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Epilogue
Everyone that couldcome, did, traveling in for the late July christening of baby Viscount William Frederick Sherbourne, and his twin, Lady Emma Eloise Sherbourne, younger by two minutes, but twice as feisty as her good natured older brother.
Baird was selected to be the godfather for little William, and Ella was asked to be Emma’s godmother, as she was also her—partial—namesake.
The three month old babies were healthy and active, and besotted with each other, always reaching out to take the other twin’s hand or to press open mouth kisses on each other’s faces and head. William had a few wisps of brown hair but Lady Emma was completely bald with the palest skin and the roundest head. Some of the Roberts family were already speculating that delicate Emma might end up a redhead, but regardless of her coloring, Emma and William were adorable together, and never lacked attention, always arms there to scoop them up and take them for walks, even if it was just around the house on a stormy day.
Baird was one of those constantly carrying the babies, humming to them or crooning a Gaelic ballad which inevitably made Ella’s eyes sting and tear up. There was nothing she loved more than to hear him sing, which usually meant catching him when he was alone because he was too shy to sing before an audience. But Baird was happy, happier than she’d ever known him. He’d left family law and was focusing on corporate law again but with a focus on corporate ethics and morality, specifically the role corporations played in society and their responsibility to society. He was earning substantially less but believed in what he was doing, and felt as if he was finally giving back in a way that made him proud.
She was proud of him, so pleased that he’d arrived in Derbyshire the day after the babies arrived to meet them, sending Ella and the Roberts family endless videos and photos of the new arrivals and Cara who looked radiant with her tiny bundles of joy. While Ella hated not being there herself as she was nearing the end of the teaching semester, and finishing her dissertation, but the moment she was done, she flew out of Seattle into Edinburgh.
After spending a few days with Baird they drove down to Langley Park to meet the newest Sherbournes. The rest of the Roberts family that could manage time off and the flights, arrived in July to spend a week at Langley Park and be present for the baptism and the summer party Alec and Cara was hosting today on the lawn.
Ella sat with Cara now in the shade of a tree and watched the games, each of them holding a baby while Baird and Alec taught the visiting Americans how to play cricket.
“Your anniversary is coming up in less than a month,” Ella said to Cara, adjusting little Emma in her arms. “Are you and Alec making any plans?”
Cara glanced down at William, his small mouth pressed to her chest. “We’ll probably have dinner here, just a small celebration for us. Mrs. Johnson promised to make something special because she knows I don’t want to go anywhere, and Alec won’t. He doesn’t want to let the children out of his sight. There are so many nights I wake up and find him in the nursery just keeping watch.” Her lips curved. “He’s such an amazing father. I’m so lucky.”
“You are,” Ella agreed, even as she looked out to the lawn where Baird was showing Ethan, one of her brother Tom’s boys, how to hold the bat.
She felt lucky, too, lucky to have found a man she loved dearly, completely, with all her heart, a man who loved her just the same. With her degree behind her, and the future ahead, she felt excitement but also peace. She and Baird had found each other and it worked. All the pieces fit. She flashed back to Christmas and the puzzle they’d worked on in the green drawing room, the one of the Highland cows looking over the stone wall.
Sometimes life was like a jig saw puzzle. It didn’t always come together easily, and sometimes breaks were needed, and sometimes pieces went missing and sometimes you tried to force a piece into the wrong place and it didn’t work. But with patience and humor, determination, optimism and love, the puzzle filled in and the pieces eventually came together and the effort was rewarded.
Ella and Baird had been rewarded.
Ella had a secret and she hadn’t shared it with anyone yet, wanting Cara to hear it first. She made Baird swear not to tell Alec until Ella broke the news to her sister.
Carefully shifting sleeping Emma to the other arm, Ella reached into the tiny pocket on the front of her jeans, and slipped the diamond onto her fourth finger of her left hand, and then as casually as possible, she extended her hand to Cara. “What do you think?” she said, showing the ring off. “Do you approve?”
Cara grabbed her sister’s hand, and held it tightly. “You’re engaged?”
“You’re the only one that knows.” Ella smiled at Cara. “Baird is dying to tell Alec but I wanted to share with you first. None of this would have happened without you and that cottage.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Cara, you’re the best sister and friend. And now I’ll just be living up the highway…four and a half hours. Not far at all.”
Still cradling William, Cara jumped to her feet, and did a mad little dance. Everyone playing cricket turned to look. Ella saw Baird watching, too, and she raised her left arm in the air, showing off her ring hand.
Baird must have explained to Alec and the others because suddenly they were all rushing toward them.
“When is the wedding?” Cara cried, as the family swarmed them.
Alec took his tiny daughter and Ella moved into Baird’s arms. “When is the wedding?” she asked him, rising on tiptoe to kiss him.
He kissed her back and then looked around at everyone. “We were thinking a Christmas wedding.”
“Yes! Oh, a Christmas wedding at Langley Park,” Cara breathed, handing William to Alec, filling his arms. “It’d be gorgeous. We’d bring in a caterer and could open up the ballroom. It’s a huge space—three rooms—with plenty of room for a dance floor and tables—”
“Darling, it’s their wedding,” Alec interrupted gently, but he was smiling. “But do consider the offer. You’re family and we’d love to have you here, married at Langley Park, but obviously we will be wherever you tell us to be.”
Baird and Ella exchanged glances. “We’d love to be married here,” Ella said.
“If it didn’t add too much chaos,” Baird added. “We know December is already really busy here.”
“Nothing would give us more happiness than to celebrate your love with us,” Cara said firmly. “And if you sweet talk me a little bit, I’ll persuade Alec to put you in the cottage for your wedding night. Honeymoon at the Cottage.”
Everyone laughed and baby Emma stirred and began to cry. William opened his eyes but just looked around at everyone, so calm, so wise while Emma Eloise reminded everyone she was not going to be ignored.
Cara took Emma from Alec. Ella rose up to kiss Baird. The magic was real. Love at Langley Park.
The End
