The Earl's Honorable Intentions (20 page)

“Are you
trying
to get rid of me now?” Gavin’s dark eyes twinkled in a way Hannah hoped she would often see in the years to come.

“You know very well the answer to that.” Hannah was not accustomed to the sort of gentle banter she had heard Rebecca and Sebastian exchange, but she found she enjoyed it. “I love you so much that I am afraid of letting you down. I want to be quite sure you will not regret your decision.”

“Not for a moment.” He raised her hands and pressed a kiss on them. “I am confident that when I exercise my newfound powers of persuasion upon Lord Bathurst and the other gentlemen, they will find someone just as well qualified for the post and far more eager to accept.”

“Does that mean we will have to stay in London a while longer?” Much as Hannah enjoyed spending time with Rebecca, she yearned to see the babies with an intensity that was almost painful.

An answering look of longing came over Gavin. He shook his head. “I have had my fill of London. We will go as soon as I can dash off a quick reply to Lord Bathurst. I once thought I would never say these words, but I can hardly wait to get home.”

Epilogue

Kent, England
June 1816

I
n many parts of England, there would be
celebrations on this day to mark the anniversary of Waterloo. Gavin doubted many
would be as joyful as the one soon to take place at the parish church of Saint
Alban’s Edgecombe.

That terrible day, when he had staggered into this place of
worship with a heart full of guilt and failure, now seemed like a bad dream from
which Hannah had wakened him. Indeed, his whole previous life felt that way.
Only in the past year had he truly come alive—taking on challenges he once would
have shunned, opening his heart to family and friends.

“It will all be worth the wait, you’ll see,” Sebastian
whispered as he and Gavin took their places at the foot of the chancel steps.
“It was for Rebecca and me, and it will be for you and Hannah.”

Was Sebastian referring to his own somewhat lengthy betrothal?
Gavin wondered as he waited for the arrival of
his
bride. Or did he mean the months he and Rebecca had waited and hoped to start a
family? The moment the Benedicts arrived for the wedding, Hannah had guessed her
friend was with child. She and Gavin were delighted for them.

Gavin turned for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the small
congregation with a sense of satisfaction. He had managed to gather almost all
of Hannah’s school friends for their wedding. The beautiful Lady Steadwell had a
glow about her as she sat with her husband and his three daughters. Vivacious
Miss Shaw was sitting with Captain and Mrs. Radcliffe to help out with their
infant son. Only Evangeline Fairfax had not been able to make the journey down
from the Lake District, though she had sent a gift and warm letter of
congratulations.

On the other side of the church sat two of Gavin’s cousins, a
number of his fellow cavalry officers and as many of the Edgecombe servants as
could be spared from preparations for the wedding breakfast. Peter was there, of
course, with his nursemaid. Gavin tried to catch his son’s eye, but the child
was too busy staring at the Radcliffe girls and Lord Steadwell’s youngest
daughter. He seemed delighted to have so many children visiting.

Hannah had insisted Alice and Arthur must attend the ceremony,
as well. Gavin’s little daughter sat quietly on her nurse’s lap, staring around
her at the stained-glass windows, which were brilliantly illuminated by the
morning sunlight. Young Arthur refused to have any of that. Instead he staggered
up and down the side aisle with Mrs. Wilkes clinging tightly to his leading
strings to prevent him from taking a tumble.

Just then Hannah appeared at the back of the church. She looked
quietly radiant in a modest dress, her bonnet trimmed with flowers from the
Edgecombe gardens. In her hands she held a matching nosegay. Even from a
distance, Gavin could not mistake the love that glowed from her whole
countenance. Love for him, for the children and for Edgecombe itself.

He had spent the past several months proving to her and to
himself that he could be the kind of husband she needed and deserved. Today at
last, he could pledge her his love and loyalty for all the years to come. When
they made their wedding vows to each other, he and Hannah would have the
confidence of knowing the lengths to which they would both go to honor such
promises.

