Page 58 of Maid for the Duke

‘Will,’ she called, almost tripping over her dress as she ran through the hall of Ashmead House in her excitement.

He was in his study, sitting behind his desk. True to his character, he had been ready for the wedding an hour before they needed to leave and had decided to do a little work to pass the time whilst she was still preparing herself.

‘It’s here.’ Her voice shook with the excitement of it and she held out the parcel.

‘Amelie Somersham, you grow more beautiful every single day,’ he said, pausing to kiss her. For a moment Amelie was lost in his kiss, all rational thought flying from her mind. Only when she felt the weight of the parcel was she dragged back to the present, and she pulled away.

‘You have to open it,’ she said, almost hopping with excitement.

‘Can a man not kiss his wife first?’

‘We are not married yet. And we will be late if you do not hurry and open the parcel.’

‘Very well, my love. I am here to cater to your every wish.’

He took the parcel from her hands and untied the string. Amelie felt a surge of excitement as he slipped the book from the brown paper: A Complete Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Great Britain.

Amelie felt her heart swell with pride. His determination was one of the many things she loved about him. Although his time in Cambridge had been cut short, after their engagement she had encouraged him to continue with his work in between his other commitments and a month ago he had finished the book. He had sent it to a publisher, who had been happy to have the chance to publish it, warning that because it was a niche area they would print a small amount first. Will had not minded; he was just thrilled to have his book accepted for publication.

‘Have a look at the front cover,’ Will said, turning the book to face her.

It was a dark emerald-green, putting her in mind of a forest at dusk, the title in large, gold print:

A Complete Guide to the Flora and Fauna of Great Britain

By William Beescroft

Illustrated by William Beescroft and Amelie Beescroft

‘You put my name on it.’

‘Half the drawings are yours.’

Amelie reached out and touched the cover.

‘I hope you do not mind I used the name you will gain today, seeing as this will be your name for the rest of your life.’

‘I do not mind, my love. It is a wonderful gesture.’ She opened the book, marvelling at how the printers had laid out the illustrations and text. It looked perfect.

‘Now, by my reckoning we have fifteen minutes until we need to be at the church. The carriage should be outside. Did you want to gather the children? It may take a while. I saw Mrs Hampton running after Charles and he was certainly not fully dressed. There was a lot of skin on show.’

Amelie smiled. Charles had thrived since moving into Ashmead House and was now a happy, confident little boy, although somewhat cheeky.

‘I will round them up.’

She found Marie fixing Harriet’s hair upstairs, securing a golden bow into her honey-blonde locks. The two girls were dressed in similar dresses, although each had added their own flair. Marie’s had a wide white sash around the middle whilst Harriet had asked the modiste if she could add little gold stars to her hemline.

‘You look beautiful, my darlings,’ Amelie said. ‘It is almost time for the church; will you help me find your brother?’

‘He is a little excited,’ Marie said, her frown showing her disapproval. ‘Mrs Hampton has had a job to get him dressed.’

‘But is he dressed now?’

‘Last time I saw him, he had breeches and a shirt on, but was refusing his waistcoat.’

Amelie moved through the nursery to where she could hear the calming tones of Mrs Hampton. The older woman had readily agreed to help with the children until they were settled in Ashmead Hall, in the Sussex countryside. At that stage, Amelie would start looking for a permanent nanny to allow Mrs Hampton to return to her retirement, but for now she was grateful for the nanny’s sage wisdom whilst they adjusted to this period of adjustment.

‘Charles, you look like the smartest little soldier,’ Amelie gushed as she set eyes on her little brother. He had been through so much in his short life: losing his mother before he could really remember her, and then their father slipping away from them; losing his home and then being thrown from place to place whilst Amelie had tried to support them on her insufficient wage. All of this had taken its toll on Charles but he was slowly returning to his wonderful, confident self.