Tobias raised his glass. ‘To the last night of our honeymoon.’
Megan raised hers to his. ‘And the beginning of our lives together. Cheers.’
It had been a magical holiday, spent in tranquil, rural Normandy in an enormous farmhouse oozing with character. The ancient beams, stone walls and huge open fireplaces had been a welcome sight for the newlyweds, as had the south-facing terrace, which caught the sun all day. But what made the farmhouse so special was the garden and its wild Parma violets growing in abundance. Their sweet aroma had hit Megan immediately, transporting her back in time and bringing to mind memories of her gran, who always wore the fragrance of violets.
None of this was coincidence, of course. Tobias had known exactly what he was doing when booking the accommodation. It had been Ted, Megan’s grandfather, who had told him about the farmhouse and the part it played in his life years ago during the war. It was here that the kind French family had helped him recuperate from his injuries. He had lived with them for almost a year, as his lost memory slowly eased its way back to life, and the smell of Parma violets had given him the jolt he needed to recover the faded memories of his first love, Grace, Megan’s grandmother. Now the farmhouse was a luxurious B & B, which retained its rustic charm. Tobias had been thorough in his research and, with Ted’s help, he had managed to track it down and make his wife’s honeymoon all the more special for the sentimental link.
Together Tobias and Megan had lazed by the still, turquoise pool, walked through the wooded valley, meandered through the busy market square, eaten fine French cuisine and drunk rich, fruity wine in the dusk by candlelight, listening to the cicadas. They had all they needed: each other and the promise of a family on the way. As Lord Cavendish-Blake and the new custodian to the ancestral home, Treweham Hall, it fell on Tobias’ head to produce an heir, an obligation he had fulfilled with Megan a month before marrying her. They had yet to announce the good news, choosing to keep it secret for the moment.
For Tobias, this was a cherished time. Having been dubbed a ‘wild child’ in his youth, along with his two close friends, Seamus Fox and Dylan Delany, his meeting Megan only seven months ago and falling head over heels in love was somewhat out of character, or so the tabloids would have their readers believe. According to them ‘Lord Cavendish-Blake-the-rake’ had been untameable, a hell-raiser, who, together with Seamus, had been nicknamed ‘the Heir and the Fox’. Their antics had been reported in many a newspaper, but now it appeared they had been tamed and disciplined, just like the stallions they rode. Seamus was now the obedient husband to the fiery Tatum, who was more than capable of cracking the whip, and a doting father to their two little girls. Tobias was the love-struck new husband to Megan, who had moved into Treweham village last spring after inheriting her grandmother’s cottage.
Megan had worked in the local pub, The Templar, becoming close friends to Finula, who was the landlord’s daughter and who couldn’t speak highly enough of Tobias and his family. Megan had been instantly attracted to the dark-haired, green-eyed, devilishly handsome lord, who made her laugh. She also fell for the caring, compassionate side to him that had never been described in the papers. It had been a whirlwind romance, leaving Megan a touch dizzy. Tobias had provided practical help whilst renovating her grandmother’s cottage and offered emotional support when she had discovered the truth about who her granddad actually was. He’d made no secret of his attraction towards her either, and despite her wariness of his notorious past, his charm had won her. And when she had realised she was pregnant, her whole being had well and truly spun.
For Tobias, it was simply the icing on the cake; all he ever wanted. He’d craved a deep, loving relationship and yearned for children, especially when witnessing how happy his best friend, Seamus, was with his wife and two daughters. From the moment he first set eyes on Megan he knew she had to be his. He’d fallen under the spell of her brown, almond-shaped eyes, her freckled, button nose and silky, brown hair cut neatly into a bob. The feeling he had wasn’t just lust, of that he was certain. He found her company refreshing; she often made him laugh and her quiet confidence gave her a pleasant self-assuredness, not like the brash, overbearing women who had thrown themselves at him. Her interest in his upbringing hadn’t been crass, it was genuine, his background being a total contrast to her own. Despite his reputation and all the glamorous girlfriends that had been pictured on his arm, he had only felt like this once before. He had previously been engaged to another local girl, years ago. Tragically she had been hit and killed by a drunk driver, leaving Tobias heartbroken. The press still hadn’t relented, choosing to home in on a young man’s desperate grief. In the end Tobias had retaliated and given them something to write about, each exploit getting more daring and outrageous than the next. Now it was different: now he had settled down.
