Six Years Later…

“Mama? Michael took my toy.”

“I did not.”

“He did! He did, Mama.”

“You lost it. Not my fault.”

“Mama!”

Violet laughed as she stepped through the door of the sitting room in Woodlands House, looking toward the two children who were sitting by the fireplace. She placed a hand to her sore back, urging herself to walk forward. She was still suffering the fatigue from her latest childbirth, but come what may, she would not be slowed down, not now she had three children to dote on this Christmas.

“Michael has my doll, Mama, look!” Arabella stood to her feet and practically stamped her foot down on the rug as she pointed at the small boy beside her.

“I don’t have it.” Despite Michael’s words, he hid the ivory doll behind his back, prompting Violet to place her hands on her hips and offer a reprimanding glare. Michael instantly cracked and pulled out the doll again. “It’s not fair,” he murmured as he passed the doll over to Arabella.

“You have your own toys. Play with your own.” Arabella snatched the doll away, turned and planted herself back on the rug, playing with the doll as if nothing had happened.

“One of these days, you two really will have to learn to share,” Violet said softly. Her son and daughter looked at her with wrinkled noses, as if the mere idea was abhorrent to them. She laughed instantly and walked into the room, placing a hand to her back once more as she moved forward. “Come on, it’s time to learn this lesson.”

She took hold of Arabella and spun her round on the rug to face her brother, then Violet took the doll out of her daughter’s hands and placed it down on the rug between them.

“You could play a game together, where you share the toy. What do you say?” Violet asked, dropping to her knees, and looking between the two of them.

“All right. If he doesn’t steal it again!” Arabella pointed an accusing finger at Michael, flicking her blonde hair out of her eyes.

“I didn’t steal it!” Michael said, pouting his lips and flicking his blue eyes that matched his father’s away from his sister.

“Children.” The new voice in the room made Violet look up with a smile. Andrew had entered, carrying their youngest child in his arms. At once, Michael and Arabella’s tones softened, and they began to play together. Violet took the opportunity to stand to her feet and hurry toward her husband, taking their new baby out of his arms.

“How is she?” Violet whispered.

“Sleeping soundly,” Andrew assured her, passing an arm around her waist so that he held Violet close to him. She smiled and sank into his touch as she nestled their new daughter between them. “According to Mrs. Thatcher, she has been as good as gold all night. Not a peep out of her.”

“Already? She is mightily well behaved,” Violet said with a roll of her eyes. “These two were not so well behaved.”

“Certainly not,” Andrew agreed with a shake of his head. “But I’m told twins are notorious at making life difficult for one another.” Violet laughed at the idea, for she certainly knew what her husband meant. Michael and Arabella may have bickered a lot, but they were also devoted to one another. When nap time came around, they were invariably always linked together, with one of the children leaning on the other.

“Ready for your introduction to the family, little one?” Violet cooed as she looked down at their newest daughter..

“I hope she is, for they are here now.” Andrew pointed out of the window as carriages arrived. At once, Michael and Arabella were on their feet, leaving the ivory doll behind them, quite forgotten and discarded on the rug.

They ran past Violet and Andrew so fast they nearly sent them flying.

“You better go after them,” Violet said.

“My turn again?” Andrew teased.

“I have my arms full as it is.” Violet laughed and held up the sleeping form of Helena for him to see. He laughed too and hurried out of the sitting room, leaving Violet a minute to look between her daughter and the room around them. It had been dressed for Christmas perfectly, with evergreens strewn across the mantelpiece and candelabras. In one corner, presents were already piled high, and in the other, the pianoforte was covered in sheet music for Christmas hymns.

It was to be the perfect Christmas for Violet. With her three children in the world, she had a joyful focus to her life.

As she held Helena high in her arms, she turned and left the room, heading outside and counting up the carriages that had arrived. Her parents’ carriage was yet to come, though they had promised they would attend this year. Though after her marriage to Andrew, her father had clearly been disappointed, that disappointment had faded away once the twins were born. It seemed nothing else mattered once new life was brought into the world. Violet was thankful for it, as with her teachings to her children, her parents also seemed to have relaxed their need to impart lessons that followed such strict rules. They doted on the children, indulging them with gifts rather than teachings of rules and etiquette.

Violet turned her eyes to the carriages that had arrived, seeing Lord Henry Stirling’s carriage was at the front. As he descended, he held out a hand to his wife.

“Emilia!” Violet said with glee as Emilia stepped out of the carriage, placing a hand to the swell of her own stomach.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” Emilia said quickly. The children were just as impatient to see her, jumping up and down outside of her carriage. “You will have to wait for me, children. I have to waddle everywhere these days.” Her words made them laugh as she moved forward, revealing just how big she had grown with the swell of her child. Violet knew it would not be long before her friend enjoyed the same bliss she had. She had seen Emilia long for a child of her own for some time, and ever since she and Henry had married, they seemed to have some difficulty in producing a child. At last, though, one was on the way.

