A Lady’s Beloved Novelist – Extended Epilogue

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James turned the page and continued to write. He did not feel as though he could get his pen to put down the words quick enough. His mind raced ahead of him as the story unfolded. James had been concerned in the beginning that he would now not be as interested in his writing with people knowing about his identity. But six months had passed since the wedding, and the stories were still flowing.

For him, it had always just been a hobby, and the fact that others bought and read his novels was just a great bonus. He had even added in some new characters to his stories—including Andrea.

The cowardly sidekick had been quickly taken out of the story now that he had served his purpose. James was still yet to know what had become of his former friend, and so he simply told the truth about the fact that the sidekick had run away. It fit with his character, and he did not feel that any of his readers would have been upset to see him go.

But the resolution of Francis Griffith finally finding love and marrying was a welcome addition to the stories. Alice Murray was the woman whose heart he had won, and they now continue to go on adventures together.

Andrea was pleased by the addition. James smiled as he remembered the first time that he had let her read the manuscript. Her eyes had lit up with such happiness, a light in them that was as bright as it had been on their wedding day.

Despite Andrea mentioning the idea a few times, James still did not tell her that she was going to be included in the next book. He had maintained the surprise right up until the publication of the book when Andrea had a copy to see it for herself.

“I love it,” she had said. “It is so perfect! I just think that if you had told me a year ago that I would feature as a character within my favourite series of books, I would have laughed at the very notion.”

The late nights of trying to finish the story in enough time for their six-month anniversary had been all made worth it by Andrea’s reaction. He was impressed how Andrea had taken to becoming a marchioness so well. It was an elevation of status in society, but she had settled well into the role.

The main difference was that they had more guests to welcome at their home on his father’s estate. Leaving Sudeley had been rather emotional in the end. It was a place where James had written so many of his tales, and so he was going to miss the grounds dearly. But it had been time to start the rest of their lives, and to do so, it meant moving on from Sudeley.

“Ah, there you are! Still writing?”
James turned to see his beautiful wife in the doorway of his study.

“I’m nearly finished,” he said while looking back at the paper he had been writing on.

“Good, I have found another route for us to try on our trip!”
Ever since James had agreed to go on a trip with Andrea to Germany, she had been doing constant research about where they would go and what they would see. The main aim was to experience some of the old castles that were out there, as well as the German culture. It was a place that James had only ever stopped over in before continuing his travels. Andrea’s desire to travel was finally going to be fulfilled, and James was greatly looking forward to showing her a piece of the world. Germany may not be as far as Asia, but they still had a small slither of the sea to cross, and that was more than Andrea had ever done before.

“Of course you have,” James said as he chuckled and shook his head. “And where this time?”

“To the mountains in the south, there is so much to see…perhaps, we should extend the trip from what we originally said?”

“We have already extended it,” James reminded her in amusement.
“But I feel that it is not enough.”

He smiled at her, his adoration warming his heart. James could only imagine that Andrea was not going to let him come home until she had seen everything that she wanted to. With that logic, he was partially concerned that they would never return home.

“I will look into it because there are engagements that we have to be back for.”

Andrea gave him a look. It was the same excuse that he had used the last time she had asked, and so he knew that he was no longer fooling her.

“I also have some news,” Andrea said, stepping further into the room. “I went for tea with Aunt Bella and Lady Abigail.”

“Ah, so rather than news, you have gossip,” James corrected.

“I feel that this is actual news,” Andrea said. “It is news about Cecil Blakewell.”

“So, there is finally some news?”

James turned so that his full attention was now on his wife.
“Lady Abigail heard that he has managed to get his mother’s maidservant pregnant.”

He was slightly taken aback by the news, but at the same time, it did not come as much of a surprise to James. Cecil had been playing with that kind of fire for years, and it was a wonder that it had not happened sooner.

“And so will he marry her?”

Andrea nodded at his words. The thought of Cecil having to marry a maidservant after everything that had happened felt like a just punishment.

“Apparently, he’s not too pleased about it,” Andrea added. “Abigail has heard that he is whining about having to marry a maid, but there are few and far people who actually feel sympathy for him.”

“Yes, I can imagine that there are not too many people who feel bad for Cecil Blakewell now that his true self is known by so many.”

While part of him wanted to feel sorry for the man, James knew that Cecil deserved what he was getting. After nearly ruining his chance at happiness, James had little sympathy for the man.

“I do not suppose you’re going to write that into your next story, are you?”

Andrea crossed her arms over her chest and flashed him a smile of amusement after asking her question.

“Perhaps I will, it will give the readers some closure about the cowardly character,” James said. But he was not completely sure that he would do so. The concept of having to give Cecil, even just in the form of his fictitious counterpart, any more thought than was necessary was not exactly appealing to him.

***

Andrea stared adoringly at her husband. His writing really was something that he was passionate about, but it was also something that she was incredibly supportive of. She knew that he did not like to boast about it, but whenever there were guests, Andrea liked to at least acknowledge it.

