A Duke’s Lustful Christmas – Extended Epilogue

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Ezra reached out, taking his wife’s hand, as they walked out of the house. She looked so pretty today, in a gown of sky blue with tiny flowers imprinted upon it. It was one of his favourite gowns of hers. But then anything she wore looked perfect upon her. She was so beautiful it simply wasn’t possible for her to look anything else.

His heart quickened. Abigail had been his wife for six months now. And they had been the most sublime, amazing months of his life. Every day they sank deeper into love. He truly couldn’t imagine life without her now. It seemed impossible that he had once been without her – that he had never even known she lived.

She was his whole world.

Her parents walked out behind them, looking very happy. He glanced back at the house. It had been a part of the Acton Hall estate forever; a modest, two-storey brick dwelling that the grounds caretaker had once lived in. It was far bigger than their old thatched cottage in the village. He had gifted it to them, not long after he and Abigail had wed. One of the best things about it was it was only a mile’s walk from Acton Hall. Abigail could come and visit her parents at any time and was not far away if they needed assistance.

Mr Andrews stared at the sky. “You had best walk quickly,” he said. “It looks like there might be rain upon the way.”

Ezra nodded. “I thought as much myself. Do not worry, Mr Andrews. We will be safe inside in no time at all.”

Abigail turned, kissing her mother and father. “Make sure you get your firewood in for the evening. You know how cold it gets these nights.”

They both laughed. They said their farewells and then they were walking off. He glanced back. The old couple were still standing there, waving to them. Abigail waved too. 

“They are so happy there, you know,” she said, linking her arm through his. “They don’t miss the old cottage at all. I thought my father would miss his old workshop at least. But no. He says that the country life suits them.” She laughed with delight.

Ezra smiled. Abigail’s father had retired at last, leaving his shop behind. He still tinkered in the shed at the back of their new house, carving wooden toys. But he did it when he felt like it now, not because he had to make a living. 

“Thank you,” said Abigail, gazing at him. “Thank you for making their lives so much better.”

He smiled. “You have already thanked me a hundred times, my love. And I have told you a hundred times that it was no hardship. I wanted to do it.” He gazed at her steadily. “Apart from making their lives easier, it has been good for you, as well. I know how much you worried about them. Now, they are close and have everything they need. I hope it sets your mind at rest.”

She squeezed his arm. “It does. Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

His heart quickened again. “It cannot be nearly as much as I love you. But I do like to hear it, just the same.”

They stopped, turning towards each other. Before he knew it, they were kissing. It took all his strength not to embrace her, feel her body, push her to the ground. The passion was still as red hot between them as it had always been. Perhaps even hotter, now that they were so familiar with each other. It was like he didn’t know where his body ended and hers began. They truly were one flesh.

He thought about the last six months. Her transition to becoming the Duchess of Brunswick had been easier than either of them had imagined. And it was because they kept to themselves, most of the time. They didn’t attend society engagements. Abigail wasn’t subject to cold eyes and scrutiny. The only time they socialised was with Luke and his parents, who were accepting and accommodating. Otherwise, they existed here in their own little love bubble, blissfully unaware of what was happening in the outside world.

He sighed contentedly. It was exactly the life he had always dreamt of. He didn’t miss society; he had never been overly social anyway. And how could he miss it,with this beautiful, charming woman by his side, every single day of his life?

He was exactly where he wanted to be.

He gazed at Acton Hall, in the distance. Once, he had spurned it, travelling to escape it. It had held so many ghosts of his past. But with Abigail, he had put them all to rest. Now, he was proud of his home. It contained the past, but it also contained the present, and the future. A brighter future than he had ever dared imagine. 

“Oh, there is Mary and William,” cried Abigail, clutching his arm tightly. “It looks like they are taking a lover’s stroll around the grounds. Shall we go and say hello?”

Ezra laughed. He had gifted houses to both of them, as well, telling them he wanted them to retire. It was the least he could do for the two people who had been in his life for so long and given him so much. He had wanted to do the same for Nicholson, but his steward had baulked, saying that he wasn’t ready for retirement and would die with his boots on. But Ezra knew the offer was still there whenever it was required.

He gazed at Mary and William. They were strolling side by side, not touching. But they were talking in an animated way. He still wasn’t sure if anything was between them, or they just liked each other’s company. They had known each other for a long time, after all.

