Five years later

It was chaos at Blackwall yard. Shipbuilders were a superstitious bunch, and all manner of ritual and routine was taking place to calm nerves and provoke good omens. The docks were alive with the sound of iron against iron and the groan of earnest endeavor.

Today was the launch of the newest ship in their fleet—the Brave Voyager. A steamship. It had become a familiar sight to Holly. The first night of a new ship setting sail. Nicholas stood at the head of it all. Directing, instructing, leading with typical aplomb. He had a subtle way of going about things. Never needing to raise his voice, able to soothe a temper with a smile or a handshake. Holly was nervous but also excited.

The new ship was larger than anything that could be found on their side of the Thames. With the help and investment of his father, Nicholas had grown to become a behemoth in the shipping business and there was a lot riding on the success of the Brave Voyager. If all went well, it would be twice the yield from the year past which had been their best year ever.

There were more workers now than Holly had ever imagined possible before. They’d had to extend and renovate the dockyard to accommodate more help. Good men, each one handpicked by Nicholas who was as good a judge of character as any man was like to be. Their dockyard was a place to cater to all. Both high and low. If you could work diligently and honestly, you would not be turned away from them.

The Ton had taken a particular interest in their business on account of the story and scandal that had ensued with the Duke of Exenwood’s ill-fated attempt to trap Holly in a marriage as a means of escape. For them, ‘shipping with the Flemings’ was an act of solidarity with Holly and of retaliation against Exenwood and all men of his ilk. They treated Nicholas and Holly as though they were some special monuments of love for the most part, championing their story far and wide.

Holly for her part, was scarily calm. She had been an honorary shipping woman for five years and knew that as a leader, the workers needed her to be cool when they were burning hot. Even still, what gave her a deeper, abiding confidence was the trust she had for her husband. She knew without any lingering doubt that even if the ship failed completely, he would be at her side, and they would build again. This was after all, just one aspect of what they were—not all of it.

Lord William Walsh appeared at her shoulder. “The ambition of it all is frightening,” he said, staring at the constellation of activity.

“Ambition is always a little frightening,” Holly said. “We have done this a dozen times before, only now it’s bigger.”

“Not like this, you’ve never had quite so many workers having their first voyage. There is a lot that can go wrong.”

“I believe in Nicholas, whether with ten men or with ten thousand. He is the best at this.”

William blew out an exasperated breath. “When did you become the calm one?”

She smiled. “When I married him,” she said, nodding toward Nicholas.

William smiled deeply. “Indeed.”

William made his way about the dockyard, checking that everything was almost in place. Nicholas’s idea to make him the leader of the production was a stroke of uncommon genius. Together they had devised a new technique for shipbuilding that ensured that the ships were in continuous, year-long production. The gentleman was a perfectionist in every sense of the word and had turned their dock hands into a counting, gathering, shipping machine of the most professional order. At the sight of William, the workers set their jaw, gritted their teeth, and began to look alive with purpose. He had that rare capacity to inspire excellence simply through his bearing.

“How are we looking?” Holly asked a passing worker.

He clasped his hands and nodded satisfied. “We are looking good, Mrs. Fleming. Very good.”

Holly nodded and smiled. “Good.”

Nicholas appeared at her side, and it made her instantly smile.

“We are going to have a wonderful day,” he said, smiling.

Holly nodded. “We are.”

“After this is all done, I think we should go get some ices before seeing Connor and Sybil. We can leave William to handle things while we are away.”

Holly touched her chin. “I do like the sound of that.”

Nicholas glanced over his shoulder at the workers, then turned his gaze back on Holly. “I think they are waiting to hear from you.”

“From me?” Holly asked.

Nicholas nodded. “You know they look to you when it comes to a challenging time. You are the one who inspires them the most.”

“I am not so sure about that,” Holly protested.

Nicholas gave a small laugh. “Believe me. They need to hear from you.”

Holly sucked in breath. “I suppose it might help if I said a few words.”

“It certainly would.”

She turned toward the throng of workers and spoke with her voice at even pitch. “Everyone.”

The noise dimmed to a faint murmur.

“Thank you all for working so hard to get us this far in such a short space of time. This is our largest night ever. There will be mistakes. There will be inefficiencies. But if I have learned one thing about you all these last few years, it is that you are smart, you are resilient and above all, you are talented. There is nothing you will see, say or do today that you have not seen, said, or done before. I believe in you, and I want you to try not to worry about making mistakes. If we don’t deliver this year, we will back the next one with twice the vigour.”

There were murmurs of agreement and encouragement, and Nicholas seized the moment to launch a full-scale cheer, “Long live the Brave Voyager!”

