenly happened.
“Sebastian!” Arabella cried out, and he burst through the door, grabbing her hand.
“You are not allowed here!” Mrs. Farleigh insisted, trying to push him back out the door.
“Stay,” Arabella whispered.
“I am not going anywhere,” he replied, gripping her palm tightly.
Three hours later, Arabella gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Whispers of Regency Love", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dears! I hope you enjoyed the Extended Epilogue of my new book! I can’t wait to read your lovely comments here. Thank you for being so wonderful! 🥰
Wonderful, happy reading for a happiest ever after. A wish come true. What is the wonder child’s name?
Thank you so much, dear Marilyn! So glad you enjoyed the story!