Saved by a Rake (19 page)

Epilogue

“Your father in enthralled,” Rebecca said as the carriage trundled through Mayfair. “I do believe that he is looking forward to tomorrow’s baptism, even if he does complain bitterly that Mary is a girl.”

“
I believe he would have complained had Mary been a boy too. Complaining is his favourite past-time.”

The old
earl had recovered from whatever had ailed him two years previously and seemed now to be as strong as an ox. He also appeared to care very much for his new daughter-in-law and now his new grandchild. When Daniel was out of the room, he would smile at her and ask polite questions. He had held baby Mary and jiggled her around when she had fussed. His old brown eyes had misted when her little hand had escaped her shawl and grabbed for his lip.

But now they were on their way to another call—one she had promised to make nearly two years ago but had not had the courage until now.

The coachman shouted for the horses to halt, and she leaned forward to look out of the window at the imposing townhouse. Newthorpe House.

“
You do not have to go in if you do not want to. No one will hold you to that promise, least of all Newthorpe.”

“
I know. But I must. If only for my own peace of mind.” Daniel scowled, clearly dubious that this would be anything other than harrowing for her.

They were greeted by the butler and shown into the drawing room
, where Newthorpe bowed graciously before offering a seat. He inspected the baby and said all the correct things that one would expect a single gentleman, unfamiliar with small children to say. After tea, Rebecca took a deep breath and asked the question she had most wanted to ask.

“
Your Lordship, would you mind if I went up to see the countess’s bedchamber? I believe that it would…I do not know…help me to put the attack by your brother behind me once and for all.”

Newthorpe
looked taken aback, but after a moment he composed himself.

“
Yes, of course. Let me get the housekeeper to look after the baby, and I shall show you.”

“
I can find my own way, if you would not mind?” She raised an eyebrow and the earl hesitated a moment before nodding. She placed Mary in her father’s arms and stood then smoothed her pale blue gown.

Newthorpe
accompanied her to the door and made a silent gesture to the butler to tell him to allow her to go where she pleased. She threw him a grateful smile and headed up the stairs. When she reached the large oak door, she stood for a moment, preparing herself for the flood of emotion that was bound to follow.

Very slowly she turned the knob. Silently the door opened
, and she stepped onto the floorboards in the room. She forced herself to look up to the dark red velvet curtains, and the matching wall décor which still occasionally haunted her dreams. Moving farther into the room, she placed her hand on the post of the bed—the one she had used to steady herself when she had first got up from the bed on that fateful day.

But it seemed like a dream rather than a memory. She could not extract the pain she had felt. It had been
soothed by all that had happened since—her happy marriage, the birth of her child, her life in the country.

“
It does not seem to affect me the way I thought it would,” she said, knowing, without looking that Daniel was there. She had known he would follow, if only to check she was all right—that he would not allow her to do this alone. Since the day he had visited her mother’s
at home
, she realised that he had been her constant protector and companion.

He moved silently up to her and turned her in his arms.

“Let us make a happy memory of this place.”

His lips touched hers in a delicate, but sensual kiss. Then he gathered her in his arms, safe and loved by the rake who had won her heart and her trust.

If you enjoyed the story of Rebecca and Daniel and would like to know what happened to James and why he stayed at the inn with Lady Anna despite her present circumstances, you can read his story in Restoring Lady Anna – which will be released in April 2014.
 

Other title available by Em Tay
lor:
A Love Remembered (originally part of the Once Upon a Hero anthology).