A dozen voices answered as one, “Long live the Brave Voyager!”

When it came to rousing the workers, there was none better than Nicholas. They seemed to take their energy from his and it made them work with twice the vigour and enthusiasm. His few words were all that was needed to underscore the simplicity of her own words with a sense of wilful purpose.

They finished with the workers and gave William charge of the dock while they departed for the ices. Accompanying them were two young children who stared up at them with all the love and affection that any parent could demand.

William, their youngest, ran straight for his father’s legs. He was at the age where everything was done at a hectic pace and to be absentminded for even a moment was to court disaster.

Eleanor, their older daughter had the temperament of her grandmother. A cool, inquisitive reserve with easy ancestral grace.

They stepped into the carriage and before long, arrived at Gunter’s Tea Shop.

Holly knew she would always love chocolate ices. As she stared across the table at the love of her life—she felt as she had all those years ago when he had ordered chocolate ices without needing her instructions: satisfied.

He watched her with the same intense consternation that he always had. It made her smile. There was no one like him and she counted herself among the most fortunate people on the examined earth to have Mr. Nicholas Fleming for a husband.

He rose to his feet as she finished her treat and smiled. “We should be on our way, Sybil and Connor will be waiting.”

Holly smiled as she rose to join her family, taking Eleanor by the hand.

They drew approving smiles as they walked and stepped into the waiting carriage. Eleanor wasted no time in finding her post by the window, from which point she could stare out at the changing landscape as the carriage rolled on.

Before long, they arrived at the gates to Hyde Park and the coachman drew back the reins.

William had to be restrained from bolting through the door as they made their easy dismount. They stepped past the gate and made their way to a familiar outpost beneath the coverage of a strong stately oak tree.

“Uncle Nicholas,” came the shout, even before they arrived as Sybil and Connor’s first son George came running toward them.

Nicholas caught him in a crouching embrace as their second joined in. It was a thing of everlasting intrigue how Sybil and Connor’s lives seemed to mirror their own.

Eleanor and George were barely two months apart and the younger siblings even closer in age. Their weddings had been barely months apart and here they were connected as family and happy as they had ever been.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fleming,” Connor said with a teasing smile, “It warms my heart to see you again this morning.”

Nicholas smiled. “We too are glad to see you, Mr. Walsh.”

Holly exchanged pleasantries of her own with Sybil and Connor and the picnic began.

The sun was perched at its noonday peak and the birds sang with full voice. Hyde Park was one of the very best parts of London. As close to paradise as was available to the crowned and common alike.

Nicholas dulcet baritone sounded beside her, “Do you remember when we first came here? We were just like them.”

He pointed at a young couple following the lead of the Serpentine, eyes locked tight on one another. Behind them, moving like carts behind the wagon, were a stout matronly chaperone and a thin, elegant valet.

Holly gave a small laugh. “We were nothing like that. I accepted your invitation for a walk only under duress.”

Nicholas smiled. “You only had eyes for the Duke of Exenwood then, and I was your happy accomplice in attracting his affections.”

“Did you know then? That you might have feelings for me?”

Nicholas smiled. “I did, in a way. I think I always knew that in you I would be reconciled with myself. You were always there, at the edge of my mind—a great question to which there was only one true answer. Fear, distrust, and immaturity all had their way with me at one point or another but through it all there was something about you that called out to me. So many of us long for love but lack the courage to take risks. We satisfy ourselves with decent, sometimes satisfying relationships even where love is lacking because it is safer than the unknown waters. But we cannot love rightly until we take off the mask. I was reminded of it when we were watching William learn how to walk—somehow the boy must have known that he was meant to stand on two feet, but for a time, the best he could allow himself to do was crawl. In that same way, it was hard for me to accept how easily you had stolen my heart, but the time came when I had to stand.”

Holly laughed. “I suppose then, that there is neither victor nor vanquished for you stole mine in return. I was good and ready to marry another man until you came along.”

Nicholas squeezed Holly’s hand and glanced at Connor. “What about you, old friend, did you know immediately that Sybil was the one you would love?”

Connor nodded. “She hit me like a thrown stone. Changed everything. I thought when I returned to London that I would remain a bachelor for many years before I settled at last in matrimony. I was so sure of it. From the first glance. The first time I heard her laugh. I knew my plans had to change—quickly.”

Sybil raised her chin. “It took me a while for I was not expecting Connor at all. He was so clear and honest in his affection. So gentle and kind to me. He made me laugh more than anyone ever has. How could I ever deny him?”

