A Marquess’ Passionate Ride – Extended Epilogue

9 Months Later

Peter,

Your mother and I would like to wish you and Lady Hampton a Happy Christmas. This letter is to let you know that we will be in attendance of the Christmas celebration you are planning for the entire family in the coming week. I apologize for the late reply. I assure you, it was not because we doubted whether or not we wished to attend. It was only that Margaret was suffering from a cold up until a few days ago, and we did not wish to put the baby at any risk. She is feeling much better now, though. We are all looking forward to seeing you and meeting our new grandson. Until then, do give Sarah our best. We hope she is recovering easily from the labour. 

Your Father.

Peter could not help the smile that curled his lips. He read through the letter once more, feeling a deep satisfaction at the news that his family would be in attendance for his and Sarah’s first Christmas. He had worried that they would make some excuse, for though they were cordial and accepting of his marriage, they had not spent much time with them since the wedding.

That was not true of Margaret, who was a frequent visitor to his estate, but he had been eager to ease things between himself and his parents. This was most defiantly a good start.

“What has you looking so happy?” Sarah asked, taking his attention from the letter.

He glanced up at her and smiled. She was sitting across the breakfast table from him, watching him with a curious expression. She held their newborn son in her arms, who was sound asleep, as she rocked her arms gently back and forth.

He held up the letter for her to see. “My mother and father have said they will attend.”

Sarah’s face lit up with a bright smile. “Oh! That is excellent news! I knew they would come around. Did I not say so?”

He nodded, chuckling. “Yes, my darling, you did. I have married a very wise woman.”

Tilting her chin, she replied, “Indeed you did.”

Laying the letter down on the table, he said, “So we shall have a full house. Both our families will be in attendance.”

She released a breath, almost as if in relief. “Yes, I am so glad. I was getting rather nervous when we had not heard anything from the Duke and Duchess.”

“I was as well,” he confessed. “They explained, though, that Margaret had been sick, and they had not wanted to risk bringing it to Michael.”

Sarah looked down at their baby, and her expression turned soft and adoring.

“I suppose I cannot blame them for that,” she said. “I do not know what I would do if something were to happen to him. I swear, Peter, I have never felt so fiercely protective of anyone or anything before in my whole life. If something were to threaten our boy….”

“Do not worry, darling,” Peter quickly said when he saw that she was working herself up. “He is perfectly happy and healthy. Nothing will harm him.”

Nodding, she sucked in a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Raising her gaze back to his, she offered a sheepish smile. “Yes, I know. I am sorry. I do not mean to get so anxious.”

He reached across the table and patted her hand. “I love how protective you are of our son. Never apologize for it.”

“Yes, all right,” she agreed.

He sat back in his chair and watched her as she focused back in on their sleeping baby.

Peter felt so proud of his little family and just as protective of both Sarah and Michael as she was.

It was that protectiveness that drove him to ask, “How are you feeling after last night? It was your first outing since Michael’s birth. Do you feel as though it went well?”

Sarah glanced up at him, clearly hesitant to give him an answer.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, she said, “It was difficult being away from Michael, but especially so because I had to be around people who so clearly dislike me.”

Peter’s stomach clenched. “Was there anyone who was rude to you?”

She slowly shook her head. “No…no, not outright. Most of the ladies just ignored me, but there were some who talked to me and were polite. I did meet a lovely young woman named Lady Hendrix. She was quite kind, actually. She did not look at me as though I were beneath her.”

That eased some of Peter’s worries. He had known it would be a difficult road ahead in regards to Sarah being accepted by the Ton. They had attended several social events before she had given birth, and none had been particularly pleasant experiences.

Sarah had often put on a brave face and maintained her dignity, but the other ladies had still whispered about her and made their snide remarks. He had known that they hurt her, and they had infuriated him. However, she had never let him confront anyone over their treatment of her, insisting it would only make things worse.

He knew she was likely right, but it still angered him to see her so put down. As furious as he was toward the snotty ladies of the Ton, however, he was incredibly proud of her. She never let them see that their treatment of her bothered her. She always appeared proud and unaffected. As regal as a queen.

“I am glad that you had a pleasant interaction,” he said. “I know it has not been easy, but this is a good sign that you are starting to make headway.”

She released a little snort and replied, “Yes, well, I suppose even a little progress is noteworthy.”

Pushing back his chair, he stood and walked around the table to her. Putting his hands on her shoulder, he kissed the top of her head.