They caught up with them. The former cook and head maid looked a bit sheepish. Ezra suppressed a smile. Perhaps there truly was something going on between them, but if there was, they never hinted at it publicly.

“Have you been to see your parents?” Mary smiled. “I called on them just yesterday. I brought a batch of scones I had just baked. They seem so happy, Abigail.”

Ezra smiled. He always insisted that the pair call them by their first names, now. It seemed silly to stand on formality with two people who meant so much to him. And Abigail had taught him that the rules of convention could be broken, well and truly.

“They are very happy,” said Abigail. “They love the new house. Ma spends her time pottering in the garden, and Pa is in his shed when he isn’t wandering the woods. It is an idyllic life for them, after so much hardship.”

“That is good to hear,” said William, grinning from ear to ear. “They deserve it, so they do.”

“And when are we going to see you two married?” asked Abigail suddenly, grinning back. “I told Mary at our wedding that the next one I want to attend is for both of you. You are not going to disappoint me, are you?”

They all burst into laughter. Ezra glanced at his wife. She had a cheeky smile on her face and her eyes were shining. She was always telling him that Mary and William should be together, and they just needed pushing in the right direction.

“I know there is a romance blossoming between the two of you,” continued Abigail, her mouth twitching. “Whether you two want to believe it or not.”

William wiped a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye. “Oh, you are a teaser, Abigail! You have your hands full with this one, Ezra!” He winked at Abigail. “Maybe I might propose on the way back to our cottages. How is that?”

They all laughed again. But Ezra could see a glint in William’s eye. Was it truly a joke, or was he finally gaining the courage to do it?

Mary swatted him with the back of her hand. “You are a teaser as well, William Kerr. Let us be off now and leave the young ones to their walk alone. I am sure they will appreciate the sunset more on their own.”

They said their farewells, drifting apart. Ezra and Abigail kept strolling. His wife glanced at him, giving him a careful look.

“It isn’t a joke, you know,” she said, suddenly serious. “I am determined they will marry. They are just shy with each other. It will happen. I know it.”

He laughed softly. “Why are you so fixated upon them marrying, my love?”

Her eyes grew as wide as saucers. “Why, for you, my love. I know they will be happy together, but it is also for you.” She hesitated. “They are the only family that you have, and I want all of you to be happy. You helped my family, and I want to help yours.”

He stopped walking, gazing at her steadily. “I still do not know what I did to deserve you in my life, Abigail. I often feel like I was frozen before I met you. You have brought me back to life, in so many ways. And you just keep on giving. How can I ever thank you?”

She smiled flirtatiously. “You know how you can thank me.” She leaned close, reaching up, whispering in his ear in a tantalising way. “Shall we take a rather longer walk, after dinner? To the Winter Garden?”

His heart started to thud in his chest as desire thickened his blood.

“Oh, yes,” he whispered, anticipation springing to life. “Yes, please.”

They didn’t speak as they kept walking. But they didn’t need to. Already, the promise of what was to come was thickening between them. And Ezra could barely wait, to take her in his arms. His wife. His love. His very reason for existing.

***

Abigail skipped ahead, holding the torch high in her hands. They were almost to the Winter Garden. The place where they had spent so much time when they were falling in love. Their special place, which would always be in her heart.

It looked different at this time of year. Winter was still a month away; the plants were not yet blooming, but it was still beautiful. It was still their secret spot, where they could hide away from the world. No one else ever came here. 

She glanced back at Ezra. She could tell he was as excited as she was. Her heart flipped over in her chest. They had been married for six months now. The most beautiful months of her life. He had been true to his word. He had never treated her that way again, the way he had when he had thought she was conducting an affair with Samuel Clarke behind his back. They were so close now they could almost read each other’s thoughts.

She had never been happier in her life.

It wasn’t just their personal happiness. It was the fact he had gifted a home on his estate to her parents, making their lives so much easier and more comfortable. The act of generosity and kindness had touched her heart. Ezra truly didn’t care what the world thought about them. He had turned his back on high society. They existed in their own world, not needing anything else.

Sometimes, she barely remembered she was the Duchess of Brunswick at all.

She smiled, thinking of Mary and William. He had been so generous with them, as well. They had both retired, to live out their days in comfort on the estate. And she was still trying to get them together. She knew she would succeed. It was only a matter of time.

Suddenly, she hitched up her skirt, laughing, running down the path. She glanced back at him. He was smiling, looking delighted. A little game of hide and seek.