As Andrew and Henry talked, Violet moved to Emilia, embracing her tightly with Helena between them.

“Ah, and this is the newest addition to the family,” Emilia said with delight, taking Helena from her arms. “Helena. Welcome to the world little one. You have the greatest parents in the world, so no one could be more fortunate that you.” As Emilia cooed at the baby, Violet felt her other children move to her side, with Arabella looping her hand through hers and Michael clinging to the skirt of her gown.

Before Violet could say anything about Emilia’s own upcoming birth, the second carriage pulled to a stop and this door opened. The Marquess of Rembrall stepped out first, before hobbling toward the children. In his older age, he could not move so fast, but to make up for it, the children ran toward him, shouting ‘Grandpapa!’ at the tops of their voices. As he embraced them both, Lord Walden stepped out of the carriage, hand in hand with a young woman.

“Who is that?” Violet whispered to Andrew as he reached her side.

“I do not know. Let’s find out.” Andrew took her hand and led her toward Lord Walden. “John, happy you could come!”

“How could I miss this family affair?” Lord Walden said, gesturing to all the children. “I still haven’t met your newest.”

“I think you’ll have to prize her out of Emilia’s hands,” Violet said with a laugh, pointing back to where Emilia was still cooing at the new baby who had at last opened her eyes, with Lord Stirling hovering over her shoulder.

“Well, perhaps you could start the introductions,” Andrew said, clearly motioning toward the young lady at Lord Walden’s side.

“Yes, of course. This is Miss Miriam Lavers, daughter of the Baron of Notley,” he said and motioned for the young lady to step forward.

“How do you do.” Violet curtsied to her, watching as Miss Lavers curtsied as well, with something of a rather shy smile. When Lord Walden offered his arm to her, she instantly took it, as if on his arm was the safest place to be.

“Miss Lavers, this is my brother, Lord Andrew Weston, and his wife, Lady Violet.” Lord Walden gestured to the two of them. “I have news. Miss Lavers and I are to be married.”

“That is wonderful. Congratulations!” Violet said, stepping forward and taking his hand with warmth.

“Thank you,” he said, kissing her on the cheek, appearing truly grateful for the congratulations. Violet watched as he turned his eyes on the young lady beside him, seeming quite a different gentleman to the one she had known six years ago. He looked at Miss Lavers as if she were the sun in the sky.

“John, I am so pleased for you.” Andrew extended a hand for his brother to shake. As Lord Walden took the hand, he held it for a beat longer than necessary.

“It is to you two that I owe this moment.”

“To us two?” Andrew asked as he and Violet exchanged glances. “Why?”

“Because there was a time when I didn’t think too much about why one should marry.” He confessed and turned his eyes on Miss Lavers beside him. “I thought of it as something that was necessary and hardly pleasant. Then I saw you two together. With the children too.” He moved a hand toward where the children were playing with the Marquess of Rembrall. He was doing his best to keep up with them, though in his older age, he was struggling a little. “You showed me how happy life could be.”

“I should thank you, too,” Miss Lavers said as she looked between the two of them. “I feel I never would have known the real Lord Walden had it not been for you two.” Lord Walden looked truly touched by her words, placing a hand over where her palm was placed on his arm. Violet could see was an intimate touch, not just one of a couple that had agreed upon marriage, but of a couple that desired marriage.

They are in love.

“I am truly happy for the both of you,” Violet said as she took Andrew’s hand beside her, looking up to him with a smile on her face.

“John, I am thrilled.” Andrew gestured for them to come into the house. “Come, please. Mrs. Thatcher has arranged so much food for today that I am sure, none of us will be able to move after we have all eaten it.”

As Lord Walden and Miss Lavers moved toward the others, Violet hung back with Andrew for a moment, looking over their happy family together.

“Violet,” he whispered to her. “Is everything well?”

“Very well indeed,” she said and gestured forward. “Look at everyone’s smiles.” She pointed between everyone there. “This all came from one moment, Andrew. The moment you decided you wanted to marry me.”

“You mean the moment that I spread a rumor about you.” He grimaced, clearly not liking the memory.

“Yes, I suppose,” she said with a giggle and lifted her fingers to his chin, angling him down toward her for a sweet kiss. “Never be ashamed of that moment, love, for look how happy it has made us since.”

He smiled a little before placing his lips to hers. As Violet indulged in that kiss, she could hear Michael and Arabella making ‘eww’ sounds, but she didn’t mind. These last six years she had been living a life she had thought beyond her reach. Thanks to Andrew, that life was hers for good.

The End

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