She could not imagine what she was going to be like when she had children and spoke of their accolades. Andrea could already imagine just how much she would want to sing about their achievements.

In her mind, that was the next step after marriage. Now that there was nothing or anybody stopping her and James from being together, they could focus on creating a family of their own. The thought scared her slightly, but then Andrea thought about telling her children about the adventures of Francis Griffith. Reading their father’s stories to them felt like it would be quite a surreal moment.

But first, they had some travelling to do. When they had agreed to the trip to Germany, Andrea knew that it would mean halting on their plans to grow their family. She wanted to have an adventure of her own, and not one that was hindered by being pregnant.

Andrea felt as though James was growing bored with her talk about going to Germany. She had so many ideas and plans that she wanted to suggest to him, but she also knew that it was all coming across as very keen.
“Darling, do you know what the word spontaneity means?” James had asked her when she had first gone on about creating an itinerary of sorts. She knew the word and felt that in the process of trying to politely decline all her plans, he had also mildly insulted her intelligence.

“Well, it sounds as though we will not have to deal with Cecil coming to see us any time soon. He’s going to be a father soon. Perhaps we should send him some flowers as a gift of congratulations?”

Andrea chuckled at her husband’s suggestion. It would be rude while masked as a polite gesture to the man who already sounded as though he was doing penance for his poor life choices.

“There’s talk of stripping him of his title finally as well,” Andrea added. “Enough people are angered at his ways, and the gossip is spreading through some of the highest circles in the country!”

When Abigail and her aunt had come to first tell her the news, Andrea had seen the eagerness and excitement in their eyes. She had once read that good gossip needs a villain. It needs someone that people do not like, and that is often one of the driving powers for why it is spread about so much. People like to talk about what and who they do not like. While it was a rather negative and bleak outlook on some members of high society, it was working in their favour so that everyone could see just what Cecil was like really.

James and Andrea had stopped calling him Sir Cecil a long time ago, already renouncing his title just between the two of them. He had lost that privilege when he ran from Sudeley and had not returned since.

“That makes sense. I know there are some of the surviving men from my regiment who have also come out to talk about Cecil’s cowardice.”

“I wonder what Cecil will do when the money runs out?” Andrea asked. Her lips were quickly curving into a small smile at the thought of Cecil becoming a baker or a clerk in a small town. How far he would have fallen.

“Well, it sounds as though he is getting what he deserves,” James said finally.

Andrea stared into his eyes for a moment. She knew that it had all been even more difficult for James because Cecil was someone he had once called a friend. He was a man that he had once put his trust in. She knew that he did not like to talk too much about it still. Andrea respected his boundary, only pursuing various questions when James himself brought the subject up. Slowly, she was piecing together the different stories of what happened while he was fighting overseas, and she was beginning to understand why he had been so reluctant to talk about it.

Andrea decided it was time to change the subject and look to the much more positive future ahead of them.

“There is still so much to do before we set sail.”

“It will all get done, I’m sure of it,” James reassured her. “I have done this before. I know what works and what does not when one is out of the country for a while.”

Despite her nerves at having never left the country before, Andrea felt that she was in the best possible hands with James at her side. Even for things like being on a boat in the sea, it was something that she had never done before and so she was glad that she could turn to him.

“I know that you have it all under control,” Andrea said slowly. “But I still have my concerns regarding what we should pack.”

Her worst fear was either on the way or once they arrived in Germany and realising that they had forgotten something.

James chuckled and reclined in his chair. “I assure you that it will all be fine. We will make our lists and make sure that we have not missed anything that way.”

Andrea smiled at him as he moved to stand up and walk over to where she was standing. Even after six months of marriage, she still felt butterflies rising within her gut whenever they locked eyes for a long time. The blue pools of his eyes caught the light pouring through the window to the side of them. He stared at her with such love that it made Andrea feel slightly dizzy. To think that she had been so stubborn with whom she would marry, it all felt as though it had paid off.

“How many times am I going to have to tell you that you do not need to worry about a thing for this trip?” he asked her. Amusement filled his eyes as he looked at her.

“I’m not sure, but at least a few more times,” she admitted. “I’m probably going to worry up until the moment we are on the boat and sailing away from everything that is familiar.”

She was glad that he was used to her ways and that he simply tolerated them. Andrea knew that sometimes she would worry too much, but James was always there to ground her.

“Of course you are.” He chuckled. “And I would not have it any other way.”

She smiled up at him before leaning in and pressing her lips to his. Everything felt right at that moment. All the conflict that they had gone through, the mistakes and the trials they had endured. Andrea could contently say that she had found the right husband after so much struggle. Now as she stared up at him, she was filled with excitement since the best was surely yet to come.

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Grab my new series, "Love and Secrets of the Ton", and get 5 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!

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