A frisson of excitement ran down her spine, as she darted and dodged, leading him on. He was right behind her, but she managed to keep one step ahead. At the next bend, she darted to the right, down an overgrown path, with tree branches forming a thick canopy above it. It was a beautiful night, with a pearlescent full moon, shedding light along the way.

She glanced behind. He wasn’t there. Confused, she stopped for a moment. Suddenly, he reared up behind her, grabbing her around the waist. She was so surprised that she almost dropped the torch.

“You thought you got away from me, didn’t you?” he whispered into her ear, pulling her back against him. “You must know by now that you will never escape me.”

She laughed softly, leaning back against him, feeling a trickle of aching desire. He was already hard. She could feel it pressing against her. A wave of longing overtook her. She wanted him right now. It was almost like a hunger.

She still couldn’t believe how good the physical side of love was between them. It just seemed to get better and better with every passing day. They were so attuned to each other now that he only had to look at her a certain way and she was ready. But they had never made love outside the house. There had been several rooms within it, where they had been overtaken by their desire, but never beyond it.

She felt another frisson of excitement. It looked like that was about to change.

Slowly, he took the torch out of her hand, placing it in a holder near a tree. It flickered brightly, casting a warm pool of light around them. Then he came back to her, taking her hand, leading her further into the trees.

He stood behind her again, winding his arms around her, caressing her breasts as he nibbled her neck. She sighed with contentment, closing her eyes, leaning back into him. His hands trailed lower still, over her belly, towards her most intimate area, which was already wet and throbbing with need.

Carefully, he gathered up the skirt of her gown, so that her legs were exposed to the air. He plunged one hand between her legs, exploring her moist folds. She shuddered, leaning back further, as he expertly caressed her, bringing her slowly but surely to the point of no return. She cried out softly, her knees almost buckling beneath her, as it intensified.

Suddenly, he bent her forward slightly. She felt him position himself behind her, the thrill of his bare skin, the hardness of his manhood. She was aching for him and so, so ready. He gripped her around the waist then entered her swiftly, in one confident move. She gasped, feeling his fullness, her own flesh closing over him, welcoming him.

He started moving inside her, slowly at first, then with increasing speed. It was so glorious that she couldn’t help moaning. He was moving even quicker now, almost slamming against her, breathing heavily. She could tell that he was very close to his own release. She could feel his tremulous excitement gathering like mist around them. Her own was climbing, building, ready to shatter at any moment.

Suddenly, he gripped her tightly, leaning over her. He cried out, almost in pain. At the exact same moment, her own pleasure peaked, thundering through her flesh. It was so powerful that she almost fell over again. As if he sensed it, he gripped her tighter. They wrung the last, ecstatic shudders out of each other, before collapsing onto the ground.

Abigail opened her eyes. She felt alive, in a way that she had never felt before. She was tingling with the aftermath of their pleasure, but it wasn’t just that. It was the feel of the soft breeze against her face. The smell of the plants around them. The whole sensual experience, of being outside, bathed in their shared love and the moonlight.

“That was beautiful,” she whispered, tears springing into her eyes. “How can you make me feel that way? I still don’t understand.”

He gently caressed her face, staring deep into her eyes. “Don’t you see? It is you, and it is me. It is the both of us together. We are one, my love. We were meant to be together. If I died right now, I would be a happy man.” His eyes were shining.

Abigail sighed. “But you will not die now,” she said, almost shyly. “Ezra … I have not known how to tell you this. But I believe it will not be just the two of us much longer.” Her hand drifted to her belly, enclosing it in a proprietorial way.

He gasped, staring at her hand. “Is it true?”

She nodded bashfully. “Yes, I think so. Perhaps an heir to the title and Acton Hall.” She gazed at him anxiously. “How do you feel about that?”

His eyes were moist with tears. “Once I would have shuddered to think of it, Abigail. But you know how much has changed for me.” He put his hand over her own, where it rested on her stomach. “Now, I am eager for the future. The ghosts have been laid to rest, and I am delirious with joy to think that we are about to become a family. And that Acton Hall will hear the pitter patter of tiny feet soon.”

They kissed tenderly, then fell into each other’s arms, staring up at the moon. Abigail sighed with contentment. It truly had come full circle. Christmas was coming again. She would be with child. And the Christmas after that they would have their child. A new life. A new chapter for Acton Hall.

She smiled. She had never met his parents. But she could almost sense them, smiling down from above, so very happy with how it had all turned out, in the end.

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