Page 105 of Yielding to Love

Epilogue

Nine months later…

Crispin was on his way to another family wedding. The last.

He galloped Mercury up the beech-lined drive to Chaumbers, first heading to the stable to leave the horse with George. Then, for old time’s sake, he sneaked into the house through the back door.

From several steps away, he heard Cook and Mrs. Clay in the kitchen arguing good-naturedly. He’d sent Mrs. Clay to Chaumbers in a post-chaise the week before. She was to be in charge of preparing Crispin’s meals, even his plate at the wedding breakfast. That was a potential cause for friction, but Cook had no reason to feel put out. There was more than enough for her to do. In addition to all the Taverstons, Hazard, and Alice, the Stirlings had been invited with their brood.

Crispin had also sent Gerald with Mrs. Clay, which meant he’d been a week without a valet. No real hardship, but he was in great need of a decent shave.

He walked into the kitchen. The two cooks barely looked up.

“Can someone direct me to Lady Bodwell?” he asked pleasantly.

With a one-shouldered shrug to indicate she was unimpressed with his comings and goings, Cook answered, “She was down at the Carrolls’ cottage. Maybe she’s back.”

“Oh.” He turned to go find her. He hadn’t seen the love of his life since the christening in July, and even then, it had been difficult to steal private moments.

Peters came out of the pantry with a large box. “Major? You’re here. The earl asked that I send you to his office the moment you arrived.”

“Do you have to tell him you saw me?”

“We all saw you,” Cook said. “Get on with you.”

Civilian life was absurd. He was reduced to taking orders from the servants.

Brimful of good humor, he went upstairs to see what Jasper wanted. The office door was open, so he didn’t bother to knock. Jasper was half-standing, his hip resting on his desk, talking to Vanessa, who was seated on a new two-person couch. It held two persons. Vanessa cradled the babe christened Isabel in her arms. “Belle” appeared to be sleeping, so he tiptoed in, blew his sister-in-law and niece a kiss, and shook Jasper’s hand.

Crispin was still heir to the earldom, but no one worried any longer that the status would last. Belle had been born at nine months, hale and whole. Vanessa was still glowing. And Jasper was more contented than Crispin had ever seen him.

Alice had been delivered of her babe at Crispin’s Binnings cottage on New Year’s Eve. Lucy. Haz could not have feigned so genuine a delight. He doted on his girl and headed off any suggestion that a boy would have been preferable with the calm statement that “We are just getting started. Alice has promised three of each. The order does not matter.”

It was funny, to Crispin, how, where there was no concern about succession, Georgiana and Olivia had popped out sons with no trouble. Of course, he would never say such a thing aloud.

“You wanted to see me?” he asked Jasper quietly.

“Yes. I have a wedding present for you.”

“Another one?”

“Spitfire was not a wedding present. She was an investment.”

Spitfire was a gorgeous silvery-gray thoroughbred that Jasper had stumbled upon at Tattersall’s. She was fast, but her trainer said she was not fast enough to win, so her owner was selling her as a broodmare. Jasper made her a gift to Crispin’s enterprise, insisting only that he be given the first foal. For a while, Crispin had been calling his brother Rumpelstiltskin, but the joke had grown old. Winner was in foal now. Spitfire would be next.

“So what have you?” Crispin asked, resigned to being the recipient of Jasper’s boundless generosity.

Vanessa stood and practically plunked Belle into Crispin’s arms. “I’ll be right back.”

She left the room. Jasper said nothing more. Then Camellia entered, smiling madly, still dressed in unrelieved black—that would end tonight. It had been a year and one day since Manfred’s death. Crispin would have rushed to embrace her, no matter that Jasper was watching, except that he had a baby in his arms.

“Camellia,” he said, giving her a crooked smile. “I intended to find you first.”

“Belle’s charms outstrip mine.” Camellia laughed. “I want to see this.”

“See what?”

She tilted her head toward the door. Vanessa returned with Adam in tow.