Epilogue

Norfolk, 1817

‘Lingwood Priory is always at its best in the spring,’ remarked Jack as the new and luxurious travelling carriage swept through the gates.

Sitting beside him, Sabrina looked eagerly out of the window. She could not see the house yet, but the drive wound its way through a small park dotted with mature trees, and the green grass was brightened by golden swathes of daffodils, nodding in the April sunshine.

‘It is quite beautiful.’ She turned back to him. ‘I love my new home already!’

Her heart soared when she saw how much her remarks pleased him. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips. ‘Do you think you can be happy here?’

She answered with a beaming smile. ‘If you are with me, my love.’

‘Always.’

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, driving everything else from her mind save the pleasure of loving and being loved by this man. Even after nearly four months of marriage she still could not quite believe her good fortune.

‘Look,’ he said, when at last he released her. ‘You can see the Priory from here... What do you think of it?’

Sabrina sat up and turned to look at the house, its mellow creamy stone walls gleaming in the spring sunshine.

‘It is not so large as Massyngham,’ Jack went on. ‘The original buildings were mostly destroyed during the Reformation and the refectory remodelled into a house. My godfather did a great deal of work on it before he died, so I hope you will find it comfortable enough for the present. There was no time for me to make any major improvements to Lingwood before I brought you here, but in any event, I should like you to be involved in any changes we make. This is your home now, Sabrina.’

‘It looks beautiful,’ she assured him. ‘I cannot wait to show Mama and Papa.’ She turned to him and took his hands, feeling her happiness spilling out. ‘They were so delighted when we married, Jack. It has done Papa so much good to think I am now comfortably established. Pru wrote to tell me that he and Mama are now involved with all her charities in Hartland and proving themselves a great help.’

‘I am very glad to hear it,’ said Jack. ‘They have promised to visit us in the summer, and we shall entertain them most royally, never fear.’

Sabrina kissed him then turned again to gaze out at the rolling parkland.

‘Oh! Is that a real ruin over there?’

She pointed across to a small area of tumbled stone and ragged walls that rose out of the grass.

‘Yes.’ He laughed. ‘We have no need to build romantic follies at Lingwood! That is the remains of the cloisters. Not much, but enough to provide our local poets with inspiration!’

‘I shall look forward to exploring.’

‘Aye, but not now,’ he told her as the carriage slowed. ‘First you must meet everyone.’

The array of servants gathered on the drive was a little daunting, and she was thankful to see it was Tom Weald who ran forward to open the door as the carriage drew up.

‘How good of you to come on ahead and prepare everything for us,’ she greeted him, once Jack had handed her down. ‘I hope you and Jane are happy with your new quarters?’

Tom grinned. ‘Thank you, ma’am, We are more than happy. And very grateful that you could do without us for the past two weeks.’

‘Pho, it is not as if we could not cope for a few days and allow you to have a honeymoon,’ she replied, smiling at him.

Jack saw the dull flush darkening his man’s cheeks, and he laughed.

‘Enough, madam, you are putting Tom to the blush! Come along and meet everyone.’

The formality of the new mistress’s arrival was somewhat eased when Jane came running forward to envelop her mistress in a warm hug, but once the maid was assured that Her Ladyship had survived the journey perfectly well, Jack was able to lead her past the long line of servants.

He smiled to himself as she greeted them all warmly, repeating their names and taking time to exchange a few words with every one of them. Making them all love her, he thought, just as she had done at Hare Hall. His heart swelled with pride for his new wife.

At last he could take her into the drawing room, where he begged her to sit down.

‘It has been a long journey, you must be tired.’

‘I am far too excited to be tired,’ she told him, looking around the room. She removed her gloves and bonnet and cast them onto a chair. ‘I cannot wait to see the rest of the house.’

‘Well, you must,’ he insisted, helping her out of her pelisse. ‘You will sit down and take wine with me, and a little cake, before I allow you to move again.’

‘Tyrant!’

Sabrina twinkled up at him, and he kissed her swiftly before drawing her down beside him on the sofa. He kept his arm about her and she leaned into him.

Even when the servants brought in the refreshments, he continued to hold her, and as soon as they were alone again, Sabrina reproached him, saying they were acting like newlyweds.

‘Which is just what we are,’ he reasoned.

That made her laugh. ‘No, no, we have been married nearly four months now. It is Jane and Tom Weald who are most recently married.’

‘So they are.’ Jack got up to pour two glasses of wine and bring them over. ‘Such a lot has happened since we were snowbound in Devon.’

It had indeed, thought Sabrina, sipping her wine. Their wedding had taken place on Christmas Day and garnered much public attention. Sir Anthony and Lady Kydd travelled from Devonshire especially for the ceremony, but Sabrina had been concerned that her reputation would overshadow the event. However, she need not have worried. The Marquess and Marchioness of Doune had made the journey to London for the marriage of their eldest son, and the presence of such eminent figures as the Duke and Duchess of Hartland and Lord and Lady Tarleton guaranteed the day’s success. Not one of the invitations had been declined.

‘Will your neighbours approve of me?’ she asked suddenly. ‘I am sure some, if not all of them, will have heard of my reputation. And there are your tenants, too...’

‘They will all love you,’ he told her. ‘Especially since it means we will spend most of our time at the Priory. The recent war, followed by the year without a summer, has caused great hardship. It will take us all some time to recover. It is much better for Lingwood if I am here, where they can see that I am working to improve matters and I can explain any changes to them.’

‘I should like to help you with that,’ she murmured. ‘If I may?’

He grinned at her. ‘I shall insist upon it! My only concern is that you might grow bored with this rustication.’

‘Not I.’ She finished her wine and went over to the window, staring out across the park. ‘How could one ever be tired of this view?’

He came across to stand beside her. ‘I agree with you, it has much to recommend it.’

‘And as you say, there will be much to do here.’

‘You must not overtire yourself!’

‘No, no, but I cannot bear to be idle. There will be the necessary bride visits, of course, and I have my charitable work for the poor and destitute, but when everything settles down, I shall set to work on the house and garden.’

‘I think you can be sure you will find plenty to occupy you here, Sabrina.’

‘And I cannot wait to explore Lingwood,’ she told him. ‘The last part of the journey here was so delightful, the primroses growing at the roadsides and then driving through woods carpeted with bluebells. And it was so wonderful to see all the hedgerows, burgeoning with new life!’

‘And it is not only the hedgerows that have new life in them,’ he murmured, slipping his arms around her.

His hands rested on her stomach and she put her own over them.

‘Yes. Our own baby, Jack.’

He bent to kiss her neck. ‘I could hardly believe it when you told me.’

‘Nor I, but I can easily understand it. The doctor at Massyngham was too afraid of losing his rich patient to tell Sir Roderick that he was the problem, and not I.’ She chuckled. ‘The poor man would have looked no-how if I had taken a lover and he had been obliged to explain away a child. The very experienced physician I visited in London told me there is no reason why I shouldn’t bear you dozens of children!’

‘No reason at all,’ he said, turning her round to face him.

‘We shall be the most admirable parents.’ She went on, slipping her hands around his neck. ‘They will learn to mind us very well. You will be kind, but firm and I...’ She gazed up at him, her lips quivering with mischief. ‘I shall not have one bad thought. I will be positively saintly!’

His eyes glinted and he pulled her closer. ‘Not too saintly, I hope.’

And with that he kissed her, which filled her head with very wicked thoughts indeed.

Read on for an extract from A MARQUIS TO PROTECT THE GOVERNESS by Parker J. Cole