“I think I might come to Rosedale Manor with you, darling,” Hunter said, and Emmeline looked at him to see that he was, indeed, dressed ready to attend her mother and sister with her. “Unless you particularly wanted to spend time alone with Rose and your mother?”
“No, not at all,” Emmeline said feeling so content she could hardly believe it. “And you know how my mother enjoys being teased by you.”
“In truth, I find that your mother’s company always provides the most curious surprises. I particularly like the weeks when she has spent a little time with Lady Harbury, and I would give anything to be a fly on the wall listening secretly to one of their conversations one of these days. They must be truly enlightening.” Hunter chuckled mischievously.
“They are indeed enlightening, but perhaps not in the way you might hope for. And beyond that, they are extraordinarily long and almost painful, but to each his own, Hunter,” Emmeline said and laughed.
In the six months of their marriage, much of their time had been spent in humour and laughter. Emmeline had always known that they had a certain sympathy of humour, but she had never guessed quite how much. Hunter’s humour was dry and witty, and he seemed to enjoy the fact that hers was also at times. He was so unlike any other man she had met, so pleased to have a wife who could not only make him laugh and interest him but interest others also.
“I can only imagine.” Hunter was chuckling. “But yes, I should like to come with you and have afternoon tea.”
As they made their way out of the carriage, Emmeline thought how strange it was that Rosedown Manor had instantly become just like their old family home. Although her dear father had never set foot in it when Hunter had purchased it for her mother and sister when they had finally lost Tarlton Manor to Kent Fitzgerald, she had been amazed to find that it had such a great feeling within.
It felt to her as Tarlton Manor had felt when she was a child; full of love and laughter and hope. It was a place of security and warmth, just as her old family home had once been.
And her mother and sister had adored it, instantly making it their home. It was then that Emmeline had come to realize that it was family which eventually made a home. It was not bricks and mortar, nor stone and cement, but the people within four walls who made it what it was.
Kent Fitzgerald had kept himself very quiet since becoming the master of Tarlton Manor. He did not enjoy society as he had hoped, given that Hunter had threatened him that he would stay out of their way or his behaviour would become known to all. He had, of course, warned Giles Calloway against having any further association with the man, giving some hints as to what had happened. After all, Giles Calloway was a decent man and deserved to know that he did not have a true friend in Kent Fitzgerald.
As for the Duchess of Galcross, she had similarly been warned. Hunter had written a lengthy letter to her, and Emmeline had been surprised when he had asked her to read it through. She had not expected him to be so open and yet, at the same time, she knew she ought not to have been surprised. Apart from hiding their innermost feelings of love for fear of losing one another, they had been open and honest in every other respect. And now that their love was known, now that everything was clear between them, their honesty was complete.
“Allow me,” Hunter said with a beaming smile as he helped his wife into the carriage.
“Thank you,” she said and climbed into the carriage, smiling broadly back at him when he climbed in after her and closed the door.
He sat at her side, so close to her that there was not a space between them, and reached out to take her hand as he always did. There was always such closeness, a closeness that she knew she would never have experienced with anybody but Hunter.
She could never have realized all those months ago that Christopher Lennox had done her a great favour in humiliating her that night. As much as it had hurt, she would never have stumbled onto the path to happiness; she would never have been rescued by Hunter Bentley, and he would never have hatched his plan for their marriage of convenience.
As their carriage rumbled along towards Rosedown Manor, Emmeline realized that life was a curious thing. Sometimes it was only the worst of circumstances which would bring on their backs the truest happiness of all.
“I love you, Hunter,” she said simply, and her husband turned to kiss her.
“And I love you, Emmeline.”
THE END