* * *

“I promised our host I would keep my toast short,”
Sebastian announced with a wry chuckle as the guests paused in their
appreciative consumption of the wedding breakfast.

Hannah ducked her head and blushed, for she knew the viscount
was about to pay tribute to her. She had never been comfortable accepting
praise.

But no amount of unease on that account could temper her joy.
Today was the happiest in her life, not only because she had wed such a fine man
and become the mother of three children she adored. Her pleasure was compounded
by the presence of so many of her dear friends. Like Rebecca, the years had not
changed them in essentials. Grace was still as kind and understanding as ever,
Leah still as irrepressible and Marian still had the brave heart of a true
champion.

As well as Hannah and her friends got along after all their
years apart, their husbands had also taken to one another like old comrades.
Even Lord Steadwell and Sebastian had overcome the awkwardness of mistaken
impressions formed before they became better acquainted.

The children were having a wonderful time together, too. Lord
Steadwell’s eldest daughter, Charlotte, doted on the babies while the middle
daughter, Phoebe, had bonded with Peter over their shared love of horses. The
youngest of Lord Steadwell’s daughters, Sophie, had become great friends with
the Radcliffe girls. Peter was delighted to have three high-spirited playmates
of his own age. Looking ahead, Hannah foresaw many pleasant visits between their
families.

“When Rebecca first told me about her school friends,”
Sebastian continued, “I must confess I thought they sounded too good to be
true—particularly the incomparable Hannah Fletcher. But having become acquainted
with the lady, I can now assure you my dear wife did not exaggerate. Gavin is a
fortunate man to have secured such a fine wife, as are all the gentlemen who
have wed her friends.”

“Hear, hear!” cried Gavin, Lord Steadwell and Captain Radcliffe
with touching enthusiasm.

Sebastian laughed along with the rest of the company. Then he
raised his glass. “Ladies and gentlemen, pray join me in drinking to the health
and felicity of the new Countess of Hawkehurst!”

It gave Hannah an odd feeling to hear herself called that. To
her, Gavin’s first wife would always be the countess. Being Mrs. Gavin Romney
was as precious a title as she could ever wish for.

Once the company had drunk to her health and Sebastian resumed
his seat, Gavin rose. “I have one announcement to make, after which I promise
you there will be no more speeches.”

“Hear, hear!” Leah quipped to everyone’s amusement, including
Gavin.

“Perhaps you will think differently after you hear me out, Miss
Shaw, for it concerns you and your friends.”

The others all cast Hannah questioning looks, but she could
only reply with a mystified shrug. She had not the least idea what Gavin
intended to announce.

“Lord Benedict, Lord Steadwell, Captain Radcliffe and I have
been talking,” Gavin continued, “and we have decided the best way to honor our
dear wives is to endow a new school to replace that horrid Pendergast place—a
school that will be run on truly Christian principles.”

He was interrupted by cries of delight from Hannah and the
others. What a comfort it would be to think that another generation of girls
need not suffer what they had and worse. Already Hannah’s mind was churning with
ideas for how to make the new school an example of what such institutions could
and should be.

“We will need the very best people to run it.” Gavin’s words
echoed Hannah’s thoughts. “We hope Miss Shaw and Miss Fairfax might be persuaded
to take on the task.”

Hannah, Rebecca, Marian and Grace hailed the announcement with
delight and called for Leah to accept.

“If anyone could make our school a happy place, it is you,
Leah,” cried Hannah. “Please say you will!”

But Leah shook her head, her hazel eyes twinkling. “I wish I
could oblige you, but this sounds like an ideal project for Evangeline. You know
what a born leader she is. I am too much a rebel—we would come to blows in no
time.”

Though her friend’s answer disappointed Hannah, she could not
deny the truth of it. Evangeline was much better suited to the challenge of
establishing and running a new school. Besides, Leah hated being tied down in
one place for too long. She moved from position to position with an eagerness
that a homebody like Hannah could never understand.

