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Six months later
Cecilia was leaning atop the piano in a rather unladylike fashion. Her bottom was settled firmly on the bench, but one of her arms had splayed atop the lid. She was selecting keys at random from the ivories, trying to match the pitch of the notes with her voice. She had come a long way with her singing since her husband, Raphael, had convinced her to trust herself and give it a go.
She had been inspired by a singer they had watched perform in Tuscany, some few months before their return to England. She heaved a sigh as she recalled Italy and its culture and food. August rain pattered against the windowpanes, and she looked up to sate her curiosity.
Despite all that, there really is nowhere quite like home . . .
A hand pressed against her back, and Cecilia hummed contentedly. Raphael leaned over her and planted a kiss in the crook of her neck.
“You are a picture of beauty if ever I’ve seen one,” he whispered, lavishing her with more kisses. “But if you do not hurry, we shall arrive late at Berilton.”
Cecilia groaned and stretched her arms forward, reaching for the rain beyond the attic room. Their new house outside of Norwich was just big enough for the both of them, and not so small as to offend her family. Things were still tepid between her father and Raphael, but her mother had visited countless times since their arrival. The duchess had warmed to Raphael in no time, to their surprise and glee.
“I mean it, my love,” Raphael urged. “Edward will see us hang if we are late for his wedding. Loath as I am to see you out of this smock . . .” He paused to grab her breasts over her night chemise. Cecilia gasped and melted into him. “. . . perhaps you should dress in something more suitable.”
“Fine,” Cecilia groaned teasingly. “But I shall expect more of that later.”
Together, they walked down the stairs into their bedroom. Cecilia had been forced to adopt a more modest lifestyle since their marriage. Raphael’s income was handsome enough, and her dowry could support them for all of time. However, Raphael insisted on funding their life alone to the best of his ability. Cecilia had agreed, on the condition she relieve him of the burden of his mother’s debts with her money.
So far, they had employed a cook, a maid and a butler from town. John, the gardener from Berilton, came by twice a week to tend to their garden and barrage Raphael with more questions he did not know the answers to.
Cecilia settled at her vanity once Raphael had helped her affix her stays. She found pleasure in performing her toilette alone and a number of other quotidian tasks she had once taken for granted. It gave her a sense of control over her life, a feeling of independence. She clipped on her pearl earrings and reached for her lotions.
She watched Raphael dress in the reflection of the looking glass. He was as handsome as ever, though his hair had brightened in the sun. When she had met his mother at their wedding, she had been surprised just how much Raphael had looked like her. She hoped their babe would look much like them.
Staring down at her belly, she drew a small heart shape above her navel. She was not very far along, three months, the doctor said. Each day brought her one step closer to founding a family of her own, and she could not have been happier.
Her eyes flickered back to the looking glass. Raphael had vested himself as was inspecting his post. Whatever he was reading had captured his full attention, as he scanned the letter with his hand curled over his mouth.
“Something wrong?” Cecilia asked, painting her lips red. When Raphael said nothing, she began to worry. “What is it?”
“My uncle is dead,” Raphael rasped. He cleared his throat and set the letter down.
Cecilia turned in her chair. “I’m sorry to hear that.” She said it more out of courtesy. Raphael had never managed to forgive his uncle for the unfair treatment of his mother.
“Darling,” he whispered, seemingly thunderstruck. “There are no other heirs.”
“No other heirs?” She swallowed nervously. “You mean . . . your uncle’s title is yours?” Cecilia gestured for the letter, and Raphael complied. She read it hungrily, not missing a line. It was all there in writing from his uncle’s solicitor.
Raphael was now Baron Oxburn by law.
“You do not have to take it,” Cecilia assured him. “If you feel it would be wrong, we can pretend this never happened. They will find someone else.”
“I know they will.” He turned in a circle. “I cannot decide this now.”
“There is no rush, I promise.” Cecilia got to her feet and hugged him. She would let Raphael make his own choice in the end, but they both new what a peerage title could do for their family. “I love you,” she said as she pulled away, cupping his awestruck face.
“And I love you,” he replied, laughing through a disbelieving smile. “You should hurry, darling.”
“I should.”
Raphael moved to the door, swinging it open. “A baron,” he murmured, shaking his head. “Ever since I met you, my life has been one blessing after another. I hope you realise that, Cecilia.”
She did, with all her heart.
Because she felt the exact same way about him.
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OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 5 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Lust and Love in High Society", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dear readers. I hope you enjoyed the book and this Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments below. Thank you so much! 🙂
Really loved this story. The growing connection between Raphael and Cecilia was wonderful to read about. Her brother Edward was a very caring, helpful and considerate person. Love does have its ups and downs in this story, but does conquer all.
There were a lot of words run together and grammatical errors in this story – especially at the beginning. Some readers might be put off by that.
Thank you dear Terry!
I’ll look through this with my editor!
Stay tuned there is more coming!
A really sweet story with loveable characters. The epilogue completed their story.
Thank you dear Toni!
Stay tuned there is more coming!
Lovely story! I enjoyed every bit of it. I was up all night reading just because I couldn’t bear to sleep without finishing it.
Please take note of the typing and grammatical errors.
I’m humbled, my dear Theresa! I’m really grateful for your support and kind feedback! I will transfer your concerns to my editor!
A very good and lovely story
Thank you so much for your kind comment dear Gwen!
A very good story!
Thank you so much, dear Sis!
Wonderful story! I loved it!
As stated above, you might want some proof readers for grammar, but it doesn’t bother me.
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, dear Arlene!
I enjoyed the story very much it was stumbling a little bit in the beginning you to the editors mistakes but all in all it’s a very good story thank you .
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, dear Rebecca!
I loved this story and especially loved the ending! It was perfect! I also was very bothered by the errors . If you do not have a proof reader, you need one ! I have read most of your books and enjoyed them all but have seen sooo many errors! All this being said, I still love your work and can’t wait to read the next one !
Thank you so much for your kind words and support, dear Patricia! So glad you enjoyed the story!