A Lady’s Scandalous Secret – Extended Epilogue

Lily gazed down the length of the wedding table. The happy couple were sitting in the middle, their heads leaning towards each other. The groom was whispering into the bride’s ear, which caused her to laugh. Then they gazed into each other’s eyes.

“What are you doing?” murmured a voice at her elbow. “You keep sneaking peeks at the bridal couple.”

Lily laughed, turning to Archie. Her heart glowed. It had been a year since their own wedding and so much had changed in that time she could barely keep up with it. One thing she knew for certain, though, was that her marriage was a complete success. 

She had believed she loved him when she married him, but she had discovered that this love was something very peculiar, indeed. It only grew deeper and more passionate with time. Now, it was as if they were two trees, whose roots had entwined and grown together. She simply could not imagine a life without him. It was like he was a part of her very soul.

“Why should I not sneak peeks at them?” she asked, smiling wide with delight. “It is not every day that I attend the wedding of my only brother and my dearest friend, is it?”

“Perhaps not.” He laughed, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “You look rather like a mother hen whose chicks have come home to roost, though.”

She laughed again, putting her hand upon his knee, underneath the table. Their eyes met. Lily felt that familiar surge of desire and longing. That was another thing that had only grown deeper and better with time. 

“Would you like to take a walk later?” he whispered, his eyes dark with desire. “After we bid the happy couple adieu?”

She smiled languorously. “I think a walk would be a wonderful thing, husband. If you have the energy for it, of course.” Her eyes held a hint of challenge.

“Oh, I have the energy,” he said. “I still have to make good on that promise I made to you on our wedding day, don’t I?”

“What promise?” she asked, wrinkling her nose. “To love and honour me forever?”

“That vow is an easy one,” he said slowly. “I am talking about the promise to make you fruitful, wife.”

They laughed softly together. Lily felt a tingle all over her body, and she bit her lip. She hadn’t told him yet, that the wedding day promise was fulfilled at last. She had just discovered that she was with child. It was very early days yet, but she knew it was true. She already felt different.

She hesitated. She wanted to just blurt it out now. But it was neither the time nor the place. This day wasn’t about them – they were here to celebrate the wedding of Hugh and Jo. She would wait for the right moment.

She glanced across the room, at another table, where Roland and Clara were seated. She couldn’t quite believe that they were the same children she had first encountered at Harlow House. Roland had started boarding at Eton and was at least a head taller than he had been when she first met him. He was in that slightly gawky stage where his limbs seemed to be growing too fast. And his voice had deepened considerably, sometimes breaking alarmingly, to his chagrin.

Clara was taller, too. She had lost some of the childhood roundness of her face. The girl had a new governess now, of course, but Lily still tried to instruct her when she could. Lately they had been taking long walks together around their home, picking wildflowers. Clara liked to press them into books. 

Her heart lurched, just watching them. They were so dear to her. She thought of them as her children, even though she was just their sister-in-law. And she knew they held her in high regard and thought of her as their second mother. How would they react to the news that she was about to have a baby? Would they feel threatened, feeling like the coming child might usurp their place?

She sighed heavily. She must find the perfect moment to tell them, as well. All of their well ordered lives were about to change. How was everyone going to react?

 ***

The happy couple had departed for their honeymoon. The wedding day was over. The carriage had just pulled up to the house when Lily saw the rider, heading to their door. A man with a satchel over his back, full of letters.

She tensed. A rider coming at this time of the evening did not bode well. What news awaited them?

“Wait here,” said Archie, frowning. “I will go and see what he wants.”

Lily was about to protest, but her husband was already out of the carriage, conversing with the rider. Clara, who was slumped against her asleep, started to stir. Roland perked up, gazing out the window curiously. 

“What do you think it is, Lily?” he asked.

Lily shrugged. “I have no idea. Let us do as Archie says and wait.”

She watched her husband carefully. He passed a coin to the rider, taking a letter from the man’s hand. The rider took off. Slowly, her husband broke the seal, reading intently. The next moment he was back at the carriage, his face tense.

“I want you to all go inside,” he said, in a peculiar voice. “Make sure all the doors are locked, Lily. I will get the footmen to patrol the house.”

“Why?” cried Lily, her heart flipping over in her chest. “What has happened? Where are you going?”

But he wouldn’t answer her. The next minute, they were all bundled inside. Archie didn’t linger. Before she knew it, he was gone. She put her arms around the children, trying to reassure them. But her alarm was growing by the second. Something must be very wrong for him to leave them like this and not even tell her what it was about.