“You are incredible,” he told her. “Never forget that. Someday, all those ladies that look down on you now will be tripping over themselves to be your companion. Then you can turn your nose up at them and make your own snide comments.”

As he had hoped, his declaration made her giggle. She gazed up at him with love in her eyes.

“You are too good to me,” she said. “I do not deserve you.”

He kissed her head again. “No, darling, I do not deserve you.”

At that moment, Michael began to shift in Sarah’s arms, and a desperate little wail broke from his small mouth.

“Oh, dear, I suppose he is hungry again,” Sarah sighed, standing up. “I will take him up to the nursery to feed him.”

“You are certain you do not want to bring on a nursemaid?” he asked as she made her way out of the room.

“Absolutely not!” she called back before disappearing into the hall.

Peter shook his head and chuckled. His wife was a woman of her own mind and stubborn as a mule, but he would not have her any other way.

***

“He is too precious for words,” the Duchess gushed as she gazed down at her grandson, tucked snuggly in her arms. She looked up at Peter with tears in her eyes. “He is so perfect! I do not know that I have ever beheld such a perfect baby.”

“Is that so?” Margaret grumbled, casting their mother an arched brow glare.

The Duchess quickly amended her statement. “Oh, of course, you were perfect as well, my dear. That is where little Michael gets it from. His perfect aunt.”

Peter laughed, and Margaret turned her glare up to him.

“I did not say a word!” he objected.

“I can tell what you are thinking,” she snapped.

He rolled his eyes. “You are getting rather cheeky, you know that? You had better watch that sharp tongue of yours, or Mr and Mrs Poole will not let you around Millie and Henry for fear of ruining their good natures.”

As if they intended to prove him completely wrong, at that very moment, both children came rushing into the drawing-room, yelling out and causing a fuss.

Sarah hurried in after them and snapped, “You two little beasts stop this at once! Have you no respect for other people’s homes?”

The two youngsters laughed, clearly mocking her. Peter held back his mirth at the sight and was about to step in and intervene when Mr Poole appeared in the doorway.

“Enough,” he barked.

To Peter’s astonishment, both children came to an immediate halt and stared up at their father with wide eyes. Their mother walked in and stood next to him, looking rather calm.

“If you two are going to tear about in such a way, go outside,” Mrs Poole ordered. “You will have to make amends to your brother-in-law if you break anything in his house.”

Millie and Henry both nodded without speaking a word and ran out of the room, presumably to continue their antics outside.

“Do not forget your coats!” their father called after them. Turning back to the room, he shook his head and said, “Apologies. They are just excited about the Christmas festivities. They have never experienced them in quite so…lavish a manner.”

Peter grinned and replied, “There is no need to apologize. We need to make sure this home is ready for children to be tearing through it anyway. They are actually doing us a favour.”

Mrs Poole chuckled. “Do not let them hear you say that.”

She swept into the room and made her way over to sit next to the Duchess so she could coo at the new baby as well. Mr Poole lumbered in after her and settled on a settee. Peter was glad that he was no longer walking with his cane, though the effort clearly still tired him. However, it was a step in the right direction. His health was constantly improving, and they were all confident he would be back to his full strength and endurance very soon.

Moving across the room, Peter poured them all wine and passed it around, though he did not give one to Margaret despite her protests.

“Why do you not run out and play with Millie and Henry?” he suggested. “You are closer to them in age than the rest of us anyway.”

It seemed as though she were just waiting for permission to do just that. Jumping to her feet, Margaret hurried out of the room to catch up with the other children.

“How have you been feeling, Sarah?” the Duchess asked, looking up from Michael for the first time in several minutes. “Are you recovering well?”

Sarah nodded. “Yes, your Grace. I am feeling much better. It was a long labour, and I was exhausted for several days afterwards, but I am nearly back to myself.”

“That is good to hear,” the Duchess replied. “When I gave birth to Peter, I felt rather poorly for a good month afterwards. He had been a rather difficult labour. Apparently, he did not want to leave me so easily.”

Peter felt his cheeks heat as the rest of the adults burst into laughter.

“Mother, could we please refrain from discussing the details of my difficult birth?” he asked in a dry tone. “I do not want my wife or inlaws to think poorly of me.”

“Oh, do not worry, my Lord,” Mrs Poole said with a grin. “Sarah was not an easy delivery either. She came out the wrong way and nearly had to be cut from me.”