William and Eleanor ran across the field, giggling, and they watched as the children played with all the freedom in the world. This was what life was meant to be. An undying commitment to seizing happiness at every juncture. Five years on, she still felt that wonderful pang in her stomach whenever Nicholas touched her hand or kissed her forehead or held her close.

A figure came into view at the corner of her vision, two figures silhouetted by the afternoon sky. A young lady and her lady’s maid enjoying the weather. The young lady carried herself with an almost embarrassing freedom. The liberty of a child.

Holly narrowed her eyes. “Is that—”

“Lady Viola,” Sybil exclaimed.

Holly had never seen the woman move with such a dancer’s grace. Only then did she notice the two behind her. A little girl, perhaps a year or two older than William with long brunette curls that glistened like her mothers in the sun and a tall, handsome gentleman with a dark blue coat above black breeches.

Holly found herself smiling.

Lady Viola glanced in their direction and for one silent moment, their eyes met. Holly waved and Lady Viola’s lips curled into a smile. With a gesture to the tall gentleman, she made her way toward them.

Nicholas was the first to approach her and gave a courteous bow. “Lady Viola.”

She curtseyed in return. “Mr. Fleming,” she said with a smile. “Mrs. Fleming, and Mr. and Mrs. Walsh, it fills me with joy to see you all again.”

Connor smiled. “It was not too long ago when we were all here under entirely different circumstances.”

Lady Viola laughed. “Indeed. A lot has changed since then. I am Lady Ashcroft now.”

Holly quirked an eyebrow up at the tall gentleman who stood a few paces behind with hands clasped. “Is that your…”

“My husband, yes. Lord Ashcroft.”

At the sound of his name, the gentleman stepped forward and gave a low bow. “A pleasure to meet you all.”

Lady Ashcroft beamed. “My love, these are my old friends, the ones I have told you about. Mr. Nicholas Fleming and his wife, Mrs. Holly Fleming. Mr. Connor Walsh and his wife Mrs. Sybil Walsh.”

Lord Ashcroft nodded in acknowledgement. “My wife says great things about you all,” he nodded at Nicholas, “and you most of all, Mr. Fleming. I know you were a great help to her in a difficult time.”

Nicholas gave a crumpled smile. “You have a beautiful family, Lord Ashcroft.”

He smiled. “Thank you.”

They shook hands warmly and Lord Ashcroft offered Lady Ashcroft his arm. She took it and turned back to them. “You are all welcome to pay us a visit soon. At our home on Conduit Street. It would be a pleasure to catch up properly.”

“We certainly shall,” Holly said with a smile.

With that, the former Lady Viola Acton and her husband continued their afternoon stroll with their daughter running ahead of them.

“A happy conclusion to a most unhappy circumstance,” Connor said.

“‘From lowest place when virtuous things proceed, the place is dignified by the doer’s deed’,” Nicholas added, speaking as he always did when reciting Shakespeare.

Holly tugged at her husband’s shirt gently and he drew close. “Would you like to join me for a walk, Mr. Fleming?”

His eyebrows rose and then his lips curled into a smile. “Of course, Madam.”

***

They walked hand-in-hand along a route they had trod so many times before. The misty spray of the Serpentine prickled Nicholas’s skin as they walked.

“I wanted to tell you something,” Holly began.

Nicholas nodded. “Before you do, I feel that there is something I should say—if that is all right?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Something about today and all the memories that have returned to me. I just wanted to say thank you for making everything about my life complete. Without you, I do not know where I would be. I really don’t.”

Holly gave a teasing smile. “Married to some woman or the other, I trust.”

He squeezed her hand. “And not half as happy as I am now.”

They laughed together and he turned his gaze on her, wondering what it was she had drawn his aside to say.

“What is it that you wanted to tell me?” he asked.

She closed her eyes and pulled his hand over the underside of her stomach. He felt a bristling warmth and closed his eyes as he sucked in breath.

“Does this mean what I think it does?” he asked, locking eyes with her.

She blinked and nodded. “I am with child, my love. You are going to be a father to a third.”

He let out a slow, hushed breath and closed his eyes, completely overrun with joy. He dropped to a single knee and kissed her stomach twice, wrapping his arms around her. She touched the back of his neck and rolled her palm in small circles. “What did I ever do to deserve all of this?” he whispered.

“You made me a believer,” she said easily. As though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

They walked back to the picnic with beaming smiles and announced the good news to Connor and Sybil.

Connor rose to his feet and wrapped an arm around Nicholas’s shoulders. “What wonderful news! Today has given us so many reasons to celebrate.”

And celebrate they did until the sun lulled to the horizon and the park grew quiet and dim.

Nicholas stared into Holly’s eyes and smiled. Somehow, they both knew that this next chapter would be more beautiful than any that had come before.

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