A strange feeling rose in her chest. There was only one person who had ever made her feel this way. The Duke of Flemington. But he was gone from their lives forever – she hadn’t even heard anything of him since the altercation that day at Harlow House, when Hugh and Archie had ordered him from the house. 

No, she thought. I am being foolish. It is probably something else entirely. It is ridiculous to assume it is to do with that man. He is gone. I am safe. We are safe. Aren’t we?

***

She had fallen asleep in a large upholstered chair by the time Archie returned. He was leaning over her gently, murmuring something. She roused herself, gazing at him.

“Where have you been?” she murmured. “What has happened?”

He sighed deeply. “Would you like a sherry? I will tell you all in a moment.” He looked deeply troubled.

She nodded, rubbing her eyes. He prepared the drinks, handing her a small glass of the ruby liquid. It was strong and sweet. She put it down with a sigh, facing him.

“Enough, Archie,” she said, in a firm voice. “You are scaring me more by being so secretive about this. Whatever it is I would just prefer to face it.”

He nodded, wiping a hand over his face. He looked so weary that her heart lurched. 

“It is the Duke of Flemington,” he said slowly, looking pained. “Apparently, there has been an incident in London, and he is on the run. There are Bow Street Runners out searching for him now.”

Her blood ran suddenly cold. She had known it. How had she known it had to be about that man? He was like the bad penny that kept turning up.

“I do not understand,” she stammered. “What has an incident in London got to do with us?”

He sighed heavily. “The letter came from my old friend, Reg Sewell. Apparently, the duke has been unravelling, making all sorts of threats against some of his enemies.” He paused. “He stabbed a man tonight and fled, shouting that he was going to right old wrongs, and make someone pay. It was all around London within hours. Reg knows our background with the man, of course, and thought he should alert us.”

Lily gasped. Her head started to spin. All she could think of was that first time he had barged his way into Harlow House, demanding to see her and take her away with him. Archie and his uncle had forbade it, ordering him out of the house. What was it that the duke had said?

You will be sorry for the way you treated me today. I have a long memory, Mortimer. You do not want to make an enemy out of me.

Lily moaned, putting her head in her hands. She had tried to put it all behind her. She had thought he was out of their lives forever. But now, he seemed to have returned, like some evil jack in the box, springing up when least expected.

“Lily,” said her husband, rushing to her side. “Please, do not worry. I have searched the entire estate, and there is no sign of him. There is security around the perimeter of the house. The constabulary will find him before he can do any harm, and he is probably not even in this area anyway. Flemington has a lot of enemies. He could have been referring to anyone. Reg just thought it prudent to let us know, that is all.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “You do not know that, Archie. And you are clearly taking the threat seriously if you have gone to such measures.” Her face twisted. “We have Roland and Clara here. Oh, what are we to do?”

Suddenly, the tears fell. She cried silently. She had thought that man was out of their lives forever. Somehow, she had forgotten how scared and frightened she had felt when he had been menacing her. But it was all coming back to her vividly now.

“Hush, my love,” he soothed, stroking her hair gently. “It will all be alright …”

Lily suddenly sprang to her feet. She started pacing. The agitation was overwhelming her. She had thought that she had put it all behind her. But suddenly, it was as if she was that desperate, scared girl again, fleeing for her very life, her fate at the mercy of that evil man.

“No,” she whispered. “No, no, no …”

Suddenly, she was falling to the floor. She heard Archie cry in alarm, rushing towards her, before everything faded to black.

***

When she awoke, she was lying in her own bed. Archie was sitting in a rocking chair beside her, reading a book. She stirred, trying to sit up.

“No, Lily,” he said, in a gentle voice. “Do not try to get up. The physician says you must rest for another day.”

She gazed at him in confusion. “The physician? Am I ill?”

He got up, crouching by her side, taking her hand. “You fainted,” he said slowly. “I sent for the physician when you did not wake. You have been lapsing in and out of sleep for a day or so. He told me you must rest.”

Lily groaned. She felt listless. But then, her eyes suddenly sprang open.

It all came rushing back to her.

The Duke of Flemington. The threat. 

“What has happened?” she breathed, staring at him. “Where is that man?”

Archie stroked her hair gently. “You do not need to worry about him anymore, Lily. He was apprehended in Essex. The man that he stabbed ended up dying. The Duke of Flemington is now in custody and awaiting trial. He will likely hang or be transported for this. He will never threaten you again, my love.”