“Mama!” Sarah gasped, looking horrified. “That is hardly appropriate talk for company.”

Both Mrs Poole and the Duchess just laughed and went back to gushing over Michael together.

Scowling, Sarah made her way over to his side. “How is it that our mothers can still embarrass us? We are grown with a child of our own!”

“It is a special privilege of parenthood,” Mr Poole chuckled, having overheard her complaint. “You will find that out in time; worry not.”

Deciding to change the subject, Peter asked the man, “How goes things at the stables? I heard you made a very profitable sale of a racer not long ago.”

Mr Poole nodded, puffing up with obvious pride. “Oh, yes, that is true. Some French nobleman came through looking for fine English horses to take home to race and was impressed with one of our yearlings. Paid a very pretty penny for it.”

“That is quite impressive,” the Duke declared. “How did he even know to come here to look for horses?”

“We have built up quite a reputation in London already,” Mr Poole explained. “I have sold a few horses to nobles that used them over the racing season, and they all did quite well, as I understand.”

“Brilliant,” the Duke exclaimed, looking rather in awe of Mr Poole.

Mr Poole turned back to Peter and Sarah and asked, “And you? How is your operation taking shape? Are those colts I sold to you doing well?”

Peter and Sarah both nodded, but it was Sarah who answered, “They are, papa. We have started training them, and they are a spirited lot, but those have always been my favourite to work with.”

“Oh, yes, I am aware,” Mr Poole chuckled. “And breeding? Have any of your mares been successful yet?”

“We have two that are pregnant,” Peter explained. “We paid a pretty penny for the sire, but he is a champion thoroughbred, and we expect to get a decent profit from his offspring.”

“I envy you that ability,” Mr Poole whistled. “Being able to afford to breed with such fine stallions would be a real dream.”

“Surely you can afford to do so with your sale to the French gentleman?” the Duke asked.

Mr Poole shook his head. “We can afford a better stallion, for certain, but not one like Lord Hampton. We have to continue to pay to maintain our facilities and staff, so much of that profit will go back into the business.”

The Duke looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, “Are you by chance seeking investors for your program?”

Mr Poole’s brows shot up in surprise. “I…I would never turn away anyone who thought us a worthwhile investment, your Grace.”

The Duke nodded. “Excellent. I have wanted to expand into a new enterprise, and I have always loved horses. Would you tell me more about your operation, and we can come up with some sort of arrangement?”

Mr Poole stood, his excitement clear, and the two older men moved to a corner of the room to discuss the matter further.

Sarah looked up at Peter in astonishment. “Has your father really been looking for new investments?”

Peter shrugged. “I honestly do not know…it is possible, but I doubt horses were top of his list.”

Sarah let out a low laugh and wrapped her arm around his waist as she cuddled into his side. They stood together and watched their parents intermingling and acting as though they were all friends. No, even better. As though they were all family.

Sarah released a soft sigh. “Did you ever think this day would come?”

Shaking his head, Peter answered, “I had hoped, but I did not dream it would come so soon.”

“I think we have Michael to thank for it,” Sarah said, turning her gaze to their son, who was still being adored by his grandmothers. “Without him, I do not think we would have been able to bring them all together like this.”

Peter nodded. “I believe you are right, my love. Still, even without Michael, I am certain they would have come together in time. They love us, after all. They would not want to stay separate from us forever.”

Turning into him, she gazed up at him with an adoring smile. “I think you are correct, my darling. Though, let us be honest, the appeal of a newborn never hurts when attempting to mend rifts.”

Chuckling, he kissed her forehead. “Very true, and especially when that newborn has your eyes.”

“And your smile,” she replied.

Lowering his head, he gave her a lingering kiss, not caring that they were not alone. He loved this woman with all his heart and had not realized just how empty his life had been before he had met her. She had given him so much…her heart, her devotion, and their son.

When they brought their kiss to an end, they turned back to watch their families start to merge into one, and Peter could not put into words how happy he was. It was rather miraculous how a brief encounter with a pretty stable hand had turned his entire life upside down. He had not realized in that first meeting just what she would come to mean to him, but he had known in his heart that she was different from all the other women he had ever met.

Sarah was his world. His one great love. It did not matter what anyone else thought of them…they were loyal to each other and would always be so. From that moment until their dying days and beyond, they would love and cherish each other and the life they built together.

THE END

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