Even so, he was ever mindful of the media’s presence. Not wanting to alarm his new wife, Tobias had secretly had the French B & B ‘looked over’ before arriving, and he had it on good authority that the only guests staying in the five-star hotel were genuine holidaymakers like themselves. The staff had been made well aware of the high profile of their visitors, although Tobias and his new wife were at pains not to give any clues to their status. Tobias had wanted the two of them to blend in anonymously, so that he and Megan could enjoy a much-needed peaceful honeymoon.
The last few months had been hectic with Treweham Hall opening for the first time to the public, and the renovation of the old stable block into a superb racehorse training yard, which his friend Dylan had taken over. Dylan Delany was the most famous jockey on the circuit. His dark, gypsy looks, black curls and piercing blue eyes made him the most attractive, too. His reputation matched that of his best friends, Tobias and Seamus, although there had been a shift in the sand of late. It appeared even Dylan was on the verge of calming down, if his relationship with his pretty, fresh-faced assistant trainer, Flora, was anything to go by. Together they were working every hour God sent to make the stable yard work. Dylan was seriously hoping to make Delany’s Racing Yard a huge success and Tobias was more than happy to collect the rent his renovated stable block and land would bring. When he had first assessed the estate’s accounts last spring, Tobias had been astounded at the state his late father, Lord Richard Cavendish-Blake, had left them in. With mounting debts threatening to close the Hall, Tobias had had to put urgent financial plans in place and thankfully he had started to turn things round.
‘How are you feeling?’ Tobias asked yet again, looking towards his wife’s stomach.
‘Fine. Really.’ She could tell he wasn’t convinced, hardly surprising when she had started with morning sickness two days into their honeymoon.
Once the first few hours of the morning had passed, and after keeping most of her breakfast down, Megan’s face had started to regain colour and they were able to enjoy the rest of the day. Although they wanted to keep her pregnancy secret for a little while longer, Megan feared that when they returned to live in Treweham Hall, with Tobias’ mother, brother and a team of staff, it would be hard to conceal, especially if she was throwing up most mornings. She imagined the look of disdain on Henry, the butler’s, face and couldn’t help but laugh to herself. It was going to take some adjustment, living in such a grand place, especially when comparing the greatness of the Hall to the humble cottage that her gran had bequeathed her.
Megan couldn’t bear the thought of selling. Bluebell Cottage. It held such fond memories of her beloved grandmother and she had treated it as a second home since she was little. Tobias had promised that they would still have their privacy and they were going to have the rooms in the south wing of the Hall. Megan was looking forward to choosing the décor and really making it their own, although she wasn’t confident she would have the final say, as Tobias ran his own property development business and it was second nature for him to get involved.
‘Looking forward to going home?’ he smiled, admiring her beautiful face in the moonlight. They were sitting on the small balcony of their room and a lantern flickered brightly on the table. It was mid-September, but luckily the summer was proving hard to shake off and the air was still pleasantly warm.
‘Yes, but if I’m honest, a bit apprehensive.’ Megan had always been made to feel welcome at Treweham Hall, but even so, the thought of having staff permanently on call was nerve-racking and she feared they would be intrusive. Little had she known when first arriving in the picturesque village of Treweham that she would end up being Lady Cavendish-Blake, living in Treweham Hall. It still felt surreal.
Then she turned to her husband, who had become her rock; the reassurance, kindness and care he had shown her meant she couldn’t help but fall for him. That and the fact she’d found him utterly irresistible with those mesmerising green eyes that twinkled with mischief and blazed with passion. He still made her heart flutter and she couldn’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t.
Tobias understood Megan’s apprehension and he was anxious for his wife to settle at Treweham Hall. He knew she was popular with the staff, having seen her interact with them. Megan had overseen the guided tours of the Hall when it had first opened, along with the tearoom and gift shop, into which he had converted part of the ground floor. She was a natural with the staff; even his butler was finally succumbing to her charm.
‘Don’t worry, my darling, everything will be fine. We have our own rooms waiting for you to furnish.’ He took her hand in his and squeezed it.
‘I think I’ll start with the nursery,’ she replied with a smile.
‘Good idea.’ He kissed her lingeringly on the lips. ‘And now, let’s go to bed,’ he whispered in her ear.