The sun was bright over Durham manor, riding high in the sky. Beatrice tilted her head back to enjoy its warm rays as she sat on the picnic blanket on the lawn. The air was filled with the happy shrieks of her nephew and niece, and she giggled at their antics. They seemed to be growing so fast and time itself had flown by over the past year since she and Charles had married.

Seated on a second picnic blanket, Phillip and Tereza laughed along with their children as Ellis, their oldest, ran circles around his poor governess. “I feel for the woman,” Beatrice’s brother whispered to her. “I don’t think she expected such a rambunctious child when she came to work here.”

Tereza nodded in agreement, holding her one-year-old girl in her arms. The little girl shrieked in laughter as she watched her older brother. Beatrice thought the girl was the cutest thing she had ever seen with her blonde hair and bright blue eyes. “It won’t be long until you experience this, too,” Tereza commented.

Relaxing back into her husband’s arms, Beatrice smiled. Charles wrapped one arm more tightly around her shoulders and brushed the other over her protruding belly. “I cannot wait,” she cooed contentedly, wincing when the baby kicked inside her tummy. “I feel like I have been with child for the longest time. I am more than ready to meet his little one now, I can assure you.”

“As am I,” Charles agreed, nibbling on a sandwich.

“Ah, you will make a wonderful mother,” Tereza said with a wide smile. “That baby is very lucky.”

“As yours are,” added Charles. “Ellis and Mary are the luckiest children in the world.”

“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” Tereza inquired.

Beatrice furrowed her brow thoughtfully. “I don’t think that either of us mind. We just want a healthy and happy little baby. We can always have a few of each.”

Charles chuckled, brushing his lips across her cheek, and sending a shiver down her spine in the process. “I second that,” he whispered lasciviously into her ear, too low for the others to hear.

“Well, boys are certainly more work,” Tereza sighed, her gaze darting over to her boisterous son as he threw himself around on the grass, much to the chagrin of his harrowed governess. “But girls are more demanding.”

Just as Tereza’s words hut the air, little Mary fussed in her mother’s arms and the foursome laughed, watching as she toddled away in search of her brother.

“Ellis simply adores his little sister. I cannot believe how fast he’s growing. He becomes more mature every single day. It almost seems like he’ll be ready to set off on the Grand Tour tomorrow!” Tereza exclaimed.

Phillip shook his head. “Do not worry, dearest,” he soothed his wife. “We still have some time before we wave him off into adulthood.”

Tereza nodded and propped herself up on one arm. “So, tell me about the charity event, Beatrice,” she said. “I hear that it’s going to be the event of the Season.”

Smiling, Beatrice nodded eagerly. “Every member of the ton is to attend,” she replied, excitement in her voice. “We are hoping to raise enough money to help those poor orphaned children. It breaks my heart to think of so many of them without the love and support of a family.”

With a sigh, Phillip’s face contorted into sympathy. “It is our duty to help them,” he agreed. “I hope my future nephew or niece will be patient enough to wait until after the event, however.”

“As we all do,” Charles chimed in. “My wife has refused to slow down whilst she has been with child. Beatrice will not allow anything to stop her. She’s a force of nature, as always.”

Giggling, Beatrice basked in her husband’s compliment. “You’re too kind to me, Charles.”

“There is no such thing as too kind when it comes to you, my love,” he replied, hugging her tighter.

Beatrice melted in his arms, smiling when she saw her brother and sister-in-law exchange a heartfelt glance with each other. She knew that they were both profoundly happy for her and her husband. Phillip knew how much she had been through, and she was glad that he found happiness in her bliss.

“You are both coming to the ball, are you not?” Beatrice asked.

“Of course, we will be there,” Tereza said. “After missing out on so many whilst I carried my child, I still feel like I have a lifetime’s worth of missed parties to make up for.”

“Ah, you didn’t miss much, I assure you,” Phillip chuckled. “They will simply pale in comparison to Beatrice’s party which will be the talk of the town and I’m sure that is the only event we ever need to attend.”

Rolling her eyes, Beatrice giggled. “You flatter me too much, dear brother. Besides, it is not just my party,” Beatrice corrected her beloved brother. “Charles has put so much time and energy into this that I think he could easily claim it as his own.”

Nodding, Phillip glanced over at her husband. “Well, I suppose that my sister is lucky to have found a man who will devote so much attention to fulfilling her needs.”

Beatrice blushed when she thought about just how much time Charles devoted to her needs. Every night, he never failed to take her to the highest heights of pleasure. Never had he left her wanting and always ensured that she reached her completion before he even contemplated his. During the past year, he had proved to be the most perfect husband and she was sure that she would never want for anything while he was around.

Being with Charles was an adventure that refreshed her soul every morning. He completed her in a way that she didn’t know she longed for until she had found him. Charles was always there to support her and had spent many months giving her all the time she needed to get over the trauma of Nate’s acts. It was only several weeks after the incident that Beatrice had started to experience nightmares and they had persisted for several months. Yet Charles never waned in his support, sitting with her when she woke in the night until the night terrors finally dissipated, and she felt renewed.

Suddenly, the foursome heard a rustling from the doors to the house and they saw Ida rushing across the lawn. With a few stray hairs, Ida looked extremely flustered. Her cheeks were burning brightly as she greeted them. “Oh, what a to-do,” she chirped.

“Ida,” Beatrice said with a smile. “What has happened? You look so flushed.”

Ida seated herself on the blanket beside the two couples and smiled. “I have brought some news for all of you. I can hardly quite believe it myself and I’m sure all of you will be shocked when I tell you.”

“I hope you come bearing good news,” Charles said.

“Oh yes,” replied Ida with a firm nod. “It is the best news I could ever deliver.” She paused and drew in a deep breath. “But first, I simply must eat and then I will tell you all every detail.”

“You cannot keep us in suspense,” Beatrice protested with a frown.

Ida shrugged as Tereza handed her a plate of small cakes. “Patience is a virtue, my dearest friend,” she giggled. “You know that I am never one to stay too long with an empty stomach.”

Playfully rolling her eyes at Ida, Beatrice glanced around at her brother and his wife, her husband, and her best friend. She knew they had all come a long way. Each of them had lived their own journeys but it made her happy to know that they could all rely on each other through the good times and the bad times. She couldn’t imagine having a better family and soon she would welcome her newest addition.

The future looked bright for all of them, and Beatrice was glad of that. Above all, she wanted the people she cared for to enjoy the best lives possible. As Charles wrapped his hand securely around her shoulders, Beatrice melted. She knew one thing for sure. Her life was better than she had ever imagined. Who knew that a random collision with a stray horse could lead her to such a place of bliss? This was all she had ever wanted from life and more.

This was perfection.

If you want to know what lies ahead in our story, you may want to get the sequel…

Love is a distant dream for Genevieve Huntley, shattered by the demeaning comments of Edward Warwick and his cohorts at her coming-out ball. When Edward, the future Duke of Rutherford, stumbles across her intimate musings in the library, an unlikely and scandalous exchange ensues. Their mutual dislike transforms into a smoldering passion, and their love ignites their worlds. But their happiness is not to be; with Edward’s future hampered by an unwanted engagement and Genevieve’s insecurities fraying the fragile fabric of their bond, they must decide whether the all-consuming flame that binds them is worth risking everything for…

The Duke’s Devious Desires