Lily couldn’t help it. Silent tears slid down her face. The relief was so immense. She was very sorry for the poor lost soul who had come to grief at the hands of the duke, but she could not be sorry that the man was facing retribution at last. For the terrible sin he had just committed, but also for the sake of his poor late wife, who had never been served justice for the crimes he had committed against her.

It was like a weight being lifted off her shoulders. A weight that she didn’t even realise she had still been carrying. The year of her marriage had been so wonderful, so perfect, that she had managed to push the thought of the duke aside entirely. But it seemed it had all still been there, lurking just beneath the surface. The fear and the dread.

But it was all gone now. He would never interfere in their lives again. 

“Thank the Lord,” she sighed, gazing at Archie. “You have given me a gift.”

He frowned slightly. “I did not realise you still held such fear about him, Lily. You never mention him.”

She sighed. “I thought I had put it behind me. But it all rose to the surface again.” She smiled weakly. “Now, I feel that we can truly start our lives. I am sorry if I worried you, my love. I did not mean to faint and cause you such distress.” She laughed awkwardly, looking away.

He took her hand. “Lily, look at me.”

She turned back, smiling slightly. “What is it? I thought you would be as relieved as I am about this news.”

“I am relieved,” he said slowly. “More than relieved. I never had any fear about the duke for myself, only on your behalf. I know how much he frightened you.” He hesitated. “But Lily, there is something else you must know.”

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“The physician did a thorough examination of you,” he continued. “It seems that you are with child. He told me assuming that I might know.” He hesitated. “Were you aware, or have I just told you something that will cause you to faint again?”

Lily’s heart lurched. She reddened. “I knew,” she said softly. “I was just waiting for the right moment to tell you. I only just found out myself before Hugh and Jo’s wedding …”

She wasn’t able to finish, because he suddenly enveloped her in a hug, pulling her to him tightly. She could barely breathe. Laughing, she gently disentangled herself, gazing at him.

“I am so happy,” he whispered, his eyes shining with tears. “I have been praying for this day to come.”

“Really?” She laughed, her heart contorting with love for him. “I did not know you were so eager to become a father. You never speak of it at all.”

“I was worried,” he said, frowning slightly. “It has been a year since our wedding. I thought perhaps we might never have children. I thought if I spoke of it I might tempt fate, in some way.” 

She laughed again. “You silly thing. It does not always happen straight away. But we have been giving it every chance we could, and had much fun in the attempt.”

“We most certainly have,” he said, in a low voice, his eyes flickering over her. “You are glowing, Lily. I still cannot believe it. Our very own child.” His voice was full of wonder. “I love you so very much. Every day I thank the Lord you came into my life and kick myself that I almost let you go. What would have become of me without you?”

Her heart flipped over in her chest. “I am here and going nowhere. We are together because it was meant to be, despite all the complications and drama. Never forget that, Archie Mortimer.”

They gazed at each other, leaning forward. They kissed. It was slow and sweet and tender, with just a hint of longing. Lily’s breath caught in her throat.

They were about to become parents for the very first time. Their own child, made of their own flesh. She knew it was still only small within her, but already it was as if she could feel it pulsing and growing. The result of their love. It was such a miracle that she still couldn’t quite believe it herself. 

Suddenly, the door burst open. Roland and Clara were standing there, looking worried.

“Are you well, Lily?” asked Roland. “The housekeeper told us to stay away, but we couldn’t wait any longer to see you.”

Her heart contorted. The poor darlings. Of course they would worry if she was ill, even if it was mild. Their mother had passed away so suddenly. That would still be lingering with them, just like her fear about the duke had lingered with her. Simmering away, just beneath the surface.

She took a deep breath. It was time to put the past behind them, well and truly. A new dawn had arrived. A new child was coming to join this happy little family.

She couldn’t wait.

“Shall we tell them?” asked Lily, gazing at Archie, smiling slowly.

He nodded, a smile spreading over his face. “Yes, I think we shall.” He turned to the children. “Come here, both of you. We have some news for you.”

They gathered in. Lily watched their faces slowly transform and infuse with happiness as Archie broke the news to them. She had never had anything to worry about. The children didn’t feel like they were about to be usurped at all. They were just overjoyed to welcome this new addition to their family. Just like she and Archie were.

She sighed deeply, as a wave of pure happiness rolled over her. She was loved. She was safe. And best of all, she had all these beautiful people surrounding her, enveloping her in that love. Her family which would soon be expanding. 

She was certain that Lily Levine, governess, was loving it all too.

THE END

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