“Don’t leave me again.”

“I didn’t leave you.”

“Don’t go visit anyone on a moment’s notice, then. The house was very lonely without you.”

Emma was stunned by the force of emotion that surged through her at his stark words, and she had to bite her lip to keep the tears from spilling out of her eyes. Embarrassed by her weepiness, she lay back down on her side, cuddling herself against Alex’s chest.

“I’ve been thinking, Emma.”

“Yes?”

“You were right about there not being enough for you to do around here. I’m ashamed that I didn’t realize it sooner. I guess I had never bothered to see what it was that women did all day. I just assumed you had plenty with which to busy yourself.” Alex paused and stroked her fiery hair, marveling at the silken texture of it. “And I really have too much work. I have a few estates in addition to Westonbirt, you know.”

Emma nodded. And then she nodded some more just because the warm skin of his torso felt so good against her cold nose.

“I was thinking you could take over the management of those estates. I’ll need you to monitor the books. And you’ll have to travel to them every now and then to check in with the overseers. And meet the tenants, of course. I think it’s very important for the tenants to realize that we don’t want to be absentee landlords.”

Emma unburied her face from his side and gazed up into his face, her violet eyes shining. “Will you come with me?”

“Of course.” A grin stretched across Alex’s face. “The bed gets awfully cold without you. I couldn’t get to sleep.”

“Oh, Alex,” Emma cried, throwing her arms around him, completely forgetting about his wound. “I missed you too. So much. Sophie told me I ought to stay away for five days just to teach you a lesson, but I just couldn’t. I was going to spend the day with my cousins and head home. I couldn’t help myself,” she said, gulping back tears. “I love you so.”

“And I you.” Alex wrapped his arms around his wife, feeling utterly content as he held her warm body against him. For the first time in ten years, he felt completely at peace with the world. Visions of the rest of his life stretched before him, and the scenes were all beautiful, filled with carroty-haired children and grandchildren. And, of course, his carroty-haired wife. “Isn’t it strange?” he said, his voice filled with wonderment. “But I’m actually looking forward to growing old.”

Emma smiled tremulously. “Me too.”

Epilogue

Emma decided to put her plans for the building of a hospital aside until she felt she had a better grasp on her duties as the new manager of the Ashbourne estates. Three months later, however, she had a new reason to postpone construction: she was pregnant.

She shouldn’t have been so surprised, she supposed. After all, the way she and Alex had been behaving, a baby was inevitable. But when she missed her first monthly, the possibility of motherhood still seemed somehow remote. With all of the happiness her marriage had brought into her life, a baby seemed too much to hope for. But then she began to notice slight changes in her body, and she woke up in the morning feeling slightly queasy. She didn’t want to tell Alex until she was certain; there was no need for both of them to be disappointed if it proved to be a false alarm. When she missed her second monthly, however, she knew that dreams really could come true.

So one morning, as Alex was preparing to get out of bed and get dressed, she put her hand on his arm to still him.

“What is it, darling?” he asked.

“Don’t get up just yet,” she said softly.

Alex smiled with love in his eyes and eased back under the warm covers. He pulled her to him and dropped a gentle kiss on her nose, thinking that the pleasure of holding his wife was certainly worth the loss of a few minutes of work that day.

“I have some important news,” Emma said.

“Really?” Alex murmured, busy nuzzling the spot of silken skin just behind her ear.

“Mmm,” Emma sighed, enjoying his caress. “I’m going to have a baby.”

“What?” Alex said loudly, setting her back from him so that he could see her face. “Did you say...?”

Emma nodded, her entire being aglow.

“A baby,” he said in wonder. “A baby. Just imagine that.”

“It’s a little soon, I know, but—”

“It’s not too soon,” Alex interrupted, crushing her to him. “I can’t wait. A baby of my own.”

“And my own, too,” Emma reminded him.

“A baby of our own. It will be a girl with carroty hair, I think.”

Emma shook her head. “No, a boy. I’m sure of it. With black hair and green eyes.”

“Nonsense, I’m certain it will be a girl.”

Emma laughed, caught up in the magic of the moment. “A boy.”

“A girl.”

“A boy.”

“A girl”

“It will be a boy, I tell you. Would you mind so terribly having a boy?” Emma teased.

Alex pretended to give the matter careful consideration. “A little boy with black hair and green eyes would be acceptable, I suppose. One’s got to get an heir, after all. But a tiny little girl with carroty hair—now that would be splendid.”