Gavin concluded his speech to a flurry of applause.

When he sat down, Hannah reached for his hand under the table
and gave it a squeeze. “The school was
your
idea,
wasn’t it?”

Her husband replied with a nod and a rather shamefaced grin. “I
hope you approve.”

“You know I do.” She gazed deeply into his eyes, basking in the
warmth of love that glowed in them. “It is the most thoughtful, generous gift,
from the kindest husband a wife could ask for.”

Love like theirs was the best gift of all, Hannah reflected as
she cast decorum aside to offer her husband a tender embrace. Steadfast and
abiding, without conditions or standards, it would enrich their lives and their
children’s with an abundance of happiness in the years ahead.

* * * * *

Keep reading for an excerpt from
The Cowboy's
Surprise
Bride by Linda Ford.

Dear Reader

Unlike my earlier Glass Slipper Brides stories, this
one took more effort and changes. Perhaps that’s appropriate for a story about
dealing with failure. Failure is a scary thing that can shatter our
self-confidence and burden us with guilt. Fear of failure can make us reluctant
to take on challenges.

Burdened by a sense of failure, Colonel Gavin Romney feels he
must atone by keeping a battlefield vow. His ideas about God were influenced by
his judgmental father. Hannah Fletcher pushes herself hard to win the regard of
others. She has lost too many people she cared for to believe
anyone
can love her unconditionally.

When circumstances force the wounded warrior and the capable
governess together, they discover that forgiving themselves and risking their
hearts will require something more than hard work and courage. It will take a
leap of faith.

Deborah Hale

Questions for Discussion

1. When Gavin arrives at his wife’s funeral, Hannah
   assumes his unsteady gait and rough appearance mean he’s been drinking.
   What makes Hannah so quick to believe the worst of Gavin? Have you ever
   let past events color your judgment of someone?
   

2. Gavin quickly becomes fixated on bringing
   Napoleon Bonaparte to justice. Why do you think he lets that idea
   consume him to the degree it does? Have you ever focused on something
   external as a way to avoid unpleasant feelings or problems within
   yourself?
   

3. As Gavin and Hannah become better acquainted,
   they realize they have more in common than they once believed. What
   sorts of things do Gavin and Hannah have in common? In what ways to they
   differ? In what ways do their similarities and differences draw them
   together?
   

4. When Hannah prays, she reflects that she does not
   often pester God by asking things for herself. Why do you think she
   feels her prayers might “pester” God? Do you ever feel some things are
   too trivial to pray for? What do you think Jesus might have said about
   that?
   

5. How do you think Gavin’s view of God is
   influenced by his relationship with his father? Are there any ways your
   early relationships might have shaped your beliefs?
   

6. Gavin feels the failure of his marriage to
   Clarissa was entirely his fault. Do you agree? What factors do you think
   contributed to the problems in their marriage?
   

7. Gavin believes people should only do those things
   they have a natural talent for. Hannah believes it is possible to do
   anything with enough hard work. Which do you think is more
   important—natural ability or determined effort?
   

8. Hannah advises Gavin that the Bible “may not be
   as current as the
   Times
   or the
   Morning Chronicle,
   but it contains words of
   wisdom that could well apply to the present situation.” Can you think of
   a time when you found words of wisdom in the scriptures that helped you
   deal with challenges of modern life?
   

9. Hannah wonders if there is “part of her...still
   held captive by her past, which needed saving?” Have you ever felt that
   way? Was someone able to help you or did you find a way to free yourself
   from destructive influences of the past?
   

10. Through the course of the story, Gavin learns
    some important lessons about handling failure. What do you think he
    learns? Can you think of any scripture passages that might help someone
    deal more constructively with failure?
    

We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Historical title.

You find illumination in days gone by.
Love Inspired Historical
stories lift the spirit as heroines tackle the challenges of life in another era with hope, faith and a focus on family.

Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Historical every month!

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